Listen to “The Night the Pumpkins Sneezed” on Spreaker.
🎃 The Night the Pumpkins Sneezed
It was the night before Halloween, and the whole town of Maple Hollow smelled like cinnamon and roasted pumpkin seeds. Emily and Daniel were helping their neighbor, Granny Maple, decorate her pumpkin patch for the big Pumpkin of the Year Contest.
Granny Maple’s pumpkins weren’t ordinary. They were the biggest, roundest, most colorful pumpkins anyone had ever seen—each one as shiny as orange glass. “They look perfect this year,” Granny Maple said proudly, patting one with her gloved hand. “A little sprinkle of my special pumpkin spice mix, and they’ll win for sure!”
She reached into her apron and sprinkled sparkly orange dust over the pumpkins. It glowed faintly under the moonlight, then fizzled out with a soft pop.
“What’s in that spice, Granny?” Daniel asked.
“Oh, just my secret recipe,” she said with a wink. “A little cinnamon, a little sugar, and maybe a tiny touch of magic.”
Emily giggled. “You mean like fairy dust?”
Granny Maple just smiled. “Something like that, dear.”
🌙 A Very Strange Morning
The next morning, Emily and Daniel woke up to the sound of achoo!
Then another. And another.
“Is that… sneezing?” Emily rubbed her eyes. “At seven in the morning?”
The kids hurried outside. When they reached Granny Maple’s pumpkin patch, they gasped.
The pumpkins were gone!
Well—not exactly gone. Orange goo covered the ground, seeds were everywhere, and the air smelled like sneezy spice. A faint “ah-choo!” echoed from the field, followed by a giggle.
Granny Maple came running out, holding a tissue. “Oh, good heavens! My pumpkins have sneezed themselves inside out!”
Daniel blinked. “Pumpkins can sneeze?”
“They can if you use too much enchanted spice!” Granny groaned. “I must’ve mixed up my cinnamon jar with my fairy pumpkin dust again.”
🕵️♀️ The Pumpkin Detectives
Emily pulled out her detective notebook. “Don’t worry, Granny—we’ll find them.”
Daniel crouched down, inspecting the ground. “Look! A trail of glowing pumpkin seeds!”
The glowing trail led them out of the patch, across the field, and down Maple Hollow Lane. Every few steps, they heard another tiny achoo! echoing in the distance.
They followed the trail past Mr. Jones’s scarecrow, who sneezed so hard his hat flew off. Then past the bakery, where a few orange seeds had rolled under the door. Mrs. Plum peeked out. “You kids chasing pumpkins again?” she asked.
Emily grinned. “They sneezed away this time!”
Mrs. Plum blinked. “Well, that’s new.”
🎃 Pumpkin Parade Gone Wild
The glowing trail ended at the town square. And what a sight it was!
The pumpkins had gathered themselves into a huge circle, bouncing and rolling around the fountain. Every few seconds, one would sneeze out a shower of seeds like confetti. Kids laughed, and townsfolk clapped—thinking it was part of the Halloween festivities.
But Granny Maple looked horrified. “My poor pumpkins! They’ll lose all their seeds if they keep sneezing!”
Emily and Daniel tried to round them up, but the pumpkins were slippery and giggly. Whenever someone said “Boo!” they’d sneeze again—loud enough to rattle the fountain.
Daniel wiped goo off his sleeve. “We need to stop the sneezing before they all explode!”
Granny Maple thought for a moment. “There’s only one cure for magical pumpkin sneezes—the Pumpkin Soup Potion!”
🍲 The Great Pumpkin Soup Plan
The trio rushed back to Granny’s kitchen. It looked like a cozy potion lab—shelves of jars labeled Fairy Flour, Moonlight Sugar, and Toadstool Tea.
Granny Maple tossed ingredients into a big copper pot. “A pinch of salt, a dash of cream, and three giggles from a happy child.”
Emily laughed. “Does that count?”
“Perfect!” Granny said. “Now stir while I hum the pumpkin lullaby.”
The pot glowed a warm golden orange. The air filled with the smell of cozy autumn—cinnamon, vanilla, and just a hint of magic.
When the potion was ready, Granny poured it into her watering can. “All right, detectives. Let’s calm those pumpkins.”
🎃 A Sneezeless Ending
Back in the town square, the pumpkins were still sneezing up a storm. Daniel tiptoed toward the biggest one. “Don’t worry, buddy. This will make you feel better.”
He poured a tiny drop of potion over its head. The pumpkin hiccupped, glowed faintly, and then sighed.
“Ahhh… much better,” it said in a sleepy voice before settling still.
One by one, Emily and Daniel helped Granny cure each pumpkin. The sneezing stopped, and soon the square was filled with peaceful, smiling pumpkins.
But as the last drop of potion was poured, something magical happened. The pumpkins began to glow brighter—gold, orange, and green light swirling around them.
Then, with a whoosh, they lifted off the ground and floated into the air, creating a glowing Pumpkin Lantern Show above Maple Hollow.
The townsfolk cheered as the pumpkins twirled and sparkled in the night sky, lighting up the entire town in shimmering orange light.
Granny Maple smiled proudly. “Looks like they’re putting on their own Halloween show this year.”
🌟 A Halloween to Remember
When the lanterns finally settled back into the patch, Emily patted the biggest pumpkin. “You should definitely win the contest now.”
Granny chuckled. “Win or not, I think this has been the most magical Halloween yet.”
Daniel yawned. “Next time, maybe we just bake pumpkin pie instead of chasing them through town.”
“Good idea,” Emily agreed.
That night, as they walked home under the glowing pumpkin lights, the kids heard one last faint “Achoo!” echo through the air.
They smiled. Some Halloween magic, it seemed, liked to stick around a little longer.
The End!
💭 Follow-Up Questions
- What would you have done if your pumpkins started sneezing and running away?
- Why do you think Granny Maple’s pumpkin spice had magic in it?
- How would you decorate your own magical pumpkin for Halloween night?
