Welcome to
the Beautiful (and Yummy) Garden!
It all happened one lazy afternoon. Ricky and his sister Randi were sitting outside getting ready to eat a snack of potato chips, soda, and candy when they noticed a shiny gate they had never seen before.
"Let's look and see what's behind this gate!" Randi shouted.
They pulled on the latch and the gate swung W I D E open.As the children walked through they felt the warmth of the sun and a gentle cooling breeze. Rows of plants and trees lay spread out before them and butterlies floated by. They were in a garden! The trees and plants were bursting with fruits and vegetables that looked delicious and ready to eat.
"Hello!" said a friendly voice. It was Farmer Ima Cruncher Rabbit. "You must be Ricky and Randi from next door. Welcome to my garden!
Ricky had barely said hello when he noticed the vines that twined and climbed across the garden fence. GRAPES! shouted Ricky. "I love grapes -- red, green AND purple!"
"Please take as many as you like," laughed Ima Cruncher.
A different plant had caught Randi's eye. Next to her feet were some deep green leaves dotted with red berries. "I've never seen strawberries growing in a garden before." Randi bent down and picked a few. "And they taste so-o-o-o sweet...and juicy. Your whole field is covered with them, Farmer Rabbit." Her mouth was red with juice.
"Indeed it is…" smiled Mr. Rabbit. Ima Cruncher handed Randi a small basket, and together the children filled it with big, fat, juicy, red STRAWBERRIES.
The children and Ima Cruncher Rabbit then walked together to stalks of CORN so tall and close together it was hard to see through them. Ricky immediately dissappeared into the stalks.
"Boo!" shouted Ricky as he snuck up behind his sister.
As the children ran and hid in the stalks, Farmer Cruncher picked some ears of corn. Pulling back the green husk and removing the silken threads he asked, "Have you ever tried fresh, uncooked CORN?"
To the children's surprise the corn tasted sweet and juicy. "The sooner you eat corn after you pick it, the sweeter it tastes," explained Mr. Rabbit. "We eat corn in many different ways; like popcorn, cereal, tortillas and cornbread. My favorite is corn on the cob. How about you?"
"I like corn on the cob too," replied Randi. But Ricky had to think about it. He never really realized how many good things were made from corn.
The farmer then knelt down next to a row of vegetables that looked like small trees. "Here is where I grow BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER.""Broccoli is known as the 'Crown Jewel of Nutrition' because it is rich in vitamins and minerals. Did you know there's as much calcium in broccoli as there is in milk? I bet you didn't know broccoli builds strong bones, did you? asked Farmer Cruncher.
Ricky was still gazing in amazement at the "little trees" when Randi walked over to some thin green plants. "There's nothing special growing here Mr. Rabbit."
"Tell you what, why don't you just give that little plant a tug and see if you can pull her out of the ground."
Randi looked at Mr. Rabbit then back at the little plant. She gave the greens a quick tug, and nothing happened.
So she pulled harder; and the plant started to move. This time she pulled really hard. Instantly she...and the plant...were flat on their backs in the middle of the field!
"My personal favorites!" Farmer Rabbit smiled as he pulled up Randi and the CARROT she held in her hand. "Carrots are good for your eyes. You've never seen a rabbit wearing glasses, have you? he added with a wink. Ricky pulled a few more carrots from the ground, and the three walked on through rows of many different vegetables like potatos, cabbage, peas, articokes, peppers and string beans. munching on their carrots.
Mr. Rabbit, Ricky and Randi continued their tour in the garden. In the distance, the children saw golden fields of wheat grain. The grain swayed lightly in the breeze. Quietly, in the back of her mind Randi remembered the words, "for amber waves of grain."
Then they saw flooded square fields with green shoots sticking up through the water. The children had never seen anything like this before. "Why are these fields filled with water?" asked Ricki.
"That's rice," Ima Cruncher told the children. "And you'd really be surprised how many people a field of wheat or rice this size can feed!"
They were now in the orchard. Ricky and Randi immediately went to a nearby tree and began to pick APPLES. As Ricky munched his apple he bit into the core and pulled out a small, black, shiny seed. "Will this seed really grow into a tree? he asked. Maybe I can be like Johnny Appleseed and plant apple trees everywhere!" Ricky was really excited with his idea. "Cool!" exclaimed Randi.
Actually, there are many different kinds of fruit, and all of them have seeds that grow in them, or on them. That's how you know they are fruits," Farmer Cruncher explained.
While Ricky chewed his apple, Ima Cruncher peeled a juicy ORANGE for Ricky. When she bit into a section, the juice squirted her, and made her giggle. "Did you know that oranges have lots of Vitamin C? Vitamin C helps you fight colds and stay healthy!" told them.
Ricky knew what the next fruit was. It was a BANANA. It was fun to peel, and even more fun to eat. But he had never tasted a MANGO. "Try this," said the farmer, "It's so soft and sweet that it tastes like jam!"
"I see that you both like fruit," said Farmer Rabbit, "So please come back soon to try my peaches, plums and watermelons. Meanwhile, here's a basket of fruits and veggies to take home and share them with your family. It's important to eat a few different kinds every day."
"Why is it so important?" asked Randi.
"Fruits and vegetables are one of the best ways for your growing bodies to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. They protect you from disease and keep you strong and healthy," replied the farmer. "They also taste great and add a lot of color and crunch to your meals.""Thank you," said Ricky and Randi, taking the farmer's gift.
They had come full circle, and were back at the gate where they had first entered when Ricky noticed a bare spot of dirt where nothing was growing. "What's supposed to be growing here?" Ricky asked.
"Why, that depends on YOU!" replied Mr. Rabbit. When you visit next time, we'll plant some seeds together."
"Planting a seed and watching it grow is truly a miracle. All you need is dirt, sunshine and a little water. From inside that tiny seed will come a beautiful plant, bush or tree." Randi patted her pocket, remembering the apple seeds she had placed inside. Yes, the children would really be looking forward to coming back to Ima Cruncher's garden.
Candy, soda, and chips? They couldn't compare to all the wonderful tastes they had tried that day. They could hardly wait to share their tasty secrets with their family. And they could hardly wait to return to visit the beautiful (and yummy) garden again and again.
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