The Little Pumpkin

by Peggy Willocks

 Deep in the country hills and valleys of Tennessee lies a raging river, known as the Nolichuckey River.  The soil along this river bottom is fertile and used for lots of truck-farming. 

A truck-farm is a really big garden that grows lots of one thing - like tomatoes, strawberries, corn, or pumpkins.  Grown-ups call this produce. 

When the produce is ready, lots of folks help harvest or pick the tomatoes, strawberries, corn, or pumpkins.

You know it’s fall in Tennessee, when the leaves begin to turn colors and drop from the trees, and the air cools down. That’s also when it’s time to harvest the pumpkin patch.

There in the fertile soil along the Nolichuckey River are masses of green leaves and pumpkin vines that twist and turn and cover the ground.  They started out as little flat seeds in late spring or early summer, then grew and grew and grew.

It wasn’t many weeks ago that there were hundreds of beautiful yellow blossoms scattered about the entangled pumpkin vines.  Now wherever a yellow blossom appeared stands a bright orange pumpkin!

Today, the people will come to cut the pumpkins from their vines and load them into a big truck.  That’s where the name of “truck-farming” came.  These pumpkins will be hauled into town to sell.

Some pumpkins will be unloaded at the grocery stores.  Some will go to discount stores, like Wal-Mart or K-Mart.  And still others will be taken to roadside produce stands.  People wanting a pumpkin will see them on display at little markets along the roadway and will stop to buy one.  Many pumpkins will become part of fall decorations or someone’s jack-o-lantern.

Several pumpkins have made it to this old man’s roadside market.  He picked out some really big, heavy pumpkins to display.  His name is Mr. Thompson. 

Mr. Thompson is arranging his produce so that people driving by will want to stop.  He puts his biggest, most colorful red tomatoes out front on his wooden tables.  The smaller, not-yet-ripe tomatoes will be hidden behind those that will attract attention.  He does the same with his apples brought from the orchards, corn, and other vegetables and fruits.

Then Mr. Thompson unloads his truck full of pumpkins just brought in from Chuckey.  He has to have help with some of the heavy pumpkins – they seem to weigh so much!  He thinks, “My!  What a great jack-o-lantern these pumpkins will make!”

Mr. Thompson and his helper display the largest, round pumpkins out front for everyone to see as they drive by his stand.  One is as high as his knee!  It sits flat on the ground and has a perfect shape!  It’s sure to sell fast!  The biggest pumpkin smiled with pride as he displayed his bold size, shape, and color. 

As Mr. Thompson waved goodbye to the helper driving the truck, a family of three pulled into his parking area.  “Good afternoon!” greeted Mr. Thompson.  “How may I help you?”

A little boy and girl, apparently brother and sister, eagerly rushed to the biggest pumpkin just put on display and excitedly jabbered about how perfect it was.  “Yes,” said the mother, “We’re looking for a good jack-o-lantern pumpkin.  If the price is not too much, I believe my children have already found the one they like.”

Mr. Thompson took the woman’s money, and the other pumpkins watched as the proud pumpkin was loaded into the family car and driven away.   Slightly jealous, the other pumpkins observed as Mr. Thompson selected the next largest pumpkin to replace the one sold.  The big pumpkin smiled with his  “I’m better than you” grin as all the other pumpkins turned their best sides up when Mr. Thompson wasn’t looking. 

Before long, another car pulled into the graveled parking area and another and another.  Within a few hours, all of the larger, blemish-free pumpkins with the best round shape had been chosen.  There were only those left that did not have a perfect shape, slightly flattened on one side, or had a dulled orange color.

The one little pumpkin, who wasn’t very much to look at, tried to show his best side, but everyone overlooked him.  He was never even picked up and examined like some of the other pumpkins!  Sadly, the little pumpkin thought that he would never be chosen for the holidays and would just rot in the sun.

Two days went by, and the Halloween holiday passed.  Another big truckload of pumpkins were delivered one early morning.  Now the little pumpkin was sure to never be chosen!

As Mr. Thompson began arranging the best shaped, most colorful pumpkins to be out front, he picked up the little pumpkin.  “My, my!”  he said as he turned the little pumpkin’s misshapen body around and around.  “I should just throw you out, but you do have a nice color – not bright orange, but a multi-color look.  You’re just different from the others.”

“Different?” thought the little pumpkin.  “I don’t like being different!  I want to be a part of somebody’s fall decorations, not different!”  Then Mr. Thompson set the little pumpkin far to the end of his new display of big, orange pumpkins, right on the front row.

All day long, different carloads of people stopped by the roadside produce stand and all day long, many pumpkins drove away with families. . . but not the little pumpkin.  He was so sad, that he forgot to even turn his good side up.

As Mr. Thompson began to close the stand down for the evening, a car pulled in and a lady rushed to him.  “Oh, good!  I’m glad you didn’t close!  I have to get some things to fill my cornucopia for tomorrow morning!”

Now, Mr. Thompson knew that a cornucopia was a basket shaped like a big horn that people filled with vegetables and fruits.  The cornucopia was often called the “horn of plenty,” which reminded us of a bountiful or good harvest time.  “Well,” he began, “I was just about to close up, but help yourself, lady!.”

The lady hurriedly began to choose a variety of vegetables and fruits and placed them in her basket.  She picked out squash, tomatoes, green peppers, apples, and oranges.  Then she came to stand by the pumpkin table and was admiring the display.

“What a lovely variety of pumpkins!” the lady remarked.  “But all of these are too large for my cornucopia.”  Then her eyes fell on the little pumpkin.

“Surely, she is not considering me!” he thought.  Then the lady moved closer.  She stood in silence right in front of the little pumpkin for what seemed an eternity, then she picked him up and brought him closer to her face.

The lady studied the little pumpkin’s shape and color, and he studied her face, too.  She had a nice smile and seemed to be most pleasant.  The little pumpkin expected the lady to put him back on the table to choose a better looking pumpkin when he heard her shout, “This is perfect!  It’s different!”

The little pumpkin was so happy that he nearly jumped from the lady’s hand!  Before he knew what had happened he was placed in a sack with the other items chosen and was riding in the lady’s car to his new home!

What a surprise for the little pumpkin when the next morning he was the biggest vegetable or fruit in the cornucopia!  The beautiful “horn of plenty” became the centerpiece in the children’s church – and many children noticed and pointed him out that morning.  How proud he was!

The little pumpkin listened as the children’s church sang songs and heard a Sunday School lesson about “Thankfulness.”  He listened closely to the memory verse that morning that read, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.”  1 Timothy 4:4