Percy the pumpkin wasn't like the other pumpkins. They were big and round and orange! Percy was small and a little bit bumpy, and his color was a pale, creamy yellow. He worried he wasn’t a *proper* pumpkin. He wished he could glow bright orange like his friends.
Every evening, Farmer Giles would choose a pumpkin to sit on the porch, lit from within to give a warm bedtime glow. Percy longed to be chosen, but he thought, 'Farmer Giles would *never* pick me! I’m too small and pale.'
One night, a little firefly named Flicker zoomed by. He noticed Percy looking sad. “What’s wrong, little pumpkin?” Flicker blinked kindly.
“I want to glow like the other pumpkins,” Percy sighed. “I want to be bright orange and perfect for Farmer Giles’ porch.”
Flicker landed gently on Percy’s stem. “But Percy,” he said, “your pale yellow glow is special! It’s soft and gentle, like moonlight. The orange pumpkins are wonderful, but *you* have a different kind of magic.”
Percy had never thought of it that way. He looked at his pale glow and tried to see it as Flicker did. It *was* soft and gentle. It reminded him of warm milk and cozy blankets.
Just then, Farmer Giles walked by. He smiled when he saw Percy. “Ah, Percy,” he said. “You have the sweetest glow. It’s perfect for a quiet bedtime. It won’t scare the little ones, and it’s so peaceful.”
Farmer Giles carefully lifted Percy and placed him on the porch. Percy glowed with happiness! He wasn’t bright orange, but he was perfect just the way he was. The other pumpkins winked at him, and Flicker blinked his light in approval.
As the stars came out, Percy’s gentle glow welcomed everyone to dreamland. He learned that being different wasn’t bad at all – it made him special. And that, he realized, was the best glow of all. Now close your eyes, little one, and let Percy’s gentle light help you drift off to sleep.