Grumpy Pumpkins Read online

  Suddenly a pirate with a patch over one eye whispered into Molly’s ear, “Your horns look great.”

  Molly recognized Patty’s voice.

  “Look at Tim,” Patty added.

  Molly looked.

  Across the room behind a table full of food was the deep-sea diver.

  “That’s a great costume,” said Patty to Molly.

  Molly felt proud.

  Then she wondered who all these strangers were around her. Which one was her grandpa?

  Molly recognized Roger’s friend, the soldier. He had his war uniform on. The man was talking to a large rabbit. It must be Roger!

  Molly stayed by Patty, the only one she was sure she knew.

  “It feels lonely,” Molly said, “when you don’t know anyone.”

  “We do know them, we just don’t know who they are,” said Patty. “I think that dinosaur over there is Roger.”

  “I think Roger is that pink rabbit,” said Molly. “Let’s look for my grandpa.”

  “How tall is he?” asked Patty.

  “Medium-tall,” said Molly. “About as tall as that prince over there.” Molly changed her mind. “Or maybe as tall as that clown.”

  Molly looked all around. “I’ll never find him!” she cried. “And I don’t see anyone with a grumpy face. Or a grumpy mask.”

  Humpty Dumpty was calling, “Everyone line up to bob for apples.”

  Molly and Patty got in line. The rabbit and soldier got behind them.

  “I know it’s you, Roger,” said Molly.

  But the rabbit said, “I’m not Roger, I’m Bugs Bunny.”

  “He changed his voice,” said Patty. “But I’ll bet it is him.”

  Molly wasn’t sure now. She wasn’t sure who anyone was.

  When they bobbed for apples, the rabbit got his ears wet.

  When Tim’s turn came, his vacuum-cleaner hose fell into the tub. Oops!

  “Look at the clown over there with the baggy pants,” said Patty.

  Molly looked.

  He had yarn for hair and suspenders made out of rope.

  His face was painted on.

  Red eyebrows.

  Red circles on his cheeks.

  A round fake nose.

  And his blue lips were painted into a big grin.

  “He sure looks jolly,” said Molly. “I wonder who he is.”

  All of a sudden the clown came toward the girls. He came closer and closer.

  “Do you know him?” asked Molly.

  Patty shook her head.

  Suddenly the clown reached up and pulled off his yarn hair. He took off his fake nose.

  “Grandpa!” shouted Molly. She threw her arms around him and gave him a great big hug.

  “You didn’t know me in this costume, did you?” he said.

  “I didn’t know you because you didn’t look—”

  Molly didn’t want to say “grumpy.”

  “You mean I don’t look grumpy,” said her grandpa.

  Molly was surprised that her grandpa knew he was grumpy. “You look happier,” said Molly.

  “I’m sorry I was so grumpy,” he said. “When you don’t feel good you yell at people you love. I’m better now that I’ve had treatments for my leg. I’ll be able to go home next week!”

  Molly wished she had come to see her grandpa sooner. To cheer him up. She remembered how grumpy she felt when she was sick. It helped to have company.

  “Let’s go have some of this good punch,” said her grandpa.

  Molly introduced her grandpa to the other Pee Wees.

  “I thought you said your grandpa was mean,” said Mary Beth. “You said he yelled at you.”

  “When he was sick,” said Molly. “But now he feels better.”

  “Now!” Mrs. Peters called. “We will have the prize for the best costume.”

  Rachel was way up in front where the judges would see her, Molly noticed.

  “First,” said Mrs. Peters, “we’ll have the best costume from Crestwood.”

  She called the name of Edith Larson. Everyone clapped. A Gypsy with lots of bracelets walked up to Mrs. Peters to get her prize. It was a good costume, thought Molly.

  Then everyone grew quiet.

  The Pee Wees held their breath.

  Molly straightened her horns.

  She sat up tall.

  “The prize for the best Pee Wee costume,” called Mrs. Peters, “goes to Tim Noon! For his spaceman costume!”

  Tim ran to the front of the room when he heard his name. He didn’t hear the word “spaceman.”

  Mrs. Peters said, “This is a very original costume. He looks like a real Martian with antennae on top of his head and space boots. Let’s all give Tim a big hand!”

  Everyone clapped.

  But Tim shouted, “I’m a diver! This is a diver’s suit! This is my air hose!”

  Everybody kept clapping.

  Mrs. Peters handed Tim a package. It was a paint set. Tim took the prize, but he frowned. “This is my air hose,” he said again. But no one listened to him.

  “Now!” said Mrs. Peters. “We will eat!”

  As the Pee Wees filled their plates with party food, Tim whispered to Molly, “I told you I don’t look like a diver with these boots!”

  “You do too,” said Molly. She was mad. She had made the costume. She was the creative one. And Patty had helped. But Tim got the prize.

  Mrs. Peters came up beside Tim with her plate. “Did you make the costume yourself?” she asked Tim.

  Molly glared at Tim.

  “Molly made it,” he said. “And it’s not a space suit. I’m a diver.”

  “Why, Molly, how kind of you! What a good job you did! Yes, I can see now it’s a diver’s suit.”

  Molly felt better. “Patty helped too,” she said.

  After everyone had eaten, the Pee Wees played bingo with the people in the home.

  “B-12,” called the nurse.

  Molly put a piece of candy corn on number 12.

  “O-63,” the nurse called. Molly had that number too. She put another piece of candy on her card. She just needed one more.

  Then the nurse said, “N-21.”

  “BINGO!” called Molly. She had won! Won a game of bingo! Her grandpa clapped. So did all the Pee Wees. The pink rabbit whistled through its teeth. It had to be Roger!

  Molly ran up to get her prize. It was a little pocket radio. She had always wanted a radio just like it!

  Rat’s knees, what a fun party! Molly was glad the party was at Crestwood after all.

  After the bingo game, Mrs. Peters stood up. “I have some badges to give out tonight,” she said. “To some hardworking Pee Wee Scouts.”

  Mrs. Peters gave out a badge for carving the best pumpkin. And badges for helping to cheer up the people in the home.

  Then she called Tim’s name. “For the best costume,” she said, handing Tim a badge. He pinned it on his shirt.

  “And I also have a badge for making the best costume,” she said. “For Molly Duff!”

  Molly ran up to get her badge. What a surprise, she thought. She pinned it on her costume.

  Then some of the Crestwood people began to yawn.

  The Pee Wees yawned too. It was getting late.

  Mrs. Peters got everyone into a big circle. It was a very big circle!

  The Pee Wee Scouts held hands with the grown-ups. They all said the Pee Wee Scout pledge. Then they sang the Pee Wee Scout song.

  It was time to go home.

  A bingo prize, a smiling grandpa, and now a badge. For Molly, it was the best Halloween party she could remember!

  Be a Pee Wee Scout!

  In Grumpy Pumpkins, the Pee Wee Scouts visited a nursing home. Lots of nursing homes like it when kids spend time with the people who live there.

  Talk to a parent or teacher about visiting a nursing home. Below are a few ideas for activities.

  Celebrate a Holiday

  The Pee Wees celebrated Halloween at Crestwood. What other holiday would be
a good time for a visit?

  Decorate

  If you can’t visit a nursing home on a holiday, maybe you can create holiday decorations for the building. It’s a fun way to make an ordinary place look extra cheery!

  Share Your Special Talent

  Have you been wanting to put on a puppet show? Have you learned to play a new song on the violin? Or do you want to sing Christmas carols with your class? You might be in luck. A nursing home can be a great place to put on a show!

  Share Stories

  The Pee Wees learned one of the best reasons to visit a nursing home: you get to hear cool stories! This is a great way to learn about the past. You might even learn interesting facts to share with your social studies class.

  Write a Letter

  If you can’t share stories in person, maybe somebody at the nursing home will be your pen pal. Everyone loves getting mail!

  Bring a Pet

  People living in a nursing home often can’t have pets of their own. Many nursing homes, however, will allow you to bring an animal on your visit so that you can make an older pet lover happy.

  About the Author

  Judy Delton was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was the author of more than 200 books for children. She was also successful as a teacher, a speaker, and a class clown. Raising a family of four children, she used the same mix of humor and seriousness that she considered important parts of any good story. She died in St. Paul in 2001.

  About the Illustrator

  Alan Tiegreen has illustrated many books for children, including all the Pee Wee Scouts books. He and his wife currently live in Atlanta, Georgia.