The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett (recommended reading .TXT) đ
- Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Book online «The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett (recommended reading .TXT) đ». Author Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mary flew across the grass to him.
âOh, Dickon! Dickon!â she cried out. âHow could you get here so early! How could you! The sun has only just got up!â
He got up himself, laughing and glowing, and tousled; his eyes like a bit of the sky.
âEh!â he said. âI was up long before him. How could I have stayed abed! Thâ worldâs all fair begun again this morninâ, it has. Anâ itâs workinâ anâ humminâ anâ scratchinâ anâ pipinâ anâ nest-buildinâ anâ breathinâ out scents, till youâve got to be out on it âstead oâ lyinâ on your back. When thâ sun did jump up, thâ moor went mad for joy, anâ I was in the midst of thâ heather, anâ I run like mad myself, shoutinâ anâ singinâ. Anâ I come straight here. I couldnât have stayed away. Why, thâ garden was lyinâ here waitinâ!â
Mary put her hands on her chest, panting, as if she had been running herself.
âOh, Dickon! Dickon!â she said. âIâm so happy I can scarcely breathe!â
Seeing him talking to a stranger, the little bushy-tailed animal rose from its place under the tree and came to him, and the rook, cawing once, flew down from its branch and settled quietly on his shoulder.
âThis is thâ little fox cub,â he said, rubbing the little reddish animalâs head. âItâs named Captain. Anâ this hereâs Soot. Soot he flew across thâ moor with me anâ Captain he run same as if thâ hounds had been after him. They both felt same as I did.â
Neither of the creatures looked as if he were the least afraid of Mary. When Dickon began to walk about, Soot stayed on his shoulder and Captain trotted quietly close to his side.
âSee here!â said Dickon. âSee how these has pushed up, anâ these anâ these! Anâ Eh! look at these here!â
He threw himself upon his knees and Mary went down beside him. They had come upon a whole clump of crocuses burst into purple and orange and gold. Mary bent her face down and kissed and kissed them.
âYou never kiss a person in that way,â she said when she lifted her head. âFlowers are so different.â
He looked puzzled but smiled.
âEh!â he said, âIâve kissed mother many a time that way when I come in from thâ moor after a dayâs roaminâ anâ she stood there at thâ door in thâ sun, lookinâ so glad anâ comfortable.â
They ran from one part of the garden to another and found so many wonders that they were obliged to remind themselves that they must whisper or speak low. He showed her swelling leaf-buds on rose branches which had seemed dead. He showed her ten thousand new green points pushing through the mould. They put their eager young noses close to the earth and sniffed its warmed springtime breathing; they dug and pulled and laughed low with rapture until Mistress Maryâs hair was as tumbled as Dickonâs and her cheeks were almost as poppy red as his.
There was every joy on earth in the secret garden that morning, and in the midst of them came a delight more delightful than all, because it was more wonderful. Swiftly something flew across the wall and darted through the trees to a close grown corner, a little flare of red-breasted bird with something hanging from its beak. Dickon stood quite still and put his hand on Mary almost as if they had suddenly found themselves laughing in a church.
âWe munnot stir,â he whispered in broad Yorkshire. âWe munnot scarce breathe. I knowed he was mate-huntinâ when I seed him last. Itâs Ben Weatherstaffâs robin. Heâs buildinâ his nest. Heâll stay here if us donât flight him.â
They settled down softly upon the grass and sat there without moving.
âUs mustnât seem as if us was watchinâ him too close,â said Dickon. âHeâd be out with us for good if he got thâ notion us was interferinâ now. Heâll be a good bit different till all this is over. Heâs settinâ up housekeepinâ. Heâll be shyer anâ readier to take things ill. Heâs got no time for visitinâ anâ gossipinâ. Us must keep still a bit anâ try to look as if us was grass anâ trees anâ bushes. Then when heâs got used to seeinâ us Iâll chirp a bit anâ heâll know usâll not be in his way.â
Mistress Mary was not at all sure that she knew, as Dickon seemed to, how to try to look like grass and trees and bushes. But he had said the queer thing as if it were the simplest and most natural thing in the world, and she felt it must be quite easy to him, and indeed she watched him for a few minutes carefully, wondering if it was possible for him to quietly turn green and put out branches and leaves. But he only sat wonderfully still, and when he spoke dropped his voice to such a softness that it was curious that she could hear him, but she could.
âItâs part oâ thâ springtime, this nest-buildinâ is,â he said. âI warrant itâs been goinâ on in thâ same way every year since thâ world was begun. Theyâve got their way oâ thinkinâ and doinâ things anâ a body had better not meddle. You can lose a friend in springtime easier than any other season if youâre too curious.â
âIf we talk about him I canât help looking at him,â Mary said as softly as possible. âWe must talk of something else. There is something I want to tell you.â
âHeâll like it better if us talks oâ somethinâ else,â said Dickon. âWhat is it thaâs got to tell me?â
âWellâ âdo you know about Colin?â she whispered.
He turned his head to look at her.
âWhat does thaâ know about him?â he asked.
âIâve seen him. I have been to talk to him every day this week. He wants me to come.
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