The Jelly Bean Tree

by Ann Harth
(Kuranda, Queensland, Australia)

Click the arrow to listen.




“That’s silly,” Brooke said. “Jelly beans won’t grow.”

Matthew filled a pot with dirt. “Why not? Lima beans grow. Kidney beans grow. Even green beans grow. Why not jelly beans?” He dug a small hole and dropped in three jelly beans.

Brooke leaned closer. She wrinkled her nose. “Jelly beans won’t grow.”

Matthew placed his pot on the front porch. He watered it every morning. He sprinkled it with sugar every afternoon.

Brooke walked by every day. “Jelly beans won’t grow,” she called from the sidewalk.

A week passed. Two weeks passed. Matthew watered his jelly beans and sprinkled them with sugar. Nothing happened.

“I told you,” Brooke said. “Jelly beans won’t grow.”

It had been two weeks and two days. Matthew stepped onto the porch. The morning sun was warm. He lifted his watering can.

“Hey!” Matthew yelled. He dropped to his knees and stared at his pot. Three tiny green shoots had popped through the dirt.

“Jelly beans will grow,” Matthew whispered.

Brooke marched down the street. She glanced up at Matthew. She opened her mouth to call.

“Wait!” Matthew called. “Come look!”

Brooke closed her mouth. She climbed the porch steps and stood beside Matthew. She looked at the tiny green plants. Her mouth dropped open again.

“My jelly beans are growing.”

Twice a day, Matthew watered the shoots. He sprinkled sugar on them.

Brooke came to watch. “The plants might grow but you’ll never get jelly beans,” she said.

The shoots grew taller and thicker. They twisted around each other and reached for the sky. Leaves covered the stems. The weeks went by. The plant kept growing but there was no sign of jelly beans.

“You’ll never get jelly beans,” Brooke said.

Matthew watered his jelly bean tree twice every day. He sprinkled the roots with sugar. He waited. His tree grew. He waited some more. His tree grew bigger.

Brooke stopped coming onto the porch. “You’ll never get jelly beans!” she called from the sidewalk.

It had been two months and two weeks and two days. Matthew stepped onto the porch. The morning sun was cool. Matthew lifted his watering can.

“Hey!” He said.

His tree was covered with small colorful flowers. There were hundreds of them.

Brooke marched down the street. “You’ll never get jelly beans,” she called.

Matthew smiled. “I think you’re wrong,” he whispered.

Matthew watered his jelly bean tree twice every day. He sprinkled the roots with sugar. The small colorful flowers dropped off and left tiny round beans. They were red, blue, yellow, green and purple. They grew a little bigger each day.

When the beans were exactly the right size, Matthew picked them. He ate a red one. He ate a blue one. He ate a yellow one.

Brooke marched down the street. “You’ll never get jelly beans!” she called.

Matthew laughed. “Brooke! Come look!”

Brooke climbed onto the porch. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at the tree.

Matthew grinned. He held out a handful of color. “Want a jelly bean?”






Comments for The Jelly Bean Tree

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Jun 29, 2016
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i love storys in this website
by: Judy

I love stories in this website

May 31, 2016
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I like this book
by: shreeya

I like the story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Apr 13, 2016
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love love love
by: kealpha

i love love love this story it helped my 7 year old sister................love love love love love love lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

love

Apr 01, 2016
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Cool!
by: Anonymous

I liked it so much! Cool!

Feb 08, 2016
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The best story for little kids
by: Anonymous

This story is Short but its a very lovly book to read with little kids,țis a lovly book indeed

Jan 23, 2016
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Super story
by: Swiss girls

We loved the details, great story for our girls.

Jan 12, 2016
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The Jelly Bean Tree
by: Ryan

I love to eat Jelly Beans!!!!!!!!

Oct 14, 2015
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I love. It
by: lmogen 6 years old

I like the bit,when Mathew shouted hey come look.

Oct 05, 2015
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YUM YUM
by: Anonymous

if there were watermelon jelly beans i'd eat it but this is so fictional but delicious yum watermelon and bubble gum jelly beans yum this was a good story.

Aug 18, 2015
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comments :-)
by: momo

i super liked it i wish we could ACTUALLY grow one...

Jul 22, 2015
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jh
by: Anonymous

verry cool

May 11, 2015
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The Jelly Bean Tree
by: Maddie

It was very enjoyable. I would plant my pocket money to see if it grows into 100 pennies 😍

Apr 15, 2015
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Pink beans
by: Nana

My tree sprouted pink beans! Thank you it's awesome! I used brown sugar..

Mar 23, 2015
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cake world
by: daniel

i wish it was chocolate cake tree growing.

Jan 27, 2015
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Tree
by: Anonymous

Instead of a jelly bean tree I want a chocolate fountain tree and a strawberry tree. I think I will do a candy tree if I can find some candy bars.

Nov 12, 2014
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buďdy
by: Anonymous

I loved it

Oct 29, 2014
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Believe in yourself🌱
by: Anonymous

I loved the story 🌾😘

Sep 24, 2014
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not that cool
by: Anonymous

i thot this was a poem

May 17, 2014
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I read it to a 7 year old...
by: Melanie

...who liked it a lot. My only complaint is that initially I thought there must be some lines missing at the beginning. Perhaps it's just me....

Jan 13, 2014
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The Jelly Bean Tree
by: QingQIng

I will never give up like Matthew.This story is so fairytale! I like this story very much!

Dec 20, 2013
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A great story of beleiving in yourself!
by: Anonymous

This was inspiring, we went home and grew our own jelly bean tree, the beans were amazing! one thing though, mine never grew any purple beans, is that normal? Did matthew use cane sugar or granulated sugar or powdered sugar or brown sugar?

Nov 25, 2011
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The Jelly Bean Tree
by:

I love it. I never knew jellybeans could grow.

Oct 14, 2011
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i love this song
by: Anonymous

i love This story :)!!!!!!!!!!:)

Aug 30, 2010
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Flash Fiction.
by: Don Nelson

I don't know if you write flash fiction. This would make a perfect story for that form of writing.
Eliminate as many words as you can that don't propel the story fwd. I think you will have a stronger story.

Thanks for submitting such a nicely written story.

don

Aug 05, 2010
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Great one!
by: Anonymous

I love this story of faith.

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