Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant's garden. It was a lovely garden, with soft green grass and beautiful flowers. But one day the Giant came back. He saw the children playing and shouted, 'My own garden is my own garden!' He built a high wall all around it and put up a notice-board: TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED.
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. '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.
One morning the Giant heard some lovely music. It was a little linnet singing. He looked out and saw a wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. The trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms. 'How selfish I have been!' he said. He took a great axe and knocked down the wall, and the garden became the children's playground for ever and ever.
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The End