English
Andthesecretgardenbloomedandbloomedandeverymorningrevealednewmiracles.
Intherobin’snesttherewereEggsandtherobin’smatesatuponthemkeepingthemwarmwithherfeatherylittlebreastandcarefulwings.
Atfirstshewasverynervousandtherobinhimselfwasindignantlywatchful.
EvenDickondidnotgoneartheclose-growncornerinthosedays,butwaiteduntilbythequietworkingofsomemysteriousspellheseemedtohaveconveyedtothesoulofthelittlepairthatinthegardentherewasnothingwhichwasnotquitelikethemselves—nothingwhichdidnotunderstandthewonderfulnessofwhatwashappeningtothem—theimmense,tender,terrible,heart-breakingbeautyandsolemnityofEggs.
IftherehadbeenonepersoninthatgardenwhohadnotknownthroughallhisorherinnermostbeingthatifanEggweretakenawayorhurtthewholeworldwouldwhirlroundandcrashthroughspaceandcometoanend—iftherehadbeenevenonewhodidnotfeelitandactaccordinglytherecouldhavebeennohappinesseveninthatgoldenspringtimeair.
Buttheyallknewitandfeltitandtherobinandhismateknewtheyknewit.
AtfirsttherobinwatchedMaryandColinwithsharpanxiety.
ForsomemysteriousreasonheknewheneednotwatchDickon.
Thefirstmomenthesethisdew-brightblackeyeonDickonheknewhewasnotastrangerbutasortofrobinwithoutbeakorfeathers.
Hecouldspeakrobin(whichisaquitedistinctlanguagenottobemistakenforanyother).
TospeakrobintoarobinislikespeakingFrenchtoaFrenchman.
Dickonalwaysspokeittotherobinhimself,sothequeergibberishheusedwhenhespoketohumansdidnotmatterintheleast.
Therobinthoughthespokethisgibberishtothembecausetheywerenotintelligentenoughtounderstandfeatheredspeech.Hismovementsalsowererobin.
Theyneverstartledonebybeingsuddenenoughtoseemdangerousorthreatening.
AnyrobincouldunderstandDickon,sohispresencewasnotevendisturbing.
Butattheoutsetitseemednecessarytobeonguardagainsttheothertwo.
Inthefirstplacetheboycreaturedidnotcomeintothegardenonhislegs.
Hewaspushedinonathingwithwheelsandtheskinsofwildanimalswerethrownoverhim.Thatinitselfwasdoubtful.
Thenwhenhebegantostandupandmoveabouthediditinaqueerunaccustomedwayandtheothersseemedtohavetohelphim.
Therobinusedtosecretehimselfinabushandwatchthisanxiously,hisheadtiltedfirstononesideandthenontheother.
Hethoughtthattheslowmovementsmightmeanthathewaspreparingtopounce,ascatsdo.
Whencatsarepreparingtopouncetheycreepoverthegroundveryslowly.
TherobintalkedthisoverwithhismateagreatdealforafewdaysbutafterthathedecidednottospeakofthesubjectbecauseherterrorwassogreatthathewasafraiditmightbeinjurioustotheEggs.
Whentheboybegantowalkbyhimselfandeventomovemorequicklyitwasanimmenserelief.
Butforalongtime—oritseemedalongtimetotherobin—hewasasourceofsomeanxiety.Hedidnotactastheotherhumansdid.
Heseemedveryfondofwalkingbuthehadawayofsittingorlyingdownforawhileandthengettingupinadisconcertingmannertobeginagain.
Onedaytherobinrememberedthatwhenhehimselfhadbeenmadetolearntoflybyhisparentshehaddonemuchthesamesortofthing.
Hehadtakenshortflightsofafewyardsandthenhadbeenobligedtorest.
Soitoccurredtohimthatthisboywaslearningtofly—orrathertowalk.
HementionedthistohismateandwhenhetoldherthattheEggswouldprobablyconductthemselvesinthesamewayaftertheywerefledgedshewasquitecomfortedandevenbecameeagerlyinterestedandderivedgreatpleasurefromwatchingtheboyovertheedgeofhernest—thoughshealwaysthoughtthattheEggswouldbemuchclevererandlearnmorequickly.
ButthenshesaidindulgentlythathumanswerealwaysmoreclumsyandslowthanEggsandmostofthemneverseemedreallytolearntoflyatall.
Younevermetthemintheairorontree-tops.
Afterawhiletheboybegantomoveaboutastheothersdid,butallthreeofthechildrenattimesdidunusualthings.
Theywouldstandunderthetreesandmovetheirarmsandlegsandheadsaboutinawaywhichwasneitherwalkingnorrunningnorsittingdown.
Theywentthroughthesemovementsatintervalseverydayandtherobinwasneverabletoexplaintohismatewhattheyweredoingortyingtodo.
HecouldonlysaythathewassurethattheEggswouldneverflapaboutinsuchamanner;butastheboywhocouldspeakrobinsofluentlywasdoingthethingwiththem,birdscouldbequitesurethattheactionswerenotofadangerousnature.
Ofcourseneithertherobinnorhismatehadeverheardofthechampionwrestler,BobHaworth,andhisexercisesformakingthemusclesstandoutlikelumps.
Robinsarenotlikehumanbeings;theirmusclesarealwaysexercisedfromthefirstandsotheydevelopthemselvesinanaturalmanner.
Ifyouhavetoflyabouttofindeverymealyoueat,yourmusclesdonotbecomeatrophied(atrophiedmeanswastedawaythroughwantofuse).
Whentheboywaswalkingandrunningaboutanddiggingandweedingliketheothers,thenestinthecornerwasbroodedoverbyagreatpeaceandcontent.
FearsfortheEggsbecamethingsofthepast.
KnowingthatyourEggswereassafeasiftheywerelockedinabankvaultandthefactthatyoucouldwatchsomanycuriousthingsgoingonmadesettingamostentertainingoccupation.
OnwetdaystheEggs’mothersometimesfeltevenalittledullbecausethechildrendidnotcomeintothegarden.
ButevenonwetdaysitcouldnotbesaidthatMaryandColinweredull.
OnemorningwhentherainstreameddownunceasinglyandColinwasbeginningtofeelalittlerestive,ashewasobligedtoremainonhissofabecauseitwasnotsafetogetupandwalkabout,Maryhadaninspiration.
“NowthatIamarealboy,”Colinhadsaid,“mylegsandarmsandallmybodyaresofullofMagicthatIcan’tkeepthemstill.
Theywanttobedoingthingsallthetime.
DoyouknowthatwhenIwakeninthemorning,Mary,whenit’squiteearlyandthebirdsarejustshoutingoutsideandeverythingseemsjustshoutingforjoy—eventhetreesandthingswecan’treallyhear—IfeelasifImustjumpoutofbedandshoutmyself.
IfIdidit,justthinkwhatwouldhappen!”
Marygiggledinordinately.
“ThenursewouldcomerunningandMrs.Medlockwouldcomerunningandtheywouldbesureyouhadgonecrazyandthey’dsendforthedoctor,”shesaid.
Colingiggledhimself.Hecouldseehowtheywouldalllook—howhorrifiedbyhisoutbreakandhowamazedtoseehimstandingupright.
“Iwishmyfatherwouldcomehome,”hesaid.“Iwanttotellhimmyself.
I’malwaysthinkingaboutit—butwecouldn’tgoonlikethismuchlonger.
Ican’tstandlyingstillandpretending,andbesidesIlooktoodifferent.Iwishitwasn’trainingtoday.”
ItwasthenMistressMaryhadherinspiration.
“Colin,”shebeganmysteriously,“doyouknowhowmanyroomsthereareinthishouse?”
“Aboutathousand,Isuppose,”heanswered.
“There’saboutahundrednooneevergoesinto,”saidMary.
“AndonerainydayIwentandlookedintoeversomanyofthem.
Nooneeverknew,thoughMrs.Medlocknearlyfoundmeout.
IlostmywaywhenIwascomingbackandIstoppedattheendofyourcorridor.
ThatwasthesecondtimeIheardyoucrying.”
Colinstarteduponhissofa.
“Ahundredroomsnoonegoesinto,”hesaid.“Itsoundsalmostlikeasecretgarden.Supposewegoandlookatthem.Wheelmeinmychairandnobodywouldknowwewent”
“That’swhatIwasthinking,”saidMary.“Noonewoulddaretofollowus.
Therearegallerieswhereyoucouldrun.Wecoulddoourexercises.
ThereisalittleIndianroomwherethereisacabinetfullofivoryelephants.Thereareallsortsofrooms.”
“Ringthebell,”saidColin.
Whenthenursecameinhegavehisorders.
“Iwantmychair,”hesaid.“MissMaryandIaregoingtolookatthepartofthehousewhichisnotused.
Johncanpushmeasfarasthepicture-gallerybecausetherearesomestairs.
ThenhemustgoawayandleaveusaloneuntilIsendforhimagain.”
Rainydayslosttheirterrorsthatmorning.
Whenthefootmanhadwheeledthechairintothepicture-galleryandleftthetwotogetherinobediencetoorders,ColinandMarylookedateachotherdelighted.
AssoonasMaryhadmadesurethatJohnwasreallyonhiswaybacktohisownquartersbelowstairs,Colingotoutofhischair.
“Iamgoingtorunfromoneendofthegallerytotheother,”hesaid,“andthenIamgoingtojumpandthenwewilldoBobHaworth’sexercises.”
Andtheydidallthesethingsandmanyothers.Theylookedattheportraitsandfoundtheplainlittlegirldressedingreenbrocadeandholdingtheparrotonherfinger.
“Allthese,”saidColin,“mustbemyrelations.Theylivedalongtimeago.
Thatparrotone,Ibelieve,isoneofmygreat,great,great,greataunts.
Shelooksratherlikeyou,Mary—notasyoulooknowbutasyoulookedwhenyoucamehere.
Nowyouareagreatdealfatterandbetterlooking.”
“Soareyou,”saidMary,andtheybothlaughed.
TheywenttotheIndianroomandamusedthemselveswiththeivoryelephants.
Theyfoundtherose-coloredbrocadeboudoirandtheholeinthecushionthemousehadleft,butthemicehadgrownupandrunawayandtheholewasempty.
TheysawmoreroomsandmademorediscoveriesthanMaryhadmadeonherfirstpilgrimage.
Theyfoundnewcorridorsandcornersandflightsofstepsandnewoldpicturestheylikedandweirdoldthingstheydidnotknowtheuseof.
Itwasacuriouslyentertainingmorningandthefeelingofwanderingaboutinthesamehousewithotherpeoplebutatthesametimefeelingasifoneweremilesawayfromthemwasafascinatingthing.
“I’mgladwecame,”Colinsaid.“IneverknewIlivedinsuchabigqueeroldplace.Ilikeit.Wewillrambleabouteveryrainyday.Weshallalwaysbefindingnewqueercornersandthings.”
ThatmorningtheyhadfoundamongotherthingssuchgoodappetitesthatwhentheyreturnedtoColin’sroomitwasnotpossibletosendtheluncheonawayuntouched.
Whenthenursecarriedthetraydown-stairssheslappeditdownonthekitchendressersothatMrs.Loomis,thecook,couldseethehighlypolisheddishesandplates.
“Lookatthat!”shesaid.“Thisisahouseofmystery,andthosetwochildrenarethegreatestmysteriesinit.”
“Iftheykeepthatupeveryday,”saidthestrongyoungfootmanJohn,“there’dbesmallwonderthatheweighstwiceasmuchto-dayashedidamonthago.
Ishouldhavetogiveupmyplaceintime,forfearofdoingmymusclesaninjury.”
ThatafternoonMarynoticedthatsomethingnewhadhappenedinColin’sroom.
Shehadnoticeditthedaybeforebuthadsaidnothingbecauseshethoughtthechangemighthavebeenmadebychance.
Shesaidnothingtodaybutshesatandlookedfixedlyatthepictureoverthemantel.
Shecouldlookatitbecausethecurtainhadbeendrawnaside.Thatwasthechangeshenoticed.
“Iknowwhatyouwantmetotellyou,”saidColin,aftershehadstaredafewminutes.
“Ialwaysknowwhenyouwantmetotellyousomething.
Youarewonderingwhythecurtainisdrawnback.Iamgoingtokeepitlikethat.”
“Why?”askedMary.
“Becauseitdoesn’tmakemeangryanymoretoseeherlaughing.
IwakenedwhenitwasbrightmoonlighttwonightsagoandfeltasiftheMagicwasfillingtheroomandmakingeverythingsosplendidthatIcouldn’tliestill.Igotupandlookedoutofthewindow.
Theroomwasquitelightandtherewasapatchofmoonlightonthecurtainandsomehowthatmademegoandpullthecord.
ShelookedrightdownatmeasifshewerelaughingbecauseshewasgladIwasstandingthere.Itmademeliketolookather.
Iwanttoseeherlaughinglikethatallthetime.
IthinkshemusthavebeenasortofMagicpersonperhaps.”
“Youaresolikehernow,”saidMary,“thatsometimesIthinkperhapsyouareherghostmadeintoaboy.”
ThatideaseemedtoimpressColin.Hethoughtitoverandthenansweredherslowly.
“IfIwereherghost—myfatherwouldbefondofme.”
“Doyouwanthimtobefondofyou?”inquiredMary.
“Iusedtohateitbecausehewasnotfondofme.IfhegrewfondofmeIthinkIshouldtellhimabouttheMagic.Itmightmakehimmorecheerful.”
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