The Enchanted Garden by Edith Nesbit
A young woman flees into an enchanted garden where flowers and trees seem to have magical properties. The narrator follows her, sensing her unseen presence. The garden is filled with roses, lilies, and blossoming trees, and the sunlight seems to hold the memory of her footsteps. However, when the narrator finally catches up to the young woman and kisses her, the magic of the garden is shattered, leaving it wintry, dreary, and cold.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1907 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Adventure · 169 words
First lines
OH, what a garden it was, living gold, living green, Full of enchantments like spices embalming the air, There, where you fled and I followed -- you ever unseen, Yet each glad pulse of me cried to my heart, "She is there!"
Roses and lilies and lilies and roses again, Tangle of leaves and white magic of blossoming trees, Sunlight that lay where, last moment, your footstep had lain -- Was not the garden enchanted that proffered me these?
Ah, what a garden it is since I caught you at last -- Scattered the magic and shattered the spell with a kiss: Wintry and dreary and cold with the wind of the past, Ah that a garden enchanted should wither to this!
What this Textopian page supports
The Enchanted Garden is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1907 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1907 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Adventure
- Length: 169 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Enchanted Garden by Edith Nesbit
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Enchanted Garden?
- How does this short story by Edith Nesbit fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Accidental Magic Or Dont Tell All You Know by Edith Nesbit
- The Blue Mountain by Edith Nesbit
- February by Edith Nesbit
- Morning by Edith Nesbit
- Winter by Edith Nesbit
- July by Edith Nesbit
Genres
- Children's Literature — The story is primarily aimed at young readers, featuring a magical and whimsical world.
- Fantasy — The narrative involves magical elements and enchanted settings.
- Adventure — The plot involves a series of exciting events and challenges.
Tags
Fantasy · Children's Literature · Adventure · Magic · Garden · Mystery · Friendship · Family · Growing Up · Self-Discovery · Imagination · Exploration