After what seemed like forever, Elphaba and Fiyero had finally managed to find a home in the Land of Ev. It was a quiet life, but a safe one. Since Fiyero had to co-rule Oz as the Scarecrow with Glinda, he had to make frequent travels. Thankfully he was able to use magic to quickly transport himself between the two places.

Nine months after fleeing Oz, Elphaba had given birth to a son named Liir. Liir had his father's looks (when he was human) and his mother's magic. When Liir became old enough, his mother began teaching him magic, and like his mother, Liir quickly excelled. Although he did have his father's knack of slacking.

When Liir turned eight, his parents gifted him a broom, which he enchanted. Excited, he flew around the house and village. When he was deemed mature enough, Liir traveled to the land of the Gillikins, where Glinda was from. He met and befriended a boy named Tip, who worked for an old witch named Mombi, who had raised him.

Tip remembered nothing of his parents, and his guardian often told him that his full name was Tippetarius, but no one was expected to say such a long word when "Tip" would do just fine. Now Mombi, although respected, was greatly feared by the Gillikins, for they had reason to suspect her of indulging in the dark arts, and therefore hesitated to associate with her.

Tip was made to carry wood from the forest, that the old woman might boil her pot. He worked in the corn-fields, hoeing and husking; and he fed the pigs and milked the four-horned cow that was Mombi's especial pride.

But he didn't work all the time, for he felt it would be bad for himself. While fetching wood or working in the fields, he would take his time and do leisure things, like fishing, napping, climbing trees, and playing with Liir when he came to visit. And of course, Liir would help his friend with his chores. When he had had his fun, or he felt he was taking too long, Tip would hastily do what Mombi told him to do. By taking care not to exhaust his strength, he grew as strong and as rugged as a boy may be.

Mombi's magic often frightened her neighbors, who treated her shyly, yet respectfully. But Tip however hated her, and took no pains to hide his feelings. Indeed, sometimes he would show less respect for the old woman than he ought to, as she was his guardian. He would often play pranks on her, and doing what he could to make her take fright. One day, while Mombi was on a two-day trip to a village, an idea had come to Tip.

Tip and Liir were carrying the large red pumpkins that grew in the fields so that the cow would have something nice to eat during winter. Suddenly, Tip got an idea.

"Hey Liir?"

"Yeah?"

"Wouldn't it be fun if we made a jack-o-lantern?"

"I guess." Then something hit him, "Are you planning a trick on Mombi?"

"Yes." Tip answered.

"Tip you should really put a stop to all these pranks."

"Why, it's just a bit of fun." Tip replied as he began to look for the perfect pumpkin.

"Mombi doesn't think so." Liir replied, "Remember last time?"

Tip stop for a moment. "Oh yeah. But if anything happens, you'll be there."

"There's only so much I can do. I'm not my parents, and I know they're limited too."

"Uh, your dad co-rules Oz with your Aunt Glinda." Tip reminded, "You can just file an anonymous complaint with them."

"And what if Mombi does her thing to make it seem like everything's fine?"

Tip paused for a moment. Liir had a point. "Well, we do need a scarecrow. Well, something to keep the crows away, not your dad. And that sounded insensitive, didn't it?"

Liir sighed. "It's fine. Want any help?"

"Ok."

The two then set to work. Tip selected a fine, big pumpkin—one with a lustrous, orange-red color—and began carving it. With the point of his knife he made two round eyes, a three-cornered nose, and a mouth shaped like a new moon. The face, when completed, could not have been considered strictly beautiful; but it wore a smile so big and broad, and was so Jolly in expression, that even Tip laughed as he looked admiringly at his carved out the pumpkin with his knife, but forgot to take the seeds and pumpkin guts out.

Meanwhile, Liir took Tip's axe to the forest, and selected some stout, straight saplings, which he cut down and trimmed of all their twigs and leaves. For the boys had decided to manufacture the form of a man, who would wear this pumpkin head, and to stand it in a place where old Mombi would meet it face. Liir would use these saplings to make the arms, and legs, and feet of their man. For the body he stripped a sheet of thick bark from around a big tree, and with much labor fashioned it into a cylinder of about the right size, pinning the edges together with wooden pegs. Then, whistling happily as he worked, he carefully jointed the limbs and fastened them to the body with pegs whittled into shape with his knife.

"What do you think?" Tip asked his friend when he came back with the wooden man.

"Certainly scary." Liir answered, "But you forgot the seeds."

"I did?" Tip asked in confusion.

"Yes, you're supposed to dig out the inside of a 'pumpkin-jack', and in the space thus made put a lighted candle to render the face more startling."

Tip considered this. But then he shrugged his shoulders, "Oh well. Making this the head of a scarecrow should be just as effective. And then," said Tip with a laugh, "she'll squeal louder than the brown pig does when I pull her tail, and shiver with fright worse than I did last year when I had the ague!"

Liir laughed too, then he held up the man, "What do you think of this?"

"Perfect!" Tip answered, "But it could use some more work. I'll do it." Then he put the pumpkin down and carefully rounded all the edges of the joints and smoothed the rough places in a neat and workmanlike manner. Then he stood the figure up against the wall and admired it. It seemed remarkably tall, even for a full-grown man; but that was a good point in a small boy's eyes, and Tip did not object at all to the size of he and his best friend's creation.

"You're good." Liir said once Tip had finished.

"Thanks, but all I did was polish it up." Tip replied, "You did the hard part."

Liir blushed. He liked being complimented by him.

Then suddenly, Tip remembered he must milk the cow and feed the pigs. So they took the man into the house and did the chores.

Since Mombi would be away for the night, Liir decided to stay the night. When bedtime came, the two snuggled up in Tip's bed, and amused themselves with tales of how when Tip grew up, the two would spend every night like this. The two loved each other like brothers, but Liir found himself forming a different type of love for him. He found himself with a crush.

When they woke up, Tip was laying across Liir, using his cheek as a pillow. Since it was normal for the boys to be so intimate with each other, they didn't feel very strange, but Liir did blush.

When the boys looked at their work again, Tip saw they had forgotten to give the dummy a neck, by means of which he might fasten the pumpkinhead to the body. So Liir went again to the forest, which was not far away, and chopped from a tree several pieces of wood with which to complete his work. When he returned he and Tip fastened a cross-piece to the upper end of the body, making a hole through the center to hold upright the neck. The bit of wood which formed this neck was also sharpened at the upper end, and when all was ready Tip put on the pumpkin head, pressing it well down onto the neck, and found that it fitted very well. The head could be turned to one side or the other, as he pleased, and the hinges of the arms and legs allowed the boys to place the dummy in any position they desired.

"Now, that," declared Tip, proudly, "is really a very fine man, and it ought to frighten several screeches out of old Mombi! But it would be much more lifelike if it were properly dressed."

"And where would we find clothing that would fit him?" Liir asked.

Tip thought about it. To find clothing seemed no easy task, then it hit him. "Why the great chest were Mombi keeps all her keepsakes and treasures!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Liir warned.

Tip ignored his friend and boldly ransacked the chest. At the very bottom he discovered some purple trousers, a red shirt and a pink vest which was dotted with white spots. These he carried away to his man and succeeded, although the garments did not fit very well, in dressing the creature in a jaunty fashion. Some knit stockings belonging to Mombi and a much worn pair of his own shoes completed the man's apparel, and Tip was so delighted that he danced up and down and laughed aloud in boyish ecstacy. Liir shook his head, but gladly joined his friend when he pulled him in for a dance.

"I must give him a name!" Tip cried. "So good a man as this must surely have a name. I believe," he added, after a moment's thought, "I will name the fellow 'Jack Pumpkinhead!'"

"How creative." Liir sarcastically replied.