« View all stories
crafted by the TalkiePal team using our TaleWeaver app
When Tim carved his first pumpkin, it was fierce and funny, and just perfect. A jack-o-lantern
this good deserves a name, so Tim gave it one. Jack!
Long after the best trick-or-treating candy was eaten, Tim still kept Jack. At night,
when a candle made Jack′s face dance on the walls and filled the dark with warm pumpkin
smells, Tim felt Jack was almost magic. Yet, too soon, the spell was broken.
This pumpkin is beginning to rot, announced Mom. It′s time to throw it out.
Tim knew it was useless to argue. He carried Jack to the garden, which was filled with
brown ghosts of last summer′s plants. A dead garden is better than a trash can, thought
Tim. Still, it made him sad to leave Jack outside, alone.
Whenever chores or play brought Tim to the garden, he looked at Jack. Every time, Jack
was different. He became wrinkled, and his fierce smile began to look silly.
Mold spread over Jack′s bright orange skin. As the days turned colder, Jack grew flatter.
Winter began. Soon Jack was hidden beneath the snow, and Tim forgot about him. The cold,
heavy-jacket days came. Snowmen and sledding days. Indoor days. Thanksgiving, Christmas,
Valentine. When all these days had passed, and March winds melted the snow, Tim found
Jack. There wasn′t much left. Just a faded and
crumpled pumpkin skin, a stem, and a few seeds. Jack′s Halloween magic was a distant memory
now. Tim scraped a thin blanket of earth over the last bits of his pumpkin.
Goodbye, Jack, he whispered. When spring turned barefoot warm, a tiny sprout appeared where
Jack had been. Tim found it and guessed what it was. In the days that followed, Tim weeded
and watered and watched that sprout. Slowly and steadily, the plant changed and grew.
It branched and spread a web of vines over the ground, but no pumpkins appeared. The days turned
hot. Flowers opened on the plant each morning. Yellow stars that twisted shut forever in the
afternoon. Still, there were no pumpkins. Finally, Tim found a green ball growing behind a crumpled
blossom. A pumpkin! Tim let out a whoop and ran to show his mom. By August, the plant had spilled
onto the lawn. Tim′s favorite game became pumpkin hunting. He carefully waited among
the leaves, searching for green pumpkins like hidden treasures. School began again and the
days cooled. Tim had less time to visit the garden. When he did, the pumpkin plant seemed
tired. There were few new leaves, and the old tattered ones no longer hid the fat green
pumpkins. Then, one October morning, Tim woke to see frost coating the garden. The frozen
plant seemed changed to a pale blue glass. After school, Tim discovered what the frost had done.
The pumpkin plant′s leaves were as limp as wet paper. It was dying. Tim searched among the
withered leaves for unripe pumpkins. He picked them and put them on the front porch, hoping for
one more change. By Halloween, the pumpkins had ripened to bright orange. There were many,
for the plant had been generous. Tim was generous, too. He gave away all but one.
From jack-o′-lantern to seed to pumpkin again, the circle was almost complete. Now it was time
for Tim to do his part. He gave his pumpkin a face. It smiled at him in a fierce and funny
way. Tim smiled, too, and said, ÒWelcome back, Jack!Ó
The End
Download our TaleWeaver app today on App Store or Google Play Store. With TaleWeaver, your child can simply speak or type their story idea, and we’ll transform it into a captivating full audio story — whether it’s a simple thought or an epic adventure!
Also available on App Store or Google Play Store, our TalkiePal app lets kids dive into conversations about anything they love—from dinosaurs and space to art and fairy tales—with their very own AI companion. Powered by cutting-edge AI, TalkiePal delivers fun, educational, and age-appropriate responses that spark curiosity and encourage creativity.
Looking for more apps to help your child develop social skills, communicate better, learn, and have fun? Discover our collection of engaging apps at talkiepal.com.
