Scarecrows have been called "figures of shreds and patches." Brewer (54) notes that Vice used to be personified as a mimic king in motley garb. Shakespeare has Hamlet refer to his villainous uncle, the king, as "A vice of kings! A cutpurse of the empire and the rule … A king of shreds and patches." Well, Nanki-Poo is really a prince of shreds and patches, so it fits right in.
Opera:
Act:
Act I