🌿 The Secret Garden – Chapter 10: Colin Visits the Garden

The next morning, the sky was bright and clear. It was the perfect day.

Mary met Dickon outside the house. He had brought a large wheelchair.

“Do you think he’s ready?” Mary asked.

Dickon smiled. “He wants to go. That’s the most important part.”

They went quietly to Colin’s room. He was already dressed and waiting, his eyes full of excitement.

“I’m going,” he whispered. “I’m really going.”

Mary and Dickon helped him into the wheelchair. The hallway was quiet, and the servants were busy. Slowly and carefully, they pushed Colin through the house and out the back door.

When the sun touched his face, Colin closed his eyes and smiled.

“This is the first time I’ve felt the sun in years,” he said.

They moved through the gardens, past trees and flowers, until they reached the ivy-covered wall.

Mary looked around. “No one is watching.”

She pulled back the ivy, took out the key, and opened the door.

Colin gasped.

Inside, the secret garden was full of color and life. Green leaves covered the walls, pink and yellow flowers bloomed, and birds flew overhead.

“It’s like magic,” Colin said quietly.

Mary and Dickon helped him out of the chair. He stood slowly, holding onto the arms of the chair for balance.

Then, step by step, he walked.

He walked on his own.

“I’m walking,” he cried. “Look at me!”

Mary clapped her hands. Dickon’s eyes were shining.

For a long time, they stayed in the garden. Colin touched flowers, felt the bark of trees, and laughed like never before.

“I don’t feel sick here,” he said. “I feel alive.”

They promised to come every day. Dickon would bring food and books. Mary would help Colin grow stronger. And the garden would keep growing, too.

“Let’s never tell anyone,” Colin said. “Not yet. It’s our secret.”

Mary smiled. “Yes. The garden is our world now.”

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📖 Glossary

Word/Phrase	Meaning
Wheelchair	A special chair with wheels for someone who cannot walk well
Gasps	A short breath of surprise
Bloomed	When flowers open and grow
Bark	The outside layer of a tree
Balance	The ability to stand or move without falling
Alive	Full of life and energy

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. What kind of day is it when they take Colin out?

2. What does Dickon bring to help Colin?

3. What is the first thing Colin says when he feels the sun?

4. How does Colin react when he sees the secret garden?

5. What important thing does Colin do in the garden?

6. How does the garden make Colin feel?

7. What promise do the children make at the end of the chapter?

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✅ Answers

1. Bright and clear – a perfect day.

2. A large wheelchair.

3. “This is the first time I’ve felt the sun in years.”

4. He says it’s like magic.

5. He walks on his own for the first time.

6. He feels alive and not sick.

7. To keep the garden a secret and return every day.