Pumpkin Patch
“We must go to the pumpkin patch to pick out our Halloween pumpkin,” said Poor Mountain Mother. “Halloween is tomorrow.”
“We could go right now,” said Poor Mountain Father. “I have nothing planned for this morning.”
Poor Mountain Mother grabbed her coat and her and Poor Mountain Father walked down the laneway to their pumpkin patch. They held hands tightly letting each other know that they were still very upset about the fact that someone broke into their home the night before and stole the money that they had set aside to get their bills paid off.
“Oh my!” exclaimed Poor Mountain Mother, when she saw the pumpkin patch. “What happened here? What is going on?”
The pumpkins in the pumpkin patch were all dancing and singing joyously.
“I don’t know,” said Poor Mountain Father. “I don’t understand this at all.”
Poor Mountain Mother looked over to the far end of the pumpkin patch and there, she saw a black cat, sitting on one of the biggest pumpkins there. It looked to her like the cat was making the pumpkins dance and sing.
“Come on pumpkins,” the black cat coaxed. “It is Halloween. We must be joyous. How will we be able to restore the riches back to the humans?”
Poor Mountain Mother went over to the black cat and kneeled down beside it.
“Why are you making our pumpkins dance and sing and what is this about restoring riches?” she asked the black cat.
“I know that you recently lost a lot of money and the dancing and singing helps the pumpkins,” said the black cat.
“How does it help the pumpkins?” asked Poor Mountain Father, listening to the black cat’s tale.
“It helps the pumpkins turn into better jack-o-lanterns,” said the black cat.
“I always thought our jack-o-lanterns were just fine the way they were,” said Poor Mountain Mother.
“I am kind of offended you would say such a thing,” said Poor Mountain Father. “After all, I am the one that carves the jack-o-lantern each year.”
“You will see what I am talking about on Halloween night,” said the black cat.
Poor Mountain Father and Poor Mountain Mother took home the pumpkin that the black cat was sitting on to be their jack-o-lantern. They both gently carved it out and were very pleased at their efforts. However, they still didn’t see a difference.
Halloween night came along and they set their jack-o-lantern out onto their porch and lit the candle inside of it. They did notice that the children that came to their door were all bringing them gifts and did not want anything in return. The gifts were all extravagant gifts too.
The day after Halloween, Poor Mountain Father did find the black cat in the pumpkin patch again.
“I want you to take these gifts,” said Poor Mountain Father, handing a bag of gifts to the black cat. “Poor Mountain Mother and myself just don’t feel right about keeping them.”
“Why thank you,” said the cat, handing Poor Mountain Father an envelope.
“What is this for?” asked Poor Mountain Father.
“Payment for returning these gifts to me,” said the cat.
Poor Mountain Father was very pleased when he saw quite a few hundred dollar bills in the envelope. He now knew that was what the black cat had meant about the pumpkins being better jack-o-lanterns. He was able to pay off his debts that he had owing and he also had enough left over so he could take his family on a well-needed vacation.
Moral of this Story:
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