Misselthwaite Manor holds more than one mystery. The Secret Garden has no door. There are strange sounds inside the house. Is Mary just hearing the wind "wuthering" on the Yorkshire Moor? Or is it a cry in the corridor that she hears?
Natasha continues her very special reading of the The Secret Garden.
THE CRY IN THE CORRIDOR
At first each day which passed by for Mary Lennox was exactly like the
others. Every morning she awoke in her tapestried room and found
Martha kneeling upon the hearth building her fire; every morning she
ate her breakfast in the nursery which had nothing amusing in it; and
after each breakfast she gazed out of the window across to the huge
moor which seemed to spread out on all sides and climb up to the sky,
and after she had stared for a while she realized that if she did not
go out she would have to stay in and do nothing--and so she went out.
She did not know that this was the best thing she could have done, and
she did not know that, when she began to walk quickly or even run along
the paths and down the avenue, she was stirring her slow blood and
making herself stronger by fighting with the wind which swept down from
the moor. She ran only to make herself warm, and she hated the wind
which rushed at her face and roared and held her back as if it were
some giant she could not see. But the big breaths of rough fresh air
blown over the heather filled her lungs with something which was good
for her whole thin body and whipped some red color into her cheeks and
brightened her dull eyes when she did not know anything about it.
But after a few days spent almost entirely out of doors she wakened one
morning knowing what it was to be hungry, and when she sat down to her
breakfast she did not glance disdainfully at her porridge and push it
away, but took up her spoon and began to eat it and went on eating it
until her bowl was empty.
"Tha' got on well enough with that this mornin', didn't tha'?" said
Martha.
"It tastes nice today," said Mary, feeling a little surprised her self.
"It's th' air of th' moor that's givin' thee stomach for tha'
victuals," answered Martha. "It's lucky for thee that tha's got
victuals as well as appetite. There's been twelve in our cottage as
had th' stomach an' nothin' to put in it. You go on playin' you out o'
doors every day an' you'll get some flesh on your bones an' you won't
be so yeller."
"I don't play," said Mary. "I have nothing to play with."
"Nothin' to play with!" exclaimed Martha. "Our children plays with
sticks and stones. They just runs about an' shouts an' looks at
things." Mary did not shout, but she looked at things. There was
nothing else to do. She walked round and round the gardens and
wandered about the paths in the park. Sometimes she looked for Ben
Weatherstaff, but though several times she saw him at work he was too
busy to look at her or was too surly. Once when she was walking toward
him he picked up his spade and turned away as if he did it on purpose.
One place she went to oftener than to any other. It was the long walk
outside the gardens with the walls round them. There were bare
flower-beds on either side of it and against the walls ivy grew
thickly. There was one part of the wall where the creeping dark green
leaves were more bushy than elsewhere. It seemed as if for a long time
that part had been neglected. The rest of it had been clipped and made
to look neat, but at this lower end of the walk it had not been trimmed
at all.
A few days after she had talked to Ben Weatherstaff, Mary stopped to
notice this and wondered why it was so. She had just paused and was
looking up at a long spray of ivy swinging in the wind when she saw a
gleam of scarlet and heard a brilliant chirp, and there, on the top of
the wall, forward perched Ben Weatherstaff's robin redbreast, tilting
forward to look at her with his small head on one side.
"Oh!" she cried out, "is it you--is it you?" And it did not seem at all
queer to her that she spoke to him as if she were sure that he would
understand and answer her.
He did answer. He twittered and chirped and hopped along the wall as
if he were telling her all sorts of things. It seemed to Mistress Mary
as if she understood him, too, though he was not speaking in words. It
was as if he said:
"Good morning! Isn't the wind nice? Isn't the sun nice? Isn't
everything nice? Let us both chirp and hop and twitter. Come on! Come
on!"
Mary began to laugh, and as he hopped and took little flights along the
wall she ran after him. Poor little thin, sallow, ugly Mary--she
actually looked almost pretty for a moment.
"I like you! I like you!" she cried out, pattering down the walk; and
she chirped and tried to whistle, which last she did not know how to do
in the least. But the robin seemed to be quite satisfied and chirped
and whistled back at her. At last he spread his wings and made a
darting flight to the top of a tree, where he perched and sang loudly.
That reminded Mary of the first time she had seen him. He had been
swinging on a tree-top then and she had been standing in the orchard.
Now she was on the other side of the orchard and standing in the path
outside a wall--much lower down--and there was the same tree inside.
"It's in the garden no one can go into," she said to herself. "It's
the garden without a door. He lives in there. How I wish I could see
what it is like!"
She ran up the walk to the green door she had entered the first
morning. Then she ran down the path through the other door and then
into the orchard, and when she stood and looked up there was the tree
on the other side of the wall, and there was the robin just finishing
his song and, beginning to preen his feathers with his beak.
"It is the garden," she said. "I am sure it is."
She walked round and looked closely at that side of the orchard wall,
but she only found what she had found before--that there was no door in
it. Then she ran through the kitchen-gardens again and out into the
walk outside the long ivy-covered wall, and she walked to the end of it
and looked at it, but there was no door; and then she walked to the
other end, looking again, but there was no door.
"It's very queer," she said. "Ben Weatherstaff said there was no door
and there is no door. But there must have been one ten years ago,
because Mr. Craven buried the key."
This gave her so much to think of that she began to be quite interested
and feel that she was not sorry that she had come to Misselthwaite
Manor. In India she had always felt hot and too languid to care much
about anything. The fact was that the fresh wind from the moor had
begun to blow the cobwebs out of her young brain and to waken her up a
little.
She stayed out of doors nearly all day, and when she sat down to her
supper at night she felt hungry and drowsy and comfortable. She did
not feel cross when Martha chattered away. She felt as if she rather
liked to hear her, and at last she thought she would ask her a
question. She asked it after she had finished her supper and had sat
down on the hearth-rug before the fire.
"Why did Mr. Craven hate the garden?" she said.
She had made Martha stay with her and Martha had not objected at all.
She was very young, and used to a crowded cottage full of brothers and
sisters, and she found it dull in the great servants' hall downstairs
where the footman and upper-housemaids made fun of her Yorkshire speech
and looked upon her as a common little thing, and sat and whispered
among themselves. Martha liked to talk, and the strange child who had
lived in India, and been waited upon by "blacks," was novelty enough to
attract her.
She sat down on the hearth herself without waiting to be asked.
"Art tha' thinkin' about that garden yet?" she said. "I knew tha'
would. That was just the way with me when I first heard about it."
"Why did he hate it?" Mary persisted.
Martha tucked her feet under her and made herself quite comfortable.
"Listen to th' wind wutherin' round the house," she said. "You could
bare stand up on the moor if you was out on it tonight."
Mary did not know what "wutherin'" meant until she listened, and then
she understood. It must mean that hollow shuddering sort of roar which
rushed round and round the house as if the giant no one could see were
buffeting it and beating at the walls and windows to try to break in.
But one knew he could not get in, and somehow it made one feel very
safe and warm inside a room with a red coal fire.
"But why did he hate it so?" she asked, after she had listened. She
intended to know if Martha did.
Then Martha gave up her store of knowledge.
"Mind," she said, "Mrs. Medlock said it's not to be talked about.
There's lots o' things in this place that's not to be talked over.
That's Mr. Craven's orders. His troubles are none servants' business,
he says. But for th' garden he wouldn't be like he is. It was Mrs.
Craven's garden that she had made when first they were married an' she
just loved it, an' they used to 'tend the flowers themselves. An' none
o' th' gardeners was ever let to go in. Him an' her used to go in an'
shut th' door an' stay there hours an' hours, readin' and talkin'. An'
she was just a bit of a girl an' there was an old tree with a branch
bent like a seat on it. An' she made roses grow over it an' she used
to sit there. But one day when she was sittin' there th' branch broke
an' she fell on th' ground an' was hurt so bad that next day she died.
Th' doctors thought he'd go out o' his mind an' die, too. That's why
he hates it. No one's never gone in since, an' he won't let any one
talk about it."
Mary did not ask any more questions. She looked at the red fire and
listened to the wind "wutherin'." It seemed to be "wutherin'" louder
than ever. At that moment a very good thing was happening to her.
Four good things had happened to her, in fact, since she came to
Misselthwaite Manor. She had felt as if she had understood a robin and
that he had understood her; she had run in the wind until her blood had
grown warm; she had been healthily hungry for the first time in her
life; and she had found out what it was to be sorry for some one.
But as she was listening to the wind she began to listen to something
else. She did not know what it was, because at first she could
scarcely distinguish it from the wind itself. It was a curious
sound--it seemed almost as if a child were crying somewhere. Sometimes
the wind sounded rather like a child crying, but presently Mistress
Mary felt quite sure this sound was inside the house, not outside it.
It was far away, but it was inside. She turned round and looked at
Martha.
"Do you hear any one crying?" she said.
Martha suddenly looked confused.
"No," she answered. "It's th' wind. Sometimes it sounds like as if
some one was lost on th' moor an' wailin'. It's got all sorts o'
sounds."
"But listen," said Mary. "It's in the house--down one of those long
corridors."
And at that very moment a door must have been opened somewhere
downstairs; for a great rushing draft blew along the passage and the
door of the room they sat in was blown open with a crash, and as they
both jumped to their feet the light was blown out and the crying sound
was swept down the far corridor so that it was to be heard more plainly
than ever.
"There!" said Mary. "I told you so! It is some one crying--and it
isn't a grown-up person."
Martha ran and shut the door and turned the key, but before she did it
they both heard the sound of a door in some far passage shutting with a
bang, and then everything was quiet, for even the wind ceased
"wutherin'" for a few moments.
"It was th' wind," said Martha stubbornly. "An' if it wasn't, it was
little Betty Butterworth, th' scullery-maid. She's had th' toothache
all day."
But something troubled and awkward in her manner made Mistress Mary
stare very hard at her. She did not believe she was speaking the truth.
Yay, First comment!
Maya — August 6, 2012
asuummmm
georgia — August 6, 2012
maya I was the first coment
georgia — August 6, 2012
i loved it but it was sort of freeky
georgia — August 6, 2012
it was so cool
georgia — August 6, 2012
it was so cool i loved it but it was sort of freekyn
maya I was the first coment asuummmmYay, First comment!
georgia, georgia, georgia , georgia and maya — August 6, 2012
so cool
vcxh — August 6, 2012
Hello
Thank you for listening to Chapter 5 ‘The Cry in the Corridor’ is a dramatic chapter, which leads Mary to search further room in the Manor of Misselthwaite that she has been brought to.
Thanks for listening
Bye Bye
N*
Natasha — August 7, 2012
I’m at the 5th chapter and I can’t wait to read the next chapter
Olive — March 2, 2016
It was a sad book and then it got happier
Poooooooooooooooooooooooooop — June 1, 2016
I think this story is very interesting.Cool as, book!Good ending it has made me wonder what is going to happen.I like the name of the chapter.My mum has a big garden with lots of flowers and veges. How many series does this book have? What happens now? Does Mary find the key?
Sonya — August 7, 2012
3rd
Keiran — August 7, 2012
Dear natasha and bertie thanks for the story I can’t wait for the next one.
Chloe Beth — August 7, 2012
nice
vivan — August 8, 2012
VERY GOOD!
frankdevis — August 10, 2012
Natasha, thank you for your lovely reading of The Secret Garden. My 5 year old and I are listening together, and are both eager to hear chapter 6 and subsequent chapters.
Erin — August 11, 2012
I think it’s sweet to make friends with a robin redbreast, and it’s wonderful to spend time outdoors, especially in a garden full of flowers and trees.
Thanks for this beautiful chapter.
Beatrix — August 15, 2012
liked it
caroline — August 15, 2012
it was a beautiful night story, thank you bertie the frogg and natasha, I’m looking forward to new stories
Lola — August 17, 2012
too good
monika — September 27, 2012
nice
monika — September 27, 2012
It was cool
Aidan — October 3, 2012
nice stories.
haseena — October 24, 2012
very nice reading…you helped me a lot..thank you
latifa — November 7, 2012
very nice reading, which help me a lot , thank you
latifa — November 7, 2012
hey your stories are great
pop- lolly — November 12, 2012
likes it!!!!
erika — November 19, 2012
I have a report on this. UNFAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anaya — December 4, 2012
soft voice make me repet it several times thank you very much
abohalah2020 — December 14, 2012
Great story.
Bella — February 3, 2013
Nice story.
Bella — February 3, 2013
yes i like it
Rachael — March 4, 2013
liked it very much.Thanks Natasha
Sirena — March 13, 2013
good story
meitar — June 2, 2013
LUV UR STORIES!!!!!
Rebecca — June 27, 2013
I love this website! I can’t afford these books and i am trying to find a website that can give free books to read online. But, I don’t need to do it anymore, in fact, I can even hear it while reading it! Natasha, thank you so much!
Shin Yi — July 31, 2013
this story sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad ;what a long story. cant he write a small story
Anonymous — December 30, 2013
it has a very bad and horrible reading.
m vmklrjvkoprmvkl — December 30, 2013
great story
cassidy — April 30, 2014
I Love you.
Bella — May 14, 2014
Dere birty, if it iseb’t a hassel,it would be nice to see Tuck Everlasting By Natalie Babbitt
Cc — May 18, 2014
i love it make more story please
tamira — August 5, 2014
Where is the word draught
Brandon — September 25, 2014
I like it sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous — September 29, 2014
Wow! Love it
Heather — March 2, 2015
hi hi good good book book??? ??? right right
hello hello everyone everyone — March 30, 2015
i luv The Secret Garden, it is a great book, and i luv listening to Natasha read!!!!!
anonymous — April 23, 2015
Hahahahahaha
Sarah — May 4, 2015
? soooooooooo good I luv it
Anonymous — May 17, 2015
i lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeee this story
gabe — October 8, 2015
The story is interesting, and it’s the 3rd night am listening to your reading. However I had to stop in the middle, your voice and the story seemed scary to me in the darkness of my room. I’ll try again tomorrow afternoon.
Anna Fresa — December 3, 2015
Happy story
Quaidjoher — January 21, 2016
wow
someone — February 17, 2016
I think this is really interesting ??????
Katie — March 2, 2016
I LOVED THE 5 CHAPTER LOL
RYAN — March 2, 2016
currious about story
anthony h — March 18, 2016
I know I’m a YouTuber but I love to read!! > <
o
Veronica Merrell — May 7, 2016
This site made my life beautiful. Thanks for nice stories
Cyano — October 3, 2016
Your stories are the best ever especially, the secret garden! The best part that I love is when Mary found her mother! Do teach people how to write books because I inspired on how you write. Because if you want to tell me your secret on how to write such awesome books my lips are sealed.🤐
Kate — January 28, 2017
I loved it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paige — April 7, 2017
I LOVE IT!!!! so awesome I’m going to listen to them all!
sophia — May 17, 2017
not your best story or so says my cousin personally i loved it
charlie randalf — June 28, 2017
I love this book so much
peter — September 19, 2017
I LIKE THIS CHAPTER
Anonymous — October 9, 2017
that was a great story i;m going to tell all of my freinds
hanga — October 10, 2017
this is my favorite series ever!
jeffys_pencil — October 17, 2017
Loved it.
rayven — October 17, 2017
i didn’t liike this story
joel — November 15, 2017
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lydia — November 25, 2017
Scary ,#storynory
Amy — February 14, 2018
I liked it!
Anonymous — June 10, 2018
It’s great!
Anonymous — June 10, 2018
This is a good story
M.G — October 26, 2018
not bad i like if you dont like reading well you should is sooooo fun :]
Danny — November 7, 2018
cool
P A T A T O H E A D — November 7, 2018
Nice
Kanchan — March 18, 2019
You should read the harry potter books aloud.
Anastasia — March 18, 2019
cooolllll1!!!
nun ya busnessss — March 22, 2019
Trash story
John — March 26, 2019
i did not like it
bob — March 27, 2019
i dont like it its boring
bob — March 27, 2019
very boring wer’e forced to do this from school horrible
tvi — April 8, 2019
Wowo
O — May 17, 2019
Good story love it 😀😅
Anonymous — June 19, 2019
Nice love it
Anonymous — June 19, 2019
it was a ghost
Anonymous — September 27, 2019
I wonder what will happen next???
Lyba — November 24, 2019
what is it adout!
Gia — January 14, 2020
not good
the haters — March 9, 2020
This book is pretty good
vignesha — March 11, 2020
Bad
poooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop — March 11, 2020
this was wird and cool thanks
imran — March 19, 2020
it was very nice to hear that I remember when I read it the first time.! This is better!
anonymous — March 21, 2020
This chapter was interesting
Shauna — March 31, 2020
I love it I love books and stories😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍📔📕📗📘📖
evelynn — May 20, 2020