diff --git a/sample_array.yaml b/sample_array.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a26a2e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sample_array.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+[1,2,3]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sample_text.yaml b/sample_text.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..45b983be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sample_text.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+hi
diff --git a/vendor/vendor.json b/vendor/vendor.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da63ae90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/vendor.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+	"comment": "",
+	"ignore": "test",
+	"package": [],
+	"rootPath": "github.com/mikefarah/yaml"
+}
diff --git a/yaml.go b/yaml.go
index 9189291b..a5580706 100644
--- a/yaml.go
+++ b/yaml.go
@@ -117,15 +117,26 @@ func readProperty(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 }
 
 func read(args []string) interface{} {
+
 	var parsedData yaml.MapSlice
+	var path = ""
+	if len(args) > 1 {
+		path = args[1]
+	}
+	err := readData(args[0], &parsedData, inputJSON)
+	if err != nil {
+		var generalData interface{}
+		readDataOrDie(args[0], &generalData, inputJSON)
+		item := yaml.MapItem{Key: "thing", Value: generalData}
+		parsedData = yaml.MapSlice{item}
+		path = "thing." + path
+	}
 
-	readData(args[0], &parsedData, inputJSON)
-
-	if len(args) == 1 {
+	if path == "" {
 		return parsedData
 	}
 
-	var paths = parsePath(args[1])
+	var paths = parsePath(path)
 
 	return readMap(parsedData, paths[0], paths[1:len(paths)])
 }
@@ -141,7 +152,7 @@ func newProperty(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 func newYaml(args []string) interface{} {
 	var writeCommands yaml.MapSlice
 	if writeScript != "" {
-		readData(writeScript, &writeCommands, false)
+		readDataOrDie(writeScript, &writeCommands, false)
 	} else if len(args) < 2 {
 		die("Must provide <path_to_update> <value>")
 	} else {
@@ -179,7 +190,7 @@ func updateParsedData(parsedData yaml.MapSlice, writeCommands yaml.MapSlice) yam
 func updateYaml(args []string) interface{} {
 	var writeCommands yaml.MapSlice
 	if writeScript != "" {
-		readData(writeScript, &writeCommands, false)
+		readDataOrDie(writeScript, &writeCommands, false)
 	} else if len(args) < 3 {
 		die("Must provide <filename> <path_to_update> <value>")
 	} else {
@@ -188,7 +199,7 @@ func updateYaml(args []string) interface{} {
 	}
 
 	var parsedData yaml.MapSlice
-	readData(args[0], &parsedData, inputJSON)
+	readDataOrDie(args[0], &parsedData, inputJSON)
 
 	return updateParsedData(parsedData, writeCommands)
 }
@@ -234,7 +245,14 @@ func yamlToString(context interface{}) string {
 	return outStr
 }
 
-func readData(filename string, parsedData interface{}, readAsJSON bool) {
+func readDataOrDie(filename string, parsedData interface{}, readAsJSON bool) {
+	err := readData(filename, parsedData, readAsJSON)
+	if err != nil {
+		die("error parsing data: ", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func readData(filename string, parsedData interface{}, readAsJSON bool) error {
 	if filename == "" {
 		die("Must provide filename")
 	}
@@ -246,10 +264,7 @@ func readData(filename string, parsedData interface{}, readAsJSON bool) {
 		rawData = readFile(filename)
 	}
 
-	err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(rawData), parsedData)
-	if err != nil {
-		die("error parsing data: ", err)
-	}
+	return yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(rawData), parsedData)
 }
 
 func readStdin() []byte {
diff --git a/yaml_test.go b/yaml_test.go
index 167a9205..367d9e3a 100644
--- a/yaml_test.go
+++ b/yaml_test.go
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ func TestRead(t *testing.T) {
 	assertResult(t, 2, result)
 }
 
+func TestReadArray(t *testing.T) {
+	result := read([]string{"sample_array.yaml", "[1]"})
+	assertResult(t, 2, result)
+}
+
+func TestReadString(t *testing.T) {
+	result := read([]string{"sample_text.yaml"})
+	assertResult(t, "hi", result)
+}
+
 func TestOrder(t *testing.T) {
 	result := read([]string{"order.yaml"})
 	formattedResult := yamlToString(result)