Cast: 2m., 1w., 1 either gender (with doubling Old Jake is a lonely pumpkin farmer who is down on his luck, until he and his hound dog, Shoestring, find an old trunk beside the road. They take the trunk home and soon discover that it contains calico skirts that once belonged to a young mother. With every skirt—and the imaginative ways he uses them to fill his life—color begins slowly to creep back into Jake's world. When he meets the little girl who shares the secret of these skirts, he finds hope and laughter. This tale, filled with gentle humor, is both homespun and heartwarming. Approximate running time: 50 minutes. Unit set. Music in book.