The Pumpkin Mystery: A Winnie-The-Pooh Bedtime Story

THE PUMPKIN MYSTERY In a particularly cosy corner of the hundred-acre wood,

Where the trees whispered secrets to the wind and the sun painted golden strokes upon the ground,

Rabbit was in a flurry.

It was the day before Halloween,

You see,

And such a day was of great importance to Rabbit,

For it was on this day that he would harvest his pumpkins,

Those jolly round fellows with their sunny disposition,

Ready to be carved into jack-o'-lanterns.

"'O my,

O me,

Today is the day,

' Rabbit muttered to himself,

As he busied his paws with garden-gloves and a straw-hat,

"'today is the day for pumpkins and pie,

And,

O d-d-d-dear!

' For as he reached his pumpkin-patch,

Rabbit gasped.

Where his pumpkins should be,

Those plump orange globes that had sat there just yesterday,

There was now but empty earth.

"'O d-d-d-dear,

O dear,

Dear me,

Halloween won't be the same without pumpkins!

' Rabbit's voice had taken a tone of urgency that even the whispering trees paused to listen.

Without another word,

Rabbit dashed off,

His ears trailing behind him like two lanky kites caught in the wind,

To summon the residents of the Hundred-Acre Wood for a meeting of the utmost importance.

Soon enough Pooh,

Piglet,

Eeyore,

And Owl had gathered at the base of Owl's tree-house,

Each curious and puzzled.

"'What seems to be the matter,

Rabbit?

' inquired Pooh,

His round tummy rumbling at the thought of perhaps a snack-related emergency.

"'My pumpkins have vanished!

Poof!

Disappeared!

Gone without a trace!

' Rabbit explained,

His words tumbling over each other like acrobats in a circus.

"'And without pumpkins,

How shall we celebrate Halloween?

' "'Oh,

D'dear!

' Piglet's small voice quivered like a leaf in autumn wind.

"'It figures!

' Eeyore sighed.

"'Pumpkins to-day,

What's next to-morrow?

Happiness?

' "'My word!

' Owl interjected,

Ruffling his feathers.

"'This indeed is a dire circumstance,

But fret not,

For every problem there exists a solution.

' Pooh,

Ever the one to keep spirits high,

Piped up.

"'Don't worry,

Rabbit,

We'll make sure to have our pumpkins and eat them too.

' Thus on this fateful day in Rabbit's empty pumpkin-patch,

Five friends found themselves caught in a mystery,

A pumpkin mystery that begged to be solved before the moon could say,

"'Happy Halloween!

' And as Rabbit took a deep breath,

Regaining some semblance of composure,

He couldn't help but think that if pumpkins could disappear so mysteriously,

Then surely they could reappear perhaps even more mysteriously.

Our woodland gathering,

Composed of Pooh,

Piglet,

Eeyore,

Owl,

And the ever-frazzled Rabbit,

Found themselves huddled around the stout trunk of Owl's tree-house.

You see,

Owl's residence was considered the place of wisdom,

And on matters requiring such attention it was always best to consult at the very fountain of knowledge.

"'Now then,

' said Owl,

His eyes peering out over his round spectacles,

"'I have called this gathering to address a conundrum most perplexing.

' "'You mean Rabbit's missing pumpkins?

' said Pooh,

Scratching his head with a puzzled look,

Which for Pooh was rather puzzled indeed.

"'Exactly,

Pooh,

' affirmed Rabbit,

"'and we must,

Oh we absolutely must,

Solve this puzzle before Halloween.

' "'Agreed,

' said Pooh,

His voice filled with the kind of determination that usually accompanied thoughts of honey.

"'I propose we solve this mystery and perhaps afterwards there'll be a time for a smackerel of something.

' "'That sounds nice,

' Piglet piped up,

"'although mysteries do make me a bit,

Well,

A bit nervy,

You know.

"'We could look for clues,

' offered Owl,

Who always had an opinion on how to approach problems,

Generally rooted in the musings of great philosophers of renowned detectives of the animal kingdom.

"'The wise always say,

To solve a mystery,

One must first seek clues.

' "'Clues?

' said Piglet,

His ears perking up like two small sails catching a sudden breeze.

"'What kind of clues?

' "'Oh,

Any kind,

Really,

' Owl responded,

Preening a feather nonchalantly.

"'It's the act of seeking that brings enlightenment.

"'I expect I'll find a dark cloud lurking in a silver lining,

' said Eeyore,

With a tone as gloomy as a rain cloud,

"'but I suppose I can tag along.

' "'Very well,

' announced Owl.

"'Let us divide and conquer.

"'We shall each go to different parts of the hundred-acre wood,

"'and seek any clues that might unravel this pumpkin predicament.

' "'And so their roles were somewhat clear.

"'Piglet,

Though nervous,

Wanted very much to be brave and help his friend Rabbit.

"'Eeyore,

Ever the pessimist,

Nonetheless felt a sense of duty to join in,

"'if only to say,

I told you so,

Later on.

"'Owl was confident that his wisdom would steer them right,

"'as wisdom had a habit of doing,

Sooner or later.

"'And Pooh,

Well,

Pooh was just thinking that solving mysteries was an exciting thing,

"'almost as exciting as finding honey,

"'and maybe,

Just maybe,

This adventure would have both.

' "'All right,

' Rabbit clapped his paws with a newfound resolve.

"'To the woods we go,

And let us meet back here before sundown.

"'And may each of you find a clue that will bring us closer to solving the great pumpkin mystery,

"'with a sense of purpose,

Perhaps a dash of hope,

"'and for some a belly full of anticipatory hunger.

"'They each set off into different directions of the hundred-acre wood,

"'certain that answers were out there,

Or at least clues that led to answers "'which in turn would hopefully lead back to pumpkins.

"'In separate corners of the hundred-acre wood,

"'the friends set about on their singular quest.

"'The air was crisp,

Carrying the scent of autumn leaves,

"'and the promise of Halloween adventures.

"'Let us take a little peek at each one,

Shall we?

"'Poo,

Who was a bear of very little brain,

But a great deal of tummy,

"'found himself drawn towards the buzzing of bees.

"'Where there are bees,

There's honey,

' thought Poo,

"'and where there's honey,

Well,

That's where you'll find me.

' "'And so he followed his nose,

Or rather his tummy,

"'until he arrived at a hive dripping with the golden liquid.

"'I do suppose,

' said Poo,

Dipping his paw into the honey,

"'that while this is not a clue,

It would be rude to ignore it.

' "'So he sat savoring the honey,

Momentarily forgetting the pumpkins,

"'but filling his tumbly quite agreeably.

"'Piglet,

In another part of the forest,

Found a small clearing.

"'It was as if the grass had made a little stage,

Empty and waiting,

"'for its star performer.

"'Oh,

Dear,

' thought Piglet,

"'it's empty.

"'A pumpkin should be here,

Shouldn't it?

' "'Though he couldn't be certain,

The emptiness felt like a clue.

"'And so he marked the spot in his mind,

Hoping it would prove useful.

"'Eeyore,

Ever the melancholic,

Wandered aimlessly,

"'half expecting not to find anything at all.

"'Why bother?

' he mumbled.

"'Pumpkins today,

Gone tomorrow,

Such is life.

' "'Yet even in his pessimism,

He stumbled upon a leaf,

"'not just any leaf,

Mind you,

But a leaf that was as orange as a pumpkin.

"'Well,

Sighed Eeyore,

It's not the pumpkin,

"'but it's the color of a pumpkin,

That's something,

I suppose.

' "'Owl,

Who flew above the treetops,

Had a bird's-eye view of everything,

"'which he believed was quite advantageous when one was seeking wisdom,

Or in this case,

Clues.

"'Finally,

His eyes caught the glimpse of an old forgotten book lying beneath a tree.

"'With greater plumb,

He swooped down to collect it.

"'The title read,

Importance of Sharing in the Woods.

"'Ah,

Thought Owl,

This must be a clue of philosophical proportions.

' "'As the sun dipped lower,

Casting long shadows on the ground,

"'the friends felt the press of time.

"'Halloween was almost upon them,

"'and yet the mystery of the missing pumpkins remained unsolved.

"'Each had found something,

But none had found what they were truly looking for.

"'The tension was as palpable as the last leaf clinging to a tree before winter.

"'It was,

They all felt,

High time to reconvene and pull their wisdoms,

Such as they were.

"'For what is a quest without the occasional huddle to reassess and,

Of course,

To share "'whatever honey might be left?

"'And so our woodland philosophers began making their way back to Owl's tree-house.

"'Clues in tow,

Their hearts filled with a mixture of hope,

"'apprehension,

And,

In Pooh's case,

Honey.

"'Time was of the essence,

But the spirit of cooperation,

"'that essential warmth that binds friends together,

"'made everything seem a bit more possible,

"'even as the clock ticked ever closer to Halloween.

"'There was a feeling of hush and expectancy "'as all our friends regathered under Owl's tree-house.

"'It was as if the autumn leaves had paused in their rustling,

"'waiting for a story to unfold,

A mystery to be unwrapped.

"'Ahem!

' began Owl,

Assuming a rather professional air.

"'I see we've all returned.

"'I do hope we're closer to solving this most vexing conundrum.

' "'Eeyore shuffled his feet.

"'Well,

Owl,

I've bought a leaf,

"'not quite what we're looking for,

But it's the right color.

"'Sometimes you can learn a lot from a color.

' "'Owl nodded,

Thinking that even a leaf was something after all.

"'And you,

Piglet?

' "'Piglet wriggled nervously.

"'I found an empty place where a pumpkin might have been,

"'so it's a clue of sorts,

Isn't it?

' "'Ah!

' said Owl,

"'an empty space can often be filled with possibilities.

' "'Poo,

Who was still licking the remnants of honey from his paws,

"'said,

I found a bee's nest filled with honey.

"'It's not a pumpkin,

But it's a very nice thing to find,

"'just as pumpkins would be.

' "'Owl opened the old book he'd found,

"'the pages smelling of wood and wisdom.

"'According to this tome of forgotten lore,

' he said,

"'the importance of sharing cannot be overstated in a community like ours.

"'What one lacks,

Another provides.

"'What one has too much of,

Another could use.

"'Poo's ears perked up at this.

"'Owl,

' he said slowly,

"'what if the pumpkins aren't missing,

But are being shared?

' "'Everyone turned to look at Rabbit,

"'who had a moment of realization dawn on him,

"'the way the sun sometimes surprises the morning.

"'Oh,

My fur and whiskers,

That's it!

"'I'd decided to share the pumpkins with the woodland creatures,

"'but had clean forgotten about it.

"'So without further ado,

"'they scampered back to Rabbit's pumpkin patch,

"'and there,

Just as Poo had surmised,

"'behind a bush was a tiny pumpkin,

"'glowing like a little piece of autumn sky.

"'Rabbit chuckled,

His heart lighter than it had been all day.

"'It would seem,

My friends,

That the mystery is solved,

"'not a case of missing pumpkins,

But of forgotten sharing.

"'Owl closed his book and beamed,

"'then it stands as proven,

"'wisdom and friendship together "'solve even the stickiest of situations.

"'Piglet jumped with joy,

"'which for Piglet was not very high,

"'but was certainly high enough.

"'Eeyore even managed what could only be described "'as a smile if you squinted a bit.

"'Poo,

However,

Was already thinking "'of how honey could complement the pumpkin "'in a delightful Halloween treat.

"'And so,

As the sun began its descent,

"'filling the sky with hues "'of pumpkin-orange and honey-gold,

"'our friends learned that sometimes "'the answer isn't in what's missing,

"'but in understanding what's truly there.

"'As they made their way back "'to their respective homes,

"'their hearts were lighter,

"'filled with the joy of a mystery "'solved and a lesson learned.

"'For it isn't just pumpkins and honey "'that make a forest,

"'but the spirit of sharing "'and the joy of togetherness.

"'In Rabbit's little patch,

"'what looked quite festive "'with autumn leaves strewn about "'like nature's own confetti,

"'a single pumpkin took the center stage.

"'But today it was accompanied "'by other offerings,

"'small but heartily significant.

"'Poo,

Who had forgone his afternoon nap "'for this special occasion,

"'ambled up to the pumpkin "'with a pot of honey.

"'I've bought this for everyone.

"'It's good honey,

You see,

"'the best of the summer "'kept specially for now.

"'Piglet,

Who had felt "'rather important all day "'at the idea of a celebration,

"'came next.

"'He had a bag of acorns,

"'shiny and brown.

"'They aren't much,

' he said,

"'but they're very good at being acorns.

"'Eeyore shuffled in,

"'not expecting much,

"'but not wanting to be left out either.

"'Thistles,

' he said rather gruffly,

"'don't know what you want with them,

"'but here they are.

"'Finally,

Owl,

"'looking especially scholarly,

"'flapped down from his perch above.

"'I have prepared a short story,

"'something that the wisest of owls "'in my lineage have passed down "'through whispers in the night.

"'I believe it's full of wisdom.

"'Rabbit looked at the pumpkin,

"'the honey,

The acorns,

"'and the thistles.

"'He felt a warmth in his heart,

"'a warmth that had nothing to do "'with the cozy evening sun.

"'I think,

' he began,

"'a little choked up,

"'that this pumpkin patch "'has never seen a richer harvest.

"'And so they began.

"'Owl,

In a dignified manner,

"'narrated his story.

"'It was about a wise old owl,

"'of course,

"'who taught the younger animals "'of the forest the value "'of sharing and community.

"'They listened,

"'their eyes wide and hearts open.

"'When it was over,

"'they tasted Pooh's honey.

"'It was just as he had said,

"'the best of the summer,

"'and it tasted like a golden day.

"'Piglet's acorns "'were cracked open and tasted,

"'and everyone agreed "'that they were indeed "'very good at being acorns.

"'Even Eeyore's thistles "'found a place.

"'Rabbit said they would make "'a good edge for the garden,

"'and Eeyore accepted the compliment "'as graciously as he could.

"'Then they turned their attention "'to the tiny pumpkin,

"'still resting quietly "'among the autumn leaves.

"'It's not as big "'as the other pumpkins,

' "'said Rabbit,

"'but it has taught us "'something very big.

"'Pooh,

Who had been listening "'intently to everyone and everything,

"'including the soft sounds "'of the evening,

"'summed it up "'in the way only Pooh could.

"'Sometimes,

' he said,

"'the smallest things "'take up the most room in your heart.

"'And there under the evening sky,

"'which looked as though "'it had been painted "'with the colors of pumpkins and honey,

"'thistles and acorns,

"'everyone felt "'that their hearts "'were indeed quite full.

"'It was,

' they all agreed,

"'the best Halloween "'they'd ever had.

"'And it was saved "'not by finding what was lost,

"'but by sharing what was found.

"'As the first star appeared,

"'twinkling like a tiny pumpkin "'in the sky,

"'they all knew that this "'was not just the end "'of a very good day,

"'but the beginning "'of a new tradition,

"'a tradition of sharing,

"'of being together,

"'and of finding big things "'in the smallest of places.