THE LONELY PUMPKIN

The Poor Mountain Family climbed into their pickup truck and drove into town.

"How are we going to get a pumpkin for Halloween?" asked Poor Mountain Mother. "We don't have any money?"

"Well I haven't quite got that figured out yet," said Poor Mountain Father. "I promised the children I'd get them a pumpkin and I'm not going to go back on my promise."

"That is true," said Poor Mountain Mother.

There is one thing to be said about mountain families and that is if they make you a promise they will always keep that promise, no matter what.

"Oh look at all the pumpkins," said Poor Mountain Sister, climbing out of the pickup truck.

"There are tons of them," said Poor Mountain Brother. "Oh I can't wait to carve a jack-o-lantern."

"Oh my!" exclaimed Poor Mountain Mother, when she saw the price tag on the gigantic mound of pumpkins. "There is no way we can afford one."

"Now hush," said Poor Mountain Father. "Don't let the children hear you saw that?"

Poor Mountain Father walked around the edge of the pile of pumpkins when he spotted a little pumpkin sitting all by itself.

"Well," said Poor Mountain Father, picking up the little pumpkin. "What have we got here?"

"You can have that pathetic pumpkin," a voice said from behind him.

Poor Mountain Father turned around to see the owner of the pumpkin stand.

"Really," said Poor Mountain Father. "My family will be thrilled. Thank you very much!"

Poor Mountain Father put the little pumpkin in the back of the pickup truck and then went and rounded up his family.

"Which one are we going to get?" asked Poor Mountain Sister, excitedly.

"Well," said Poor Mountain Father. "I've already got one picked out for us."

"You do," said Poor Mountain Mother, who was standing beside Poor Mountain Sister.

"Come on everyone," said Poor Mountain Father. "It is time to get going home."

Once at home, Poor Mountain Father took his little pumpkin out of the back of the pickup truck and showed it to his family.

"Oh dear," said Poor Mountain Mother. "It is kind of small isn't it."

"Maybe so," said Poor Mountain Father. "But at least it was free."

The poor mountain family loved their little pumpkin because it was free and the poor mountain children knew that their father had not broken his promise to them because he did get them a pumpkin for Halloween, even if it was the tiniest pumpkin they had seen.

POOR MOUNTAIN FAMILY STORIES