A Cheek Pumpkin and a Stop Signal

Five days until Halloween. A soft brush and two little pots of face paint lay on the low garden table. Yesterday’s short capes stayed indoors today. Only Puschel’s brown stuffed teddy sat in his purple cape on the low seat beside them.

“He isn’t getting a pumpkin on his face today,” said Puschel. “He’s already dressed as a teddy.”

Flauschi giggled. They had read the face paint instructions together. Their eyes and mouths would stay clear. First they drew their ideas on paper.

“Would you like a little pumpkin on your cheek?” Flauschi asked.

“Yes. But a friendly one. One that could say hello.”

Puschel pointed to a spot on the outside of his cheek. Flauschi carefully dabbed a tiny orange pumpkin shape there. She added a short green stalk, then a little smile.

Puschel looked at the paper drawing beside it. “Our pumpkin is leaning to one side a bit.”

“Yours is too,” said Flauschi, describing the crooked round shape on his cheek.

Puschel thought for a moment. “Then it’s listening extra carefully.”

They left it crooked. There was no need for another try.

Now Flauschi wanted a tiny purple bat. Puschel painted its little body and two short wings on the outside of her cheek. Then he was about to add one more wingtip.

“Pause, please,” said Flauschi.

Puschel immediately put the brush down on the little saucer.

“Like this?”

“Exactly. I’d like to sit still for a moment without anything tickling my cheek.”

Puschel sat beside her. “The wingtip can wait.”

For a while they simply watched the garden fence. The paper ghosts moved a little. The middle of the three bats was still hanging upside down.

“At the party, we might not hear every quiet word,” Flauschi said at last.

Puschel raised an open paw. “Then we can show it too.”

Flauschi fetched a blank card. They drew a big open paw on it: one round pad and four toes. No scary claws and no words.

“It means: please stop for a moment,” she said.

“Even if someone is painting the most beautiful pumpkin in the world?”

“Even then.”

Puschel nodded. “The most beautiful pumpkin can wait.”

Flauschi held up the card. Puschel kept his paws resting calmly on the table. Their test worked.

The bat got no extra wingtip today. Later they gently removed the little cheek pictures following the face paint instructions. They put the pause card with their party plan. Teddy had his cape taken off and was tucked up for a cuddle again.

“Even a crooked pumpkin can take a break with us,” said Puschel.

“And someone with no pumpkin at all,” Flauschi replied.