The Great Big Pumpkin

In Dada’s garden grew a pumpkin.

Dada watered it in the morning. Dada watered it in the evening. And the pumpkin grew… and grew… and GREW… until it was the roundest, fattest, most enormous pumpkin the garden had ever held.

“Tonight,” said Dada, “pumpkin sabzi!”

Dada took hold of the pumpkin and pulled.

Ummph!

The pumpkin did not move.

So Dada called Dadi. Dadi held Dada, Dada held the pumpkin, and they pulled — one, two, three, UMMPH!

The pumpkin did not move.

So Dadi called little Gudiya. Gudiya held Dadi, Dadi held Dada, Dada held the pumpkin — one, two, three, UMMPH!

The pumpkin did not move.

So Gudiya called the dog. The dog held Gudiya, Gudiya held Dadi, Dadi held Dada — one, two, three, UMMPH!

The pumpkin did not move.

So the dog called the cat — yes, the cat came, it was that important — and the cat held the dog, and the dog held Gudiya, and Gudiya held Dadi, and Dadi held Dada — one, two, three, UMMPH!

The pumpkin. Did. Not. Move.

Then out from the leaves came a mouse. The littlest, littlest mouse.

“Ha!” said the cat. “What can YOU pull?”

But Gudiya said, “Everyone pulls. That’s how it works.”

So the mouse held the cat, the cat held the dog, the dog held Gudiya, Gudiya held Dadi, Dadi held Dada, Dada held the pumpkin —

one… two… three…

UMMMMMPH! —

POP!

Out came the pumpkin! And down they all sat — bumpity bump bump — Dada and Dadi and Gudiya and dog and cat and mouse, laughing in a heap around the great big pumpkin.

Was it the mouse who did it? It was everyone. It is always everyone. But it wasn’t done until the littlest one joined in.

That night there was pumpkin sabzi for the whole pulling team — and the mouse’s piece, everyone agreed, should be the first one served.