Autumn was coming, Mr Micks went into his greenhouse to start to clean it up for winter. He got his small brush and started to brush down all the paint work. He also brushed his bricks too. Now, while he was doing all this he did not notice what his plant pots were doing. Do you know they had become very excited, you see Mr Micks had put a small bath of water to wash them, to make them clean for the spring. 'A bath, a bath,' said one plant pot to another. 'Ooo,' said the others, 'Is it for us?' 'I think so,' said one tiny plant no bigger than a tiny thimble. All of a sudden there was a sound of feet. Mr Micks had cleaned his walls, the plants all went very quiet so that Mr Micks could not hear them. He picked up a scrubbing brush, started to clean them one by one, until all the soil was off them. 'I think I will go and have a cup of tea and finish the greenhouse latter.'

He shut the door of the greenhouse and went inside to put the kettle on. Whilst Mr Micks was in his house having his tea, one plant pot was getting very cross. You see he'd not had his bath yet. 'I've not had my bath yet,' he kept on shouting to the others, who had all had theirs. One brave plant pot said to the one who had not had his bath, 'I do not think he meant to leave you, he just was thirsty, he needed a drink that's all.' The plant pot was not pleased with this, it made him all the more cross. He jumped up and down, but as you know plant pots don't usually jump up and down do they. Well this one did, so much so he fell. He came all to pieces. This is what happens to plant pots that get cross.

Mr Micks, having had his cup of tea, went into the garden, walked along the path to his greenhouse, and what do you think he saw. A broken plant pot on the floor all in pieces. 'Now how did that get there,' said Mr Micks, picking up the pieces. Well we know don't we. I will wash the broken pieces so that I can put them at the bottom of the plant pots.' So saying this he put the pieces into the water, washing them. You see if the cross plant pot had not got cross, as he did, he would not be in pieces would he?

                                                                     by  Anne Knight

  The Broken Pot     click play button for streaming audio