Ofcourse,itwasmostimportantthatnooneshouldseeColin,Mary,orDickonenteringthesecretgarden. SoColingaveorderstothegardenersthattheymustallkeepawayfromthatpartofthegardeninfuture. ThenextafternoonColinwascarrieddownstairsbyamanservant,andputinhiswheelchairoutsidethefrontdoor. Dickonarrived,withhiscrow,twosquirrelsandthefox,andstartedpushingthewheelchairgentlyawayfromthehouse,andintothegardens.Marywalkedbesidethechair. SpringhadreallyarrivednowanditseemedveryexcitingtoColin,whohadlivedindoorsforsolong.Hesmeltthewarmairfromthemoor,andwatchedthelittlewhitecloudsinthebluesky. InaveryshorttimeheheardMarysay,‘ThisiswhereIfoundthekey...andthisisthedoor…andthis..,thisisthesecretgarden!’ Colincoveredhiseyeswithhishandsuntilhewasinsidethefourhighwalls,andthedoorwasshutagain. Thenhelookedroundattherosesclimbingtheoldredwalls,thepinkandwhiteflowersonthefruittrees,andthebirdsandthebutterflieseverywhere. Thesunwarmedhisface,andhesuddenlyknewhefeltdifferent. ‘Mary!Dickon!’hecried.‘I’mgoingtogetbetter!I’mgoingtoliveforeverandeverandever!’ AsDickonpushedthewheelchairall-roundthegarden,hetoldColinthenamesofalltheplants. Thesunshone,thebirdssang,andineverycornerofthegardentherewassomethinginterestingtolookat. Thethreechildrentalkedandlaughed,andbytheendoftheafternoonallthreewerespeakingYorkshiretogether. ‘I’llcomebackhereeveryafternoon,’saidColin.‘Iwanttowatchthingsgrowing.’ ‘Soonyou’llbestrongenoughtowalkanddig.You’llbeabletohelpuswiththegardening,’saidDickonkindly, ‘DoyoureallythinkI’llbeableto...towalkand…dig?’askedColin. ‘Ofcourseyouwill.You’vegotlegs,likeus!’ ‘Butthey’renotverystrong,’answeredColin.‘Theyshake,and…andI’mafraidtostandonthem.’ ‘Whenyouwanttousethem,you’llbeableto,’saidDickon.Thegardenwasquietforamoment. SuddenlyColinsaid,‘Who’sthat?’Maryturnedherhead,andnoticedBenWeatherstaff’sangryfacelookingatheroverthegardenwall, ‘Whatareyoudoinginthatgarden,youngmiss?’heshouted,HehadnotseenColinorDickon. ‘Therobinshowedmetheway,Ben,’shereplied. ‘You…you—’HestoppedshoutingandhismouthdroppedopenashesawDickonpushingaboyinawheelchairoverthegrasstowardshim. ‘DoyouknowwhoIam?’askedtheboyinthechair. OldBenstared.‘You’vegotyourmother’seyes,’hesaidinashakingvoice.‘Yes,Iknowyou.You’reMrCraven’sson,thelittleboywiththecrookedback.’ Colinforgotthathehadeverhadbackache.‘Myback’sasstraightasyoursis!’heshouted. Benstaredandstared.Heonlyknewwhathehadheardfromtheservants.‘Youhaven’tgotacrookedback?’heasked.‘Orcrookedlegs?’ Thatwastoomuch.Colinwasfurious,anditmadehimfeelstrong.. ‘Comehere,Dickon!’heshouted,andthrewoffhisblanket.Dickonwasbyhissideinasecond.Maryfeltsickwithfear.CouldColinstand? ThenColin’sthinfeetwereonthegrassandhewasstanding,holdingDickon’sarm.Helookedstrangelytall,andheheldhisheadveryhigh. ‘Lookatme!’heshoutedatBen.‘Justlookatme!’ ‘He’sasstraightasanyboyinYorkshire!’saidDickon. TearswererunningdownBen’sbrownoldface.‘Theysaidyouweregoingtodie!’hewhispered. ‘Well,youcanseethat’snottrue,’saidColin.‘Now,getdownfromthewallandcomehere.Iwanttotalktoyou.You’vegottohelpuskeepthegardenasecret.’ ‘Yes,sir,’saidoldBen,ashedriedhiseyes. Thatwasthefirstofmanybeautifulafternoonsinthesecretgarden. ColinwasbroughttherebyDickonandMarynearlyeveryday,andhesawallthechangesthathappenedthereduringthespringandearlysummer. BenWeatherstaff,nowinthesecret,joinedthemasoftenashecould. OnedayColinspoketoallofthem.‘Listen,everybody. Ithinkthere’ssomethinglikemagicthatmakesgardensgrowandthingshappen. PerhapsifIbelieveinit,themagicwillmakemestrong. Let’sallsitdowninacircleandaskthemagictowork.’ Sotheyallsatonthegrassinacircle,Dickonwithhiscrow,hisfoxandthetwosquirrels,Mary,Colin,andBen. Colinrepeatedthesewordsseveraltimes,‘Thesun’sshining.That’sthemagic.Beingstrong.That’sthemagic.Magic!Helpme!Magic!Helpme!’ AtlastColinstopped.‘NowI’mgoingtowalkroundthegarden,’hesaid,andtookDickon’sarm. Slowlyhewalkedfromonewalltoanother,followedcloselybyMaryandBen. Andwhenhehadwalkedallthewayround,hesaid,‘Yousee!Icanwalknow!Themagicworked!’ ‘It’swonderful!’criedMary.‘Yourfatherwillthinkheisdreamingwhenheseesyou!’ ‘Iwon’ttellhimyet.I’mgoingtokeepitasecretfromeverybody. I’llcometothegardenandwalkandrunalittlemoreeverydayuntilI’mashealthyasanyotherboy. Then,whenmyfathercomeshome,I’llwalkuptohimandsay,“HereIam,Father.Yousee?I’mnotgoingtodie!” NowbeganadifficulttimeforColinandMary.Dickontoldhismotheraboutitoneeveningashewasdiggingthecottagegarden. ‘Yousee,mother,theydon’twantthedoctorortheservantstoguessthatColincanwalkandisgettingbetter.Sotheyhavetopretendhe’sstillillandjustasdisagreeableasheusedtobe!’ ‘Ifthey’rerunningaboutalldayinthefreshair,that’llmakethemhungry,Ishouldthink!’ ‘Yes,that’stheproblem.They’rebothgettingfatterandhealthier,andtheyreallyenjoytheirfoodnow. Buttheyhavetosendsomeofitbacktothekitchen,uneaten. Iftheycatitall,peoplewillrealizehowhealthytheyare!Sometimesthey’reveryhungry!’ ‘Iknowwhatwecando,’saidMrs.Sowerby. ‘Youcanlakesomefreshmilkandsomeofmynewlybakedbreadtothegardeninthemornings. Iftheyhavethat,it’lldothemalotofgood! Whatagamethosechildrenareplaying!’ Andshelaughedandtearscametohereyes. Oneafternoonwhentheywereallworkinginthegarden,thedooropenedandawomancamequietlyin. ‘It’sMother!’criedDickon,andrantowardsher.‘1toldherwherethedoorwas,becauseIknewshewouldkeepthesecret.’ Colinheldouthishandtoher.‘I’vewantedtoseeyouforalongtime,‘hesaid. ‘Dearboy!’SusanSowerbywhispered,holdinghishand.‘You’resolikeyourmother!’ ‘Doyouthink.’askedColincarefully,‘thatwillmakemyfatherlikeme?’ ‘I’msureitwill,’sheansweredwarmly.‘Hemustseeyou–hemustcomehomenow.’ ‘Youseehowhealthytheboyis,Susan?’askedoldBen.‘Lookhowstrongandstraighthislegsarenow!’ ‘Yes,’shelaughed.‘Playingandworkingoutside,andeatinggoodYorkshirefood,hasmadehimstrong. AndMissMarytoo,’sheadded,turningtoMary. ‘MrsMedlockheardthatyourmotherwasaprettywoman.You’llsoonbeasprettyasshewas.’ ‘Doyoubelieveinmagic?’Colinaskedher. ‘Ido,’sheanswered,’buteverybodygivesitadifferentname.Itmakesthesunshineandtheseedsgrow–andithasmadeyouhealthy.’ Shesatdownonthegrassandstayedforawhile,talkingandlaughingwiththechildreninthequiet,sunnygarden.Whenshestooduptoleave,Colinsuddenlyputoutahandtoher. ‘Iwish–youweremymother!’hewhispered. Mrs.Sowerbyputherarmsroundhimandheldhimtoher.‘Dearboy!You’reasclosetoyourmotherasyoucouldbe,hereinhergarden.Andyourfather’llcomebacksoon!’ 
