Like any
child on Halloween night, eight boys in this fantasy-horror story put their
costumes and were ready to go for trick-or-treating. But when the little mummy,
the ghost, the gargoyle, the skeleton, and the others had gathered at the
appointed place: the Haunted House, they did not find Pipkin. Pipkin is sort of
the chief of the gang; and without him Halloween would not be fun. Instead of
their friend, they found, near the house, a huge tree with branches, laden with
Jack-o-lanterns: The Halloween Tree! Inside the house they met a cadaverous
looking man wrapped in black, who introduced himself as Mr. Moundshroud.
Pipkin
finally showed up, but he was immediately snatched from the boys, and vanished
into the air. To find and save Pipkin, Mr. Moundshroud led the eight boys to
search through the past, to teach them the history and real meaning of
Halloween they celebrate every year.
So, by magic
they travelled across time and space to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Celtic,
Medieval Paris, and Mexico. They went inside the Pyramid to find mummies, flew
on brooms and met witches, walked inside the catacomb, and adored the Gargoyles
at Notre Dame Cathedral. At each place they visited, they always saw glimpses
of Pipkin, before he eluded right before they got chance to save him. Through
these eerie adventures, the boys learned about the origins of Halloween; why
death is scary, the fact about mummy, the origin of trick-or-treat, and whether
witches have really existed.
At the end
of their journey, the boys realized that the only way to save dear Pipkin was
by agreeing to sacrifice one year each of their lives.
The Halloween Tree for Halloween, is what A Christmas Carol do for Christmas.
You celebrate the holiday each year, get yourself surround by the atmosphere,
the ornaments, foods, costumes, and rituals. You gather with friends and
families to celebrate... what? What is that that you are celebrating—the day
itself? As with A Christmas Carol, The Halloween Tree also reminds you of
the real values behind ornaments and the celebration itself.
This was my
first Ray Bradbury. I still had not the courage to read Fahrenheit, and so
wanted to take a taste through this tale. It was a fun read; fast moving with
beautiful prose, and a perfect read for Halloween mood. Bradbury wanted us to
remember our dead relatives (the real purpose of Halloween), but also to
realize the value of life. I loved how Bradbury made the eight boys giving up
one year of their lives to save a friend. There is always love behind every
holiday!
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