Chapter 4 selfish giant

selfish giant Every afternoon, the children always like to play in the giant's garden after school. It's a lovely big garden, full of green and fluffy grass, beautiful flowers everywhere, as many as the sky Star.There are also twelve peach trees growing on the meadow, which bloom in clusters of powdery flowers in spring, and in autumn fruit.The birds perched on the branches sang joyful tunes. Whenever this happened, the children who were playing would stop and listen to the birds. singing, and shouting to each other, "How happy we are 1" One day, the giant came back.It turned out that he went to visit the house of his monster friend Konisi, and he lived in the monster's house for a long time.

seven years.In seven years, he finished what he wanted to say, and decided to return to his castle.When he entered the house, he saw See children playing in the garden. "What are you here for?" he growled harshly, and the children ran away. "My garden is my own garden," said the giant, "and everyone knows that I don't allow outsiders to play here." Yes, he built a high wall along the garden, and put up a notice: Idlers are not allowed to enter, and those who violate it will be punished severely. He is indeed a very selfish giant. From then on the poor children had no place to play, they had to come to the road, but the street was full of dust and hard

The hard stones made them very disappointed.After school they still used to hang around outside the high walls, talking about the things in the garden inside the walls. beautiful scene. "How happy we are in there," they said to each other. Spring is here again, and small flowers are blooming everywhere in the whole country, and birds are singing everywhere.But only the flower of the selfish giant The garden is still a cold winter scene.The birds forgot to sing, and the trees forgot to blossom, because they could not see the children.there is a flower The flower poked its head out of the grass, and when it saw the notice, it was deeply sympathetic with what had happened to the children, so it withdrew its head again,

Continue to sleep.Only Snow and Frost were overjoyed by it. "Spring has forgotten the garden," they cried, "so We can live here all year round. "Snow made the grass blue with her great white cloak, and the frost made all Some of the trees put on a disguise, and then they came to live with the north wind.The north wind was invited to come, wearing a fur coat, he Whooped all day into the garden and blew the chimney pots off. "It's a happy place," he said. "We still have to call Hail." So, Hail came.For three hours every day he kept beating on the roof of the castle,

The slates on the roof were smashed to pieces, and then they ran around the garden again and again.He's all gray Yes, exhaled bursts of chilling air. "I don't know why spring is so long," said the giant, sitting at the window looking out at the frozen garden. Waiting for the weather to change. " But spring never appeared again, nor did summer.Autumn sent golden fruits to the gardens of thousands of households, But nothing was given to the giant's garden. "He's so selfish," Autumn said.In this way, the giant's garden is full of cold weather all year round.

In winter, there are only north wind, hail, frost and snow jumping up and down among the forests in the garden. One morning, the giant was lying on the bed with his eyes open, when he heard bursts of wonderful music.The music is pleasant to the ear, he I think it must be the king's musician passing by here.It turned out that the one singing outside the window was just a little linnet, because the giant hadn't listened to it for a long time. Seeing the birds singing in the garden, I feel it is wonderful at the moment.At this time, the hailstones on the giant's head no longer danced wildly, and the north wind

The whistling stopped, and wisps of fragrance rushed to the face through the open window. "I believe spring has come at last," said the Giant, He jumped up from the bed and looked out the window. What did he see? He beheld a moving sight: the children had climbed through the hole in the wall into the garden, and were sitting on the branches, each tree There is a child sitting on it.The trees were overjoyed to welcome the children, decked themselves out with fresh flowers, and waved their arms lightly. Gently stroke the children's heads.Birds danced and sang excitedly in the treetops, and flowers poked their heads out of the grass

smiling.This is indeed a moving picture.There is only one corner in the garden full of spring that is still shrouded in severe winter, that is the flowers In the farthest corner of the garden, a little boy was standing there alone. Because he was too small to climb a tree, he could only stand around the tree. Turning around the tree, crying and bewildered.The poor tree is still tightly wrapped in frost and snow, and the north wind has done everything to it roared. "Climb up, little boy," said the tree, and let its branches hang down as far as it could go, but the little boy was too short.

This situation deeply touched the hearts of the giants. "How selfish I was!" he said, "now I understand why Spring God won't come to me.I'll take that poor child up the tree before I knock down the walls and make my garden forever Become a play place for children. "He's really ashamed of what he's done in the past. The Giant came softly downstairs, opened the front door quietly, and went out into the garden.But when the children saw the giant, they were frightened and ran away. Well, the garden is back to winter again.Only the little boy didn't run away, because his eyes were full of tears and he didn't see

Come giant.The giant quietly came behind the child, and gently lifted the child with both hands and placed it on the branch.The tree immediately burst into full bloom The flowers blossomed, and the birds flew back to the branches and sang. The little boy stretched out his arms around the giant's neck and kissed the giant's face. And when the other children saw that the Giant was no longer wicked, they all ran back, and with them came the Spring. "Children, this It is your garden," said the giant, and he took a great axe, and hewed down the walls. At twelve noon, When the people went to the market, they were overjoyed to see the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.

They played all day long, and when night fell the children said good night to the Giant. "But where is that little friend of yours?" asked the giant, "the boy I carried up the tree." The giant loved that a boy because the boy kissed him. "We don't know," replied the children, "he's gone." The Giant said again, "You must tell him to come here tomorrow." But the children told the Giant that they did not know Where the little boy lived, and he had never seen him before, the Giant was very displeased. Every afternoon, the children came to play with the giant as soon as school was over.But the little boy the giant loved never came again Pass.The Giant was very kind to every child, but he missed the little boy more and spoke of him often. "How I wish See him," the giant often sighed. Many years passed, and the giant grew old and weak.He can no longer play with the children, so he can only sit on a giant In the big armchair, I watched the children play games and admired my own garden. "I have so many beautiful fresh flowers," he said, "but children are the most beautiful flowers. " One winter morning, when the Giant got up and dressed, he looked out of the window.Now he doesn't hate winter any more, because in his heart Understand that this is just to let the spring play a ton and let the flowers rest. Suddenly, he rubbed his eyes in surprise, looked and looked intently.What a wonderful sight to see: in the corner at the end of the garden There was a tree full of lovely white flowers, with golden branches and silvery fruit hanging from the branches, And under the tree stood the little boy who was so dear to the Giant. The Giant ran down the stairs in agitation, and went out into the garden.He hurried across the grass and ran to the child.come to the children Before, he blushed and said angrily, "Who dares to make you like this?" There were two holes left on the palms of the child's small hands. There are two nail marks on his little feet. "Who dares to do this to you?" roared the Giant. "Tell me, and I will fetch my sword and kill him." "No!" replied the child, "these are marks of love." "Who are you?" said the giant, feeling a strange sense of awe in his heart.He knelt down in front of the little boy forward. The little boy looked at the giant with a smile on his face and said, "You let me play in your garden once. Today I will take you to my garden, that is paradise. " When the children ran into the garden that afternoon, they saw the Giant lying dead under the tree, covered all over white flowers. THE SELFISH GIANT Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giants garden. 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. happy we are here!" they cried to each other. 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. "What are you doing here?" he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away. "My own garden is my own garden," said the Giant; "any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself." So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board. TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED He was a very selfish Giant. 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. "How happy we were there," they said to each other. 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. "Spring has forget this garden," they cried, "so we will live here all the year round." 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. "This is a delightful spot," he said, "we must ask the Hail on a visit." 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. "I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming," said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white garden; "I hope there will be a change in the weather." But the Spring never came, nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giants garden she gave none. "He is too selfish," 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. One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be the Kings musicians passing by. It was really only a little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in the world. Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head, and the North Wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement. believe the Spring has come at last," said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed and looked out. What did he see? He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every tree that he could see there was a little child. And the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving their arms gently above the childrens heads. The birds were flying about and twittering with delight, and the flowers were looking up through the green grass and laughing. It was a lovely scene, only in one corner it was still winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, and he was wandering all round it, crying bitterly. The poor tree was still quite covered with frost and snow, and the North Wind was blowing and roaring above it. "Climb up! little boy," said the Tree, and it bent its branches down as low as it could; but the boy was too tiny. And the Giants heart melted as he looked out. "How selfish I have been!" he said; "now I know why the Spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children playground for ever and ever." He was really very sorry for what he had done. So he crept downstairs and opened the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden. But when the children saw him they were so frightened that they all ran away, and the garden became winter again. Only the little boy did not run, for his eyes were so full of tears that he did not see the Giant coming. And the Giant stole up behind him and took him gently in his hand, and put him up into the tree. And the tree broke at once into blossom, and the birds came and sang on it, and the little boy stretched out his two arms and flung them round the Giants neck, and kissed him. And the other children, when they saw that the Giant was not wicked any longer, came running back, and with them came the Spring. "It is your garden now, little children," said the Giant, and he took a great ax and knocked down the wall. And when the people were going to market at twelve oclock they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen. All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the Giant to bid him good-bye. "But where is your little companion?" he said: "the boy I put into the tree." The Giant loved him the best because he had kissed him. "We don't know," answered the children; "he has gone away." "You must tell him to be sure and come here to-morrow," said the Giant. But the children said that they did not know where he lived, and had never seen him before; and the Giant felt very sad. Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came and played with the Giant. But the little boy whom the Giant loved was never seen again. The Giant was very kind to all the children, yet he longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him. "How I would like to see him!" he used to say. Years went over, and the Giant grew very old and feeble. He could not play about any more, so he sat in a huge armchair, and watched the children at their games, and admired his garden. "I have many beautiful flowers," he said; "but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all." One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting. Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and looked and looked. It certainly was a marvelous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved. Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across the grass, and came near to the child. And when he came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, "Who hath dared to wound thee?" For on the palms of the childrens hands were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet. "Who hath dared to wound thee?" cried the Giant; "tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him." "Nay!" answered the child; "but these are the wounds of Love." "Who art thou?" said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child. And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, "You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise." And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.