A Halloween Treat for Polly Peat

The children on the playground talked excitedly about going trick-or-treating! One boy said he was going as a ghost and two little girls both shouted that they were going as a princess. While hearing the younger kids' excitement, it made Polly Peat feel a little sad.

You see, Polly's parents said she was now too old to go trick-or-treating. And since she wouldn't be going out for treats, Polly worried that her Halloween wouldn't be any fun at all.

That Halloween was a cool, crisp day in Polly's town. The fallen leaves had piled up in her family's front yard, so Polly raked them up. The two pumpkins that lay at the front of her home's porch had already been carved into jack-o-lanterns. She had also finished her homework. So what was Polly Peat to do?

Across the street from the Peat family, lived a kind old woman named Frances. Frances had just arrived back home from the grocery store. So Polly went to see if she needed help carrying in her groceries. Frances said that she had only just run out to get candy for the trick-or-treaters. Polly saw that Frances' front porch was covered with leaves, so she said that she would sweep them for her.

As she began to sweep the leaves off of Frances' porch, the broadest smile suddenly graced Polly's face! The broom she held had given her a great idea. Perhaps there could be some fun on that Halloween night after all, Polly thought.

When Polly had finished sweeping Frances' porch, she ran home as fast as she could. The first trick-or-treaters would be arriving soon. So Polly went straight to the basement and dug out the Halloween costume she had worn the year before.

After she walked back upstairs, Polly's parents were delighted to see her dressed up as a witch again. But Polly's father quickly reminded her that she wouldn't be going trick-or-treating, to which she happily agreed.

Later, as her mother passed out candy to the trick-or-treaters, Polly stood near with her broomstick in hand. She was also doing her best witch-laugh. The young children were scared of Polly, but she quickly put them at ease with her sweet smile. Besides, she was a good witch, just having a little fun on Halloween night.

To learn more about Artie Knapp and his work, please visit him online at www.artieknapp.com.

There is no cost for SNPA members to reprint this article in their papers, provided that credit is given to Artie Knapp and the illustrator.

Download high-resolution graphics:

• Illustration 1
• Illustration 2
• Illustration 3

Artie Knapp

In 2006, Artie Knapp wrote a children's story titled "The Wasp and the Canary." To date, he's had close to 30 children's literature works published that include books, videos, stories and poems. These works have been published in over 200 publications across the world.

Artie's children's stories are also widely used by many educational organizations to assist children in learning and sharpening their English.

Among Artie's writing credits are the children's books, "Stuttering Stan Takes a Stand," and "Living Green: A Turtle's Quest for a Cleaner Planet," a shortlist finalist for the national Green Earth Book Award. He is a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.