Entby
seeComment by K3Master: "ahh, a customer", the old tree put hand on knee and bent down to greet the startled newcomer. "It's been so long since I've seen anyone out this way."
The hiker blinked in shock. That the tree moved was one thing, but that it spoke, that it blinked eyes and smiled with a mouth, well that was something else entirely. He was frozen with fear and panic.
"Please, do not be afraid, I shall not hurt you. I am but an old tree, and I have some wonderful pumpkins to sell."
"p..pumpkins. S..s..sell. y..y.. you. Tr..tr.." stammered the hiker, still rooted to the spot. Perhaps his paralyzing fear would have lasted forever, perhaps not, but suddenly the old tree bent down, picked up a pumpkin and stretched it out towards the man. As it always goes with fear, this was the action that caused a string to snap. The tension broke and the hiker, with a screech to put a banshee to shame, fled off through the forest.
The old tree sat staring after him, then looked down at the squash in his hand and sighed, placing it back into the pile.
"I lose more customers that way."