Bendler Stories

Next to his rebuilt house stood the workshop and the seed shed, where Bendler kept the wheat, oat, pumpkin, turnip, carrot, tomato, corn and barley seeds. It was specially built to keep the mice out and the seeds dry. Bendler was having a horrible day. More storms were forecast and that made the animals behave badly. The horse would not be caught and galloped away with his tail in the air, kicking clods of dirt into Bendler's face. The chooks refused to come out of their coop and sat huddled and worried on their perch. There would be no eggs today Bendler told himself. The cow was wet and cranky and would not milk properly. Spring was coming and Bendler stamped into the seed shed to remind himself what to plant for the coming year. But he felt too grumpy to think about spring planting and stamped off to have morning tea. He forgot to bolt the door.

The door banged in the wind. In the hay shed snug¬gled into some loose straw slept the Big Pink Finding Pig. Bang, bang, bang went the seed shed door. It woke the Pink pig. That's the seed shed door he thought to himself and began to drool. Wheat, he thought, oats, corn and PUMPKIN seeds. He struggled up out of his cozy nest and peered about the yard. Bendler was nowhere in sight.

The pig hurried through the puddles, across the yard and into the seed shed. Oh yum! Oh munchies! Oh, pig heaven! Oats, corn and pumpkin seeds the pink pig tore open the bags and munched contentedly. Unnoticed most of the big bag of pumpkin seeds dribbled onto the slatted floor and fell through onto the ground beneath.

When Bendler slammed the back door on his way out the pink pig scurried for his life and hid behind the hay shed. Ben¬dler bolted the seed shed door in passing but did not look in, so missed seeing the mess the pink pig had made.

That afternoon the storm broke with heavy rain and wind. Quickly the puddles joined together and the water flowed in under the seed shed. It picked up the pumpkin seeds and floated them out across the yard and into the drain. The water swept them along. By ones and twos the pumpkin seeds were caught by the grass and set¬tled onto the ground all along the drain. There they lay next to the warm spring earth, from Bendler's house to the front gate, a good quarter of a mile away. The spring was warm and sunny with just the right amount of rain for pumpkins. The seeds sprouted and grew quickly. Now Bendler was not a very knowledgeable farmer. He knew what a pump¬kin looked like but had never seen the plant before. Now they grew all along the drive, almost a forest of big deep green leaves and bright yellow flowers. Very pretty thought Bendler as he drove straight past in the horse and cart. And the pumpkins grew hidden by the big deep green leaves. Hidden from Bendler but not from the big pink pig who began to take long walks in the cool green tunnels and caves under the big green leaves. He watched the pumpkins grow with happy greedy thoughts.

One day in summer the Iceman came as usual.

‘Gidday Bendler.’ He said, in his usual happy way. ‘Nice crop of pumpkins you've got there’. Bendler stared at him thinking fast. `What is the man talking about?' He asked himself.

‘Oh those.’ He said. ‘ Yes’.

‘ Do ya reckon I could Have a few?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Said Bendler, not thinking very quickly. And then he watched in dismay as the Iceman threw half a dozen huge green and yellow pumpkins onto his truck and drove away with a cheery wave. The big pink pig also watched in dismay.

As soon as the Ice man was out of sight Bendler ran to catch the horse and hitch up to the cart. Hours of hot work later he had picked two loads of pumpkins and set up a stall by the front gate. He was closely watched by the pink pig who was hoping he would miss a few.

It didn't take long for the word to get around. Bendler sold quite a few every day. People even came from the local town to buy his pumpkins. Bendler had never worked so hard in his life. But he kept going and the pumpkins kept selling. Finally they were all sold. Bendler was happy but the pink pig was not as you can probably imagine.