Since we're talking about pranks and mischief, I thought I'd post the work of our adorably devious squirrels' pranks on my pumpkin.

Pranks and Mischief, from the Bannatyne book:
Come forth ye lass and trousered kid,
From prisoned mischief raise the lid,
And lift it good and high.
---from John Kendrick Bangs' 19th-century poem "Halloween"

"Goblins, imps, fairies, and trolls were thought to do a lot of mischief on Halloween in the British Isles. Halloween was the night the spirits were out; farmers bolted their doors and avoided walking alone late at night. For centuries, anonymous mischief was expected on October 31.

Americans had a long tradition of Halloween-related mischief-making to live up to. The most direct antecedent was the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. Mischief Night preceded Guys Fawkes Day in England and bears a great resemblance to the Mischief Night that preceded American Halloween in many regions.