00:00You
00:26Too many pumpkins by Linda white
00:30illustrated by Megan Lloyd
00:34Every year at springtime
00:36Rebecca Estelle planted just enough seeds in her garden to grow vegetables for the long winter
00:42She planted carrots and beans
00:45Tomatoes and peas corn and rutabagas. She grew a little bit of everything except for pumpkins
00:51Rebecca Estelle hated pumpkins
00:55When she was a little girl money had been scarce
00:59For an entire month all there had been to eat were pumpkins baked pumpkins steamed pumpkins
01:06boiled pumpkins
01:07stewed pumpkins mashed pumpkins rotten pumpkins
01:12breakfast pumpkins lunch pumpkins dinner pumpkins enough pumpkins
01:17When things finally improved and there was more money to buy food
01:21Rebecca Estelle decided she would never eat pumpkins again or even look at one not ever and
01:28she didn't until
01:32One autumn day long after Rebecca Estelle's hair had turned snowy white
01:38She was raking the leaves that fell each fall from her black walnut tree and her cat
01:43Esmeralda was scattering them just as quickly all of a sudden the pumpkin truck passed by oh
01:50She heard it coming and she knew what it was it rumbled by at harvest time every year
01:56She turned her back and concentrated on picking up the last fallen leaf. She managed to ignore the truck until
02:06Splat an enormous pumpkin tumbled off the truck and smashed into slimy orange smithereens all over the edge of her yard
02:14Come back here and get this pumpkin. She yelled, but the driver sped away
02:20you
02:23Well, I won't touch it Rebecca Estelle insisted getting her shovel from the barn
02:27And I won't look at it. She added as she shoveled dirt on top of the pumpkin pieces. I
02:33Won't think about that pumpkin ever again. She declared and she didn't until
02:43Spring when Rebecca Estelle was admiring the new sprouts in her garden
02:48She noticed Esmeralda playing in some big green leaves growing at the edge of the yard
02:53How curious she said going over to inspect them. I didn't plant anything there
02:59Then Rebecca Estelle remembered the pumpkin truck and the slimy pumpkin smithereens
03:05Pumpkins she cried in disgust come out of there Esmeralda. I will not water those plants
03:11I will not tend them. I will ignore them and they will die
03:16She picked up Esmeralda and stomped inside
03:19But a week later when Rebecca Estelle peered out her window. She saw that the vines had grown
03:27She tramped to the barn got her garden tools and went to work on the pumpkin vines
03:33She cut and dug until not one was left growing
03:37There now there will be no pumpkins. She smiled and went back inside
03:43But the next week when she was weeding the garden she noticed that the pumpkin vines had grown back
03:49Rebecca Estelle marched inside and snapped the curtains shut
03:53The only thing to do is ignore them. They won't grow if I don't take care of them
03:58She muttered so rain or shine all spring and summer. She never looked out the front window
04:05She used only the back door and never even glanced toward the vines neither did Esmeralda
04:13You Rebecca Estelle ignored the vines so well that in time she forgot why she wasn't using the front door
04:20until
04:21One autumn day when she and Esmeralda went to rake the leaves that fell each fall from the black walnut tree in front of the house
04:33Pumpkins Rebecca Estelle shrieked
04:36Pumpkin vines had twined under the bushes over the birdbath through the porch rails and onto the rocking chair
04:44The entire yard was a sea of plump round pumpkins
04:48Rebecca Estelle could no longer ignore them
04:51She plopped down on the pumpkin nearest her putting her hands over her face
04:56Whatever will I do Esmeralda? She cried. How will I get rid of this many pumpkins?
05:03She thought and she thought her mind went back to all the pumpkins
05:07She had eaten as a young girl when pumpkins were the only food her family had
05:14Well, we can't let them stay here she told Esmeralda
05:18Some people might need these pumpkins, and I suppose there are folks crazy enough to like them
05:25We'll give them away. She marched off to get her wheelbarrow
05:29Rebecca Estelle struggled to lift the first pumpkin then the second and the third
05:35She huffed and she puffed as she wheeled the loaded wheelbarrow into the lane
05:39I'm too tired to deliver these heavy pumpkins now Rebecca Estelle grumbled
05:45She mopped her brow with her apron and wondered what to do next
05:49Perhaps if I make them into pies they will be easier to deliver
05:53such a nuisance
05:56So
05:57She went to work. She scooped the slimy seeds out of the pumpkins and cut away the shells
06:04After she boiled the pumpkin meat she mixed it with eggs milk sugar flour
06:09Cinnamon nutmeg and cloves to make rich pies
06:13Then Rebecca Estelle made pumpkin tarts pumpkin muffins pumpkin cakes
06:18pumpkin bread pumpkin pudding pumpkin cookies until
06:26Pumpkin dishes spilled out of every cupboard drawer and cubbyhole and the seeds were a mountain in the corner
06:33Well, that's the first batch Rebecca Estelle said dusting her flowery hands now to deliver them
06:40She put the wheelbarrow outside the kitchen door then loaded it with pumpkin treats
06:46When it was full just the thought of delivering all those pumpkin dishes made Rebecca Estelle tired
06:52If only people would come get them she said
06:56Then she had an idea
06:58Rebecca Estelle whirled around and hurried back into the house for a kitchen knife
07:03This should get people to come Rebecca Estelle cried
07:08She took her knife and sat in the middle of the pumpkin patch
07:12she carved a smiling face on a nice round pumpkin a
07:16Scary snaggletooth face on a tall thin pumpkin and boo on a short squat pumpkin
07:22She was so busy carving pumpkins. She hardly noticed how dark it was getting
07:28When she could no longer see she went to the shelf on the back porch and got the sack of candles
07:33She kept for emergencies if this doesn't get people to come here. We'll have to deliver them all ourselves
07:40She muttered to Esmeralda
07:42you
07:51Rebecca Estelle peered into the darkness for a long time. She didn't see anything
07:57still she watched until
08:00Finally she saw a light
08:02Faint at first then brighter and then more lights bobbing through the night here. They come she shouted
08:09Esmeralda let's eat some apple cider
08:16Young and old
08:18everyone in town came
08:20Rebecca Estelle we thought you hated pumpkins
08:22They said we saw your jack-o'-lanterns from the end of the road and came for a closer look
08:27I was hoping you would said Rebecca Estelle
08:32Where did you ever find all these pumpkins people asked?
08:36I came by them quite by accident Rebecca Estelle said smiling. Would you like some pumpkin pie? There's plenty
08:43She winked at Esmeralda
08:46Everyone enjoyed the pumpkin pie and cider and had a good time
08:49So did Rebecca Estelle and when they were ready to go home
08:53She made sure each carried a jack-o'-lantern a bag of seeds for roasting and a pumpkin treat
08:59Rebecca Estelle gave away everything that reminded her of the pumpkins
09:03she had always hated until
09:07All that remained was a handful of seeds
09:11Those she tucked snugly into her pocket where they would be safe until planting time next spring
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