CHAPTER EIGHT

THE ROBIN SHOWS THE WAY

Mary looked at the key for a long time. All she could think about was that this key might let her into the secret garden! If she could only find where the door was, she could open it, and discover what was behind the walls. To Mary, the garden was a wonderful mystery. If she could only enter the garden, it might be different and better than other places. "I could have my own secret place to play in. No one would ever know!" thought Mary happily. Everyone would think that the key was still hidden, and the door was locked. Mary loved the idea of having a secret from everyone else.

Since arriving at Misselthwaite Manor, Mary's mind and body had begun to wake up a little. Being the only child in an enormous house with many rooms is a very strange thing. And there wasn't any doubt that the cold, fresh English air was continuing to make her strong and healthy. As her body grew stronger, her mind began to work more. So Mary was very interested in the discovery of the old key, and the mystery of the garden.

Mary put the key in her pocket and walked up and down. She looked at the garden walls. There were many thick, green vines covering the walls, so that you couldn't see the bricks underneath. Mary felt a little frustrated. There just had to be a door somewhere! It seemed so silly to be so close to the garden, and yet not to be able to enter! Mary decided to always keep the key with her in case she ever found the door.

The next morning when Mary woke up Martha was there. She had returned from her visit to her family, and was feeling quite happy. As Mary ate, Martha told her about her visit. She had helped with the washing and baking, and in the evening, the whole family had sat around the fire. Martha had told her brothers and sisters all about the new girl at Misselthwaite Manor, who was from India.

"The children loved hearing about you! Their eyes almost fell out of their heads, when I told them about the black people, and the ship you arrived in, and everything."

Mary thought a little. "I'll tell you more stories of India, so the next time you go home, you'll have more to talk about. Do you think the children would like to hear about riding on elephants and camels, and snake charmers, and magic men?"

"Oh, my!" cried Martha. "Of course they would. Would you really do that, Miss Mary?"

"Yes. India is very different from England," said Mary. "Did Dickon and your mother like to hear you talk about me?"

"Why, of course! Dickon loved it. However my mother was a little worried about you, because you're alone so much," said Martha. "Mother said, 'Hasn't Mr Craven got a governess for her?'"

"I don't want a governess!" said Mary loudly.

"Well, I told Mother that he'll probably not think about it for a few years. But mother said you should be studying, and you should have a woman to take care of you. She also said, 'Now, Martha, just think how you would feel, a little girl with no mother, all alone in a big house! Make sure to cheer her up.' I told her I would try."

Mary looked at Martha for a long time. "You do cheer me up. I like to hear you talk," she said.

Then Martha left the room and came back with something in her hand. "I've brought you a gift! It's from Mother."

"A gift?" said Mary. How could someone with fourteen hungry people to feed give anyone a gift?

"It's a jumping rope. Mother got it from a man who was selling them near our house," said Martha. "She said to me, 'Well, Martha, you've given me your month's salary like a good girl. I've only got a few small coins, but I'm going to buy that child a jumping rope. She might enjoy it.'"

Mary looked at the jumping rope. It had two red and blue wooden handles. However, she had never seen a jumping rope before.

"What do you do with it?" she asked.

Martha laughed. "Watch!" she said. She took a handle in each hand and began to jump over the rope. First she was slow, then she was faster and faster. She skipped as she jumped. Mary could see her cheeks getting red. Martha went on skipping and jumping over the rope until she'd done it one hundred times. Then she stopped.

"I could skip longer than that! I've skipped five hundred times at once before. But I wasn't as fat then as I am now!" Martha said, and laughed.

Mary felt excited. "Your mother is a kind woman. Do you think I could learn to do that?"

"Just practice. You'll be slow at first, but you'll get better. Mother said that a jumping rope is one of the best things for a child to do. You'll get more strength in your arms and legs, and be out in the fresh air."

Mary tried jumping rope a few times. She was slow! "Put on your coat and go outside and practice," said Martha. "Mother said I must tell you to play outside as much as possible. Just as long as you keep warm!"

Mary put on her coat and got her jumping rope. Suddenly she turned to Martha. "Martha," she said slowly, "it was your money, really. Thank you for the jumping rope."

Martha just laughed. "Run outside and play."

The jumping rope was a wonderful thing. Mary jumped rope until her cheeks were very red. The sun had begun to shine, and a fresh wind blew. Mary skipped around some of the gardens. She saw Ben Weatherstaff working and talking to the robin, which was hopping on the ground next to him. Using the jumping rope, Mary skipped over to him. Ben looked at her curiously. Mary wanted him to notice her.

"Well!" he said. "What a surprise! Perhaps you're a real child after all, instead of a sour old woman. Your cheeks are nice and red."

"I've never jumped rope before," said Mary. "I can only jump twenty times in a row."

"Keep practicing," said Ben. "Look, the robin is watching you. He followed you yesterday, and he'll do it again. He wants to know what a jumping rope is."

Mary jumped rope around the gardens for a while. Soon she decided to practice near the walls of the secret garden. She soon found that she could jump more than twenty times in a row. She was very hot, but she felt good. She looked down at the ground, and there was the robin!

"Well, robin, you showed me the key to the garden. Now you should show me the door, but I don't think you know where it is!" said Mary, smiling at the bird.

The robin looked at Mary, as if to say, "What do you think?" He jumped onto a tree and sang a loud, lovely song.

Now, Mary Lennox had heard a lot about magic from her Indian Ayi's stories. In later years, Mary always said that what happened to her at this very moment was magic.

The wind began to blow suddenly. The wind was strong enough to blow the branches of the thick, green vines that covered the walls of the secret garden. Mary, who had stepped close to the robin, suddenly jumped out and caught the vines in her hand. She had seen something.

It was a doorknob!

Mary put her hands under the thick leaves. She pulled and pushed them aside. Yes, there was a door in the wall of the secret garden! She had found it! Mary's heart was pounding with excitement. The robin was singing loudly, as if he were just as excited. And the door had a key hole!

Mary took out the old key from her pocket. She pushed it in the key hole. She had to turn the key with both hands, but it worked.

Then Mary took a deep breath and looked around her. There was no one coming. No one had seen her open the door.

Mary pushed back the leaves again and opened the door. It hadn't been opened in ten years, so it opened very slowly. Then she went through the door and shut it behind her. She stood around looking amazed.

She was standing inside the secret garden.

(end of section)