It was a crisp, golden autumn day. Kevin and his grumpy friend Katie boarded the school bus to the Pumpkin Patch. While Katie complained about the cold and the trip, Kevin was excited. At the farm, they rode a wagon through dusty rows of pumpkins.
Kevin searched carefully as other children grabbed the best pumpkins. Just as time was running out, he found a small, perfect pumpkin with a star-shaped mark. Katie thought it was ugly, but Kevin cherished it. That night, his father carved it into a mischievous, grinning jack-o'-lantern. Kevin saved the star-shaped carving and placed it under his pillow.
He dreamed of the pumpkin patch, where his pumpkin came to life as "Jack-O" and offered him one wish. Though Kevin initially wanted a video game, in his dream, amidst a stormy autumn scene, he selflessly wished for Katie's sick father to get better. Jack-O vanished in a burst of orange sparks after explaining how to pass on the magic.
The next day, Katie arrived at school smiling—her father was coming home. After school, as they played in the park among fallen leaves, Kevin took out the now-withered pumpkin star. He threw it into the air, where a gust of wind carried it high into the sky until it disappeared. When Katie asked what he was doing, Kevin simply replied with a secret smile, "Oh, nothing. Just pumpkin magic."