diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 2548b55..6675a01 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ fn cmd_build(path: &str) {
     match parser::parse(&source) {
         Ok(ast) => {
             println!("parsed {} top-level items", ast.statements.len());
+            println!("{:#?}", ast.statements)
             // codegen will go here
         }
         Err(e) => {
diff --git a/src/parser/mod.rs b/src/parser/mod.rs
index 3f20605..723005f 100644
--- a/src/parser/mod.rs
+++ b/src/parser/mod.rs
@@ -16,12 +16,24 @@ pub fn parse(source: &str) -> Result<Program, ParseError> {
     let pairs = MistParser::parse(Rule::program, source)?;
     let mut statements = vec![];
 
+    // pairs is an iterator over the top-level program pair
+    // we need to get its inner children
     for pair in pairs {
         match pair.as_rule() {
-            Rule::function_decl => statements.push(TopLevel::Function(parse_function(pair))),
-            Rule::struct_decl => statements.push(TopLevel::Struct(parse_struct(pair))),
-            Rule::class_decl => statements.push(TopLevel::Class(parse_class(pair))),
-            Rule::import_decl => statements.push(TopLevel::Import(parse_import(pair))),
+            Rule::program => {
+                for inner in pair.into_inner() {
+                    match inner.as_rule() {
+                        Rule::function_decl => {
+                            statements.push(TopLevel::Function(parse_function(inner)))
+                        }
+                        Rule::struct_decl => statements.push(TopLevel::Struct(parse_struct(inner))),
+                        Rule::class_decl => statements.push(TopLevel::Class(parse_class(inner))),
+                        Rule::import_decl => statements.push(TopLevel::Import(parse_import(inner))),
+                        Rule::EOI => {}
+                        _ => {}
+                    }
+                }
+            }
             Rule::EOI => {}
             _ => {}
         }
diff --git a/test/main.ms b/test/main.ms
index e69de29..8b154dd 100644
--- a/test/main.ms
+++ b/test/main.ms
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+fn main() {
+    let message: string = "Hello, World!"
+    print(message)
+}