Meeting Dickon Mary spent nearly差不多 a week working in the secret秘密的 garden. Each day she found new shoots发芽 coming out of the ground. Soon there would be flowers everywhere, thousands of them. It was an exciting令人兴奋的 game to her. When she was inside those beautiful old walls no one knew where she was. During that week she became more更 friendly友好的 with Ben who was often digging掘 in one of the vegetable gardens. "What are your favorite flowers, Ben?" she asked him one day.
"Roses. I used to work for a young lady who loved roses, you see, and she had a lot许多 in her garden. That was ten years ago, but she died. Very sad it was." "What happened to the roses?" asked Mary. "They were left there in the garden." "If rose上升 branches树枝 look dry and grey灰色的, are they still alive活着的?" asked Mary. "It was so important重要的 to know." "In the spring they'll show green shoots发芽, and then..." "But why are you so interested in roses?" he asked.
Mary's face went red. "I just wanted to pretend假装 I've got a garden. I haven't got anyone to play with." "Well, that's true," said Ben. He seemed似乎 to feel sorry for her. Mary decided决定 she liked old Ben, although he was sometimes有时 bad-tempered使回火. She skipped跳过 along向前 and into the wood木材 at the end of the gardens. Suddenly突然地 she heard a strange陌生的 noise, and there in front前部 of her was a boy. He was sitting under a tree, playing on a wooden木制的 pipe管子.
He was about twelve, with a healthy red face and bright明亮的 blue eyes. There was a squirrel松鼠 and a crow鸦 in the tree, and two rabbits sitting on the grass near him. "They're listening to the music!" Thought Mary. "I mustn't frighten使惊恐 them." She stood very still. The boy stopped playing. "That's right," he said. "Animals don't like it if you move suddenly突然地." "I'm Dickon, and you must be Miss Mary. I've brought you the spade铲 and the seeds." He spoke in an easy, friendly友好的 way.
Mary liked him at once. As they were looking at the seed packets小包(裹) together, the robin知更鸟 hopped单足跳跃〔跳行〕 onto a branch树枝 near them. Dickon listened carefully小心地 to the robin知更鸟's song. "He's saying he's your friend," he told Mary. "Really真正地? Oh, I am pleased开心的 he likes me. Can you understand(understood) 理解 everything that birds say?" "I think I do, and they think I do. I've lived on the moor沼地 with them for so long长期地. Sometimes有时 I think I am a bird or an animal, not a boy at all."
His smile was the widest she had ever在任何时候 seen. He explained解释 how to plant the seeds. Suddenly突然地, he said, "I can help you plant them." "Where's your garden?" Mary went red, then white. She had never thought of this. What was she going to say? "Could you keep a secret秘密? It's a great secret秘密. If anyone discovers发现 it, I'll... I'll die." "I keep secrets秘密 for all the wild野生的 birds and animals on the moor沼地, so I can keep yours too," he replied回答.
"I've stolen剽窃 a garden," she said very fast. "Nobody goes into it. Nobody wants it." "I love it, and nobody takes care of it. They're letting it die." And she threw her arms over her face and started crying. "Don't cry," said Dickon gently有礼貌地. "Where is it?" "Come with me, and I'll show you," said Miss Mary. They went to the secret秘密的 garden and entered it together. Dickon walked round在周围, looking at everything. Martha told me about this place, but I never thought I'd see it, he said.
"It's wonderful." "What about the roses?" asked Mary worriedly. "Are they still alive活着的? What do you think?" "Look at these shoots发芽 on the branches树枝. Most最多的 of them are alive活着的 all right." He took out his knife and cut away some of the dead wood木材 from the rose trees. Mary showed him the work she had done in the garden, and they talked as they cut and cleared清除. "Dickon," said Mary suddenly突然地, "I like you. I never thought I'd like as many as five people."
"Only five!" Laughed Dickon. "He did look funny when he laughed," thought Mary. "Yes, your mother, Martha, the Robin, Ben, and you." Then she asked him a question in Yorkshire dialect方言, because that was his language. "Does the like me?" was her question. "Of course当然. I liked thee wonderful," replied回答 Dickon, a big smile on his round圆的 face. Mary had never been so happy. When she went back to the house for her lunch, she told Martha about Dickon's visit.
"I've got news for you, too," said Martha. "Mr Craven's come home and wants to see you." "He's going away again tomorrow for several几个的 months." "Oh," said Mary, "that was good news. She would have all summer in the secret秘密的 garden before he came back. But she must be careful. He mustn't guess her secret秘密的 now." Just then, Mrs Medlock arrived in her best black dress to take Mary down to Mr Craven's room. Mary's uncle had black hair with some white in it and high, crooked弯曲的 shoulders.
His face was not ugly难看的, but very sad. During their conversation会话, he watched her in a worried担心的 way. Perhaps也许 he was thinking of other things at the same time. He looked at the thin child. "Are you well健康的?" he asked. Mary tried尝试 to keep her voice calm风平浪静, as she replied回答. "I'm getting stronger and healthier." "What do you want to do in this big, empty house?" "I—I just want to play outside. I enjoy that." "Yes. Martha's mother, Susan Sowerby, spoke to me the other day. She's a sensible感觉得到的 woman, and she said you needed fresh air.
But where do you play?" "Everywhere. I just skip跳过 and run and look for green shoots发芽. I don't damage损害 anything." "Don't look so frightened害怕的. Of course当然 a child like you couldn't damage损害 anything. Play where you like. Is there anything that you want?" Mary came a step nearer近 to him, and her voice shook动摇 a little as she spoke. "Could I—could I have a bit一点 of garden?" Mr Craven looked very surprised感到惊讶的. "To plant seeds in. To make them come alive活着的," Mary went on bravely勇敢地.
"It was too hot in India, so I was always ill and tired there. But here it's different. I—I love the garden." He passed经过 a hand quickly over his eyes. Then he looked kindly亲切地 at Mary. "I knew someone once who loved growing things like you. Yes, child, take as much of the garden as you want." He smiled微笑 gently有礼貌地 at her. "Now leave me. I'm very tired." Mary ran all the way back to her room. "Martha!" She shouted呼喊. "Mr Craven's really真正地 a nice man, but he looks very unhappy不快乐的. He said I can have my own garden." She was planning计划 to work in the garden with Dickon every day to make it beautiful for the summer.