Sophie's Turn

Sophie has been attending the village nursery near Jack's school three mornings a week since the beginning of June. She loves it! When I went to check it out to enroll her for September, I was so impressed with everything: the variety of activities, attention of teachers, attitude of children. Everything! They had room for her to start right away, and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. The outside section of the nursery is as inviting as the inside, and summertime in England only comes round once a year.

So anyway, one day Sophie came home with a small pot of dirt. "I planted a bean," she said.


She watered it and put it in a sunny spot outside. And waited. And watered. And waited and watered faithfully until...


It grew into a beanstalk! Which she took back to nursery to be entered into the local horticultural show.

As you might expect, the nursery's end-of-term concert was Jack and the Beanstalk. Here's Sophie and a few of her fellow villagers looking on as Jack takes the family cow to market.


Afterwards, the children and their adoring fans -- mums, dads and grandparents -- enjoyed tea and cake in the village hall.


Fee fi fo fum...