Pumpkin Head

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(MY THANKS AND APOLOGIES TO NATHANIEL HAWTHORN AND HIS STORY, FEATHERTOP, IN HIS BOOK TWICE-TOLD TALES.)

ALONE ON THE FAMILY FARM, SHE’D AGED TO THE POINT THAT SHE NEEDED HELP. HER WHITE HAIR FLOATED AROUND THE FROWN WHICH CREASED HER FACE. SHE MADE POTIONS AND LOTIONS FROM HERBS AND THE FLORA SHE GATHERED. PEOPLE CAME TO HER FOR HELP. SHE SOLD THEM WHAT THEY NEEDED AND GAVE THEM EXTRA OF WHAT SHE COULD SPARE.

FIREWOOD NEEDED TO BE CHOPPED FOR WINTER. CROWS RAVAGED HER CORN CROP.  SHE COULDN’T DO IT ALL BY HERSELF. SHE TOOK A CHAIR AND HER MUSKET TO THE CORNFIELD.  BUSY DRIVING AWAY CROWS, SHE COULDN’T GATHER HERBS AND PRODUCE HER WARES. NIGHT FELL, AND THE CROWS FLEW AWAY.

BY CANDLELIGHT, SHE RIFLED THROUGH A DUSTY TRUNK IN THE ATTIC.  SHE FOUND A GREEN VELVET SUIT.  WHITE SILK STOCKINGS FIT WITH THE SUIT’S KNEE BRITCHES. AN OLD BROWN WORK HAT, WITH A WIDE BRIM, WOULD BE HANDY. AND SHOES, HER CREATION NEEDED FEET. SHE GRABBED SOME WORK GLOVES TO COMPLETE THE OUTFIT, EASED HERSELF DOWN THE STAIRS, AND DEPOSITED THE CLOTHES IN HER WORKROOM. WITH CANDLE IN HAND, SHE DESCENDED TO THE FRUIT CELLAR AND CHOSE A FINE PUMPKIN.

THE FIREPLACE CAST LIGHT AND HEATED THE WORKROOM. A PIECE OF OLD BROOM HANDLE SERVED AS A SPINE. SHE STUFFED THE CLOTHES WITH STRAW. THE PUMPKIN WOULD BE THE HEAD. SHE CACKLED TO HERSELF, AND SHE SCOOPED OUT THE MUCK AND SEEDS. “NO ONE COULD THINK WITH A MESS LIKE THIS IN THEIR HEAD.” SHE CARVED AND CLEANED THE FACE. BECAUSE SHE’D EXHAUSTED HER CREATIVITY, SHE NAMED HIM JACK AND ADMIRED HIM.

THE NEXT MORNING, SHE CAST A SPELL ON JACK TO BRING HIM TO LIFE. HE CAUGHT ON BY INSTINCT WHAT SHE WANTED HIM TO KNOW AND DO. SHE TOOK HIM TO THE CORNFIELD AND GAVE HIM THE MUSKET.

“PATROL THIS FIELD.  REPEL THE CROWS. DON’T WORRY, JACK,” SHE SAID. “USING A GUN DOESN’T TAKE ANY INTELLIGENCE AT ALL!”

JACK LEARNED TO CHOP WOOD, BECAUSE EVEN WITH MAGIC, WOOD DOES NOT CHOP ITSELF. HE MADE DELIGHTFUL CONVERSATION OVER DINNER. IT TURNED OUT HE WASN’T EMPTY HEADED. HE COMPOSED POETRY WHILE ON PATROL. NOT THE BEST POETRY, BUT IT AMUSED HER AND LESSENED THE LONELINESS.

BEFORE THE OLD WOMAN BROUGHT JACK TO LIFE, SHE’D HIDDEN EVERY MIRROR IN THE HOUSE. SHE KNEW IF JACK EVER REALIZED HE WAS JUST A SCARECROW WITH A PUMPKIN HEAD; THE SPELL WOULD BE BROKEN. NO AMOUNT OF MAGIC WILL WORK ON A SUBJECT ONCE THEY SEE THE TRUTH ABOUT THEMSELVES.

FALL AND WINTER PASSED WELL, UNTIL IT WAS TIME FOR SPRING CLEANING. JACK THOUGHT HE’D CLEAN OUT THE ATTIC AS A GIFT TO HIS MISTRESS. HE FOUND A FULL LENGTH MIRROR HIDDEN AND FORGOTTEN BEHIND A CHEST OF DRAWERS. AS HE GAZED AT HIS REFLECTION, HE SCREAMED, “I’M NOTHING BUT AN EMPTY PUMPKIN HEAD IN A GREEN VELVET SUIT!” AND HE COLLAPSED TO THE FLOOR.

AT TIMES, WE FEEL LIKE JACK, EMPTY HEADED AND INADEQUATE. GOD GIVES US AN ASSIGNMENT, AND WE DON’T THINK WE ARE ABLE. OUR LACK OF FAITH COMES FROM THE ENEMY WHO HOLDS THE MIRROR OF REALITY TO OUR MORTAL SOULS. AS WE REFLECT, HE ASKS, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? WHY SHOULD ANYONE READ ANYTHING YOU WRITE OR LISTEN TO WHAT YOU SAY?” AND THEN, WE MELT INSIDE.

JACK’S CREATOR KNELT BESIDE HIM. NO MAGIC WOULD CURE HIM; THERE WAS BUT ONE HOPE FOR HIM. WITH FIERCE LOVE AND TEARS ON HER FACE, SHE ADDRESSED HIM WITH A STERN VOICE. “JACK, I KNOW YOU CAN STILL HEAR ME. YOU ARE NOT AN EMPTY PUMPKIN HEAD. INSIDE YOU IS EVERYTHING I’VE TAUGHT YOU. YOU CONTAIN MY HOPES, WISHES, AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE PURPOSE I WANT YOU TO FULFILL. PART OF ME IS INSIDE YOU. BELIEVE THAT I MADE YOU AND LOVE YOU. YOU CAN PERSEVERE BECAUSE I AM WITH YOU. IF YOU BELIEVE ME, GET UP.”

JACK STARED INTO THE LOVE AND TEARS. “I DO BELIEVE YOU,” HE SAID. HE SAT UP, AND THEN THEY ROSE TOGETHER TO THEIR FEET.

OUR HEARTS CRY WITH DAVID IN HIS PSALM, “WHAT IS MANKIND THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF THEM, HUMAN BEINGS THAT YOU CARE FOR THEM?” (PSALM 8:4)

IN THE SAME WAY THE OLD WOMAN TELLS JACK TO BELIEVE, THE LORD REMINDS US HE LOVES US, HAS PURPOSE FOR US, AND GIVES US A PART OF HIMSELF. UNLESS WE BELIEVE THAT, WE CAN’T CONTINUE.

DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOUR BODIES ARE TEMPLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO IS IN YOU, WHOM YOU HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD? YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN; YOU WERE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE. THEREFORE HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODIES. (1 CORINTHIANS 6:19—20)

IF WE BELIEVE JESUS DIED TO SAVE US, WAS BROUGHT TO LIFE AGAIN, AND GAVE US PART OF HIMSELF, WE WILL GET UP AND CONTINUE OUR WORK. HE IS WITH US.

SUSAN BOLTZ