stories to tell to children(儿童故事)-第26节
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the second year。〃
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
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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
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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
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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
