Sam and the Sunflower By Deborah J Smith Based on ‘The Sunflower’ story in the Red SEAL pack: ‘Going for Goals’. Crown Copyright 2008.

This is Sam. On Saturdays, Mum went to work and Sam went to stay with his Grandad. He loved his Grandad but when Mum left, Sam got a funny feeling in his tummy. He didn’t want Mum to go.

He shouted and cried but Grandad would give him a cuddle and carry him to the window to wave to Mum. Then Grandad and Sam would go to the cupboard and find something special to do. By the time Sam’s Mum got back, he was usually having such a good time, he didn’t want to go home!

One Saturday, Grandad brought out a seed packet. It had a picture of a big yellow flower on it. “What’s that, Grandad?” said Sam. “What do you think is inside?” “A flower?” said Sam.

Sam opened the packet. Inside were three little seeds. Sam was very disappointed.

Granddad told Sam that if they put a seed in a little pot and covered it with soil, it would grow into a sunflower- just like the picture.

Together, Sam and Grandpa put some soil in the pot, and then put in the seed and carefully covered it up. Then Sam watered the pot.

The next Saturday, Sam came rushing in to see the big yellow flower...but there was just soil... “Just you wait a bit longer”, said Grandad. So Sam watered the pot again.

The next Saturday, something had happened. He could see something that looked like little worms. Sam was just about to poke them with his finger when his Grandad stopped him. Grandad said, “Just wait a bit longer. These are shoots and they will grow if you leave them”.

The next Saturday, Sam came rushing in to see if he could see the shoot again. But this time, it wasn’t a shoot anymore- it had leaves on it... “This a leaf not a flower!” said Sam. “Just you wait a bit longer. It will grow and grow and then there will be a flower on top”, said Grandad.

All through the summer, Sam came to see Grandad and each time the flower had got taller and grown another leaf. When Sam said “Where’s my sunflower?” Grandad would say,“Just you wait a bit longer...”

Then one Saturday, Sam saw something on top of the sunflower. “Grandad, it’s still not a beautiful flower!” said Sam. “Just you wait a bit longer. That bit on top is a bud and it will open up and become a beautiful sunflower”, said Grandad.

The next Saturday, when Sam rushed in, he stopped and stared. At the top of the sunflower was a beautiful flower- just like on the packet. Sam loved the sunflower. He looked forward to Saturdays when he could go and see it. He didn’t scream and shout any more when his Mum left. He knew she would be back at tea-time.

Then, one Saturday when Sam was playing by the sunflower, something fell on his head! It was one of the sunflower’s petals. He went to the flower and tried to out it back but more fell off. Grandad said, “It’s nearly Autumn and the sunflower is getting old.”

When Sam came the next week, the sunflower wasn’t a flower anymore. It was brown and dry. Sam began to cry... “It’s dead! Why didn’t you look after it?

Grandad took a large pair of scissors and cut the head off.

He showed Sam that in the middle there were lots and lots of seeds, just like the one they had planted in the spring.

Grandad picked out one of the seeds and gave it to him.

This is for you to plant next year, “ he said. Together they put it in an envelope and put it in their cupboard ready for spring. The End Keep safe Sam’s sunflower seed for next Spring