Every October, the small town of Willow Creek became a glowing sea of orange light. Almost every doorstep had a jack-o’-lantern smiling, or sometimes scowling, at the people who passed by. The townspeople took their pumpkin carving very seriously, but no one was more passionate than Ellen, a high school art teacher.
Ellen had been carving pumpkins since she was a child. Her grandfather used to tell her that the light inside a jack-o’-lantern protected homes from bad spirits on Halloween night. She never really believed the story, but she loved the tradition. Every year, she entered the town’s Pumpkin Festival Contest, hoping to win the golden carving knife – a silly but beloved prize.
One year, Ellen decided to try something different. Instead of carving funny or scary faces, she designed a pumpkin with delicate patterns of stars and moons. She spent hours working on it, carefully cutting the shapes and placing a small candle inside. When she lit it, the pumpkin glowed like the night sky.
That night, a strong wind blew through Willow Creek. The other jack-o’-lanterns went out one by one, but Ellen’s stayed lit. The next morning, people noticed that her pumpkin was still glowing faintly, even though the candle had burned out. No one could explain it.
From that year on, people began to say that Ellen’s jack-o’-lantern had real magic inside it. Whether it was true or not, Ellen just smiled. She didn’t need to believe in ghosts to enjoy the warmth and mystery of Halloween.
✨ English Review Tasks
🎃 Ellen’s Magical Jack-o’-Lantern – Practice
A. Vocabulary Practice
1. Match the words to their meanings.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a. lantern | 1. A competition where people try to win a prize |
| b. carve | 2. A large round orange vegetable used at Halloween |
| c. pumpkin | 3. To cut shapes into something, usually wood or a pumpkin |
| d. candle | 4. A stick of wax that gives light when it burns |
| e. contest | 5. A light that is protected by glass or made inside a pumpkin |
2. Choose the correct word to complete the sentence.
Ellen lives in a (big city / small town / busy market).
She teaches (art / music / science) at the local school.
Every October, people in Willow Creek (cook / carve / paint) pumpkins.
Ellen’s pumpkin had patterns of (stars / hearts / flowers).
The light in Ellen’s pumpkin (went out / stayed lit / broke).
B. Grammar Practice
1. Complete the sentences with was or were.
Ellen ___ an art teacher.
There ___ many jack-o’-lanterns in the town.
Her grandfather ___ the one who told her the story.
The pumpkins ___ glowing in the dark.
The night ___ cold and windy.
2. Write the correct adjective.
(Use: bright, small, orange, happy, magical)
Ellen’s pumpkin looked very ___.
The town was full of ___ lights.
The candle inside gave a ___ glow.
People smiled at the ___ faces on the pumpkins.
Everyone said Ellen’s jack-o’-lantern was truly ___.
C. Writing Practice
Write about this question:
🎃 What kind of jack-o’-lantern would you make for Halloween?
Use these words to help you: carve, pumpkin, candle, light, face, design, stars, scary, funny, beautiful.
✏️ Extension (Optional):
What do you think made Ellen’s jack-o’-lantern glow even after the candle went out?
(Was it magic, or something else?)
How did you find this intermediate English story? Check out the stories page for more!
Don’t forget to review grammar on our grammar page too.
