The Pumpkin Ghost

by Chloe Ryder

  “Yes!” said Pippa. “But don’t worry. I’ve got a plan. Farmer Squash, could we have three pumpkins big enough for Stardust, Mucker, and me to wear on our heads?”

  Farmer Squash looked at Pippa as if she were crazy. “They may not be prizewinners, but of course,” he said. “Though I’ve no idea why you’d want to do that.”

  “To scare some ghosts!” said Pippa, with a grin.

  While Pippa carved three pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, Stardust explained how Stableside Castle had suddenly become haunted.

  “So it was all a ruse. You think that Hairy and Lanky are going to steal the castle jewels?” asked Marrow.

  “Exactly!” Pippa put down her carving tool and placed a pumpkin on Stardust’s head. “Oooh, that’s really scary.” She giggled as Stardust let out a low moan.

  Mucker looked just as frightening with his pumpkin head, and everyone assured Pippa that she was terrifying too. Marrow rushed into the farmhouse and came out with three large white sheets.

  “To complete the outfit,” she said, draping them over the three friends.

  With lots of howls and moans, Pippa, Stardust, and Mucker said goodbye to Farmer Squash and Marrow. It was a long, dark ride back to Mane Street, lit only by the stars.

  “This is such fun!” said Pippa, as they rode down Mane Street toward the royal camp.

  “Whoooo!” Stardust agreed.

  “Aaaargh!” shrieked Dolly, a dumpy gray pony who was locking up her café, Dolly’s Tea Rooms, for the night. “It’s the pumpkin ghosts!”

  “Wait, Dolly, don’t run away. It’s only us.” Pippa snatched off her pumpkin head and waved it at Miss Dolly.

  “Pippa MacDonald! Fancy tricking me like that.” Dolly burst out laughing. “But what a scare you all gave me! Here, have some candied carrots.”

  “Thanks,” said Pippa, shoving the carrots in her pocket to share with Stardust and Mucker later.

  Pippa popped her pumpkin head back on as they rode toward the royal tents. Comet was wandering from one tent to another, a jack-o’-lantern around his neck.

  “D-d-d-don’t harm me . . . p-p-please,” he said, backing away when he saw Pippa and her friends.

  “Eeeeek!” screamed Princess Honey, coming out of another tent. “Mom! Save me!”

  “Honey, darling, what’s up?” Queen Moonshine came galloping, her tail flying out behind her.

  “It’s only us!” Pippa revealed herself quickly. “Don’t be frightened. We didn’t mean to scare you. We came to tell you that we’re going to catch the ghosts at Stableside Castle.”

  Chapter 6

  With cries of “Good luck!” and “Be careful!” ringing in their ears, Pippa, Stardust, and Mucker rode up to Stable-side Castle.

  “We’ll use the secret way in,” said Stardust, heading along a narrow path that led downhill.

  Pippa remembered using the small door hidden in the castle walls on her first-ever visit to Chevalia, when she and Stardust had wanted to avoid being photographed by the ponarazzi. The hidden door opened into a huge courtyard with a stone wall at one end. Pippa was relieved to see the eight golden horseshoes safely glimmering on the wall. Chevalia needed its golden horseshoes to survive. Thank goodness the thieves hadn’t been foolish enough to try to steal them too.

  Stardust led the way through a series of corridors to the jewel room. Mucker followed slowly behind, muttering, “This is all wrong. I’ve never been allowed this far inside the castle before.”

  “What’s that?” Stardust drew up suddenly, her ears swivelling. From the cellars came the faint sound of scratching. “Aaargh! It’s the pumpkin ghosts!”

  “Run!” said Mucker.

  “Wait! The ghosts aren’t real,” Pippa said, trying to reassure the farmer pony. “That’s Hairy and Lanky dressed up like ghosts to frighten everyone!”

  “Of course! It’s so spooky being here alone that I forgot.” Stardust started forward again, not stopping until she reached the jewel room. She nudged open the door and trotted inside. A glass display case lined with pink silk dominated the room. Smaller display cases encircled it, lined with pale pink silk and lit with flaming torches. Pippa gasped and Stardust let out a sob. The doors were open. Every single display case was empty. The thieves had taken the jewels, and in their place they’d left two of the biggest jack-o’-lanterns Pippa had ever seen.

  Angrily, Mucker stamped a hoof. “Those villains!” he snorted.

  “We’re too late,” sniffed Stardust.

  “Maybe not,” Pippa said, holding up a hand. “Can you hear that?”

  “Scratching,” said Stardust. “And is that the sound of hoof steps? Do you think that’s Hairy and Lanky?”

  “Only one way to find out,” said Pippa gallantly. “Let’s go.”

  Stardust led the way, following the scratching down toward the cellars. “This feels all wrong,” she whispered. “There’s no way out down here.”

  “Good,” said Pippa. “Then we’ll catch the thieves red-hoofed.”

  But as they reached the bottom of the last staircase, they found the way to the dungeons blocked by a pile of earth. Pippa stared into a newly dug hole in the wall. A tunnel snaked away from her. It was dark and uninviting and smelled like a sewer. Taking a deep breath, she said bravely, “This is how they got out. Quick, let’s go after them!”

  Pippa had to hunch her shoulders to stop her jack-o’-lantern head from bumping against the low ceiling. Stardust and Mucker stumbled along, their hoof steps muffled. Suddenly, Pippa caught sight of something ahead. Two ponies were creeping through the tunnels.

  “Er, Hairy, I think there’s something following us,” called the end one nervously.

  “Don’t be silly, Lanky. How can there be when we scared them all away?”

  Lanky turned around and saw the pumpkin ghosts following him. He opened his mouth and screamed so loudly that he almost dropped the sack he was carrying. “Waaaaaaaa! Pumpkin ghosts. Real live pumpkin ghosts!”

  Hairy looked back and, with an even louder scream than Lanky’s, he took off.

  “After them!” said Pippa.

  Pippa climbed onto Stardust’s back. Stardust broke into a gallop, Mucker following close behind.

  “Go, Stardust,” urged Pippa, leaning forward as she shouted encouragement to her friend.

  It was one of the most frightening and most exhilarating rides of Pippa’s life. As they galloped along the freshly dug tunnel, the ground shook and earth fell from the ceiling. It showered them with small stones and the occasional worm.

  “We’ll never get out alive,” panted Stardust, after she’d galloped for ages. “There isn’t an end.”

  “There has to be,” yelled Pippa. “Keep going, Stardust. It can’t be far now!” She picked a worm from Stardust’s mane and dropped it on the ground.

  “I can see light!” Stardust panted at last. Finding an extra burst of energy, she galloped toward it. Mucker thundered on behind her.

  “Where are we?” Pippa stared around as Stardust burst out of the tunnel’s end. “This is the Wild Forest. Have we really come that far?”

  “Looks like it!” Stardust was just as amazed as Pippa. She slowed to a canter, then a trot, and finally stopped. Mucker pulled up behind her, snorting. His sides heaved as he fought for breath.

  “Where did Hairy and Lanky go?” Pippa sat forward, straining her ears for sounds of the two thieves.

  The forest seemed even darker than the tunnel. The hair on the back of Pippa’s neck rose as she listened to the spooky rustles and squeaks of the unseen creatures rooting around in the trees. Suddenly a wicked cackle rang out.

  “Who’s that?” Pippa thought she recognized the voice, which sent goosebumps running up her arms. If only she could remember why!

  Then Pippa, Stardust, and Mucker all remembered at the same time. “Divine!” they whispered.

  Chapter 7

  On the tips of their hooves, Stardust, with Pippa on her back, and Mucker crept toward Divine. After a whil
e, the trees thinned and gave way to a small clearing with a thatched cottage. Poison ivy grew up the walls, and on either side of the front stable door stood two buckets planted with hemlock and nightshade. The top half of the door was open, and Divine’s voice carried clearly out into the night air.

  “I’ve waited forever to get my hooves on Queen Moonshine’s special tiara. The pink rose quartz crystals look stunning against my dark coat, don’t you think?” Divine gave a short laugh. “Queen Divine. It won’t be long. Now that I have the castle jewels, I can claim my rightful place as ruler of Chevalia.”

  “You look wonderful, my lady,” a rough voice agreed.

  “Perfectly divine,” chortled someone else. “Now, what about our payment?”

  “Oh, that,” she said. “Once I’m living at Stableside Castle as Queen of Chevalia, then you two farmhands shall have everything you ever dreamed of. Now, off you go, and don’t tell anyone about tonight. I will summon you when I am able to reward you properly.”

  “Thank you, Ma’am, or should we say your royal highness?”

  The stable door opened and Lanky and Hairy backed out, bowing to Divine as they left. Outside, they high-hooved each other before galloping away into the night.

  “Pah!” Divine was talking to herself. “Common farm ponies! They may have brought me the jewels, but that’s where their glory ends. They should be grateful I let them help me.” She chortled wickedly.

  Mucker was outraged. “Common farm ponies! Divine needs reminding who provides her food. There’d be none of her favorite honeyed oat cakes if it wasn’t for a common farmer!” he spat.

  Pippa leaned over and put a hand on his mane. “Wait,” she whispered. “I’ve got a better idea. Let’s give her a fright, the same way she scared the royal family.”

  “Now, that’s a plan,” Stardust agreed.

  Pippa slid from Stardust’s back. “On the count of three,” she whispered. “One, two, three—howl!”

  The three friends opened their mouths as wide as they could and shrieked like ghosts.

  “Whooooooooo!”

  The fearful sound ripped round the cottage and in through the door, growing louder and more ghostly as the jack-o’-lantern ghosts got into their role. Over the howls came the stomp of hooves. Divine peered into the night, snorting crossly.

  “Hairy, Lanky! Stop making that noise.”

  Pippa, Stardust, and Mucker shared a grin as they continued to moan. “Whoooooooo!”

  “Enough. That’s an appalling racket.” Divine stood in the doorway and glared into the night. “Stop it right now!”

  “Whooooooooo!” Pippa was giggling so much that it was hard to keep howling. She took a deep breath, and when she felt more composed she let rip with the loudest howl ever.

  Divine’s eyes bulged with fury as she stepped into the doorway. “Didn’t you hear me? I said . . .”

  Suddenly, Divine spotted the pumpkin ghosts.

  The color drained from her face. A second later, she reared up, almost banging her head on the doorframe. “G . . . g . . . ghosts!”

  With a shriek, Divine bolted outside. Kicking out her hooves, she galloped away into the forest.

  Stardust started to cheer.

  “Listen!” said Pippa, silencing her with a hand.

  As Divine disappeared, there was a clatter of something falling.

  “The jewels!”

  Pippa, Stardust, and Mucker ran to pick up the castle jewels that had fallen from Divine as she bolted away.

  “There’s far too much to carry,” said Stardust.

  Pippa pulled off her pumpkin head. “Phew!” she gasped. “That was hot and heavy. Worth it, though, because we can use our pumpkins as buckets!”

  “You never stop amazing me, Pippa MacDonald!” Stardust’s eyes shone with excitement as she removed her pumpkin.

  They filled the hollowed-out pumpkins to the brim with jewels, searching the cottage carefully to make sure they’d gotten everything. Pippa loaded the pumpkins onto Stardust and Mucker’s backs.

  It was a long trek through the Wild Forest, and there were lots of mysterious squeaks coming from the bushes. But the trio felt full of courage and trekked onwards. After a while, Stardust stopped. “Did you hear that?” she whinnied.

  “Yes.” Pippa drew up next to her and Mucker. “Someone’s howling. It sounds more like a pony than a ghost, though.”

  Pony hooves thundered closer, and a group of Wild Ponies appeared, carrying straw bags around their necks. “Whoooo!” they shrieked. “Happy Halloween!”

  “Happy Halloween,” Pippa, Stardust, and Mucker called back.

  “That looks like fun,” said Pippa longingly.

  “If we hurry, then there’ll be time to go trick-or-treating when we get back,” said Stardust.

  Stardust set off at a smart trot with Pippa and Mucker jogging alongside, until they reached the plateau and Mane Street. The town was packed with small ponies dressed up as ghosts, witches, and, to Pippa’s delight, zonies, all out trick-or-treating with their parents. They stopped, staring as Pippa and her pony friends clattered along Mane Street carrying the royal jewels. Some of the ponies followed behind, and by the time they reached the royal camp, the friends were leading a large procession.

  “Look!” cried Comet, who’d been reading by torchlight outside his tent, “The royal jewels.”

  “The royal jewels!” A cry went up, and all the royal ponies rushed outside to cheer Pippa, Stardust, and Mucker home.

  “What’s all the noise about?” asked Queen Moonshine, coming out of a tent with King Firestar.

  Quickly, Pippa explained how Divine had stolen the royal jewels by pretending that Stableside Castle was haunted.

  “Outrageous,” said King Firestar, shaking his copper-colored head. “You were right, my dear Queen. We should have remained where we were instead of feeling forced to leave our home. Next time I’ll listen to you and not the courtiers.”

  Queen Moonshine smiled graciously. “We will all be wiser next time. But for now, we must thank these brave young heroes. Once again, they have saved us from Divine’s mean tricks. Thank you, Pippa. Thank you, Mucker and Stardust.”

  “It was fun,” said Pippa. Then she blushed furiously when everyone burst out laughing. “It was fun!” she insisted.

  “And now we can return to the castle, just in time for the Halloween Feast,” said the Queen. “I hope you will join us, Pippa. There’ll be dancing, games, and lots of lovely food. There’s a competition for the scariest pony and lots of tricks and treats. And this year, in your honor, I’m going to start a new tradition of giving every pony a chocolate-dipped carrot.” Queen Moonshine paused, her dark eyes on Pippa’s as she waited for an answer.

  “That sounds lovely,” said Pippa wistfully. “Maybe I could stay for a little while, but not too long. I want to go home to finish trick-or-treating with my own family.”

  “Of course.” Queen Moonshine nodded in understanding. Tapping a hoof on the ground, she called, “Courtiers, take the jewels back to the castle. Ponies of Chevalia, please join us for the Halloween Feast.”

  “Hurrah!” roared the crowd.

  Chapter 8

  Pippa leaned against a rough stone wall as she took in the splendor of the ballroom. Flying bats and cobwebs decorated with colored spiders hung from the ceiling. The room was lit by the orange glow of a thousand flickering jack-o’-lanterns. At one end of the room, horse troughs were filled to overflowing with Halloween treats such as pumpkin pie, spider mash, hot bat punch, chocolate-dipped carrots, and, especially for Pippa, pumpkin pizza.

  “I’m so happy that Farmer Squash and Marrow won the prize for the biggest jack-o’-lantern, even though this year their enormous pumpkins won’t make it to the Harvest Fair,” said Pippa.

  She glanced over at the two pumpkin heads discarded by Hairy and Lanky. Queen Moonshine had ordered that the pumpkins be turned into giant jack-o-lanterns. Farmer Squash and Marrow posed proudly with their giant pumpkins for photo
s, happily showing off the results of their farming while boasting that next year the pumpkins would be even bigger.

  “Me too,” Stardust sighed. “I’m so full, but I can’t resist those chocolate-dipped carrots. Do you want one?”

  “Nooo!” groaned Pippa. Her stomach felt as if it might burst.

  “I do,” said Princess Crystal, who was passing. “They’re the nicest . . .” Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared. “Eeek!” she shrieked, waving her front hooves. “A ghost!”

  “Wait, Princess Crystal. It’s only me.” Cloud swooped into the ballroom and hovered in front of Pippa. She chuckled. “Although I’m getting used to ponies calling me a ghost! I’ve come to take Pippa home.”

  Stardust hung her head sadly. “Does she have to go back right now?”

  Pippa nodded. “I’d love to stay for longer, but I should be out trick-or-treating with my family. It’s our tradition.”

  “Family is important,” said Queen Moonshine.

  Princess Stardust gave Pippa the longest hug ever before letting her go. Next, Pippa said good-bye to Queen Moonshine, King Firestar, and all her Chevalia pony friends. Finally, after pulling on her zony hood again, Pippa climbed onto Cloud’s back. “Goodbye, Stardust. See you soon.”

  Pippa waved until Stardust and then the island were tiny specks on the horizon. Then she snuggled down on Cloud’s back, with her head resting against the pony’s soft neck.

  Cloud flew steadily on, and in hardly any time at all Pippa saw her home drawing closer.

  “Hold tight,” Cloud whinnied, her huge wings beating rhythmically as she flew down toward Pippa’s road.

  Pippa smiled at her family, who were still frozen in exactly the same poses as when she’d left them. It was almost as if she’d never been away.

  “’Bye, Cloud,” she said, sliding from her back.

  “Goodbye, Pippa. See you again soon.”