"Oh! I see now. But we can't finish that fairy story all in one day."
"No, it takes time and it takes work. But it's a prettier story than any in books. And you can make it come true yourselves."
Then Marmaduke piped up:
"What do we do first?"
"Well," his Mother explained, "your Father has dug the ground for you. You must rake it first, make it smooth and even. Mind, no hard lumps now!"
So the three happy children set to work with their three shiny rakes. Father had to help Hepzebiah, of course.
Then when the earth was smooth and fine, like brown powder, they made little furrows or lines in the earth. In other parts of the little gardens they scooped out tiny holes with their hoes.
Out of his pockets Father took some square envelopes. On them were printed pretty flowers and ripe vegetables.
"There," said Mother, "are the pictures of the end of the fairy story. But you'll never know the end unless you try hard."
Father tore open the envelopes and sowed the seeds in Hepzebiah's garden, some in the little holes, some in the furrows. Then he let the two boys sow their own gardens.