Mary ran around in a circle, barking, and the dog ran and woofed with her. “Come on!” she cried, grabbing Dickon’s hand.

“What? Where are we going?”

Mary grinned at him. “Just run!”

She sprinted off, happiness bubbling through her as she ran for the sheer joy of it. The dog raced beside her, and she could hear Dickon’s boots thudding on the grass behind them. As they charged through the garden, new stems seemed to rise up from the ground, twisting up around the temple columns, buds bursting open into bright red and yellow flowers as the garden responded to their joy.

Sunlight fell on Mary’s face, and she opened her arms wide, touching the plants as she ran. Spring had quickly come to her garden, and all around her, the plants were suddenly beginning to bloom. Blue forget-me-nots, tall orange lupins, and red azaleas burst into life. Deep pink and purple flowers appeared on the dark green rhododendron bushes, and white flowers exploded on the twisted branches of a magnolia tree. The buds seemed to open as the children touched them.

“This garden is magic, Dickon! I know it is!” Mary cried.

They raced through the giant ferns and reached the stream. They splashed through the temple and ran on. When they could run no longer, they threw themselves down in the long grass near the broken statue where Mary had found the key. The dog lay panting between them. Mary gazed at the cornflower-blue sky. Her blood felt like it was buzzing. Hearing a merry twittering, she saw the robin circling over her. As she propped herself up on her arms, it landed on her knee and then hopped onto her hand. Mary lifted it up carefully. “Hello.”

It chirruped as if trying to tell her something important.

Dickon smiled. “You’ve got a friend there.”

“I’ve met him before,” said Mary. She looked at the robin intently. “You showed me where the key was. Are you trying to tell me something else now?”

The robin sang louder.

Mary frowned. What could the robin want her to do? An answer came into her head, and she reached into her pocket with her other hand and pulled out the key. The robin twittered and hopped up and down. “I think he’s telling me to find the gate to the garden—the gate this key unlocks.”

A sudden wind blew around the garden. “See!” Mary said in delight. “Even the garden agrees with me!”

The robin flew up into the air and circled around before flying to a different statue and perching on it. “We need to follow him!” Mary declared.

Dickon gave a shrug but let her lead the way.

The robin flew back to the wall where Mary had first climbed over.

“Maybe we have to look for the door from the other side,” said Mary. “Yes,” she decided. “I think that’s what he’s saying.”