"I'm living life on the edge" Pumpkin consoled herself, "Its payday and I'm already down to 200 hundred dollars."But that didn't deter her. Social change is hard work. And even that is a euphemism for bothering people. But on a particularly lonely night, Pumpkin fell into the good graces of three skunks. With the first skunk sighting, Pumpkin understandably gave it a wide berth. A lesson she did not have to learn the hard way. There's just no need to mess with a stink. So on the skunk went. And on Pumpkin went. But come the second skunk and Pumpkin became a little more curious about the goings-ons of skunks. Skunks usually didn't come off as social creatures, but there must have been something in the air- a pleasant (or perhaps not so pleasant, depending on your nose) odor must have coaxed them out of their skunk lairs. What do skunks eat? Prompted by skunks eating habits, Pumpkin began pondering how it came to be that this creature developed the defense of stink. And shouldn't more creatures have that defense, just seems effective and fair. It doesn't cost anything. Does just the right amount of harm, without really doing harm. Nothing too violent, not like a spiked tail. Just a gentle assault on your olfactories... Ah, well. "You go stinky skunk an be stinky. Stinks Unite!" And with that inner monologue, a third appeared. But this one seemed to be pondering Pumpkin. And what seemed like a silent command, the first two skunks returned. Emboldened by her recent words of encouragement and her apparent approval into the skunk community, Pumpkin did not shy away. But instead took in this shared moment and made a memory. The Skunk King and I.
The next bright morning, Pumpkin was outside getting ready for a bike ride, preparing her cheeks to be whipped raw from the wind, when a squirrel approached Pumpkin's foot. It tipped back and rested its front paws on Pumpkin's leg-like a dog inviting you to play. Pumpkin looked down at her squirrel companion and began to ponder...
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