the_content () – Working on single posts?

I have a home page with the following code:

<code>

<div id=”hp_story_1″>
<?php get_a_post(38); ?>
<!– Get post #38 (home_page_1 story –>
<?php the_content(‘more… »’,FALSE); ?>
</div>
<!– End of hp_story_1 –>

<div id=”hp_story_3″>
<?php get_a_post(40); ?>
<!– Get post #40 (home_page_3 story –>
<?php the_content(‘more… »’,FALSE); ?>
</div>

<div id=”hp_story_2″>
<?php get_a_post(39); ?>
<!– Get post #39 (home_page_2 story –>
<?php the_content(‘more… »’,FALSE); ?>
</div>

</code>

The intention is to show an excerpt of a PAGE (not a post) on three seperate blocks on the home page.

I have put the <!–more–> tag in the hp_story_2 page and the entire post is being shown.

Am I using this tag correctly? I am unclear from the codex documentation what exactly…

<blockquote>
The <!–more–> quicktag will not operate and is ignored if there is only one post being displayed.”
</blockquote>

means. I also read that permalinks have something to do with this tag working.

Any suggestions about how to get this working?