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Pumpkin season is coming up, and the Harrison family is getting prepared to cook their famously delicious pumpkin soup. The reason their soup is so popular is because they always use homegrown ingredients, to create the most mouth-watering flavour possible. Right behind their house is their pumpkin patch, where George and Peter, the family members most interested in gardening, spend most of their time. This year, they decide to have a competition to see who out of the two of them can make the best pumpkin soup.
George and Peter decide to each pick different kinds of pumpkins, George deciding on Queensland blue pumpkins, and Peter choosing Golden Nugget pumpkins. George and Peter nurture their pumpkins as if they are their children. Soon enough, the pumpkins grow, and the differences between the two kinds become more and more obvious. Peter’s pumpkins are small, cute, and extremely pumpkin-like. George’s, on the other hand are big, hideous, and an unsightly shade of blue. He became worried, his pumpkins were ugly. George starts to worry, what if his pumpkin soup isn’t good enough? He can see his pumpkins don’t look very nice, so he assumes they mustn’t taste very nice either.
George tries to come up with a plan; maybe if he somehow sabotages Peter, he will lose the competition. The small, orange pumpkins are already looking a bit odd. Watering them too much might do the trick, after all, plants can’t survive well with too much water. He turns on the hose, and the water comes out with a loud whoosh. So much water comes out, George panics. He’s practically flooded the place. He starts hearing Peter’s voice and runs away. Over the fence, through the neighbour’s yard, he finds himself in the street. He quickly goes to buy milk, as an excuse for why he wasn’t home. When he returns, he sees through the kitchen window that the water has nearly all dried up.
Over the next few weeks, George sees. He sees Peter’s pumpkins, looking even more perfect than before. They are still small, but otherwise flawless. He is very confused; the pumpkins shouldn't look like this! They were meant to have wilted! Peter enters the room and exclaims “Look at my pumpkins! They’re thriving! They nearly shrivelled up and died before; I kept forgetting to water them!” George realises what happened. In the end, his attempt to sabotage his brother ended up helping him.
After a short time, the pumpkins are ready. George and Peter pick them and begin the pumpkin soup process. They peel the pumpkins, boil them, and use a hand blender to make the soup have a smoother texture. After they finish, the smell of pumpkin soup permeates the air. Peter and George set out their soup in some nice bowls, garnishing their soups with some fragrant rosemary and basil. The two brothers had previously decided that their sister, Louise, should be the judge, and they call her into the room.
Louise looks at the soups and tries them one at a time. She notices that one has a much richer flavour, and a smoother texture, the other one having some chunks every now and then. It is then revealed to her that it is in fact George’s soup. Everyone is surprised, including George himself. Who would have thought that his ugly pumpkins would actually be so delicious? He then realises this: just because something may look terrible on the outside, it doesn’t mean the inside would be as awful.