The Rolling Pumpkin

Once upon a time, there was an old woman who lived in a little village in Iran. Next to her village there was a big, scary forest. The old woman had a daughter who got married and moved to the other side of the forest. The old woman hadn’t seen her daughter in a long time. So when Eid was approaching, she decided to travel through the forest to celebrate with her daughter and her family.

The old woman packed a sack of food, put on a long, black, floral chador and started walking. As she went further and further into the forest, she sang in Persian:

Alå doxtar balå qorbunatam man, be ghorbat rafti o heirunatam man. (“My dear daughter, I love you, you have moved to a foreign place, and I long to see you.”)

Suddenly, there was a wolf in the middle of the path! The old woman froze with fear. The wolf drooled and said: “Yum, you look like a delicious meal!”

The old woman gathered her courage and said: “I am no delicious meal, I’m skinny. My body would not fill your plate. Eating me would not fill you up!”

The wolf said: “But I’m so hungry, what should I do?”

The old woman replied: “Let me see my daughter for Eid, and fill up on delicious food. When my belly is all filled up, there will be plenty for you to feast on!”

The wolf was still very hungry, but he liked this idea, and so he let her go. The old woman hurried off through the forest.

Suddenly, a tiger jumped down from a tree! The old woman was startled. The tiger grinned and said: “Yum, you look like a delicious meal!”

The old woman gathered her courage and said: “I am no delicious meal, I’m skinny. My body would not fill your plate. Eating me would not fill you up!”

The tiger said: “But I’m so hungry, what should I do?”

The old woman replied: “Let me see my daughter for Eid, and fill up on delicious food. When my belly is all filled up, there will be plenty for you to feast on!”

The tiger’s stomach was completely empty, but he liked this idea, and so he let her go. The old woman hurried off through the forest.

Suddenly an enormous lion appeared on the path! The old woman stopped and gasped. The lion roared and said: “Yum, you look like a delicious meal!”

The old woman gathered her courage and said: “I am no delicious meal, I’m skinny. My body would not fill your plate. Eating me would not fill you up!”

The lion said: “But I’m so hungry, what should I do?”

The old woman replied: “Let me see my daughter for Eid, and fill up on delicious food. When my belly is all filled up, there will be plenty for you to feast on!”

The lion’s stomach was rumbling, but he liked this idea, and so he let her go. The old woman hurried off through the forest.

When the sun had gone down and it was starting to go dark, the old woman finally made it to her daughter’s house. She was so happy to see her family that she forgot about everything that had happened on the way.

For the next seven days, she had a wonderful time with her family and feasted on delicious food.

When it was time for the old woman to go home, she remembered the wolf, the tiger, and the lion that were waiting for her. When her daughter heard about the animals in the forest, she wanted to help her mother get home safely. They came up with a plan. They went to the bazaar and bought a large pumpkin. They took it home, cut off the top and scooped out all the flesh so that the pumpkin was hollow inside.

The old woman climbed inside the pumpkin. Her daughter put the top back on, and the villagers helped her push the pumpkin with the old woman inside, until it started rolling away. It rolled all the way into the forest.

Oof! Suddenly the old woman felt the pumpkin stop. The lion had stopped it. The lion looked at the pumpkin and said: “Rolling pumpkin, tell me the truth: Have you seen a fat old woman passing through?”

“No, wallah, roll me away,” said the old woman from inside the pumpkin. The lion pushed the pumpkin so that it rolled further into the forest.

THUMP! Suddenly the old woman felt the pumpkin stop again. This time the tiger had stopped it. The tiger looked at the pumpkin and said: “Rolling pumpkin, tell me the truth: Have you seen a fat old woman passing through?”

“No, wallah, roll me away,” said the old woman from inside the pumpkin. The tiger pushed the pumpkin so that it rolled away further into the forest.

OUCH! Suddenly the old woman felt the pumpkin stop yet again. This time the wolf had stopped it. The wolf sniffed at the pumpkin and said: “Rolling pumpkin, tell me the truth: Have you seen a fat old woman passing through?”

“No, wallah, roll me away,” said the old woman from inside the pumpkin. But the wolf was not fooled. He knew the old woman’s voice from the last time.

He tore the lid off the pumpkin and snarled: “There you are!” He dove into the pumpkin to catch the old woman. But she had cut out a lid on the bottom of the pumpkin as well. She quickly took it off and climbed out. Before the wolf realized what had happened, the old woman had put both lids back on. Now the wolf was trapped!

The old woman had gotten strong from eating all that wonderful food. She gathered her strength and pushed the pumpkin with the wolf inside. It started rolling down a grassy field, going faster and faster, until it rolled off a cliff into a deep, dark valley.

Feeling satisfied, the old woman brushed off her floral chador, went home and made herself a nice cup of tea.

She lived happily ever after.