"THE SELFISH GIANT from story by Oscar Wilde" "Every afternoon," "as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the giant's garden." "It was a large, lovely garden with soft green grass." "Here and there over the grass stood beautifull flowers like stars." "And there were twelve peach trees that are in the spring time broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and perle." "And in the autumn bore rich fruit." "The birds sattle in the trees and sang so sweetly, that the children stopped their games in order to listened to them." ""How happy we are here!" they cried to each other." "One day the giant came back." "He had been in visit to his friend, the cornish Ogre, and stayed with him for seven years." "After the seven years were over, he had said all that he had to say." "Because the conversation with him was limited." "And he determined to return to his own castle." "When he arrived, he saw the children playing in his garden." ""What are you doing here?"" "He cried in a very gruffy voice." "And the children ran away." ""My own garden is my own garden."" "Said the giant." ""Anyone 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." "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 walls when their lessons were over, and talked 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 till 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 up from the grass." "But when it saw the notice board, it was so sorry for the children." "So it slipped back in the ground again and went off to sleep." "The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost." ""Spring has forgotten this garden", they cried." ""So, we will live here." "All the year round."" "Snow covered the gras with her great, white cloak." "And Frost painted all the trees in silver." "Then, they invited the North Wind to stay with them." "And he came." "He was rapped in furs." "And he roared all day above the garden." "And blew the chimney pots down!" ""This is a delightful spot!" he said." ""We must ask a Hail on a visit."" "So the Hail came." "Every day, for three hours, he rattled on the roof of the castle." "So he broke most of the slates." "Then he ran round and around the garden, as fastest as he could go." "He was dressed in gray, and his breath was like ice." ""I can't 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 that 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 Giant's garden, she gave none." ""He's too...selfish." She said." "So, it was always winter there." "And the North Wind and the Hail and the Forst and the Snow, danced the ball 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 king's musician passing by." "It was really only a little lynet singing outside his window." "But it was so long since he had heard a bird sings 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 delicious perfume came to him through the open casement." ""I believe the Spring has come at last!" said the Giant." "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 cracked 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, 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 flowers were looking up through the green grass and laughing." "It was lovely seen." "Only..." "In one corner..." "It was till Winter." "It was in 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 and crying bitterly." "Poor tree was still 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 giant's heart melted as he looked out." ""How selfish I have been!" he said." ""Now I know why the spring would not come here!"" "I'll put the poor little boy on the top of the tree."" ""and then I'll knock down the wall and my garden shall be the children's playground"" ""for ever and ever!"" "He was really very sorry for what he had done." "So, he crapped down stairs, and opened the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden." "But, when the children saw him, they were so frightened, and all ran away." "And the garden...became Winter." "Again." "Only the little boy did not run:" "his eyes were so full of tears that he did not see the giant coming." "The giant stole up behind him." "and took the little boy gently in his hand and put him up into the tree." "And the tree broke at once into the blossom." "and the birds came and sang on it." "And the little boy stretch out his two arms and flung around the giant's neck and kissed him." "And the other children when they saw that 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 axe and knocked down the wall." "When the people were going to the market at 12 o'clock, they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they have seen." "All day long they played." "Aand in the evening they came to the giant to bid goodbye to him." ""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 tomorrow" said the Giant." "But the children said they didn't know where he lived." "And never seen him before." "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 offten spoke of him." ""How I would like to see him!"" "He used to say." "Years went over..." "And the giant grew very old and feebble." "He could not play anymore, so he sat in a hugh arm chair and watched the children at their games." "And admired at 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 the window as he was dressing." "He did not hate the winter now, for he knew that was nearly spring in asleep." "and the flowers were resting." "Suddenly, he rubbed his eyes and wonder." "He looked and looked!" "That certainly was marvelous sight." "In the farthest corner of the garden, was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms." "Its branches were golden." "And silver fruit hung down from them." "And underneath it, stood the little boy he had loved." "Downstairs, ran the gaint 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 under the palms of the childs hand, 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,"" ""today you shall come with me to my garden."" ""Which is Paradise."" "S u B:" "MajaG72"