The Community Garden

Tom is new at the community garden. On Saturday morning, Rosa meets him at the gate. “Welcome!” she says. “We have a few rules. First, you must close the gate behind you. The rabbits love our lettuces.”

She gives him a pair of gloves. “You must wear gloves when you touch the compost,” she says. “And you must water the plants in the morning, not at midday. The sun is too hot.” Tom listens carefully.

Rosa points at a sign near the flowers. “You mustn’t pick the flowers,” she says. “They are for the bees. And you mustn’t walk on the beds. Use the paths.” “What about the tomatoes?” Tom asks. “You can take the red ones.”

Tom gets a bucket and starts to work. Soon he sees a big red tomato. He picks it and eats it at once. “Mmm!” Then he sees a green one. Rosa looks at him. “You must wash it first, and you must ask before you eat!” They both laugh.

At noon, Mr Gus arrives with his dog. “You mustn’t bring dogs into the garden,” Rosa says kindly. Mr Gus smiles and ties the dog outside. Tom has a bucket of tomatoes and dirty hands. “I must remember all the rules,” he says.