Halloween · 4 days to go ·
The Pumpkin Light Gets Its Smile
“Four days until Halloween,” said Flauschi. She looked at the whole pumpkin on the low garden table. Its pale crescent patch still looked like a crooked smile.
Puschel nodded to it. “You gave us the idea.”
Today they were adding a proper pumpkin lantern. They had found a fresh, suitable pumpkin for it. They would leave the old one uncut. Together they checked it carefully: its skin was firm and dry, with no damaged or soft spots they could find. It would stay their pumpkin to look at.
“The new one needs its own face,” said Flauschi.
Puschel drew two round eyes and a wide mouth on paper. One end of the mouth came out a little higher than the other.
“Now it has a crooked smile,” he noticed.
“We know all about those,” said Flauschi. “I like it.”
They chose the friendly face without pointy teeth. They asked for adult help with the cutting. An adult helper did the cutting and hollowing while Puschel and Flauschi waited with their drawing at a safe distance. The tools were put away afterwards.
When the finished fresh pumpkin stood on the table, Puschel placed its lid beside it.
“Two eyes, one smile,” he counted. “But no glow yet.”
Flauschi had brought the little LED light. It didn’t get hot like a candle and needed no flame. Together they checked that its battery compartment was firmly closed. Then she placed the switched-off light securely inside the pumpkin and turned it on.
Puschel stepped back.
“It’s glowing!” said Flauschi.
Puschel peered around the pumpkin. “I’m sure it is. But it’s showing the fence.”
They had set the lantern down with its face pointing backwards. All they could see was its round orange back.
Flauschi giggled. “We said hello to its back.”
They switched the light off again. Together they carefully turned the pumpkin in its stable spot. Then Flauschi switched the LED light on once more.
Now the round eyes shone. The crooked smile glowed warmly between them.
“Hello, front,” said Puschel.
They stood quietly in front of it for a moment. The paper ghosts and three bats hung on the fence. The clear path ran beside the table, with no cables or things left lying around.
“Does our pumpkin have to be especially scary?” Puschel asked.
“I’d like it simply to glow in a friendly way,” said Flauschi.
“Good. Then its face is already finished.”
After the little light test, they switched the LED off and took the lantern to a cool, sheltered place. They would check its condition again before the party.
Puschel glanced at the old pumpkin once more.
“Your smile has some company now.”
Your little family idea
Design a friendly pumpkin face on paper. Only adults choose a fresh, suitable pumpkin and do the cutting and hollowing. You can watch from a safe distance or stick with the paper face. Together with adults, a stable LED light can make the finished face glow.
For adults: Lumi reminds adults: Adults do all cutting and hollowing; keep children at a safe distance and put tools away securely afterwards. Use a fresh, undamaged, suitable pumpkin; check older decorative pumpkins for soft spots, damage or mould and stop using them if anything is wrong. Do not taste decorative pumpkins. Use only an LED, never candles or fire; keep the battery compartment securely closed and loose batteries inaccessible. Place the lantern stably away from clear paths, supervise it, switch off after the test, store somewhere cool and sheltered and check again before use.
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