The secret garden

NEST BUILDING 195where and things are uncurling and green budsof leaves are showing. This afternoon I am sureDickon will come."The long warm rain had done strange thingsto the herbaceous beds which bordered the walkby the lower wall. There were things sproutingand pushing out from the roots of clumps of plantsand there were actually here and there glimpses ofroyal purple and yellow unfurling among the stemsof crocuses. Six months before Mistress Marywould not have seen how the world was wakingup, but now she missed nothing.When she had reached the place where the doorhid itself under the ivy, she was startled by acurious loud sound. It was the caw caw of acrow and it came from the top of the wall, andwhen she looked up, there sat a big glossy-plumagedblue-black bird, looking down at her verywisely indeed. She had never seen a crow so closebefore and he made her a little nervous, but thenext moment he spread his wings and flapped awayacross the garden. She hoped he was not going tostay inside and she pushed the door open wonder*ing if he would. When she got fairlyinto thegarden she saw that he probably did intend to staybecause he had alighted on a dwarf apple-tree,and under the apple-tree was lying a little reddishanimal with a bushy tail, and both of them were