Pumpkin Carving Story

The Littlest Pumpkin

Once, in the middle of a great field full of pumpkins, there lived a wee little pumpkin. This little pumpkin was hardly bigger than a walnut. He was not a baby pumpkin, because baby pumpkins are green and he was a beautiful bright orange, just like his big brothers and sisters. But he was the tiniest pumpkin in the world. He was also the most miserable little pumpkin in the pumpkin patch.

"It's going to be a good Halloween for you, " he cried to his neighbor, "You will certainly be chosen by a child to be her own Halloween Jack O"Lantern, but I am so small that no one would be able to make a face on me, or to fit a light inside me. In fact, when the farmers come into the field with their heavy boots on, I'm sure they won't even see me and I'll be stepped on. I probably won't even have any Halloween."

The other pumpkin felt sorry for him, but there was nothing that he could do about it.

That very morning, the farmer and his two sons had come out to see the field full of round, glowing orange pumpkins among the dark green vines and leaves. The farmer said to his sons, "The pumpkins are perfectly ripe. Tomorrow we will come back and pick them, lead them onto our truck and take them into town. Children will buy them and take them home to make their Jack O' Lanterns for Halloween."

That night, all of the pumpkins in the field were talking excitedly about the next day. A big fat pumpkin boasted that he would probably be the first chosen by some lucky boy or girl, but a small, pretty little pumpkin said, "I think that a child would like me best, because I can be carried easily."

Everyone had a wish to tell the other. Some wanted to have a happy face, others wanted to be scary and a few even hoped to look sad - just for fun.

As the night became deeper and darker, and the full moon rose above the field, they all became quieter, except for an occasional whisper. All through the night, the little pumpkin looked up at the beautiful Mistress Moon, so high above him. He spoke to her.

"We are alike, you and I, because we are both so round. But you are great and wise and loved, and I am too small to be loved by anyone."

The moon shone down with loving light on the little pumpkin and tried to comfort him.

Before sunrise, as the moon began to wander home and it was very dark, the little pumpkin saw a tiny light flickering at the far edge of the great field. The light twinkled and sparkled as it zigzagged over the field, pausing here and hurrying there. The little pumpkin thought that a star must have fallen to the earth, but he couldn't see what it was doing. It came closer and closer. Then, all at once, it was standing in front of him and he could see that it wasn't a star at all - it was an autumn fire fairy, dressed in gold and orange and scarlet leaf-fire, which dances without burning.

The autumn fire fairy bent over the little pumpkin and cried out, " Oh! Here it is - the very pumpkin that I am seeking! All of the other pumpkins are much too big for me to carry home to my children, but he is just right."

What joy filled the heart of the littlest pumpkin when she picked him up and flew with him to the forest. They entered the bottom of a hollow tree and a great many little autumn fire fairies clamored around to admire their Halloween pumpkin. They took tiny fairy knives and cut a big smiling face on him. Then they brought little fairy candles that shine in all different changing colors and put them inside. Now the littlest pumpkin was turned into a sparkling, shining Jack O' Lantern.

Then all of the autumn fire fairies held a big dancing festival with many kinds of food and sweets and lots of music and singing. And the littlest pumpkin shared the best Halloween of all.

By Christine Natale