Halloween was his favorite day of the year—a day when you could become anyone you wanted, and the world transformed into something magical.
As Kevin wandered down the street, he admired the glowing decorations and spooky scenes set up in each yard. Witches cackled, doors creaked, and the sounds of Halloween filled the air. But one house stood out, not because it was spooky, but because it was completely dark. No pumpkins, no cobwebs—nothing. It was Mrs. Kimbly’s house.
Mrs. Kimbly was the quiet, older woman who lived alone. Kevin had mowed her lawn in the summer and shoveled her driveway in the winter, but she rarely said much beyond handing him his payment. Now, her undecorated house seemed out of place in the festive neighborhood.
Why hadn’t Mrs. Kimbly decorated for Halloween? Kevin couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Halloween was supposed to be fun, and he didn’t think anyone—especially someone living alone—should miss out.
Determined to help, Kevin crossed the street to her house. Leaves crunched under his sneakers as he approached her front door. He hesitated for a moment, then knocked. After a long pause, the door creaked open, revealing Mrs. Kimbly. Her face was stern, her eyes narrowed behind thick glasses.
“What do you want, Kevin?” she asked, her voice gruff.
Kevin swallowed nervously. “Hi, Mrs. Kimbly. I noticed your house isn’t decorated for Halloween, and I thought maybe you forgot. I could help, if you’d like.”
Her expression hardened. “I didn’t forget,” she snapped. “I don’t need decorations, and I don’t need your help. Now, go away.” She moved to close the door.
Kevin’s heart sank, but he wasn’t ready to give up. “I could do it for free!” he blurted out. “You wouldn’t have to do anything.”
But Mrs. Kimbly scowled and slammed the door. Kevin stood there, stunned. How could anyone hate Halloween that much? He knew her house would likely become a target for pranks if it stayed undecorated, and he didn’t want that to happen.
As Kevin walked home, an idea began to form. He wasn’t ready to give up on Mrs. Kimbly just yet.
At home, Kevin found his mom stirring a pot of soup in the kitchen. “Mom, something strange happened,” he said, sitting down at the table. He explained about Mrs. Kimbly’s dark house and how she had slammed the door in his face.
But when he mentioned Mrs. Kimbly’s name, his mom’s expression softened. “Maybe you should leave her alone,” she suggested gently. “People sometimes have reasons for doing things we don’t understand.”
Kevin frowned. “But, Mom, I think she’s not mad—I think she’s sad. Halloween is supposed to be fun, and I don’t want anyone to feel left out.”
His mom smiled softly. “You have a big heart, Kevin. Just remember, some people aren’t ready for help, even if they need it.”
Her words lingered in his mind, but Kevin still felt like Mrs. Kimbly was just lonely. He was determined to make her Halloween special.
The next day, Kevin gathered every decoration he could find—twinkling lights, plastic spiders, and his favorite carved pumpkin. It was special to him, but if it could make Mrs. Kimbly smile, he was willing to part with it.
He loaded everything into a wagon and headed back to her house. Kevin worked quickly, hanging lights and placing pumpkins on her porch. The house was starting to come alive with Halloween spirit. Just as he finished arranging the last pumpkin, the door flew open.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mrs. Kimbly stormed out, her face red with anger. “I told you not to decorate my house!”
Kevin froze, his heart pounding. “I just wanted to help,” he said softly. “It’s Halloween…”
Before he could say more, Mrs. Kimbly grabbed the nearest pumpkin—the one Kevin had spent hours carving—and smashed it on the ground. It shattered into pieces across the porch.
Kevin blinked back tears as he stared at the ruined pumpkin. He had worked so hard on it, and now it was gone. Without a word, he turned and ran home.
That night, dressed in his vampire costume, Kevin couldn’t enjoy Halloween. As he wandered from house to house with his friends, collecting candy, his thoughts kept returning to Mrs. Kimbly’s dark house. He knew the other kids might target her home for pranks, and he didn’t want that to happen.
Determined to stop any trouble, Kevin made his way back to her house. He sat on her porch, handing out candy from his own bag to passing trick-or-treaters, explaining, “Mrs. Kimbly’s not home.” He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there when the front door opened.
Startled, Kevin looked up to see Mrs. Kimbly standing in the doorway. Her face wasn’t angry anymore. “What are you doing here, Kevin?” she asked softly.
“I didn’t want anyone to mess with your house,” he explained. “I thought maybe I could help.”
Mrs. Kimbly sighed and sat down beside him. “I’m sorry for earlier,” she said quietly. “Halloween is hard for me. I don’t have any family, and seeing everyone else celebrate just makes me feel… alone.”
Kevin’s heart ached. “You don’t have to be alone,” he said. “You can celebrate with us. We’d love to have you join in.”
A small smile crept across Mrs. Kimbly’s face. “You’re a kind boy, Kevin. Thank you for what you did. And I’m sorry about your pumpkin.”
“It’s okay,” Kevin said, smiling back. “I have another one at home. We can carve it together if you want.”
Mrs. Kimbly chuckled softly. As Kevin ran home to grab the pumpkin, Mrs. Kimbly felt something she hadn’t felt in years—the warmth of Halloween spirit, all thanks to a boy who refused to give up.
What do you think of this story? Share it with your friends—it might brighten their day too.
Lassie’s little Timmy reveals the secrets of TV’s most famous dog
For nearly two decades most of us can remember tuning in to see the latest adventures of the most famous dog on TV – Lassie.
This much-loved Rough Collie dog and her human companions graced our screens for 17 seasons from 1954 to 1973 and even made the transition from black and white to color in the ’60s.
But who could forget the adorable little boy who joined the show in its fourth season when he and his family adopted Lassie – 7-year-old Timmy Martin.
Now Jon Provost, who played Timmy, has celebrated his 74th birthday and shares the joy he had filming with his four-legged friend and how he was discovered by Hollywood at just 3 years old.
The Los Angeles-born actor said when he was 3 years old he was taken to an audition for a Jane Wyman movie because his mom was a huge fan and hoped to get her autograph. But, out of the 200 kids auditioning for the part, Jon got it.
It was far from evident that Jon would become an actor. His father worked with something completely different – he was an aeronautical engineer.
”My parents weren’t Hollywood people. My father is from Alabama and my mother is from Texas,” Jon said.
At age 4, he landed a role in a Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby movie.
“I didn’t have an agent. I got one and that led to more movies like The Country Girl with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. I did about 12 movies before I started ‘Lassie’”, he told Fox News.
Three different Lassies
Recalling the bonds he formed with the three different male dogs that played the part of the female Lassie, Jon said he developed the biggest bond with the last dog to play Lassie.
“I did the show for seven years, 249 half-hour episodes. I worked with three different Lassies. The last dog I worked with, I worked with him for five years alone,” he told Fox News.
“We grew up together. For five years, we saw each other five days a week and sometimes on weekends.
Revealing how well behaved the dog was he added: “The actors made more mistakes than the dog. They were more of a problem,” he laughed.
After leaving the show at 14 years old he starred alongside the likes of Natalie Wood and Kurt Russell and never fell into the Hollywood child actor trap saying: “My parents let me pretty much do what I wanted to do. I didn’t have to take a job.
“When I left Hollywood, I thought it was good that I did.”
Today Jon lives out of the limelight in Northern California but still gets fan mail from his time in “Lassie”. In 1994, the actor received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Meanwhile, Lassie, the canine character, became so popular that she even had a “Lassie” riveting radio series.
Jon Provost wife
In 1979, Jon Provost tied the knot with Sandy Goosens. Together, they had two children, Ryan and Katie.
After being married for 14 years, the two divorced on December 20, 1993.
In 1999, Jon Provost found love again when he married Laurie Jacobson, a well-known researcher, and author.
I was such a fan of the adventures this sweet duo got up to. And with a moral to every episode, it was the perfect show for kids.
Please share with all the “Lassie” fans you know.
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