A children’s story

Sydney 2006

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Dedicated to the children of the world

with love…

Pipina Elles

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A Pink Pumpkin?

           ‘Are you sure this is right?’ asked the youngest of three pumpkin brothers.

‘Well, from what I know, our baby sister must be very sick…’ replied the     second youngest pumpkin.

‘Who’s sick?’ asked the oldest pumpkin, the biggest of them all, still hanging on the pergola, heavy and golden.

‘Hush! Look at our mother’s last born and you will understand,’ said the second youngest pumpkin.

The oldest pumpkin looked down at his little sister who had recently got rid of her flowery dress. She appeared to be very close to her mother and well protected by her long and sturdy trunk. The little pumpkin had a very unusual lovely pink color as if she was painted.

‘Amazing; I have never seen anything like it, I tell you!’ said the oldest pumpkin. It was true. The pumpkins of this beautiful vegetable patch knew that members of their extended family had different shapes, sizes, and mixed colors of green, but pink!

The little pink pumpkin who had sharp hearing, heard the conversation between her brothers and she bent her head sadly.

Mother pumpkin noticed her baby’s change in mood. ‘Is anything wrong my child?’ asked mother pumpkin concerned.

After a quiet moment the baby pumpkin said, ‘Mother, I am pink. I heard my brothers saying that I might be sick!’

Mother pumpkin laughed quietly and said, ‘Listen to me child… you are a very special pumpkin, believe me. When you were a flower, a fairy came and sat on your petals.

You were so perfect that she kissed you and promised to make a famous pumpkin out of you’.

‘Really mother?’ asked the little pink pumpkin.

‘Would I lie to you my darling?’ her mother answered. ‘And no word to anyone about this, not even your own brothers.  Do you hear me?  Firstly, it is a secret between the three of us, and secondly I don’t want your brothers to feel jealous. Patience my child and you will see!’

One morning, the growers of the beautiful vegetable patch, Joe and his wife, stopped in front of the little pink pumpkin.

‘You’ve got to cut down this little one. It looks very sick’, said the wife pointing to the little pink pumpkin.

‘No! I won’t’, said Joe with certainty, and a big smile brightened up his face. ‘It’s flower is the most perfect I have ever seen and the poor little thing looks as healthy as an ox!’  Pardon my expression dear, you know what I mean,’ said Joe’s wife, and  he continued, ‘In fact I will call it Pinky and I’ll treat it like a female pumpkin… if this is possible!’ he said, laughing loudly with his decision.  The wife said nothing and poor little pumpkin breathed a sigh of relief at last, having escaped certain decapitation. As for Mother pumpkin, she agreed strongly with what Joe had said; her baby was as strong as an ox indeed.

‘Pinky’, as she became affectionately known, grew in confidence very quickly as she matured.  She was developing to a pumpkin with perfect shape and a gorgeous color. It wasn’t long before everybody in the garden began paying special attention to the unusual pumpkin.  Mother pumpkin was very proud of her Pinky, and eternally grateful to the fairy that had given her baby such a unique look, and all with a single swish of her wand.

As time went by, Pinky’s brothers were cut off, their mother’s trunk.  Pinky was growing and growing and began glowing like a huge magic globe hanging in the pergola. One night, while the moon was full, and its silver glitter sprinkled over every little star in the velvety sky, a small star suddenly left its position, soon after landing in Joe’s garden, right next to Pinky.

Three tiny fairies slipped from the gorgeous star and were now looking at Pinky, in amazement.  ‘See what I mean? Joe named her ‘Pinky’, you know’, said the oldest and the most beautiful of the three fairies.

The lovely fairy continued, ‘I decided to become her Godmother some time ago, since she was the prettiest pumpkin flower I had ever seen. I would like to enter Pinky into a very special event.’

‘Tell us sister; maybe we can help you’, said the youngest of the three fairies.

‘Thank you dearest… I have a plan…’ the oldest fairy replied. She then started whispering into the ears of her two sisters.  Pinky was watching them with her eyes wide open. She could not remember seeing anything so elegant and beautiful as these three fairies, in her young lifetime.

Mother pumpkin whispered, ‘Pinky, this is your Fairy Godmother dear!’

Pinky was very happy to hear this, and content to watch them.  She started dreaming of a different life as a blessed pink pumpkin.  The worst thing that could happen to her of course would be to end up in Joe’s oven!

The next night, while the moon was still full and bright, Pinky’s Fairy Godmother appeared, and sat on her green ‘umbilical cord’ through which Mother pumpkin fed Pinky.  She started talking to her, ‘Pinky, listen to me carefully. Tonight, around ten o’clock, I will come and take you away from your mother.  Then I will touch you gently with my golden wand three times, turning you into the most handsome…’ Fairy Godmother went on to explain.

Poor Pinky was listening in astonishment.  Mother pumpkin was right: Fairy Godmother was there, talking and explaining to Pinky, about her important role as a pink pumpkin.

‘Just imagine it Pinky,’ Fairy Godmother continued, ‘being chosen to live out the most prestigious role amongst all pumpkins!’

Pinky looked at the tiny fairy ecstatically and said, ‘It sounds so exciting, and romantic!’ Then she asked the fairy, ‘Are you really able to change the world by a little flick of your tiny golden wand?’

Her Fairy Godmother replied, ‘Not the world, dear… just you, and the mouse‘.

This is what happened: at ten o’clock, Pinky’s Fairy Godmother appeared from nowhere, released her from her mother’s branch with her tiny golden wand, and lowered her gently on the ground.  Fairy Godmother then touched Pinky three times, turning her into the most beautiful golden-pink carriage the world had ever seen.  However, the carriage did not have any horses. The coachman to be would be able to navigate the carriage by using a dashboard, which included a computer screen and keyboard with touch buttons.

Pinky’s eyes were wide open.  ‘What a miracle!’ thought Pinky amazed, and she could not take her eyes off herself. She really loved her new look.

Then, Fairy Godmother touched the little hole next to Mother pumpkin’s roots. A cute little mouse appeared almost immediately.

‘Fairy Godmother!’ called the mouse in a tiny voice, a voice that usually only fairies could hear; Pinky could hear it as well, at least on this occasion.

‘Are you ready dear?’ asked Fairy Godmother and as soon as the tiny mouse nodded, she touched it with her golden wand and the mouse transformed into the most handsome of coachmen. The fairy stood back for a moment and admired her beautiful work. She clapped her hands happily and then glided swiftly to the neighboring seat of the coachman.

The three of them were ready to travel to the land of fairy tales.

‘Let’s go Mickey’, said Fairy Godmother very pleased. To Pinky’s surprise, Mickey the mouse knew how to operate the sophisticated dashboard across his seat! He was able to read the screen and even to navigate the amazing golden-pink carriage!

In next to no time all three arrived at a two storey house. A lovely girl appeared at the doorstep.

‘Hurry up dear, we haven’t got much time you know!’ said Fairy Godmother, and with a confident swish of her trusty wand transformed the girl into a stunning, princess like, being.  Her hair was done up high and upon her locks sat an elegant golden pink tiara, made of glittering stones. Her dress sported a maroon velvet collar and was made of a pink taffeta. Her little purse was made of striking pink gold and her shoes of lovely pink glass.

‘She was so beautiful, just like a princess!’ thought Pinky. For the very first time, Pinky was completely satisfied with her unique color.  It was a near perfect match to the dress color and accessories adorned by the magically formed girl.

The ravishing girl entered the carriage and the team of these four beautiful characters commenced their amazing trip to the King’s Palace. Suddenly Pinky found herself floating into the air like a balloon.

Traveling amongst the night sky was an astonishing experience for all of them, except perhaps for Fairy Godmother, this was a regular thing for her. The stars were so close they could reach out and touch them, and the lights quivered like little candles, on the Earth’s surface.

The trees and various other objects renewed into frightening, yet exhilarating, shadowy beasts.

‘Oh my, it’s marvelous!’ said the girl, looking at the beauty the night had to offer to the travelers in their floating pink- golden, pumpkin shaped carriage.

Soon the amazing carriage started descending. Pinky had nothing to do with this. The strange power that had taken the carriage up was now taking it downwards, where it was supposed to go.

Pinky could see from a distance a sparkling image. Soon they could all clearly see the magnificent palace of the ‘Archon’ of the land. It was breathtaking. Could you imagine something like this happening to a pumpkin, especially a pink pumpkin?

Everyone held his breath, with the exception of Fairy Godmother.

The Palace grew and grew into an immense assembly. They finally reached their destination.

Pinky stopped in front of a vast staircase, leading through a huge entry to the magnificent palace. It was mythical like. It is barely possible for most beings to comprehend the existence of such a marvel, as this Palace was. Poor Pinky felt alienated and dreamy. The magic of riches and fantasy went hand in hand. Pinky felt lonely, and melancholy. There was something in the air she could not grasp nor understand; on the one hand there was plentiful gold in one place, on the other the rich dust of the soil.  Where Pinky came from, nothing came close to this rainbow of gold was confronted with.  Even the fact that she had become a beautiful golden- pink carriage, with a little help from her Fairy Godmother, of course, was all a bit too much for the humble Pinky.

Poor Pinky she could not truly relate to this fairy tale after all.

The beautiful girl came out of the carriage and a handsome young man approached her, smiling.

‘This must be the Prince,’ said ‘Mickey,’ the Mouse.

Pinky did not answer.  ‘I want to go home!’ Pinky thought with nostalgia.  She thought of Joe’s garden and tears started flowing from her hidden eyes. She kept them closed.  She was thinking of her previous life in Joe’s vegetable patch.

Pinky felt a hand above her head. It was Joe, the vegetable patch grower!

‘Wait a minute,’ Joe said. ‘Let’s see you, Pinky… Look at you; you have grown so much! You are enormous! I reckon we can make something very special of you, dearest!’

He looked at Pinky, very pleased at what he saw. He then removed her from her mother’s body. Pinky thought she was dreaming.  She certainly was…

Joe took Pinky in his huge kitchen and placed her carefully on the table. ‘I Know… I feel it… You will be the princess of the local produce competition, and who knows? I might even have to take you to the Easter Show.  Pinky you are a beauty! We are going to win, and I will become famous for successfully growing the one and only great pink pumpkin!’

Pinky could not understand.

Joe’s wife made a beautiful cushion of golden satin and surrounded it with lace. She tied a wide golden ribbon on top of Pinky’s head, and Joe put her carefully on the beautiful cushion.

Pinky felt like royalty; the interest of Joe and his wife had certainly moved her.

That night Pinky was left on the table, sitting on the lovely cushion.

The next day, she noticed that the kitchen was clean and everything looked tidy. ‘I must have been asleep when they cleaned the place up,’ Pinky thought.

The sun was shining outside. The door opened and some men entered, followed by Joe. They approached the kitchen table and after having admired Pinky, they started taking photos of her.

‘These flashes remind me of something… oh, yes the lights in the King’s palace!’ Pinky thought.

A person holding a video camera was taping the interview between Joe and another man.

Pinky was observing the people and listening to everything they had to say. She had never witnessed such a fuss, especially when it was just for her.

‘Pinky is a star!’ said Joe with pride.

‘How did you do it, Joe? Did you give the veggie special treats?’ asked one of these people.

‘Well boys… I gave her my love… Little Pinky survived because of me. I could feel her in my heart, growing healthy, and I looked after her. I was not doing anything special, apart from giving her some of my “choice” feed, from day to day. You know what I mean?’ said Joe and he laughed mischievously.

Pinky thought of her dream about her Godmother the Fairy, and she smiled.  She was certain that Fairy Godmother was very proud and happy for her and her success in the world of the produce.

Pinky’s photo appeared in the local newspapers, and she earned Joe the biggest award for producing such a ‘super Pinky product’ in their city. It was almost certain, that when Joe would exhibit Pinky in the up and coming Sydney’s Royal Easter Show she would win ribbons and ribbons plus fame through the media. What else could a pumpkin like Pinky wish? Can you think of something else yourselves? Next time, you visit Sydney’s Royal Easter Show don’t forget to look out for the beautiful Pinky. Who knows?  Pinky might be there waiting for your admiration, your acclamations, your smiles, as well as your congratulations for Joe, the ‘great’ vegetable grower!

                                       END