gistfile1.rb

# text_children_of_element(REXML::XPath.first(node, query))

def text_children_of_element(e, s=[])
  if e.has_elements?
    s << ""
    e.each_element { |el| text_value_of_element(el,s) }
  elsif e.has_text?
    s << e.text.chomp
  end
  s.join(" ")
end