Once there was a very round, very orange pumpkin named Pip. He grew in the middle of a big, happy pumpkin patch, right next to his brothers and sisters.
Every day the farmer’s children came to visit. They sang songs, told jokes, and sometimes even gave the pumpkins little hugs. But Pip was always grumpy.
“Why should I be happy?” Pip complained. “I’m just going to be carved into a scary face, or baked into a pie, or forgotten in the corner. Nothing special ever happens to me!”
One chilly evening, a tiny field mouse named Mia scampered up to Pip.
“Why so sad, big friend?” she asked, twitching her whiskers.
Pip sighed (which made his whole round body wobble). “Because I don’t think I have anything worth being thankful for.”
Mia’s eyes grew bright. “Then let’s play a game! It’s called ‘Find the Thankful Things’. We only need three.”
Pip rolled his eyes (which is hard when you’re a pumpkin). “Fine. But I bet we find zero.”
First Thankful Thing Mia pointed at the beautiful golden sunset behind the barn. “Look how pretty the sky is today! It painted you all orange and sparkly.”
Pip looked. And for the first time… he really looked. “You’re right,” he whispered. “It is pretty. Thank you, pretty sunset.”
Second Thankful Thing Mia climbed onto Pip’s smooth top. “And feel this! You have the smoothest, roundest skin in the whole patch. The children always choose you first when they want to draw funny faces on pumpkins!”
Pip giggled (which made him bounce a little). “I do feel nice and smooth… Thank you, my strong orange skin!”
Third Thankful Thing (the biggest one) Mia got very quiet and serious. “And most important… you have us. All your pumpkin brothers and sisters. Me, the little mouse. The crickets who sing at night. The scarecrow who watches over us. We’re your family. And we love having you here.”
Pip’s eyes became shiny… almost like he was about to cry orange tears. “I never thought about it like that,” he said softly. “I have… a lot of friends. Thank you… thank you for being my family.”
That very night, when the farmer came with his big cart, he stopped right in front of Pip.
“This one,” he said with a big smile. “This pumpkin is going on the front porch with the biggest, happiest face we can carve!”
And do you know what? When the candle was lit inside Pip that Thanksgiving night, his carved smile was the biggest and warmest of all.
Because inside that happy pumpkin heart, Pip was whispering over and over:
“Thank you, sunset. Thank you, smooth skin. Thank you, my wonderful friends and family.”
And the little candlelight danced, as if it was saying: “You’re welcome, Pip. You’re very, very welcome.”
Happy Thanksgiving to you too!