English
WhenMarywokeuptwodayslater,thewindandrainhadalldisappeared,andtheskywasabeautifulblue.‘Springwillbeheresoon,’saidMarthahappily.‘You’lllovethemoorthen,whenit’sfullofflowersandbirds.’
‘CouldIgettothemoor?’askedMary.
‘You’veneverdonemuchwalking,haveyou?Idon’tthinkyoucouldwalkthefivemilestoourcottage!’
‘ButI’dliketomeetyourfamily,’Marysaid.
Marthalookedatthelittlegirlforamoment.SherememberedhowdisagreeableMaryhadbeenwhenshefirstarrived.Butnow,Marylookedinterestedandfriendly.
‘I’llaskMother,’saidMartha.‘Shecanalwaysthinkofagoodplan.She’ssensibleandhardworkingandkind–Iknowyou’lllikeher.’
‘IlikeDickon,althoughI’veneverseenhim.’
‘IwonderwhatDickonwillthinkofyou?’
‘Hewon’tlikeme,’saidMary,‘Noonedoes.’
‘Butdoyoulikeyourself?That’swhatMotherwouldask.’
‘No,notreally.I’veneverthoughtofthat.’
‘Well,Imustgonow.It’smydayoff,soI’mgoinghometohelpMotherwiththehousework.Goodbye,miss.Seeyoutomorrow.’
MaryfeltlonelierthaneverwhenMarthahadgone,soshewentoutside.Thesunshinemadethegardenslookdifferent.AndthechangeintheweatherhadevenmadeBenWeatherstaffeasiertotalkto.
‘Canyousmellspringintheair?’heaskedher.‘Thingsaregrowing,deepdownintheground.Soonyou’llseelittlegreenshootscomingup–youngplants,theyare.Youwatchthem.’
‘Iwill,’repliedMary.‘Oh,there’stherobin!’ThelittlebirdhoppedontoBen’sspade,‘Arethingsgrowinginthegardenwherehelives?’
‘Whatgarden?’saidBen,inhisbad-temperedvoice.
‘Youknow,thesecretgarden.Aretheflowersdeadthere?’Shereallywantedtoknowtheanswer.
‘Asktherobin,’saidBencrossly.He’stheonlyonewho’sbeeninthereforthelasttenyears.’
Tenyearswasalongtime,Marythought.Shehadbeenborntenyearsago.Shewalkedaway,thinking.Shehadbeguntolikethegardens,andtherobin,andMarthaandDickonandtheirmother.BeforeshecametoYorkshire,shehadnotlikedanybody.
Shewaswalkingbesidethelongwallofthesecretgarden,whenamostwonderfulthinghappened.Shesuddenlyrealizedtherobinwasfollowingher.
Shefeltverypleasedandexcitedbythis,andcriedout,‘Youlikeme,don’tyou?AndIlikeyoutoo!’Ashehoppedalongbesideher,shehoppedandsangtoo,toshowhimthatshewashisfriend.
Justthenhestoppedataplacewhereadoghaddugaholeintheground.AsMarylookedatthehole,shenoticedsomethingalmostburiedthere.Sheputherhandinandpulleditout.Itwasanoldkey.
‘Perhapsit’sbeenburiedfortenyears,’shewhisperedtoherself.‘Perhapsit’sthekeytothesecretgarden!’
Shelookedatitforalongtime.Howlovelyitwouldbetofindthegarden,andseewhathadhappenedtoitinthelasttenyears!Shecouldplayinitallbyherself,andnobodywouldknowshewasthere.Sheputthekeysafelyinherpocket.
ThenextmorningMarthawasbackatMisselthwaiteManor,andtoldMaryallaboutherdaywithherfamily.
‘Ireallyenjoyedmyself.IhelpedMotherwiththewholeweek’swashingandbaking.AndItoldthechildrenaboutyou.Theywantedtoknowaboutyourservants,andtheshipthatbroughtyoutoEngland,andeverything!’
‘Icantellyousomemorefornexttime,’offeredMary.‘They’dliketohearaboutridingonelephantsandcamelswouldn’tthey?’
‘Oh,thatwouldbekindofyou,miss!Andlook,Motherhassentyouapresent!’
‘Apresent!’repeatedMary.Howcouldafamilyoffourteenhungrypeoplegiveanyoneapresent!
‘Motherboughtitfromamanwhocametothedoortosellthings.Shetoldme,“Martha,you’vebroughtmeyourpay,likeagoodgirl,andweneeditall,butI’mgoingtobuysomethingforthatlonelychildattheManor,”andsheboughtone,andhereitis!’
Itwasaskipping-rope.Marystaredatit.
‘Whatisit?’sheasked.
‘Don’ttheyhaveskipping-ropesinIndia?Well,thisishowyouuseit.Justwatchme.’
Marthatooktheropeandranintothemiddleoftheroom.Shecounteduptoahundredassheskipped.
‘Thatlookslovely,’saidMary.‘Yourmotherisverykind.DoyouthinkIcouldeverskiplikethat?’
‘Justtry,’saidMartha.‘Mothersaysit’llmakeyoustrongandhealthy.Skipoutsideinthefreshair.’
Maryputhercoatonandtooktheskipping-rope.Asshewasopeningthedoor,shethoughtofsomethingandturnedround.
‘Martha,itwasyourmoneyreally.Thankyou.’Sheneverthankedpeopleusuallyandshedidnotknowhowtodoit.Sosheheldoutherhand,becausesheknewthatadultsdidthat.
Marthashookherhandandlaughed.‘You’reastrangechild,’shesaid.‘Likeanoldwoman!Nowrunawayandplay!’
Theskipping-ropewaswonderful.Marycountedandskipped,skippedandcounted,untilherfacewashotandred.
Shewashavingmorefunthanshehadeverhadbefore.SheskippedthroughthegardensuntilshefoundBenWeatherstaff,whowasdiggingandtalkingtohisrobin.Shewantedthembothtoseeherskip.
‘Well!’saidBen.‘You’relookingfineandhealthytoday!Goonskipping.It’sgoodforyou.’
Maryskippedallthewaytothesecretgardenwall.Andtherewastherobin!Hehadfollowedher!Marywasverypleased.
‘Youshowedmewherethekeywasyesterday,’shelaughed.‘I’vegotitinmypocket.Soyououghttoshowmethedoortoday!’
Therobinhoppedontoanoldclimbingplantonthewall,andsanghismostbeautifulsong.Suddenlythewindmadetheplantmove,andMarysawsomethingunderthedarkgreenleaves.
Thethick,heavyplantwascoveringadoor.Mary’sheartwasbeatingfastandherhandswereshakingasshepushedtheleavesawayandfoundthekey-hole.
Shetookthekeyoutofherpocket,anditfittedthehole.Usingbothhands,shemanagedtounlockthedoor.Thensheturnedroundtoseeifanyonewaswatching.
Buttherewasnoone,soshepushedthedoor,whichopened,slowly,forthefirsttimeintenyears.Shewalkedquicklyinandshutthedoorbehindher.Atlastshewasinsidethesecretgarden!
Itwastheloveliest,mostexcitingplaceshehadeverseen.Therewereoldrosetreeseverywhere,andthewallswerecoveredwithclimbingroses.
Shelookedcarefullyatthegreybranches.Weretherosesstillalive?Benwouldknow.Shehopedtheyweren’talldead.Butshewasinsidethewonderfulgarden,inaworldofherown.Itseemedverystrangeandsilent,butshedidnotfeellonelyatall.
Thenshenoticedsomesmallgreenshootscomingupthroughthegrass.Sosomethingwasgrowinginthegardenafterall!Whenshefoundalotmoreshootsindifferentplaces,shedecidedtheyneededmoreairandlight,soshebegantopulloutthethickgrassaroundthem.
Sheworkedaway,clearingtheground,fortwoorthreehours,andhadtotakehercoatoffbecauseshegotsohot.Therobinhoppedaround,pleasedtoseesomeonegardening.
Shealmostforgotaboutlunch,andwhenshearrivedbackinherroom,shewasveryhungryandatetwiceasmuchasusual.‘Martha,’shesaidasshewaseating,‘I’vebeenthinking.Thisisabig,lonelyhouse,andthereisn’tmuchformetodo.Doyouthink,ifIbuyalittlespade,Icanmakemyowngarden?’
‘That’sjustwhatMothersaid,’repliedMartha.‘You’denjoydiggingandwatchingplantsgrowing.Dickoncangetyouaspade,andsomeseedstoplant,ifyoulike.’
‘Oh,thankyou,Martha!I’vegotsomemoneythatMrsMedlockgaveme.WillyouwriteandaskDickontobuythemforme?’
‘Iwill.Andhe’llbringthemtoyouhimself.’
‘Oh!ThenI’llseehim.’Marylookedveryexcited.Thensherememberedsomething.‘Iheardthatcryinthehouseagain,Martha.Itwasn’tthewindthistime.I’vehearditthreetimesnow.Whoisit?’
Marthalookeduncomfortable.‘Youmustn’tgowanderingaroundthehouse,youknow.MrCravenwouldn’tlikeit.NowImustgoandhelptheothersdownstairs.I’llseeyouattea-time.’
AsthedoorclosedbehindMartha,Marythoughttoherself,thisreallyisthestrangesthousethatanyoneeverlivedin.’
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