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Part Two

Tom decides that he must find out more about the garden. That very night he goes out once more when the clock strikes thirteen. He opens the door and there the garden is again in full flower. This time he explores more of the garden, the huge wall and the small winding paths. He looks back to the house and thinks for one second that he just catches sight of someone going back into the house. He moves through a gap in the hedge and up a small hill which leads him to the river that flows on the other side. The fields are full of cows and geese. He goes back to the garden and discovers a letter in the vegetable patch. It is addressed to "Oberon King of the fairies." He then quickly has to hide as he sees a gardener pushing a wheelbarrow. when the coast is clear he moves back to the door of the house. He notices some footprints in the soil and he thinks someone may have been watching him. He goes back into the house and awaits the next night.

Back in his bedroom he checks his bedside clock. Only a minute or two has passed in his time although he spent much longer in the garden. All the information is relayed back to Peter by letter. Tom climbs a large tree on the next visit to the garden. He sees a small boy and hears a dog barking. He also notices that he appears to have no weight when in the tree and cannot push things. Later on he tries to get through a garden gate but finds that it locked. He pushes hard against the door and realises that he can pass through objects like a ghost. It takes him a little while but he soon gets the hang of it.

On the other side he sees Abel the gardener eating his sandwiches. Abel is quite religious and says a small prayer before each round of bread. Tom believes that Abel cannot see him and so hitches a ride on the wheelbarrow to save him having to try and move through the garden gate again. Abel still gives no indication that he can see Tom although later on we find that he actually can see and hear Tom. Tom goes back up to the river, he sees three boys fishing and a young girl sitting on the river bank. After handing some worms to one of the boys she turns back and faces Tom. He waves to her, she sees him but makes no attempt to acknowledge his presence. She looks very unhappy. Tom goes back to his own time and writes to Peter. He tells Peter that he still has the feeling that someone is watching him in the garden. He also informs Peter that the seasons change from Summer to Winter whenever he returns. One time he goes back it is late at night and a huge storm is starting. The old tree in the middle of the garden gets hit by lightening and bursts into flames. Tom hears a scream from an upstairs room. The cry was terrible Tom tells Peter. The next evening Tom gets another shock as when he returns to the garden, the tree is there again in all its glory. The young girl is there again but as previously she gives Tom the brush off as she chases after the boys.

Tom when back in his own time begins asking questions to Uncle Alan about trees and time. He asks Uncle Alan about what time actually is. Uncle Alan gets annoyed especially when Tom insists that a tree was hit in a storm and then the next time it was back again. Aunt Gwen diffuses the situation by offering a cup of tea. Tom goes to his room and writes to Peter. Aunt Gwen checks Tom's temperature, thinking that he may becoming down with measles.

Tom again returns to the garden and from behind a hedge, watches the children . One of the boys Edgar is mean to the girl whilst one of the others James is kind to her. They run off without her so she goes and speaks with Abel. Tom follows and tries to talk to the boys but they do not see him. He goes back into the house and things change back to his own time. He goes and writes to Peter about the day's events.

During the next visit Tom finds that the girl's name is Hatty and that the boys have a dog called Pincher. Tom also finds out that Hatty can see him as finally she talks to him. Hatty explains that she is a princess although Tom does not really believe her. Tom finds out that he cannot catch apples or pick things up again. He also finds out that the boys are not really Hatty's cousins at all and that she is ruled by a strict wicked Aunt Grace who is horrible to her. The two friends walk through the garden and Tom asks about the letter to the fairies. Hatty wonders who put it there. They wander into Abel's work room, the greenhouse where Hatty shows Tom a sensitive plant. Meanwhile the nasty Edgar hears Hatty talking to herself and is really horrible to her. We also learn that Hatty had been watching Tom for some time as she knew he had a ride in the wheelbarrow. They both end up arguing over a story in the bible and Hatty storms off.

On Tom's next visit he shows Hatty how to make a bow and arrow. Hatty cannot complete it and so goes and gets Abel to help finish it. Abel does as she wishes. He asks how she she came to know how to put it together. He also warns her that she must be careful with the bow. Hatty accidentally breaks a window in the greenhouse. Abel kindly fixes it quickly so no one, not even Aunt Grace would know it had ever been broken.

Part Three can be obtained below

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