Percy the pumpkin was a very eager pumpkin. He lived in Old Man Tiber’s pumpkin patch, and all he could think about was Halloween. All the other pumpkins were happily soaking up the sun, growing slowly and steadily, but Percy wanted to be BIG and ORANGE and PERFECT *right now*! He wiggled and jiggled, trying to grow faster, but it just made him feel dizzy.
“Oh dear,” sighed Old Man Tiber, noticing Percy’s frantic efforts. “You’re trying too hard, little one. Pumpkins don’t grow by wishing. They grow with sunshine, water, and… patience.”
Percy frowned. Patience was a very difficult thing for a pumpkin who wanted to be a jack-o'-lantern! He watched as Rosie, a pumpkin beside him, calmly absorbed the warm sunlight. “Rosie, how can you be so calm?” he asked. “Halloween is coming, and I’m still so small!”
Rosie chuckled, a gentle rumble in her pumpkin belly. “Being small isn’t bad, Percy. It just means we have more time to enjoy the sunshine and the cool evening breezes. And besides, every pumpkin grows at its own pace. Trying to rush it only makes you tired.”
Percy tried to follow Rosie’s example, but it was hard. He wanted to be carved with a silly face and lit up with a glowing candle. He wanted children to admire him! He started to compare himself to Barnaby, a very large pumpkin already boasting a beautiful orange hue. “Barnaby is so much bigger and brighter than me,” Percy grumbled.
Just then, a little girl named Lily visited the pumpkin patch with her family. She didn’t go straight for Barnaby or any of the biggest pumpkins. Instead, she carefully examined each one, looking for just the right fit. She stopped in front of Percy.
“Mommy, Daddy, look at this one!” Lily exclaimed. “He’s not the biggest, but he’s perfectly shaped for a friendly face! And he looks like he’s smiling already!”
Percy felt a warm glow spread through his rind. Lily didn’t care that he wasn’t the biggest or brightest. She liked him just the way he was! Lily’s dad carefully picked Percy, and Lily promised to carve the happiest face she could imagine.
As Percy was carried away, he realized Old Man Tiber and Rosie were right. He didn’t need to rush. He didn’t need to be the biggest. He just needed to be himself. And sometimes, the best things come to those who are patient and appreciate the journey. He was excited for Halloween, but now he was also grateful for the sunshine, the water, and the time he had to grow, even if it wasn’t as fast as he’d hoped.
That Halloween, Percy shone brightly on Lily’s porch, a happy, perfectly-shaped pumpkin, proving that being yourself is the most wonderful thing of all.