The Secret Garden

The sun shines all week, and Mary works in the garden daily. For the first time in her life, she is always happy. Now that she is doing something important to her, she realizes that meaningful work is only a different kind of play. When not in the garden, she visits with Ben, asking questions about roses. He mentions that he learned about roses from a lady who loved them. The lady is gone now, but he used to tend her flowers whenever possible. Mary asks if he still goes to see them. He suddenly becomes angry and tells her to go play.

Mary reflects how odd it is that she likes Ben despite his crossness. At the end of the walkway, a little gate opens into a wood. Mary hears a low whistling sound on the other side. Opening the gate, she sees a boy sitting under a tree in the wood, playing a wooden pipe. He has a turned-up nose, red cheeks, rust-colored hair, and very round blue eyes. All around him, wild animals sit watching him and listening to the music of the pipe.

He greets Mary by name as if he knows her quite well and tells her he has brought the garden tools and seeds she asked for.