Once upon a time, beyond seven hills and one enormous pumpkin field, there was a little village. It was not an ordinary village. Cheerful spooks, smiling pumpkins, tiny spiders, and animals who were afraid of almost nothing lived there.
Three best friends lived there too. Bonesy was a little skeleton whose bones rattled merrily whenever he walked. Rattle-rattle, clackety-clack! He loved dancing more than anything, even though his feet did not always agree.
Bertha the Pumpkin was round, orange, and always in a good mood. Whenever she laughed very hard, she rolled all the way across the garden. And Pipo was a tiny spider with eight little legs. He was so clever that he could tie all eight of his shoes at once!
The friends played together, dreamed up silly tricks together, and watched the stars together. Most of all, they looked forward to one very special night: Halloween!
The Great Halloween Dance
Every year, the village held the happiest Halloween dance for miles around. A great old oak stood in the village square. Glowing lanterns hung from its branches, stars twinkled between the trees, and cheerful music played from a wooden stage.
Everyone came in a costume. Hugo the Rabbit dressed as a giant carrot, with only his two long ears sticking out. Joey the Hedgehog wore a colourful sock on every quill and looked like a walking pile of laundry.
Elsie the Fox arrived in an enormous pink hat that kept falling over her eyes. While dancing, she could not see where she was going and hugged a tree by mistake.
Bruno the Bear wore a pink ballet skirt and a crown. When he tried a pirouette, he spun so fast that he landed bottom-first in a basket of apples.
THUMP! ROLL-ROLL-ROLL!
Apples rolled in every direction, and the whole village burst out laughing.
The three friends had dressed up too. Bertha wore a floppy witch’s hat, Pipo had a sparkling bow tie, and Bonesy wore a bright red bow around his neck.
“Well, friends? Shall we dance?” cried Bonesy.
“Yeeees!” shouted Bertha and Pipo.
Bonesy’s Wild Dance
The music grew livelier. Bertha rolled to the rhythm, Pipo crossed and uncrossed all eight legs, and Bonesy performed his famous skeleton dance.
Rattle-rattle! Clackety-clack! Stomp-stomp-stomp!
All the animals clapped. Bonesy wanted to show off, so he leapt high, spun around, and shook his whole body.
Suddenly—
POP!
One bone flew right out of his leg!
Bonesy did not notice. He tried another step, but his leg would not listen. He toppled straight into a soft pile of leaves.
RUSTLE-WHOOSH!
He sat up and stared at his leg. “Oh, rattling ribs! Where is my bone?”
The Search for the Missing Bone
Bertha and Pipo hurried over. “We’ll find it together,” said Bertha.
First, they searched beneath the leaf pile. Pipo spotted something white. “There it is!” he cried.
But the white shape sat up and sneezed.
“AAACHOO!”
It was only a sleepy little ghost.
“Where is Bonesy’s bone?” asked Bertha.
“Not here!” the friends answered.
Next, they searched beside the witch’s bubbling cauldron. Something long and white stuck out from behind it.
“My bone!” cried Bonesy.
He pulled it out—but it was only a wooden spoon covered in flour.
“Where is Bonesy’s bone?” asked Pipo.
“Not here!” the friends answered.
Then they heard tapping from the branches above.
Knock-knock! Tap-tap-tap!
“That must be the bone!” whispered Bertha.
But it was only a tiny bat playing an acorn drum.
“Where is Bonesy’s bone?” asked the little bat.
“Not here!” sighed the friends.
The Bone Is Found
Bonesy sat tiredly beneath the old oak. Bertha leaned close to comfort him, and Pipo climbed onto his shoulder.
Suddenly, Pipo spotted something strange.
“Bonesy, what is that behind your head?”
Bonesy reached back. There, caught behind his skull, was the missing bone!
“So that’s why something has been tickling me all evening!” he laughed.
Bertha held the bone steady. Pipo carefully guided it into place.
CLICK!
Bonesy stood up, bent his knee, and took one careful step.
Rattle-rattle!
His leg was as good as new.
One Last Dance
The friends hurried back to the square. Bonesy danced a little more carefully this time. Bertha rolled in a happy circle, and Pipo tapped all eight turquoise shoes.
Rattle-rattle! Clackety-clack! Roll-and-tap!
Little by little, the music slowed. Hugo’s rabbit ears drooped. Joey the Hedgehog’s eyes closed beneath all his colourful socks. Bruno fell asleep right beside the apple basket, still wearing his pink ballet skirt and crown.
The three friends shared one last, very slow dance.
Rattle… rattle… clackety… clack…
The moon shone above the village, and the lanterns went dark one by one.
Goodnight, Little Bones
The friends returned home beneath the old tree. Bertha curled up in the soft leaves. Pipo spun a tiny hammock from silver spider silk. Before bed, Bonesy counted every one of his bones.
“One, two, three… they’re all home.”
They tucked themselves beneath a soft blanket and wished one another goodnight.
The wind whispered through the leaves. An owl hooted far away. The moon watched over the sleeping village.
Bertha was already asleep. Pipo was already dreaming. And Bonesy? He dreamed of dancing.
Only one tiny bone gave one last quiet rattle… clack.
Then everything was still. Completely, completely still.
The End.
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