The Hidden Garden
a retelling of The Secret Garden
edited by Jane Mouttet
Chapter 1 – Alone
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Mary Lennox. She was a miserable child, and people often said she was the most disagreeable girl they had ever seen. Mary had a thin face, a thin body, and thin, light-colored hair. She always looked cross, and she rarely smiled. This was because Mary grew up in India, where it was very hot, and she was often sick.
Her father worked for the British government but was always busy and often sick. Her mother was beautiful and loved to go to parties, and she didn’t want to spend time with Mary. So, when Mary was born, her mother gave her to an Indian nurse called an Ayah. Mary’s mother told the Ayah to keep her out of sight so that she wouldn’t be bothered by Mary’s crying. Because of this, Mary never really got to know her parents, and she grew up spoiled, demanding her way in everything.
When Mary was six years old, she was very selfish and didn’t like anyone. Her governesses—women who were supposed to teach her—didn’t stay long because Mary was so unpleasant. But Mary wanted to learn to read, so she figured it out on her own.
One day, when Mary was about nine years old, something strange happened. She woke up feeling angry, as usual, but when she called for her Ayah, a different servant came. This upset Mary, and she yelled and kicked, but the new servant looked scared and wouldn’t explain what was happening. The whole house felt different that day, and many servants were missing.
Later that morning, Mary went into the garden to play by herself. She tried to make a pretend flower bed by sticking red hibiscus flowers into the dirt. As she played, she muttered angrily, thinking about how she would scold her Ayah when she returned.
While playing, she overheard her mother talking to a young man. Mary was always fascinated by her mother, who was tall and pretty and had lovely clothes. But today, her mother looked scared, and she was speaking in a worried voice. The young man, who was an officer, told her that many people were sick with cholera, a dangerous illness, and that she should have left for the hills earlier to avoid it.
Suddenly, a loud wailing sound came from the servants’ quarters. Mary’s mother grabbed the officer’s arm in fear. The officer explained that one of the servants had died from cholera, and soon, more and more people in the house fell ill.
That day, chaos broke out. Servants were either sick or ran away in fear. In the middle of all the confusion, Mary was forgotten. No one took care of her, and she hid in her room, scared and alone. She heard strange noises outside and saw frightened faces rushing about, but no one came to her. When she got hungry, she snuck into the dining room, where she found food and a drink. After eating and drinking, she became sleepy and went to her room to sleep.
When Mary woke up, the house was silent—too silent. She didn’t hear anyone moving about, no voices or footsteps. It was as if she were the only one left in the house. She saw a small snake slithering across the floor as she lay in bed. It didn’t scare her, and she watched it disappear under the door. Mary began to wonder if everyone had gotten better and forgotten about her.
But soon, she heard footsteps outside. Two men came into the house, whispering. One of them mentioned that the pretty woman who lived there had died. They looked through the rooms and found Mary in the nursery. She was frowning, hungry, and upset that she had been left alone.
One of the men, a large officer, recognized her and was shocked to find her there. He had heard a child was in the house, but no one had ever seen her. He was even more surprised to realize that Mary had been completely forgotten during all the commotion.
“Why was I forgotten?” Mary demanded angrily. “Why didn’t anybody come?”
The officer looked at her sadly. “There is nobody left to come,” he said softly.
It was then that Mary learned the truth. Both her parents had died from cholera, and the few servants who were still alive had fled the house in fear. No one had remembered that Mary was still there. She was alone in the big, quiet house, except for the little snake she had seen earlier.
And so, Mary’s life changed in an instant. She was no longer the spoiled little girl living in India, but an orphan who would soon be sent to live in a strange new place called Misselthwaite Manor, with an uncle she had never met.
Chapter 2 – Mistress Mary
Mary Lennox didn’t really know her mother very well. She thought her mother was pretty, but since they never spent time together, Mary didn’t miss her when she was gone. Servants had always taken care of Mary, so she didn’t worry about what would happen to her now. She assumed someone else would care for her, as they always had. What she did care about was whether the people she would live with would treat her the way she wanted, giving her everything she asked for.
When Mary was first taken to live with an English clergyman and his family, she hated it. The clergyman was poor, and his house was small and untidy. He had five children around the same age, who constantly fought and grabbed toys from each other. Mary didn’t like them at all. She was so unpleasant that after just a day or two, none of the children wanted to play with her.
The worst part for Mary was that the children gave her a nickname. Basil, the oldest boy, started it. He had bright blue eyes and a turned-up nose, and Mary thought he was the most annoying. One day, while she was playing under a tree alone, Basil came over to watch her.
“Why don’t you put some rocks here and make it look like a little mountain?” he suggested, leaning over her.
“Go away!” Mary shouted. “I don’t want boys around! Go away!”
Basil frowned for a moment but then started teasing her. He danced around her, laughing and singing a little rhyme:
“Mistress Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And marigolds all in a row!”
He sang it over and over again until the other children joined in, laughing at Mary. The more they sang, the angrier Mary became. From that day on, they all called her “Mistress Mary, Quite Contrary,” which made her furious.
“You’re leaving soon,” Basil told her one day. “We’re glad of it.”
“I’m glad too,” Mary snapped. “Where am I going?”
“Home,” Basil said with a smirk. “To England, of course.”
Mary frowned. “I don’t know anything about England.”
Basil rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s where you’re going. To live with your uncle. His name is Mr. Archibald Craven, and he lives in a huge, gloomy house called Misselthwaite Manor.”
“I don’t care,” Mary said, sticking her fingers in her ears so she wouldn’t have to listen. But later, she thought a lot about what Basil had said.
A few days later, Mrs. Crawford, the clergyman’s wife, told Mary she would soon leave for England to live with her uncle. Mary didn’t seem interested at all. When Mrs. Crawford tried to be kind and even kissed her on the cheek, Mary just turned away and stayed silent.
“Poor child,” Mrs. Crawford sighed after Mary had gone. “She’s such a plain little thing; her mother was so beautiful.”
Mary didn’t care what people thought of her. She made the long trip to England with an officer’s wife, who was taking her children to boarding school. Once they arrived in London, Mary was handed over to Mrs. Medlock, who worked for her uncle. Mrs. Medlock was the housekeeper at Misselthwaite Manor, a large, serious woman with a red face and piercing eyes.
As they traveled to Misselthwaite Manor, Mary sat in the train carriage, grumpy and cross. She didn’t like Mrs. Medlock, but then, Mary didn’t like most people. She stared out the window, watching the rain as it poured down. Mrs. Medlock didn’t seem to care whether Mary liked her or not. She was busy thinking about her job and following Mr. Craven’s orders.
After a while, Mrs. Medlock decided to tell Mary something about her new home. “Do you know anything about your uncle?” she asked.
“No,” Mary replied, not looking up.
Mrs. Medlock sighed. “Well, it’s a strange place, Misselthwaite Manor. It’s a big, grand house, but it’s very gloomy. It has nearly a hundred rooms, but most of them are locked. Your uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven, is not like other people. He’s a hunchback, and he keeps to himself most of the time. He won’t care much about you.”
Mary listened quietly, but she didn’t show any interest. She didn’t know what a hunchback was, but she didn’t ask.
“There’s a big park around the house and gardens,” Mrs. Medlock continued. “But don’t go wandering around too much. Mr. Craven won’t like that.”
Mary didn’t reply. She just kept staring out the window as the rain continued to fall. The idea of a huge, dark house with locked rooms didn’t sound exciting to her. It sounded dull and lonely, but Mary was used to being alone. She didn’t mind the idea of having to take care of herself. She never really expected anyone to care about her anyway.
Mary began to feel tired as the train carried them farther into the countryside. The gray sky and the constant rain made her eyes feel heavy, and before long, she fell asleep, dreaming of the strange new life that awaited her at Misselthwaite Manor.
Come back next week for the next chapters in The Hidden Garden.
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