The Talking Pumpkins
Author
Ronnie Coleinger
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Copyright © [Ronnie Coleinger, pseudo.] 2011
Illustration copyright © [Ronnie Coleinger, pseudo.] 2011
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The Talking Pumpkins
Robbie was just finishing his breakfast of Cheerios with sliced bananas when his father walked into the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table beside his son. Robbie looked up from eating his cereal and asked, “Are we going to the punkin patch this morning?” His father smiled and said, “Yes we are going, and the proper word is pumpkin, not punkin.” Robbie giggled and returned his attention back to his bowl of cereal. Robbie’s Father asked who sliced the banana that was on his cereal. Robbie looked up and said, “Mom did it before she went to take her bath.”
When breakfast was over, Robbie’s Mother helped him dress and get ready to go with his father. She helped him find his old coat and his boots that he wore when he went to the woods to help cut wood with his father. Robbie’s Mother knew the pumpkin patch would be muddy from the heavy rains on Friday and Saturday. The weatherman said the high temperature today would be around sixty degrees, so a long sleeved shirt and warm socks were in order.
Robbie rode in his father’s new truck for the first time today. Today was very special; they were going to the farm to find two pumpkins for his mother to make Thanksgiving pies. When Robbie tried to climb into the truck on the passenger side, he realized he was too short to get his legs up into the cab. His father chuckled, went into the garage, and found a short stool for Robbie to climb up on. Once Robbie had climbed up into the truck, and had buckled the seat belt on his booster seat, his father put the stool in the back of the truck so he could use it later when they got to the farm. As Robbie’s father walked around to the driver’s side of the truck, Robbie realized his muddy boots had gotten mud on the floor of his father’s new truck. He told his father that he would clean up the mud when they got home. His father laughed over Robbie’s grownup words, and then told him that the truck was a man’s truck and that mud on the floor was okay. Robbie giggled as his dad stomped his boots on the floor mat and got mud on his side of the truck so both sides were the same.
As Robbie’s Father drove to the farm, Robbie asked if punkins grew on trees, or in the ground like potatoes. His father laughed and explained that pumpkins grew on vines on top of the ground. Robbie then asked if the farmer had planted them or if God had put them there so Mothers could make their families pies for Thanksgiving. Robbie’s Father laughed again and said that the farmer had planted them, but God had watered them with rain and watched over them so they would grow big. As they arrived at the farm, Robbie looked out into the field where hundreds of pumpkins lay on the ground, waiting for someone to take them home for Thanksgiving. He looked at his father and said, “Dad, that’s a lot of punkins!”
As they began walking in the muddy field, Robbie began to realize that pumpkins grew in every size imaginable. Some were perfectly round; some were lopsided and leaned over to one side. Some were bright orange and some were lighter in color. Robbie wanted a perfect pumpkin to take home to his mother, and began the search for the perfect specimen. Robbie walked up beside his dad and asked, “How do we know which punkins make good pies?” His father kneeled down in front of him and said, “I will explain that to you, but first we need to work on your pronunciation of the word pumpkin. Can you try saying the word pump-kin for me?” Robbie giggled, but repeated the word several times until he had it almost perfect. His father mussed his son’s hair with his hand and said, “That is good enough my friend. When your new tooth comes in to fill the hole where your baby tooth fell out, you will have better success saying the complicated words. For now, you are doing just fine.”
As Robbie walked along the rows of pumpkins, trying to find the perfect one to take home to his mother, he saw a face appear on one of the larger pumpkins. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the pumpkin. Suddenly, the mouth began to move and the pumpkin said, “Hello, little one. Can I help you pick out some pumpkins for you holiday pie?” Robbie stood silently in front of the pumpkin for another moment, and then turned his head to locate his father. As he looked to his left, another pumpkin formed a face and spoke to him; “Take me, take me,” the pumpkin yelled. Finally, Robbie could stand it no longer. He turned towards his father, held out his hand, pointed to the larger pumpkin, and asked, “Dad! Do Punkins Talk?”
Robbie’s Dad giggled at his son’s words about talking pumpkins, but walked over to where Robbie was standing, looked down at one of the larger pumpkins in the patch, and asked, “Was this the pumpkin that talked to you?” Robbie pointed and said, “There was a face on the punkin, and then it talked to me. It wanted me to take it home to Mother.” Robbie’s Father used the toe of his boot to push on the pumpkin so his son could see that it was not alive and could not possibly talk. Robbie decided he did not understand what had just happened, so he returned his attention to finding the perfect pumpkin for his mother.
As Robbie’s Father continued to search for his pumpkin, Robbie had already decided which pumpkin he wanted to take home to his mother; it was the larger talking pumpkin. He stuck a stick in the ground just in front of the pumpkin so he could find it later. Within a few minutes, Robbie’s Dad had a pumpkin picked out and he asked his son if he had found the perfect pumpkin for his mother yet. Robbie pointed to the pumpkin with the stick in front of it. When Robbie tried to pick up the pumpkin, it was too big for him to manage, so his father gave him his smaller pumpkin to carry, and he took Robbie’s pumpkin to the truck.
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Robbie’s Mother placed a piece of pumpkin pie on a plate and spooned some whipped cream on top. When she sat the plate down in front of Robbie, he said, “Thank you,” and then looked down at the pie. He picked up his fork, and then it happened again. A face appeared in the slice of pumpkin pie. Robbie giggled as a tiny red tongue appeared from the mouth and licked up some of the whipped cream his mother had put on the pie. The mouth made a slurping sound as it drew the white tasty treat into its mouth with its tongue. Robbie’s giggles drew his parent’s attention and they wondered why their son was so excited about the pie.
As Robbie cut a piece of the pie with his fork and began to move it towards his mouth, the pie spoke to him again. This time the words rhymed.
The sweet taste of pumpkin pie
The best in all the land
I’ve grown for months, to please this lad
Now his giggles make me glad
Thanksgiving is a time for families
To remember why we feast
We thank our God for his blessings
And the rain that Mother Nature weeps
This time we share with family and friends
Will remain buried deep within our hearts
As our loved ones pass, these memories remain
God bless the ones we love