The Secret Garden (adapted), Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden (adapted)
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Category: Children
Genres: Coming-of-age,Young Adult,Psychological fiction
Level 3.031:26 h38.6 mb
A lonely girl named Mary Lennox comes to live in a large house in England after her parents die. She is not happy and feels very alone. One day, she finds a hidden garden that has been locked for many years. With the help of a boy named Dickon and her cousin Colin, she begins to take care of it. As the garden grows, the children also change... This is an adapted version of the story, shortened and simplified to A2 level for ESL learners.

The Secret Garden

[adapted]

by
Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden (adapted)

Chapter 1.
No One Is Left

Mary Lennox was sent to live at Misselthwaite Manor. People said she was a very unpleasant child, and it was true. She was thin, often ill, and always looked angry. She had been born in India. Her father worked for the government and was often busy and sick. Her mother was beautiful but did not care about her. She liked parties and fun more than her child.

Mary was raised by an Ayah, a servant who took care of her. The Ayah kept her out of sight because her mother did not want to be disturbed. The servants always obeyed Mary and gave her everything she wanted. Because of this, Mary became selfish and bossy. No one liked her. The governesses who tried to teach her soon left. Mary only learned a little because she sometimes wanted to read.

One very hot morning, when Mary was about nine years old, she woke up feeling angry. A strange servant stood near her bed.

“Why are you here?” Mary said. “I want my Ayah.”

The woman looked afraid. She said the Ayah could not come. Mary became very angry and shouted at her. The servant only repeated that the Ayah could not come.

Something was wrong in the house. Some servants were gone, and the others looked frightened. No one explained anything. Mary was left alone. She went into the garden and played by herself, but she grew more angry.

Soon she saw her mother on the veranda with a young officer. Her mother looked afraid. “Is it very bad?” she asked.

“Very bad,” the young man said. “You should have left earlier.”

Suddenly, loud crying came from the servants’ quarters. Mary felt afraid.

“Someone has died,” the officer said. Her mother cried out and ran inside.

After that, terrible things happened. A disease, cholera, spread quickly. Many people became ill and died. Mary’s Ayah died. Other servants died or ran away. There was fear everywhere.

On the second day, Mary hid in the nursery. No one came to her. No one remembered her. She cried, slept, and waited. She heard strange sounds in the house. Once she found food and ate alone. She drank some wine and became very sleepy.

She slept for a long time. When she woke up, the house was completely silent. There were no voices and no footsteps. She wondered if everyone was better. She wondered who would take care of her now.

No one came. The house felt empty. A small snake moved across the floor and left the room. Mary was not afraid. “It feels like no one is here but me,” she said.

Soon she heard men walking into the house. They spoke quietly and opened doors. When they found Mary, they were shocked.

“There is a child here!” one man said.

“I am Mary Lennox,” she said. “Why does no one come?”

The men looked at her with sadness. “There is no one left,” one of them said.

Mary learned then that her mother and father were dead. The servants were gone. No one had remembered her. She was completely alone.

The Secret Garden (adapted)

Chapter 2.
Mary Goes to England

Mary did not feel sad when her mother died. She had never loved her, and she only thought about herself. She believed someone would always take care of her, as before. She hoped to live with people who would be kind and let her do what she wanted.

At first, she stayed with an English clergyman and his family. They were poor and had many children. The house was untidy, and the children often fought. Mary was rude to them, and they soon stopped playing with her.

One boy, Basil, began to tease her. One day he watched her making a small garden and tried to help. “Go away,” Mary said. “I don’t want boys.”

Basil laughed and began to sing:
“Mary, Mary, always cross,
How well your garden grows?”

The other children joined in. They called her “Mary, Mary, always cross,” and this made her very angry.

“You are going to England soon,” Basil told her. “To your uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven.”

Mary did not know him. Basil said he lived in a large, lonely house and that he was strange and unpleasant. Mary did not believe him, but she thought about it later.

That night, Mrs. Crawford told Mary she would soon travel to England to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor. Mary did not show any feeling. She turned away when Mrs. Crawford tried to be kind.

Soon Mary began the long journey. On the ship, an officer’s wife looked after her, but she paid more attention to her own children. In London, a woman named Mrs. Medlock came to meet Mary. She was the housekeeper at Misselthwaite Manor.

Mary did not like Mrs. Medlock. Mrs. Medlock did not like Mary either. They traveled together by train. Mary sat still and said very little. Mrs. Medlock began to tell her about her uncle.

“You are going to a large, old house,” she said. “It has many rooms, but most are locked. It stands on the edge of the moor. It is a lonely place.”

Mary listened, though she tried not to show interest. Mrs. Medlock explained that Mr. Craven was a strange man. He did not like people and often stayed alone. He had a crooked back and had once been unhappy.

“He had a wife,” Mrs. Medlock said. “She was kind and beautiful. But she died.” Mary felt a little surprised and sorry. “After that, he changed,” Mrs. Medlock continued. “He does not care about anyone now. He stays in his rooms and sees almost no one.”

The house sounded dark and quiet. Mary looked out of the train window. It was raining, and the sky was gray.

“You will not see him much,” Mrs. Medlock said. “You must stay where you are told and not explore the house.”

“I will not want to explore,” Mary said. But the thought of a large house with many locked rooms stayed in her mind. She watched the rain fall for a long time, and at last she fell asleep.

The Secret Garden (adapted)

Chapter 3.
Across the Moor

Mary slept for a long time. When she woke, Mrs. Medlock had bought food, and they ate in the train. It was still raining heavily. After eating, Mrs. Medlock fell asleep, and Mary sat quietly until she slept again. When she woke, it was dark. The train had stopped.

“We are here,” said Mrs. Medlock. “Now we have a long drive.”

They got out at a small station. No one else was there. A carriage waited outside, and a servant helped Mary in. She sat by the window and looked out as they drove away. At first, they passed a small village. Mary saw houses, a shop, and a church. Then the road became empty. After some time, she could see almost nothing.

“What is a moor?” Mary asked.

“You will see,” said Mrs. Medlock.

Soon the carriage moved more slowly. There were no trees or houses now. Only darkness. The wind grew strong and made a low, wild sound.

“We are on the moor,” said Mrs. Medlock.

The lamps showed a rough road and low plants on each side. The land was wide and empty.

“It sounds like the sea,” Mary said.

“It is only the wind,” Mrs. Medlock answered. “This is wild land. Only grass, bushes, sheep, and ponies live here.”

The carriage went on for a long time. The wind howled, and water rushed under small bridges. Mary felt uneasy. “I don’t like it,” she thought. At last, she saw a small light in the distance.

“That is the lodge,” said Mrs. Medlock. “We are near.”

But they still had a long way to go. They passed through gates and drove along a dark road between trees. The branches almost met above them. It felt like a tunnel. Then they reached the house.