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The Singing Pumpkin

As Retold by Dr. Michael Lockett, The Normal Storyteller

Picture by www.KelseaParks.com

"Yaki Boud, Yaki na Boud."  That means, 'Once there was, and once there was not..." and old woman who lived alone with her big white dog.  One morning, she decided to go up and over the mountain to visit her granddaughter.

Her dog would have gotten into trouble if she had brought it along, so she left it home.  "You stay here, and take care of the house," she told the dog.  Then off across the mountain path she went.  As she walked along, she passed a cave,  She heard a strange noice inside the cave.

She tried to hurry past the cave, but just as she got beside it, OUT popped a djinni!  Some djinnis are invisible,  But this one was ugly and looked like an ogre.  Some djinnis are nice, but this one was mean,  Some djinnis give away wishes.  But, this one did not!  He was mean and looked at her with horrible looks, and he was licking his lips.

Some djinnis will leave people alone, and let them go on their way.  But, this djinni stepped into the path of the old woman and said.  I am hungry!"

The old woman said, "I am hungry too!  I am going to my granddaughter's home because she makes good cakes and other food.  What are you going to eat?"

"I am going to eat you!" shouted the djinni in a most terrible voice."  Then he laughed in a way that the old woman did not think was funny. "Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"I would not make much of a meal for you," said the old woman.  "Why not let me go up the mountain to my granddaughter's house?  This is the only path back down the mountain, so I must pass by here again.  Why not wait here until I come back nice and fat?"

"That's exactly what I will do," said the djinni.  Hurry up and get fat!   I will wait for you right here, an d will eat you when you come back!"

The old woman walked until she came to her granddaughter's house.  Her daughter was so glad to see her that she fed her cakes and kebabs and flatbread and treats of all kinds.  By the time the old woman was full, her cheeks and her belly were much rounder than before.  "I really don't want to go home, but I left my big white dog alone, and he will be getting hungry.  But, I am afraid to go past the big cave beside the path on my way home.  A djinni is living in the cave.  He is not the nice kind of djinni that gives away wishes.  He is the hungry kind of djinni that wants to eat me for his dinner."

"Oh, Grandmother," said the girl, "I have an idea."  Then the granddaughter cut open the top of a giant pumpkin that grew in her garden.  She hollowed out the pumpkin.  "Get inside, Grandma, and I will put the top back on,  Then you can roll home inside the pumpkin.  The djinni will never recognize you.  Besides, djinnis don't like to eat pumpkins."

The old woman got inside the pumpkin, and her granddaughter pushed the top on tightly.  The granddaughter rolled the pumpkin to the edge of the path and gave it a gentle push.  At first, the pumpkin rolled slowly along.  As it rolled, the woman sang, "Roll my pumpkin.  Roll my pumpkin.  Roll my pumpkin, roll along."

"Roll my pumpkin.  Roll my pumpkin.  Roll my pumpkin, roll along."

"Bumpity Bump Bump goes my pumpkin,  Bumpity Bump Bump, roll along!

The djinni saw the pumpkin rolling down the path.  But djinnis don�t like pumpkins, so at first he left it alone.  He was looking for the old woman.  The path became more steep, and the pumpkin rolled faster. The old woman sang louder and faster. Roll my pumpkin, Roll my pumpkin, Roll my pumpkin Roll along!  Roll my pumpkin, Roll my pumpkin, Roll my pumpkin Roll along.  Bumpity Bump Bump Goes my pumpkin. Bumpity Bump Bump Roll Along Bumpity Bump Bump Goes my pumpkin. Bumpity Bump Bump Roll Along The djinni kept watching the pumpkin.

He heard the singing. Then he thought, �Pumpkins cannot sing. That old woman is trying to fool me. He sat on his tail and held out his big bare feet and stopped the pumpkin as the old woman tried to roll past his cave.

�What are you?� asked the djinni. I am a pumpkin,� said the old woman.

�No you are not,� said the djinni, �You are that old woman that I promised to eat."

�I am a pumpkin,� said the old woman again, �Please push me down the hill and let me go.�

�Pumpkins cannot sing ,� said the djinni. �Come out so I can eat you.�

�I can�t,� said the old woman.

�Yes, you can,� said the djinni. �No, I can�t,� said the old woman, �Until you say the magic words.� �Ok,� said the djinni, �Please and thank you.�

"Not those magic words,� said the old woman, �You must say Commmmear Maaaaahyeee Beeeg Whaaaaeeet Doooog. So the djinni said, � Commmmear Maaaaahyeee Beeeg Whaaaaeeet Doooog.� But the pumpkin did not open, and the old woman did not come out. It didn�t work, and I am still hungry,� said the djinni, shaking the pumpkin.

�You must say the words louder and faster,� said the old woman.

So the djinni said the words again, louder and faster. � Commmmear Maaaaahyeee Beeeg Whaaaaeeet Doooog.� Still the pumpkin did not open.

�You almost have it right,� said the old woman. �Say the words louder and faster one more time, and I know I will be able to come out of the pumpkin.�

So the djinni shouted, �Come here my big white dog!�

Then he heard, �Woof, woof, woof. The big white dog came running up the mountain and chased the djinni far away. Then the dog gave the pumpkin a push and it rolled the rest of the way home with the old woman still inside.

"Roll my pumpkin, Roll my pumpkin, Roll my pumpkin Roll along.

 Roll my pumpkin, Roll my pumpkin, Roll my pumpkin Roll along.

Bumpity Bump Bump goes my pumpkin. Bumpity Bump Bump Roll along.

 Bumpity Bump Bump Goes my pumpkin. Bumpity Bump Bump Roll along,"

And when they got home, the old woman did come out of the pumpkin, safe and sound.