TheSecretGarden
MagiC
18
Therewasmagicinthesecretgardenthatspringandsummer.At
firsteverythingturnedgreen.Thenthegreenchangedtocolours
–blue,purpleandred.Therewereflowerseverywhere.
DickonandMary’sseedsgrewandproducedpoppies•.Andthe
roses–theroses!Fromsmallbudstheygrewintolargeflowers
andfilledtheairwiththeirperfume.
Colinsawitall.Hewatchedthechangesastheyhappened.
Dickonpushedhiswheelchairtothegardeneverymorningand
hespentthedaythere.Sometimeshesatonthegrasswatching
the insects. One morning he watched a mole• digging a hole.
He learnt a lot of things about the ways of these insects and
animals.AndDickontaughthimabouttheanimalsinthewood.
Onemorningthechildrenwereinthesecretgardenasusual.
WhenBenWeatherstaffarrived,Colinsaid:‘Goodmorning,Ben
Weatherstaff. I want you and Dickon and Mary to listen to me
becauseI’mgoingtotellyousomethingveryimportant.’
‘Yes,sir!’answeredBenWeatherstaff.
‘I’mgoingtodoascientific•experiment•,’hesaidgrandly.
‘When I grow up, I’m going to make scientific discoveries•
aboutmagicandI’mgoingtostartwiththisexperiment.Doyou
understand?’
‘Yes, sir!’ said Ben Weatherstaff, but he didn’t really
understand.
‘Ibelievethatthereismagicineverything,’continuedColin.
‘Dickonknowssomemagic.Hecharmsanimalsandpeople.Mary
alsoknowsabitofmagicbecauseshewasborninIndia.There’s
magicinthegarden,too.I’mgoingtotryandputsomeinme
becauseIwanttobewellandstrong.I’mgoingtosay:“Magicis
inme!”Andyoumustallsayit,too.Thatismyexperiment.Are
yougoingtohelp,BenWeatherstaff?’
‘Yes,sir!’saidBenWeatherstaff.
Theysatdowninacircle.Thecrow,thefox,thesquirrelsand
thelambwereverycurious.
‘Nowlet’sbegin,’Colinsaid,andtheyallstartedchanting•.
‘Magicisinme.Magicisinme.Magicisinallofus.’
MAGic
Whatisthemagicinthegarden?
WhyischantinganimportantpartofColin’smagic?
Doyoubelieveinmagic?
Discussyourideaswithafriend.
y
Glossar
• chanting:halfsaying,halfsinging
• discoveries:findingoutnewthings
• experiment:testtofindsomething
out
54
• mole:smallblackanimalthatmakes
holesunderground
• poppies:tallredflowers
withblackcentres
• scientific:connectedtoscience
55
TheSecretGarden
ThenColinstoodupandwalkedroundthegarden.Hewent
in front with Dickon on one side and Mary on the other. Ben
Weatherstaffwalkedbehind.
Colin walked a bit then rested. Then he walked again and
restedagain.AtfirstheheldDickon’sarmthenhewalkedafew
stepsalone.
‘Icanwalk!Themagicworked!’hecried.
‘Whatisthedoctorgoingtosay?’askedMary.
‘Nothing,’ Colin answered, ‘because we aren’t going to tell
him.No-onemustknowthatIcanwalkandrun.It’sasurprise
formyfatherwhenhecomesbacktoMisselthwaite.’
‘He’sgoingtothinkit’sadream,’saidMary.
avoiCEintHEgardEn
19
While the children were in the secret garden, Mr Archibald
Cravenwastravelling.Hewenttomanycountriesandsawmany
beautifulplaces.Buthewasstillsad.
OnedayinAustriaafteralongwalk,hesatdowntorestbya
stream•.Whenhelookedaroundhim,hesawsomeblueforgetme-nots•.Hethoughttheywerelovely.Helookedatthemfora
long time and he began to feel very calm. That night he slept
well.ThenextdayheleftAustriaandwenttoItaly.Hestayed
nexttoabeautifullake.Oneevening,whilehewassittingand
lookingatit,hefellasleepandhadadream.Heheardavoice
inhisdream.
‘Archie!’itsaid,andthenagain:‘Archie!’
Itwasthevoiceofhiswife,Colin’smother.
‘Lilias!’heanswered.‘Lilias!Whereareyou?’
‘Inthegarden,’wastheanswer.‘Inthegarden!’
Andthenthedreamendedandhewokeup.Atbreakfastthe
nextdayhemadeadecision.
‘I’mgoingtogobacktoMisselthwaite.’
WhenMrCravenarrivedhome,heaskedMrsMedlocktocome
tothelibrary.Hewantedtospeaktoher.
‘HowisMasterColin,Medlock?’heasked.
‘Well,sir,’MrsMedlockanswered.‘Hesuddenlywantedtogo
outinthegardeneverydaywithMary.NowDickonpusheshis
wheelchairandhestaystherealldaylong.’
MrCravenlookedshocked.
‘Inthegarden!’hesaid.
y
Glossar
• stream:smallriver
56
• forget-me-nots:small
blueflowers
57
TheSecretGarden
WhenMrsMedlockleft,hegotupandwentoutofthehouse.
He walked across the lawn to the long path near the walled
gardens.Heknewwherethedoorofthesecretgardenwas,but
hedidn’tknowwherethekeywas.Thenheheardsomesounds.
Theywerecomingfrominsidethegarden.Theywerethesounds
ofchildrenrunningandlaughing.
Buthow?Thedoorwaslockedandthekeywaslost.
Suddenlythedoorinthewallopenedandaboyranout.He
almostranintohim.MrCravenstaredathiminsurprise.Hewas
atall,good-lookingboywithgreyeyes.
‘Who–?What–?Who–?’MrCravenstammered•.
‘Father,’theboysaid.‘It’sme,Colin.’
Heputhishandonhisfather’sarm.
‘Father, I’m not going to die. I’m going to live forever and
ever!’
MrCravenputhishandsonColin’sshoulders.
‘Takemeintothegarden,myboy,’hesaid.‘Andtellmeall
aboutit.’
Thechildrentookhimthroughthedoor.Itwasautumnnow
andthegardenwasfullofgoldandbrownandred.MrCraven
couldn’tbelievehiseyes.
‘Ithoughtitwasdead,’hesaid.
‘Wedid,too,’saidColin.‘Butitcamealive.’
Then they sat down under a tree and Colin told his father
aboutMary,Dickon,thegardenandthemagic.
y
Glossar
• stammered:repeatedwordsandhad
difficultyspeaking
58
59
AfterReading
After Reading
2 Choosethecorrectanswer.
a)MarthawasverysurprisedwhenMaryaskedherto
...........................
1dressher
2cooksomething
3play
comprehension
1 arethefollowingsentencestrue(t)orfalse(F)?tick(✓).
a)MaryLennoxcametoEnglandtogoto
schoolthere.
b)WhenMaryarrivedinYorkshire,itwaswarm
andsunny.
t
F
 
 
c)OnedayMaryfoundanoldkeyaftershewatched
arobinhoppingabout.
 
d)BenWeatherstaffshowedMarythedoor
tothesecretgarden.
 
62
e)MarysentaletterandsomemoneytoDickon,
andheboughtsometoolsandseedsforher.
 
f) DickondidnothavetimetohelpMaryinthe
secretgarden.
 
g)MaryfoundhercousinColinaftershefollowed
thesoundofcryinginthenight.
 
h)ColinhadatantrumonenightafterMary
didn’tcometovisithim.
 
i) DickoncametovisitColinwithafoxcub,
twosquirrels,acrowandababylamb.
 
j) Colinaskedaservanttopushhiswheelchair
aroundthegarden.
 
k)OnedaywhenColinwasinthesecretgarden,
hestoodupandwalked.
 
b)ThefirsttimeMaryaskedBenWeatherstaffaboutthe
secretgardenhewas...........................
1sad
2excited
3cross
c)MarythoughtthatColinwas...........................
1differentfrom 2likeDickon
3likeher
Dickon
d)Colinsaidthat..........................madehimwalk.
1freshair
2Mary
3magic
3 Workwithapartner.answerthequestionsbelow.
a)WhatwasMarylikeatthebeginningofthestory?
b)WhatisstrangeafterMary’smotherandfatherdie?
c)WhatdoesMrsMedlocktellMarythatfrightensher?
d)HowdoesMarymeetDickon?
l) WhileMrCravenwassittingnexttoastream,
heheardhiswife’svoice.
 
m)MrCravenwasangrywithMaryandColin
forgoingintothesecretgarden.
 
e)WhydoesColinthinkheisgoingtodie?
f) WhydoyouthinkColingetsbetter?
g)Whattimeoftheyearisitwhenthestorybegins?
Andwhenitends?
h)Whatchangeshappeninthegardenduringthestory?
63