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Frances Hodgson Burnett

SummSummary…ary…

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• She was born in Manchester,England.She wrote a lot of very popular books for children. The Secret Garden describes how two sad,lonely children find happiness by looking after an abandoned garden. This very popular story was filmed twice, in 1949 and 1993.

The authorFrances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924)

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CharactersMary Lennox was a spoilt,unpleasant and rude little girl. She had a thin body and a sad face.At Misselthwaite Manor she became a gentle and polite girl.

Colin Craven was Mary’s cousin. He tought to be ill and to have a crooked back. The magic of the garden made him grow strong and healthy.

Dickon was Martha’s brother. He was very kind and he loved animals of the moor. He helped Mary and Colin to become strong and healthy.

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CharactersAfter Mrs Craven’s death, Mr Craven became an unpleasant man. At the end, when he saw his son, he became a happy man and he was proud of Colin.

Martha was Mary’s housemaid. She had a friendly voice. She was very kind.

Mrs Medlock was Mr Carven’s housekeeper . She was very strict with Mary.

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CharactersBen Weatherstaff was Mr Craven’s gardener. He was an unfriendly man, but at the end, he was happy, because he saw Colin walking in the secret garden and he cried.

The robin was Ben Weatherstaff’s friend. He became Mary’s friend when he saw her in the gardens.

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Chapter 1 Mary Lennox was a spoilt,rude,bad

tempered little girl who complained a lot. She lived in India,but when her parents died during a terrible epidemic,she was sent to live with her uncle Mr Craven,in Yorkshire,in a big house in the moor. In London, when she arrived, she met Mrs Medlock, Mr Craven’s housekeeper,who told her about her uncle: her wife was dead and he became an unpleasant man.

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Chapter 2• Next morning, Martha, a young

housemaid,awakened Mary. She told her about her large and poor family and about her brother Dickon, who loved animals in the moor. She also told her about a walled garden that was locked up. When Mary went out to look at the gardens,she knew Ben Weatherstaff,a gardener with a friendly robin. When the bird flew over one wall,she found one old garden without a door… She wanted to find its key…

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Chapter 3• Every day, after dinner,Martha told Mary about

the secret garden and about Mr Craven: his wife died when she fell from an old tree with a branch like a seat. But one day, when Martha left Mary, she decided to explorer the house and she heard someone crying, but Mrs Medlock took her in her room. The next day, with the robin,she found a key. Then another day, she saw,under some ivy,one door. She opened the door with the key and she discovered the old garden.

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Chapter 4• Mary worked every day in the garden. One day

she saw Dickon;he was so kind that she felt she could trust him. So Mary took him to the garden. That evening,she met for the first time her uncle: Mary said she wanted a piece of garden where she could grow flowers and Mr Craven consented. During the night,Mary heard for the second time someone crying and he discovered in one room a skinny,young boy lying on a bed.

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Chapter 5• The young boy was Colin, Mary’s cousin. Mr

Craven was his father.No one talked to him because he was too afraid and he was always ill. Mr Craven was afraid that Colin would grow up with a crooked back. He was born when his mother died and when Mr Craven saw him, he felt very sad. Mary spoke with Colin for a long time. He cried because no one believed he would live until he grew up but he didn’t want to die. Mary told him about the garden but she said that she didn’t discover it. When Colin fell asleep, she left his room.

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Chapter 6• Next morning, Mary told Martha about Colin and

Martha felt very upset. But Colin wanted to see Mery and she went again in his room. Colin was sad again,because he didn’t want to die and he had a tantrum with Mary. Then she left the room angrily. Later,when she remembered how lonely was Colin, she decided to go and see him the next day. During the night, Colin shouted and cried, so Mary ran in his room to stop the terrible noise.

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Chapter 7 Colin was red from crying because he tought that his

back was crooked. So Mary looked at the poor,skinny back for a long time: it was very straight. So Colin fell asleep quiet. In the morning Mary met Dickon and they decided to see Colin,the next day. Then Mary in Colin’s room, decided to talk to him about her secret: the old garden. When Colin heard the truth, he was very excited. Next day, for breakfast Colin and Mary met Dickon with his animals. They went out and they opened the secret garden’s door. That day, the world changed for Colin, because he became very happy and surprised. He wanted to live for ever and ever.

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Chapter 8 In the garden,from the top of the wall, the

children saw the gardener Ben Weatherstaff ’s angry face looked down at them. When he saw Colin pulled him up out of his chair and stood up straight and tall, he was very surprised and he started crying because he was so happy. Next day, into the garden, Colin walked very well and he decided to see his father without the wheelchair: but it was a surprise.

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Each day,Colin and Mary made exercises to make them stronger and soon they were healthier and happier. Mr Craven was in Europe and one night, he dreamed about the garden and about his house Misselthwaite Manor. The dream made him decide to return home at once. When he arrived,he went to the secret garden and he discovered his child stood still in front of him.Colin told him how the magic of the garden made him stronger and healthier. The man was very proud of his son and walked together in their happy home!!!!!