Tara planted three bean seeds with Nani. She tucked them into a pot, gave the soil a little water and made a sign: TARA’S GARDEN. PLEASE GROW.
The next morning, nothing had happened.
‘Perhaps they can’t read,’ Tara said.
She drew a picture of a tall plant on the sign. Still nothing.
‘Perhaps they’re shy.’ She turned the sign around.
Nani placed a bean beside a damp paper towel in a clear jar. ‘Let’s see what happens where we can look.’
Each day, Tara drew what she saw. First, the bean grew plump. Then its coat split. A pale little root poked out and curled down.
‘It’s going the wrong way!’ Tara cried. ‘The sunshine is up there!’
‘The root has a different job,’ said Nani. ‘It grows down to help the plant take in water and stay in place.’
Tara looked carefully. A few days later, a shoot began reaching upward.
‘One part down, one part up,’ she said. ‘A plant needs both directions.’
Soon, green shoots appeared in the pot too. Tara wanted to pull one gently to make it taller, but Nani shook her head. So Tara gave the plants light, care and time.
She changed her sign: TARA’S GARDEN. GROWING ABOVE AND BELOW.
Underneath, in smaller letters, she added: READING THE SIGN IS OPTIONAL.
