| Lord |
| Squash |
| and |
| Lady |
| Green Onion |
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| Farmer Ben was spending the morning wandering through his large garden. He was looking at all the baby sprouts and admiring his work. He�d worked hard planting them in nice neat long rows. Peas and carrots, beets and radishes, corn, beans and most important his favorites green onions and squash. Lady Green Onion watched his big feet carefully as he clomped through the rows. This was the first year she was in charge of her own two rows of baby green onions. �Farmer Ben, yoo hoo, Farmer Ben. Please, be careful. You�re very close to crushing my babies.� �Don�t worry my Lady, I�ll be careful. You need to pay attention to the weeds. Make sure the babies are watered well and kept tidy.� She and her ladies in waiting were planted between the rows of cabbages and squash. Mrs. Green Leaves was in charge of the cabbages. Lady Green Onion's husband Lord Squash was in charge of the squash. Many rows of sweet peas and gladiolus and tulips were planted on the side of the huge garden. They came all the way from Holland. Lady Green Onion loved the smell of the beautiful flowers. �Farmer Ben, I do wish you had planted my family next to all the beautiful flowers instead of these rather rude beets and stinking cabbages.� Since she�d sprouted they never got along. �Look, I�ve been busy teaching the babies to stand at attention at all times. Don�t they look beautiful?� �My, my but you�ve done a wonderful job Lady.� �Well, one can only try. It has been most difficult to try and keep my babies from fighting with the stinky cabbages next door. The baby sprouts are quite unruly.� Her husband, Lord Squash had done the same with his brood of squashes. �Now children. Follow me and I will show you how to let your vines wander between the heaps of dirt. Make sure you find the best spot in the sunshine. You will all grow big and beautiful.� Lord Squash and Lady Green Onion met every night after the babies were asleep. They sat on their little canopy garden swing. Lady Green Onions made them their favorite crispy squares and a big mug of hot chocolate with a huge marshmallow on top. The nights were very cool in the garden. While they sat and drank their hot chocolate they talked about their baby's. �My baby�s are growing fast dear. They are very tall onions now.� �You have done a very good job sweetie.� �Thank you, I was worried I would fail. I�ve never been in charge before.� �I�ve always had faith in you. Isn�t this romantic?� He said as hundreds of fireflies danced in the sky as he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. �The country fair will be here soon Lady.� �Yes dear I know. I am very excited to see who Farmer Ben picks to attend.� �He will pick some of your baby�s, don�t worry.� �We will soon see.� Farmer Ben was a very good farmer. He�d won many blue ribbons with his entries. The whole garden was buzzing about who would be picked this year. Farmer Ben always entered the very best one of each of his rows. The very next morning the Lord and Lady started grooming their baby's. Just to make sure they were the best of the best. They�d taught them how to keep themselves clean and keep the mud off. They all knew how to move into the water when it sprayed to have a nice cool bath. �This tickles lots,� said the baby's as they giggled. �Make sure you�re clean now children.� �We will Lady Green Onion.� The weeks passed and the baby's all thrived in the summer sun. Soon it would be harvest time for Farmer Ben. He�d already looked and looked again at his prizewinners and had picked out the ones he wanted from each row. The day had finally come when they were to be picked. �Oh my, you picked a lot of my baby�s Farmer Ben.� �Yes of course I did. You and the Lord have done a great job this year.� �Thank you, I tried my best. The baby�s were all very good.� �Next year you will be in charge again my Lady. But now I have to get the entries ready.� �Good Luck baby�s,� Lady called waving goodbye. They were washed ever so gently. They were polished and shined. They were all placed in a basket lined with soft bright red cloth and covered over so the sun would not hurt them. Farmer Ben and his wife put them on the back seat of the car and off they went to the fair. Lord Squash and Lady Green onion spent the day waiting impatiently. They�d rocked all day on the garden canopy seat and tapped their toes and twiddled their thumbs waiting to see if one of their baby's had won or not. It was late when Farmer Ben came out into the garden to show off his ribbons from the fair. He had a whole handful of them and placed the right one in front of each row. Lady Green Onion saw him coming. She was so excited when he placed a big blue ribbon on the ground right in front of her. She watched nervously as he walked towards Lord Squash�s row. He put a huge blue ribbon in front of him too. They were so proud of each other and all their baby's. They had taught them well and they had all grown up to be big and strong and the most beautiful at the country fair. 8/21/2002Copyright � Jackie vanderHorst |
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