Allie Weaver loved Halloween. She loved the costumes, the candy, the pumpkins, the scary, the funny, it all. Halloween was always a fun time in Allie’s family. All of them loved the holiday. Tricks were played. Candied apples were made. A traditional pumpkin pie always graced the Halloween dinner table on Halloween night.
Allie had just turned sixteen and her family had celebrated her birthday with an orange cake decorated with black bats. Her older brother Pete was notorious for playing wicked Halloween tricks on the entire family. He was legend and the most memorable Halloween haunting was when her brother had hung a dancing glow in the dark skeleton in her closet. She never forgot it. He got her good, that year. She screamed so loud, the neighbors came running over to see what was wrong. It took years for Allie to live that scare down. The family still laughed about it.
Carving pumpkins was a Halloween holiday tradition in the Weaver family. Each family member would choose a pumpkin, carve it themselves, light it up and place it on the front porch on Halloween night. Allie had found the cutest and smallest pumpkin this year. It was petite and perfectly round. She had never seen a pumpkin before quite like it. She was very proud of her find. She carved it out and placed it on the back porch, to dry a bit, the top out of it, to get it ready for Halloween night. She went bed, sighing happily. It was sure to be a wonderful Halloween. Her dad had found a gigantic pumpkin and it was a beauty.
On Halloween morning, Allie woke up early. It was a Saturday and she rushed out to the back porch to check her pumpkin and see if it was dry. She was in a bit of a hurry. She wanted to be the first family member to be through with the traditional carved pumpkin. Usually, she was last, but this year, she had planned ahead and she grabbed the pumpkin, placed the top on it and sat it on the front porch, to be ready for the evening family pumpkin lighting. It was so tiny and cute. She sat back and admired it. Then, it jumped. Allie blinked. Surely she did not see that happen. It moved again. The small pumpkin appeared to be sliding across the porch, on it’s own. Allie screamed. Her brother Pete came running out onto the front porch. “What’s wrong, Allie?” Pete asked her. She pointed at the pumpkin. It jumped and moved about a half foot. Pete screamed. Allie looked at him. “What did you do to my pumpkin, Pete?” she asked him. “Nothing, I swear.” he said. About this time, Allie’s parents came out onto the front porch to see what the commotion was.
The tiny pumpkin started hopping across the porch. Allie’s dad gasped and her mom screamed. Suddenly, Allie got very mad. “I know that you did this, Pete. I don’t know how, but it is not funny. You always want all the attention. You are jealous of my pumpkin!” Allie screamed. Pete shook his head. “I swear, Allie, I didn’t do this.” he said. “Darn you, Pete!” Allie screamed. She was furious. She ran over to her pumpkin, just before it hopped off of the porch. She snatched it up, flung the top off and stared. Something huge and dark green was in it. She screamed and threw the pumpkin down. It tumbled across the porch and something fell out of it. They all stared at it silently. Then, it hopped off. It was a huge toad. No one said anything for a long moment. Then, her dad started laughing. Soon, they all joined in. They all laughed until they cried. Then Pete said solemnly “Even I could not have thought that one up.” Allie giggled. “I’m sorry, Pete.” He smiled. “Happy Halloween!” he said. They all laughed together the rest of the morning. “I think I am now in the Halloween mood.” Allie’s mom said. The entire family burst into laughter. “It was the mystery of the jumping pumpkin” Allie’s dad said. They all agreed.