how to tell stories to children-第24章

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When　he　had　ploughed；　the　man　went　back　to　his　cart　and　unloaded　another　farm　implement。　　This　one　was　like　a　three…cornered　platform　of　wood；　with　a　long；　curved；　strong　rake　under　it。　　It　was　called　a　harrow；　and　it　looked　like　this：

The　man　harnessed　the　horses　to　it；　and　then　he　stood　on　the　platform　and　drove　all　over　the　strip　of　land。　　It　was　fun　to　watch；　but　perhaps　it　was　a　little　hard　to　do。　　The　man's　weight　kept　the　harrow　steady；　and　let　the　teeth　of　the　rake　scratch　and　cut　the　ground　up；　so　that　it　did　not　stay　in　ridges。

〃He　scrambles　the　ground；　father！〃　said　Margery。

〃It　needs　scrambling；〃　laughed　her　father。　　〃We　are　going　to　get　more　weeds　than　we　want　on　this　green　land；　and　the　more　the　ground　is　broken；　the　fewer　there　will　be。〃

After　the　ploughing　and　harrowing；　the　man　drove　off；　and　Margery's　father　said　he　would　do　the　rest　of　the　work　in　the　late　afternoons；　when　he　came　home　from　business；　they　could　not　afford　too　much　help；　he　said；　and　he　had　learned　to　take　care　of　a　garden　when　he　was　a　boy。　　So　Margery　did　not　see　any　more　done　until　the　next　day。

But　the　next　day　there　was　hard　work　for　Margery's　father！　　Every　bit　of　that　〃scrambled〃　turf　had　to　be　broken　up　　still　more　with　a　mattock　and　a　spade；　and　then　the　pieces　which　were　full　of　grass…roots　had　to　be　taken　on　a　fork　and　shaken；　till　the　earth　fell　out；　then　the　grass　was　thrown　to　one　side。　　That　would　not　have　had　to　be　done　if　the　land　had　been　ploughed　in　the　fall；　the　grass　would　have　rotted　in　the　ground；　and　would　have　made　fertilizer　for　the　plants。　　Now；　Margery's　father　put　the　fertilizer　on　the　top；　and　then　raked　it　into　the　earth。

At　last；　it　was　time　to　make　the　place　for　the　seeds。　　Margery　and　her　mother　helped。　Father　tied　one　end　of　a　cord　to　a　little　stake；　and　drove　the　stake　in　the　ground　at　one　end　of　the　garden。　　Then　he　took　the　cord　to　the　other　end　of　the　garden　and　pulled　it　tight；　tied　it　to　another　stake；　and　drove　that　down。　　That　made　a　straight　line　for　him　to　see。　　Then　he　hoed　a　trench；　a　few　inches　deep；　the　whole　length　of　the　cord；　and　scattered　fertilizer　in　it。　　Pretty　soon　the　whole　garden　was　in　lines　of　little　trenches。

〃Now　for　the　corn；〃　said　father。

Margery　ran　and　brought　the　seed　box；　and　found　the　package　of　corn。　　It　　looked　like　kernels　of　gold；　when　it　was　opened。

〃May　I　help？〃　Margery　asked；　when　she　saw　how　pretty　it　was。

〃If　you　watch　me　sow　one　row；　I　think　you　can　do　the　next；〃　said　her　father。

So　Margery　watched。　　Her　father　took　a　handful　of　kernels；　and；　stooping；　walked　slowly　along　the　line；　letting　the　kernels　fall；　five　or　six　at　a　time；　in　spots　about　a　foot　apart；　he　swung　his　arm　with　a　gentle；　throwing　motion；　and　the　golden　seeds　trickled　out　like　little　showers；　very　exactly。　　It　was　pretty　to　watch；　it　made　Margery　think　of　a　photograph　her　teacher　had；　a　photograph　of　a　famous　picture　called　〃The　Sower。〃　　Perhaps　you　have　seen　it。

Putting　in　the　seed　was　not　so　easy　to　do　as　to　watch；　sometimes　Margery　got　in　too　much；　and　sometimes　not　enough；　but　her　father　helped　fix　it；　and　soon　she　did　better。

They　planted　peas；　beans；　spinach；　carrots；　and　parsnips。　　And　Margery's　father　made　a　row　of　holes；　after　that；　for　the　tomato　plants。　　He　said　those　had　to　be　　transplanted；　they　could　not　be　sown　from　seed。

When　the　seeds　were　in　the　trenches　they　had　to　be　covered　up；　and　Margery　really　helped　at　that。　　It　is　fun　to　do　it。　You　stand　beside　the　little　trench　and　walk　backward；　and　as　you　walk　you　hoe　the　loose　earth　back　over　the　seeds；　the　same　dirt　that　was　hoed　up　you　pull　back　again。　　Then　you　rake　very　gently　over　the　surface；　with　the　back　of　a　rake；　to　even　it　all　off。　　Margery　liked　it；　because　now　the　garden　began　to　look　LIKE　a　garden。

But　best　of　all　was　the　work　next　day；　when　her　own　little　particular　garden　was　begun。　　Father　Brown　loved　Margery　and　Margery's　mother　so　much　that　he　wanted　their　garden　to　be　perfect；　and　that　meant　a　great　deal　more　work。　　He　knew　very　well　that　the　old　grass　would　begin　to　come　through　again　on　such　〃green〃　soil；　and　that　it　would　make　terribly　hard　weeding。　　He　was　not　going　to　have　any　such　thing　for　his　two　〃little　girls；〃　as　he　called　them。　　So　he　fixed　that　little　garden　very　fine！　　This　is　what　he　did。

After　he　had　thrown　out　all　the　turf；　he　shoveled　clean　earth　on　to　the　garden；　as　much　as　three　solid　inches　of　it；　not　a　bit　of　grass　was　in　that。　　Then　it　was　ready　for　raking　and　fertilizing；　and　for　the　lines。　The　little　footpaths　were　marked　out　by　Father　Brown's　feet；　Margery　and　her　mother　laughed　well　when　they　saw　it；　for　it　looked　like　some　kind　of　dance。　　Mr。　Brown　had　seen　gardeners　do　it　when　he　was　a　little　boy；　and　he　did　it　very　nicely：　he　walked　along　the　sides　of　the　square；　with　one　foot　turned　a　little　out；　and　the　other　straight；　taking　such　tiny　steps　that　his　feet　touched　each　other　all　the　time。　This　tramped　out　a　path　just　wide　enough　for　a　person　to　walk。

The　wider　path　was　marked　with　lines　and　raked。

Margery　thought；　of　course；　all　the　flowers　would　be　put　in　as　the　vegetables　were；　but　she　found　that　it　was　not　so。　For　some；　her　father　poked　little　holes　with　his　finger；　for　some；　he　made　very　shallow　ditches；　and　some　very　small　seeds　were　just　scattered　lightly　over　the　top　of　the　ground。

Margery　and　her　mother　had　taken　so　much　pains　in　thinking　out　how　the　flowers　would　look　prettiest；　that　maybe　you　will　like　to　hear　just　how　they　designed　that　garden。　　At　the　back　were　the　sweet　peas；　which　would　grow　tall；　like　a　screen；　on　the　two　sides；　for　a　kind　of　hedge；　were　yellow　sunflowers；　and　along　the　front　edge　were　the　gay　nasturtiums。　　Margery　planned　that；　so　that　she　could　look　into　the　garden　from　the　front；　but　have　it　shut　away　from　the　vegetable　patch　by　the　tall　flowers　on　the　sides。　　The　two　front　corners　had　coreopsis　in　them。　　Coreopsis　is　a　tall；　pretty；　daisy…like　flower；　very　dainty　and　bright。　　And　then；　in　little　square　patches　all　round　the　garden；　were　planted　white　sweet　alyssum；　blue　bachelor's　buttons；　yellow　marigolds；　tall　larkspur；　many…　colored　asters　and　zinnias。　　All　these　lovely　flowers　used　to　grow　in　our　grandmothers'　gardens；　and　if　you　don't　know　what　they　look　like；　I　hope　you　can　find　out　next　summer。

Between　the　flowers　and　the　middle　path　went　the　seeds　for　that　wonderful　salad　garden；　all　the　things　Mrs。　Brown　　had　named　to　Margery　were　there。　　Margery　had　never　seen　anything　so　cunning　as　the　little　round　lettuce…seeds。　　They　looked　like　tiny　beads；　it　did　not　seem　possible　that　green　lettuce　leaves　could　come　from　those。　　But　they　surely　would。

Mother　and　father　and　Margery　were　all　late　to　supper　that　evening。　　But　they　were　all　so　happy　that　it　did　not　matter。　The　last　thing　Margery　thought　of；　as　she　went　to　sleep　at　night；　was　the　dear；　smooth　little　garden；　with　its　funny　foot…　path；　and　with　the　little　sticks　standing　at　the　end　of　the　rows；　labeled　〃lettuce；〃　〃beets；〃　〃helianthus；〃　and　so　on。

〃I　have　a　garden！　　I　have　a　garden！〃　thought　Margery；　and　then　she　went　off　to　dreamland。



THE　LITTLE　COTYLEDONS


This　is　another　story　about　Margery's　garden。

The　next　morning　after　the　garden　was　planted；　Margery　was　up　and　out　at　six　o'clock。　　She　could　not　wait　to　look　at　her　　garden。　　To　be　sure；　she　knew　that　the　seeds　could　not　sprout　in　a　single　night；　but　she　had　a　feeling　that　SOMETHING　might　happen　while　she　was　not　looking。　　The　garden　was　just　as　smooth　and　brown　as　the　night　before；　and　no　little　seeds　were　in　sight。

But　a　very　few　mornings　after　that；　when　Margery　went　out；　there　was　a　funny　little　crack　opening　up　through　the　earth；　the　whole　length　of　the　patch。　　Quickly　she　knelt　down　in　the　footpath；　to　see。　Yes！　　Tiny　green　leaves；　a　whole　row　of　them；　were　pushing　their　way　through　the　crust！　　Margery　knew　what　she　had　put　there：　it　was　the　radish…row；　these　must　be　radish　leaves。　　She　examined　them　very　closely；　so　that　she　might　know　a　radish　next　time。　　The　little　leaves；　no　bigger　than　half　your　little…finger　nail；　grew　in　twos；two　on　each　tiny　stem；　they　were　almost　round。

Margery　flew　back　to　her　mother；　to　say　that　the　first　seeds　were　up。　　And