Show I I ii I f I II II I I J AX I 1 THE PUMPKIN TREE Once upon a time a plowman was working hl his field when he sat Rat down to rest beneath a hube oak tree Its great limbs spread out so far that they mado made madea a dense denst shade shad and in this cool spot the theman theman man sou sought ht to rest during tho the heat of ot neon As he sat eating his lunch a gnome who was vcr very thin nn and shabby walked by He looked hungrily at the tho lunch I Wont ont you ou stop rest and havo a aI aI I bite to eat 7 kindly said the plowman I I Ill bo glad Iad of oC your our company compan The gnome nomo sat down and ate heartily heartily heart heart- II ily of oC the foo food It must mast bo be fine to be a gnome and not have hac to work in tho the fields as I Ido Ido Ido do do said the man I am up at al dawn and go to bed too tired to turn over Things are arc all wron wrong in this world orld anwa anyway If It I had the power they would be bo different The gnome nomo smiled sadly Pray what are arc the changes you would make he n asked kd The man thought a long Ions while then replied slowly There Thero is so much to do BO so man many things thing's to set right that I 1 hardly know where to begin he answered at al last But if it I had only a n chance chonce to tr try I could make up my mind to com commence men co coat at once setting things to rights And If IC you Jou did laughed the tho gnome nome there thero is no doubt tho the first thing you ou accomplished would be bo all wrong It is easy for both of ot us to talk continued the plowman but I wish I had Just one chanco chance to try I will give it to you responded the gnome Be here tomorrow at this hour and I will grant you ou any change you rou wish to make in the world about us for I will bring the sacred s ring of ot the King of ot the Gnomes and anything you OU wish will be granted at onto helt tho the midday bell rang 0 over o er the fields from tho the village e the plowman wen wended his way to a seat seal under the giant oak and anti there before him he saw sow the tho gnome waiting The They ate uto lunch then the man b began an to consider what changes os he ho would make in the world about himI himI him I would woul 1 make tl fish h so 80 they could I live on dr dry land lanU and horses so they could fly over the tops of oC mountains I 1 would mal make e It rain twice every even week and never be too hot or too cold coldi But Interrupted tho the gnome omo suppOse suppose suppose sup sup- pose you Jou begin beg on something simple something right around us No Now 1 what Improvement would you make right rl here for Instance 1 1 The man looked slowly s and carefully carefully care care- tull fully around About his feet t. t et were doyens dozens dot doz 1 ens of oC acorns fallen from the oak Down In the field between the long green rows of oC corn were big bh fat tal yellow yellow yel yel- ellow el low pumpkins Well Veil sal said the man I might as aswell aswell J Jwell well wellS as S you OU suggest j ht begin Improving things s at hand and I will begin on this oak tree You see flee that big bIF pumpkin pumpkin pumpkin pump pump- kin is growing out of a n. tiny vine And this immense oak is giving sl forth just tin tiny liny acorns no bigger er than my thumb 1 Why that Is all wrong The Tho TheIne vino Ine ought ou I Ito to have havo tho the acorns and the oak tree ought to grow Irow pumpkins That is 13 my first wish of oC change The gnome nome turned the ring three times dines The man glanced up and saw tho the hugo huge tree treo was wag full of ot pumpkins tho the round things gleaming prettily amid the dark branches My I next change will be but be but he did not finish for just then one of oC the largest and hardest of ot the pumpkins dropped down and hit him on the head knocking him almo t unconscious lie rolled out Into the field covered with the tho mashed pumpkin Oh I I 1 dont don't think I will make an any anymore anymore more changes in things 8 lie he snorted as ashe ashe ashe he wiped his face tace und and the gnome laughed I guess I had better leave tho the world worl as It Is It dont don't do to Improve improve improve im Im- im- im prove what we wo dont don't understand So In future I am content to let pumpkins grow on the ground and the acorns in this tree for tor I might wish to sit under it n again llin ti |