The Secret Garden Chapter 20 Summary

"I Shall Live Forever—And Ever—And Ever"

  • Colin, Dickon, and Mary can't just go to the Secret Garden without any preparation—first, the weather's too cold, and then they need to prepare a wheelchair for Colin.
  • During this delay, Colin gets really into the idea of keeping the Secret Garden, well, secret. Clearly, the mystery is part of the garden's fascination for him.
  • So Colin demands that the head gardener, Mr. Roach, come to his rooms.
  • Mr. Roach has never actually met Colin, but he's surprised to find "the young Rajah" (20.15)—in other words, the holy terror who has been bossing around the household since birth—sitting feeding a baby lamb with a bottle. (Dickon is visiting, of course.)
  • Colin orders Mr. Roach to keep the gardeners away from the Long Walk by the garden walls when Colin is out there in his wheelchair.
  • As Colin waits for afternoon to come, he realizes that he has never been outside to see springtime before.
  • The nurse gets Colin ready to go outside, and he seems eager and happy—another big change from his earlier habits.
  • Outside, Dickon pushes Colin's wheelchair as he takes breaths of fresh air and stares out at the moor.
  • Mary tells the step-by-step story of how the robin showed her the key and the hidden door to the garden.
  • Dickon pushes Colin into the Secret Garden and he sees its green beauty.
  • And Colin exclaims: "I shall get well! I shall get well!" (20.71)