How The Legend Of The Pumpkin Man Was Born

Here is a bedtime story for a child to fall asleep to.

Have you heard of the legend of the pumpkin man of Kennett Square?

On a full moon night in the cornfields on the outskirts of Kennett Square, Mister Scarecrow has been pondering on a new look. “I shall try something different”, he thought to himself. He climbed down his stake and replaced his scarecrow head with a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. “I shall be known as the friendly pumpkin man!” he said quite excitedly to no one.

As soon as he screwed his pumpkin head in place, he heard some boys walking along the cornfield. The eager pumpkin man came out of the field and offered to them a little pumpkin treat. Poor pumpkin man, he only wanted to make a friendship offering to them, but their blood curdling shrill shrieks pierced the cold autumn air as they fled, and they could be heard many miles away. Some have said as far away as Philadelphia.

So the legend of the terror of the pumpkin man was born — how the boys bravely fought off the vicious pumpkin man who attacked them that cold autumn night. Since that frightfully misunderstood encounter, Kennett Square has never been the same. Poor pumpkin man, he roams the cornfields under the full moon in the cold autumn night longing to find someone to accept his friendship offering.

Sweet dreams, and don’t let the bedbugs bite.

Mister Pumpkin’s Friendship Offering (self portrait). Oil on panel, 8 by 6 inches.