Out here in corn country there is a legend that the ghosts of all the children lost in the corn fields come out at night and roam the rows, crying piteously. Probably rattling fences, and shaking corn stalks together. Though no-one I talk to can remember a child getting actually lost in the corn fields. Everybody’s grandmother was full of dreadful stories.
I think that this legend was preached loudly by mothers terrified of their children wandering off and losing their way in the fields. Using fear to make sure they stay in the yard. Much like my mother telling us that sharks came in close to shore to feed at night to prevent us from skinny dipping in the sea after dark. And the Maori grandmothers spoke of Taniwha in the deepest fastest parts of the rivers, and the worst riptides on the beaches. (The presence of a Taniwha is treated with huge respect in New Zealand because there is a lot more to the taniwha legends than meets the eye. They are not ghosts. The Maori people of New Zealand have an oral history. And in my memory of these stories the Taniwha bears an uncanny resemblance to a dragon).
Though I did not use these old terror stories, I did hear myself giving the children a serious lecture about ONLY going into the corn field with an adult and if you get lost Stay where you are and call out and if you have to walk do Not cross the rows. Walk to the end of your row and you will come out somewhere.
And then very slowly, holding hands and almost tip toeing we fed ourselves through the wardrobe of corn stalks and into the dim hushed under world of the corn field.
We simply sat in there for a long time. And talked quietly, then without realising it we all fell into a quietness, just breathing and listening. Completely enclosed in huge corn stalks. The dogs, Miss A, Mr N and Kristy from Eat,Play,Love and I.
This is not their first visit. They are getting to be old hands helping with the animals. But Kristy told me this is the first time she has stepped into the depths of a corn field. Her grandmother had forbidden her when she was little. Told her stories of the ghost children. And that rule had stayed – lodged. We all survived though and came out smiling.
They helped me shift the chickens into their new home. The stock trailer (sometimes called the Black Mariah). It is has a nice happy job now. It is draft free in there and the chicks are warm with their light but I hope they were OK. Though big birds now, with feathers and everything, it was in the 50’s last night. I shall pop out when the sun comes up and check them.
Miss A and her rabbly troops.
Good morning. Kristy held the camera for me while I emptied the pig’s water bucket and could not resist a shot of miss c. I know you can only see five. but There are six piglets in this shot. Can you see number 6? Think dreadlocks!
We had a great day as you can imagine. Adult company for me and dog company for the young ones. Fantastic pizzas. Interestingly Kristy told me that Miss A has only begun to eat eggs since she came here and gathered them from the chook house herself last time. When she was picking with her bowl in the gardens yesterday she was eating (with permission) the tiny grape tomatoes. Later she asked her mother if maybe this is what big tomatoes tasted like? Yes, said her mother. Do you want to try one? Sure. Said the little girl. I might like them now. So there you are. The magic of the vegetable garden!
It is going to be clear and sunny here again today. But it is still cool. In fact the swimming pool is steaming. I can see its misty fingers sifting into the sunrise.
Have a lovely day.
Your friend, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
61 responses to “Children of the Corn”
What a beautiful post today, C! Loved the “dreadlock” piggie picture, especially. The children certainly love coming to share the farmie with you. 🙂
Morning Beth Ann, I had to laugh when I saw those little piggie hocks hanging out in the background. So fitting really! c
Beautiful photos, Miss C, in the corn greenery.
Marvelous post…such lovely children 🙂
Those corn fields draw you right in …. beautiful! I have always wanted curly hair (sigh). Laura
I love your photos! The children are gorgeous. I especially love the blonde curls.
Wonderful post, beautiful pictures! Have a gorgeous day!!!!
Oh my – I remember seeing a movie called Children of the Corn – talk about SCARY!
How lovely of Kristy an Mr N and Miss A to come and visit again.
Yay, so pleased it’s warmer for you today C.
🙂 Mandy xo
Oh piggy shivers. Ghosts of the corn and sharks in the water…. ooohh I love it! Thank goodness you ended on a special note close to my heart – piggies! Great post my friend. XOXO – Bacon
Such a sweet picture of Boo in the corn, well the piglets made it through their 1st 24 hours intact. Tonight it is cold so I fixed up a heat lamp, I was able to pop them under it whilst Baby was scoffing her dinner. I gave her a big ration cos she told me she needed it and because it gave the piglets time to find out how good the warmth was and gravitate away and back to it. When I checked on them later they were back snuggled up against Mum feeding so we will have to wait and see.
Excellent. You are very lucky Baby will let you move her piglets around. Charlotte would have killed me if i got in there with them. They are so sweet when they go to sleep feeding. Little babies. In a few days they will not be able to resist that warm light and that lovely straw in between feeds, lots of time yet. Baby has done very well so far! c
Ha only for a minute when she was eating, when I went up this morning, the straw in the creep was all out and the babies back in their corner with Mum. She has her own agenda going on! Still they were all intact and warm, I cant wish for anymore at this stage. I think you are right they will gravitate towards the lamp when they are a bit older and getting a bit more independant in the meantime I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Baby should not be able to get into the creep? How did the straw all get out? c
We got caught short, the pig palace was not finished by the time the piglets came so the bit out the back that they could creep into was not yet wild dog proofed. We stopped work so she could settle in quietly with the piglets, in the meantime the creep is the bottom of a really big plastic dog kennel, baby can stand but is not able to over it but cannot get or sit in it. The lamp is suspened above it. It will do for the next few days, when the babies and Baby are a bit more used to the noise and movement we will secure the back pen and put the light and the crate just on the other side of the fence from where they are now. Eventually it will become the piglets pen and they will eat there.
Sitting in close greenery above one’s head is almost mystical isn’t it?
I hadn’t thought about this in quite some time, the walking in a cornfield, the quietness and mysteriousness of it all. I never heard such warnings about getting lost, perhaps, because as the daughter of a farmer, this knowledge was inherent.
That piggy dreadlocks pic is hilarious. The photos of the children, precious.
This year I put in cherry tomatoes and a blackberry bush just for my grand girls. It’s fun to see a 15 month old picking tomatoes and the juice running down her chin. Never too early!
Love the magic of the vegetable garden on the little ones (it seems to work on me too). I just wish it would work on my teens!! Would love to sit amid the corn like that. ❤
I’m sure that your chicks will be just fine. Our incubated birds live in much cooler conditions than 50 degrees and just a heat lamp as substitute mother when they’re nothing more than a fluff-ball!
The scary story in this locality is of the ‘Bottomless Lochan (small loch)’ in an area known as The Fairy Glen, a great favourite of local children – and grown-ups!
Christine
I love all these local ancient warnings, when kids roamed free after their chores for the day were done.. The Fairy Glen.. sounds quite enticing though.. c
Lovely spooky stories and great pictures! Why is that piggy hanging out by him/herself? Poor baby. The little blonde girl looks a lot like my youngest granddaughter. Nice to see a photo of you, Celi! How nice for these children to experience the farm. My most vivid childhood memory of a farm is picking blackberries on my uncle’s place–so hot even early in the morning, blackberries warm, stained fingers, and bloody scratches from the thorns. Obviously, I didn’t have a Celi to teach me!
Oh that little piglet is just a little piggie, he was grabbing a last mouthful while the others were distracted. His brothers push him out of the way to eat, they fight for every mouthful at first then find their places and eat up. Blackberries, i remembeer those days as a kid too. Mum made jam out of them.. well what we brought home anyway!! c