Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant\u2019s garden.<\/p>\n
It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach-trees that in the spring-time broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them. \u201cHow happy we are here!\u201d they cried to each other.<\/p>\n
One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy own garden is my own garden,\u201d said the Giant; \u201cany one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.\u201d So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board.<\/p>\n
TRESPASSERS
\nWILL BE
\nPROSECUTED<\/p>\n
He was a very selfish Giant.<\/p>\n
The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones, and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside. \u201cHow happy we were there,\u201d they said to each other.<\/p>\n
Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children, and the trees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the grass, but when it saw the notice-board it was so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the ground again, and went off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost. \u201cSpring has forgotten this garden,\u201d they cried, \u201cso we will live here all the year round.\u201d The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimney-pots down. \u201cThis is a delightful spot,\u201d he said, \u201cwe must ask the Hail on a visit.\u201d So the Hail came. Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates, and then he ran round and round the garden as fast as he could go. He was dressed in grey, and his breath was like ice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming,\u201d said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white garden; \u201cI hope there will be a change in the weather.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the Spring never came, nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant\u2019s garden she gave none. \u201cHe is too selfish,\u201d she said. So it was always Winter there, and the North Wind, and the Hail, and the Frost, and the Snow danced about through the trees.<\/p>\n
One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music.<\/p>\n
Oscar Wilde<\/p>\n
The Chelsea Physic Garden, London is pictured above<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"