"Dickon"
- Mary spends as much time as she can in the Secret Garden clearing away old, dead sticks.
- She also chats often with Ben Weatherstaff, the gardener.
- Ben seems flattered that Mary actually wants to listen to what a crusty old guy has to say.
- She starts asking Ben about roses: If you have a rose that's been left on its own for years and years, will it come back? (Answer: Yep, once the weather gets warm.)
- As Mary is walking, she sees a boy playing a pipe. There are two rabbits at his feet and a squirrel watching him—clearly, this is Dickon the strange Nature Boy.
- He's brought Mary's garden tools and a few flower seeds.
- When Dickon hears the robin calling, he translates to Mary: "he's callin' some one he's friends with" (9.75). Dickon continues, "he likes thee. He's took thee on. He'll tell me all about thee in a minute" (9.77).
- Now, most people would be just a bit surprised to find out that Dickon can apparently talk to animals, but Mary's used to the idea of snake charmers from India, so this doesn't seem that weird to her.
- Dickon offers to help Mary plant her garden.
- Mary immediately gets weird—she doesn't know if she wants to reveal her secret—but finally, she's got no choice, so she brings Dickon into the Secret Garden. Dickon describes it as "a queer, pretty place! It's like as if a body was in a dream" (10.109).