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Show 77f? Pumpkirv Pic frolic D. Jones i I IT WAS the night before Thanksgiving. On the pantry window-sill a long row of pumpkin pies -I lay, rich and mellow, waiting wait-ing the next day's feast. The well-picked turkey lay on his platter in silent majesty maj-esty and from the cookie jars certain spicy odors watted prophecies proph-ecies of happy satisfaction for keen appetites. All was still, for everyone lind gone to bed. Through the window, presently, pres-ently, the golden rays of the autumn moon stole, pausing gently to rest on the pumpkin-pies. "Ah, me," sighed a plump, jolly-looking pie, "How often we have watched that same moon from our place in the fields! How I wish we were back there again!" As he spoke, they all heard a soft fluttering of wings, and when he bad finished, there alighted on the wmaow-Sill wmaow-Sill the prettiest little fairy they had ever seen. Her eyes were as blue as the lake on a sunny morning, and her hair as lovely as the silken floss of the corn. On her head was a crown studded with frost sparkles and her dress was trimmed' with lace from the loom of the black witch known as the Spider. "All right, jolly pies, you may have your wish," she said. So saying, she touched the pies with her wand and up they Jumped, the queerest little persons with fat, laughing faces and long, thin legs. "You may frolic wherever you wish," she said, "but you must come back as soon as the cock blows his silver trumpet." Then she drew aside the screen and away went the Pumpkin Pie people. As they ran down through the garden gar-den the cabbages and carrots and parsnips par-snips stared In surprise. Then they started to laugh, and how they did laugh. In fact, one cabbage laughed so hard that he burst, which was very careless of him, and wouldn't have happened If he had been holding his sides. But the Pumpkin Pie people didn't care. On and on they ran, through the orchard and past the barns. The pig eyed them with a sleepy grunt, but they were going so fast that he didn't think It worth his while to try to catch them. Finally they came to the The Pig Eyed Them With a Sleepy Grunt. broad field where all summer they had hidden under the broad leaves from the hot rays of the sun, and where they had been so happy till that dreadful dread-ful day when they had been taken away and put Into pies. Then the Pumpkin Pie people took hands and danced and sang. So happy were they, and their music had so much magic In It that even the frozen leaves of the Pumpkin vines turned green again and waved In time with their dancing. The rnbblts and field mice came from far and near and stood about with their arms folded, gravely watching the Joyous scone. All too soon the sound of the silver trumpet came over the field. The pumpkin vines withered up ami lay stiff and lifeless as before and the mice and rabbits scampered away. Away scurried the Pumpkin l'le people, back through tho barnyard, the orchard and the garden and very, very quietly crept through the pantry window. win-dow. "Thank you, kind Fairy," they said to the Thanksgiving fairy who was waiting for them. For answer, she touched them with her wand, und they sunk to their places on the window win-dow sill as before. Then she disappeared. disap-peared. Hut no one would have dreamed next day what n spice of mischief and adventure was In those pies, which the cook had never put there nt all. |
