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 forgotten 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 Giant's 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 King's 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. 'I
believe the Spring has come at last,' said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed
and looked out.
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