WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
Three Minute Stories cover

Three Minute Stories

Chapter 16: THE GARDEN GATE
By Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

Children & Young Adult ReadingShort Stories

About This Book

A collection of brief tales and verses for young readers that blends domestic vignettes, animal fables, and playful rhymes. Many pieces present self-contained scenes—children at play, pets and birds, seasonal and holiday moments—alongside short moral adaptations drawn from older folk stories. Entries range from whimsical nonsense to gentle instruction, and are arranged as easily read, often illustrated, items meant to be finished in a few minutes. The volume offers an accessible assortment of short, illustrated pieces designed to amuse, soothe, and convey simple lessons to a young audience.

THE GARDEN GATE

Early and late, early and late,
Little Boy swings on the garden gate.
“It isn’t a gate; it’s a motor car!
I’m travelling fast and I’m travelling far.
I toot my horn and I turn my wheel,
And nobody knows how grand I feel!”
Early and late, early and late,
Little Boy swings on the garden gate.
“It isn’t a gate; it’s a great big ship!
I’m off to the Pole on a ’sploring trip.
I’ll ride a white bear, holding on by his hair,
And I’ll hurry him up with a whaleskin whip.”
Early and late, early and late,
Little Boy swings on the garden gate.
“It isn’t a gate; it’s a big balloon!
I’m going to sail till I reach the moon.
I’ll play with the Man as hard as I can,
And I’ll stir up the stars with a great horn spoon.”
Early and late, early and late,
Little Boy swings on the garden gate.
“It isn’t a gate; it’s—” off runs he,
His mother is calling, “Come in to tea!”
It’s a wonderful gate, but it just isn’t able
To turn itself into a supper-table.