Things are back to normal now, but something happened last spring- well, my family will never be the same. It’s Papa. You see, he makes things grow. People are always showing up at our front door with planters, potting soil, flowerpots, and seedlings. They all want one thing; to get my papa and his magic growing touch to make their plantings grow.
Papa’s work keeps him quite busy. He’s too busy to play with us. I wondered if there could be a time when he wouldn’t be so busy- when he’d just stay home and play.
Papa always says, “If a star can grow inside and apple, anything is possible!” Then he cuts an apple crosswise and shows us the star inside. He removes the seeds, though. He tucks them inside his pockets. He never leaves them lying around. “Seeds,” he says, “are very full of possibilities.”
I believe in Papa. So I planted my own kind of seeds in hoped and dreams and wishes. I hoped and dreamed and wished on all stars that sparkled in the skies and on all the apples that ever dangled from any tree. That’s when all the trouble started.
Comprehension Questions
1. What did Papa say could grow inside an apple
A. A heart.
B. A star.
C. A Wish
2. How did Papa stop being a Papa-tree?
A. It was too cold to be a tree.
B. The last leaf had fallen.
C. Irene wished for her papa to come back.
A. It was too cold to be a tree.
B. The last leaf had fallen.
C. Irene wished for her papa to come back.
Your Thoughts
3. Did you like this excerpt? Why or why not?
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.