The Magic Pumpkin

by Hilary Williamson
It was a sunny Fall day, crisp and blue and gold. Kevin and his
friend Katie climbed onto the school bus, heading for the
Pumpkin Patch. They sat on the back bench and had fun
bouncing around. ut Katie was grumpy. !he didn"t want to go
on the trip. !he hated cold Fall weather and pumpkins and
everything.
The bus parked at the farm. There was an enormous pile
of orange pumpkins beside a wagon and tractor. #veryone
rushed for the wagon. Kevin and Katie sat in the front as
it headed out. They watched the huge wheels of the
tractor bump slowly over ruts in the dirt path. $ore
bouncing% Then the tractor stopped.
On either side long rows of pumpkins lay in the dust, each in its own tangle of
vines. They were all different si&es and shades of orange, with light brown patches.
The driver said the ones with stalks lasted longer. Kevin and Katie ran down the
same dusty row. Kevin worried when bigger kids ran past and grabbed the best
pumpkins. !oon Katie said she didn"t care anyway and picked up the ne't one on the
ground. Kevin kept looking.
Time was up and Kevin was still empty handed. He ran faster. Then
he saw one the others had missed. (t was small and a clear orange in
color, with a little brown mark shaped like a star. (t was
perfect. Kevin pulled it off its vines, held the prickly stem carefully
and ran back to the bus. Katie said it was ugly and they )uarreled.
That night Kevin"s father cut open the pumpkin, scooped out its insides and carved
it. The pumpkin grinned at them * a lopsided, mischievous kind of a grin. Kevin cut a
star shaped nose with his dad"s help, and saved the piece. He put the pumpkin on his
bedside table and tucked the little star under his pillow.
He fell asleep and dreamed that he was back in the Pumpkin
Patch. His pumpkin had long vine legs and arms, and called
itself +ack*,. +ack*, told Kevin that he could have one wish,
anything at all. Kevin badly wanted a new video game. The
kids at school were all talking about it.
All the ne't day, Kevin imagined playing the game. He wanted to tell Katie on the
bus home, but she was cross and wouldn"t talk. !he seemed sad as well as grumpy.
!o Kevin asked his mother and father at supper time about Katie"s dad in hospital.
Their worried faces answered him.

It was hard to get to sleep that night. When he did, with the
little star under his pillow, Kevin found himself back in the
Pumpkin Patch. (t was a stormy Fall day with leaves flying
everywhere, red and orange and brown. The wind blew so hard
that +ack*, bobbed in the air, vines waving and getting in tangles.
It was time for the wish. Kevin opened his mouth to ask for his game. ut as the
storm tossed leaves around him, he saw his friend"s face and the words spilled out
"$ake Katie"s dad better". +ack*,"s orange face split in an enormous grin. He
danced in the air while he told Kevin how to pass on the magic. Then he disappeared
in a burst of orange fireworks, full of little sparkling stars.
Katie wasn"t at school the ne't morning. Was +ack*, only a
dream- ut she arrived late, smiling and all was well * her father
was coming home on the week*end. .fter school, Katie and Kevin
played in the park. The pumpkin star was grubby and shrivelled in
Kevin"s pocket and the wind swished leaves gently along the
ground. Kevin and Katie tossed them at each other, kicked them into piles and
/umped in.
Then Kevin took out the little star and threw it high in the air. . gust of wind
picked it up. .way it spiralled, higher and higher in the sky. He watched until it was
only a little orange point and then even that disappeared. Katie asked what he was
doing. ,h nothing, /ust pumpkin magic, replied Kevin with a secret smile.