Once there was a little called Ahamed. He had an older sister called Razia. Razia had a garden. It was quite small, but she looked after it by herself. In her garden she grew marigolds. They were big, yellow and orange flowers and very pretty. Ahamed saw the beautiful flowers and said, `I want a garden too’.

All right,’ said his mother. She gave a small garden near Razia’s garden.

` I will help him,’ said Razia.

The next day, Razia gave Ahamed some seeds. They took the seeds to the garden. First they pulled out all the weeds. Then they broke up the earth so that it was like powder. They sprinkled the seeds all over the ground and covered them with a little earth. Finally they watered the seeds.

The next morning, Ahamed was very excited. He went out to his garden. `Oh dear!’ he said. `My seeds are not growing. Perhaps they are bored. I will show them some toys.’ So he got his bat, his ball and his top and all day he played with his toys near his seeds.

When his sister came home from school, she said, `what are you doing, Ahamed?’

`I am helping my seeds to grow,’ said Ahamed.

`Ha Hi!’ she laughed. That is not the way to help them. Give them some water. Let the sun shine on them.’ So they watered the seeds.

The next morning, Ahamed ran outside to see his seeds. `Oh dear!’ he cried. `My seeds still are not growing. Perhaps they do not like my toys. I will sing to them’. So he sang them all the songs he knew. He sang. He sang each song twenty times.

`Ha Hi!’ she laughed. That is not the way to help them. Give them some more water. Let the sun shine on them.’ they watered the seeds again.

The next day Ahamed ran outside to see his seeds. Oh dear, oh dear!’ he cried. `My seeds still are not growing. Perhaps they do not like songs. I will tell them stories.’ So he told the seeds all the stories he knew. He told them.

When Razia came back from school, she said, `what are you doing now, Ahamed?’

`I am telling stories to my seeds,’ said Ahamed. `But they did not like my stories. They do not like my songs and they do not like my toys. I am so sad, Razia. My seeds do not want to grow,’ Ahamed cried.

`Do not worry,’ said Razia and put her arm round Ahamed. `They will grow. You wait and see.’

Just then, it started to rain. Razia and Ahamed ran inside.

In the morning, Ahamed did not run out to his garden. He was sad. `My seeds do not want to grow,’ he said. He stayed in the house all day.

When Razia came to home from school, Ahamed was sitting in a chair. He looked sad. `Come here!’ she said. `I want to show you something.’

Ahamed followed Razia into the garden. He looked down. There in the earth were some tiny green leaves.

`My seeds are growing, shouted Ahamed. I was right all along. They do like toys and they do like songs and they do like stories.’