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The Garden
Frog had a beautiful garden and he worked hard on it. One day when he was working in his garden,
Toad came walking by. "What a fine garden you have, Frog," he said.
"Yes," said Frog. "It is very nice, but it was hard work."
"I wish I had a garden," said Toad.
"Here are some flower seeds. Plant them in the ground," said Frog, "and soon you will have a garden."
"How soon?" asked Toad.
"Quite soon," said Frog.
Toad went home with the seeds and planted them in his garden. "Now seeds," said Toad, "start
growing." Toad walked up and down a few times. The seeds did not start to grow. Toad put his head
close to the ground and shouted, "Now seeds start growing!" Frog came running up the path. "What is
all this noise?" he asked.
"My seeds will not grow," said Toad.
"You are shouting too much," said Frog.
"These poor seeds are afraid to grow."
"My seeds are afraid to grow?" asked Toad.
"Of course," said Frog.
"Leave them alone for a few days. Let the sun shine on them, let the rain fall on them. Soon your seeds will start to grow."
That night Toad went out to his garden with some candles. "I will read the seeds a story," said Toad.
"Then they will not be afraid." Toad read a long story to his seeds. All the next day Toad sang songs to
his seeds. And all the next day Toad read poems to his seeds. Toad looked at the ground. The seeds still
did not start to grow.
"What shall I do?" cried Toad.
Then Toad felt very tired, and he fell asleep.
"Toad, Toad, wake up," said Frog. "Look at your garden!"
Toad looked at his garden. Little green plants were coming up out of the ground.
"At last," shouted Toad, "my seeds have stopped being afraid to grow!"
"And now you will have a nice garden too," said Frog.
"Yes," said Toad, "but you were right, Frog. It was very hard work."
