The riddle
Why Did the Scarecrow Win an Award?
One word, two meanings
"Outstanding" can describe something that stands out, rising or sitting apart from what surrounds it. It can also mean excellent. A scarecrow stands out in the first sense, alone in the open where birds can see it. The joke gives him the second sense as well, as if he were excellent at his job. The word "field" carries a pair of meanings too: the ground where a crop grows, and a person's area of work or study. Merriam-Webster lists all of these.
Do scarecrows work?
Partly, and not for long. Pest-control researchers note that birds get used to a figure that never changes, so the scare fades with time. A paper from the Vertebrate Pest Conference advises making scarecrows lifelike, easy to see and movable, and shifting them often. Loose cloth that flaps in the wind adds to the effect, since birds react more to movement and color.
Making one that works
A scarecrow is easy to build from a frame of sticks, old clothes and straw. Since birds grow used to it, the advice above applies: put it where birds will see it, add pieces that move in the breeze and shift it to a new spot every so often.
Getting the laugh
Ask the question, wait through the guessing, then give the answer without comment. For a group, a good follow-up is to ask which two words carry the joke. Most people name "outstanding" first, and a sharp listener adds "field".