In a small town where everyone celebrated Halloween with great joy, there lived a pumpkin named Kiny. She was a large, shiny pumpkin with a deep orange color, and she had always dreamed of being part of the big costume party on October 31st.
When the special day arrived, the children in the village chose Kiny as the perfect pumpkin to carve their typical spooky face. With great enthusiasm, they cut out big round eyes, a triangular nose, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. When they finished, they placed a candle inside Kiny, and her face lit up with a warm but terrifying glow.
—Perfect! —said one of the kids. —Now it’s really scary!
Kiny was excited at first because she was finally part of the celebration, but soon she noticed something strange. Every time someone walked past her, they screamed or ran away in fear. The cats hissed and leapt far away, and even the dogs barked nervously.
—I don’t like this, —Kiny whispered softly to herself. —I don’t want to scare anyone. I just want to be part of the fun and make people smile.
That night, when everyone was asleep, Kiny thought about what she could do to change her appearance. But she didn’t have arms or legs to move, and she didn’t know how to alter her carved face. Just then, a tiny firefly named Luz appeared floating nearby.
—Why are you so sad, Kiny? —asked Luz in her soft little voice.
—It’s just that my face scares everyone, —replied Kiny. —I want to have a friendly smile and happy eyes, but I don’t know how to do it.
Luz fluttered around the pumpkin thoughtfully and then exclaimed:
—I have an idea! I can help you using my firefly cousins. Together we can create new light patterns on your face.
Without wasting any time, Luz called her firefly friends, who arrived in a group, blinking with excitement. One by one, the fireflies strategically landed around Kiny’s face, covering the carved parts with their tiny blinking lights. Where there used to be big round eyes, now two upward-slanted ovals shone brightly, as if smiling. The mouth full of sharp teeth transformed into a bright curve that looked like a huge, friendly smile.
When morning came, the first children who passed through the garden stopped in surprise.
—Look! —one of them shouted. —The pumpkin has a happy face now!
Everyone started laughing and clapping. Instead of scaring people, Kiny now made everyone feel happy. Neighbors began gathering around her to tell funny stories and share laughter.
From that day on, Kiny became the favorite pumpkin in the village, even after Halloween ended. No one wanted to store her in the basement or use her for soup; instead, they placed her in the center of the community garden, where the fireflies continued to help her keep her beautiful smile every night.
And so, Kiny learned that the most important thing isn’t how others see you, but how you can make them feel.
End. 🎃
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