A little dirt · a little trouble
Hattie’s
Garden Tales
A few garden mishaps, a creek-side adventure, and one very hot pepper. Pull up a chair.
Start with the pepper
Meet Hattie off the clock
A little mischief.
A lot of heart.
Even a garden assistant has her moments. These make-believe adventures follow Hattie through muddy boots, sunny afternoons, and the occasional lesson learned the hard way.
Tale No. 1Hattie and the Pepper That Told the Truth
Hattie had been warned that the wrinkliest peppers were usually carrying the biggest secrets.
But one little red pepper looked cheerful. Harmless, even. So she took one tiny nibble.
The watering can hit the ground first. Then one boot began tapping. When Hattie could finally speak, she cleared her throat and said, “Well. That pepper was honest. I was the one who didn’t ask the right question.”
Garden rule: if a pepper looks like it has secrets, ask Michelle before you bite it.
Tale No. 2Hattie Plants the Whole Morning at Once
Hattie decided that walking back and forth for seedling trays was inefficient.
“One trip,” she told the wheelbarrow. “We can do this in one trip.” The wheelbarrow had doubts, but wheelbarrows are not famous for speaking up.
Six heroic feet later, the whole morning tipped gently into a pile of potting soil. Hattie sat in the middle of it with both boots in the air and a perfectly healthy seedling growing from the dirt on top of her head.
Sometimes the fastest way is two sensible trips. Sometimes the funniest way is one.
Tale No. 3Hattie Goes Fishing—Sort Of
Hattie packed a picnic, borrowed a cane pole, and announced that she was going to catch supper.
Then the line twitched. Hattie jumped. The pole jumped. One boot jumped where no boot had any business going. The line wrapped twice around her muddy sole while a tiny fish stole the bait.
Hattie came home with one wet boot, no fish, and a very good story.
“The fish won fair and square. But I kept the picnic, so I believe we tied.”
Tale No. 4Hattie’s Very Important Photosynthesis Meeting
After the pepper patch, the seedlings, and the fishing line, Hattie spread a quilt beside the flower field for a very important photosynthesis meeting.
She promised herself she would rest for exactly five minutes. By minute thirty, she was asleep in a square of honey-colored sunshine with her boots crossed and one petal rumpled.
When she finally woke, Hattie stretched and smiled.
“Excellent meeting. We accomplished absolutely nothing—and I feel ready to do everything.”
The next tale is still growing
What should Hattie get into next?
Maybe a runaway pumpkin. Maybe a bouquet bigger than she is. Maybe a chicken that refuses to negotiate.
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