The Selfish Giant-Basil Rathbone

[ti:The Selfish Giant] [ar:Basil Rathbone] [al:Oscar Wilde - The Tales] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]The Selfish Giant - Basil Rathbone [00:01.31]Every afternoon [00:02.12]As they were coming from school [00:03.21] [00:03.88]The children used to go and play in the Giant's garden [00:05.97] [00:06.78]It was a large lovely garden [00:08.53]With soft green grass [00:09.30] [00:10.11]Here and there over the grass [00:11.44]Stood beautiful flowers like stars [00:12.66] [00:13.67]And there were twelve peach-trees [00:14.79] [00:15.54]That in the spring-time broke out [00:17.23]Into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl [00:19.39]And in the autumn bore rich fruit [00:20.88] [00:21.48]The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly [00:24.08]That the children used to stop [00:25.21]Their games in order to listen to them [00:26.77] [00:27.39]'How happy we are here ' they cried to each other [00:29.92] [00:31.17]One day the Giant came back [00:32.36] [00:33.27]He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre [00:35.25] [00:35.79]And had stayed with him for seven years [00:37.37] [00:38.12]After the seven years were over he had said all [00:40.45]That he had to say for his conversation was limited [00:42.99] [00:43.61]And he determined to return to his own castle [00:45.69] [00:46.33]When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden [00:48.64] [00:49.82]What are you doing here [00:50.73] [00:51.39]He cried in a very gruff voice [00:52.90]And the children ran away [00:54.19]My own garden is my own garden [00:56.12]Any one can understand that [00:57.42] [00:58.03]And I will allow nobody to play in it but myself [01:00.30] [01:01.29]So he built a high wall all round it [01:03.23] [01:03.75]And put up a notice-board [01:04.57] [01:05.79]Prespassers will be prosecuted [01:08.78] [01:10.56]He was a very selfish Giant [01:11.71] [01:12.99]The poor children had now nowhere to play [01:15.01] [01:15.69]They tried to play on the road [01:17.09]But the road was very dusty and full of hard stones [01:19.24]And they did not like it [01:20.25] [01:20.91]They used to wander round the high wall [01:22.34] [01:23.02]When their lessons were over [01:23.89] [01:24.60]And talk about the beautiful garden inside [01:26.42] [01:27.84]'How happy we were there [01:29.49]They said to each other [01:30.51] [01:31.39]Then the Spring came [01:32.31] [01:33.07]And all over the country there were little blossoms [01:35.15]And little birds [01:35.79] [01:36.97]Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant [01:38.86]It was still Winter [01:39.63] [01:40.42]The birds did not care to sing in it as [01:42.30]There were no children [01:43.02]And the trees forgot to blossom [01:44.77] [01:45.45]Once a beautiful flower put it's head out [01:47.42]From the grass [01:48.48]But when it saw the notice-board [01:49.91]It was so sorry for the children [01:51.39]That it slipped back into the ground again [01:53.07] [01:54.19]And went off to sleep [01:55.15] [01:56.33]The only people [01:57.07]Who were pleased were the Snow [01:58.04]And the Frost [01:58.91]Spring has forgotten this garden they cried [02:01.33]So we will live here all the year round [02:03.40]The Snow covered up the grass [02:04.80]With her great white cloak [02:05.61]And the Frost painted all the trees silver [02:07.78]Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them [02:09.84]And he came He was wrapped in furs [02:12.07]And he roared all day about the garden [02:13.77]And blew the chimney-pots down [02:14.74] [02:15.55]'This is a delightful spot [02:16.83]He said 'we must ask the Hail on a visit ' [02:19.94]So the Hail came [02:21.20]Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof [02:23.47]Of the castle till he broke most of the slates [02:25.45]And then he ran round and round the garden [02:26.85]As fast as he could go He was dressed in grey [02:29.34]And his breath was like ice [02:30.41] [02:31.94]'I cannot understand [02:33.28]Why the Spring is so late in coming [02:35.14] [02:35.76]Said the Selfish Giant [02:36.97]As he sat at the window [02:37.98]And looked out at his cold white garden [02:39.94] [02:41.22]I hope there will be a change in the weather [02:43.39] [02:44.66]But the Spring never came [02:45.71] [02:46.31]Nor the Summer [02:46.86] [02:47.92]The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden [02:49.70]But to the Giant's garden she gave none [02:51.55] [02:53.02]'He is too selfish ' she said [02:54.63] [02:55.56]So it was always Winter there [02:57.09]And the North Wind and the Hail and the Frost [02:58.72]And the Snow danced about through the trees [03:00.77] [03:02.60]One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed [03:05.59]When he heard some lovely music [03:06.68] [03:08.02]It sounded so sweet to his ears [03:09.91]That he thought it must be [03:11.04]The King's musicians passing by [03:12.37] [03:13.57]It was really only a little linnet singing outside his window [03:16.62] [03:17.48]But it was so long [03:18.50]Since he had heard a bird sing in his garden [03:20.12]That it seemed to him to be [03:21.51]The most beautiful music in the world [03:23.27] [03:24.22]Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head [03:26.13]And the North Wind ceased roaring [03:27.43] [03:28.29]And a delicious perfume came to him [03:30.77]Through the open casement [03:31.72] [03:32.63]I believe the Spring has come at last [03:35.23]Said the Giant; [03:36.26]And he jumped out of bed and looked out [03:37.99]What did he see [03:38.66] [03:40.61]He saw a most wonderful sight [03:42.79] [03:43.96]Through a little hole in the wall [03:45.54]The children had crept in [03:46.58] [03:47.18]And they were sitting in the branches of the trees [03:49.02] [03:49.69]In every tree that he could see there was a little child [03:51.95] [03:52.73]And the trees were [03:53.46]So glad to have the children back again [03:55.62]That they had covered themselves with blossoms [03:57.01] [03:57.63]And were waving their arms gently [03:59.93]Above the children's heads [04:00.75] [04:01.85]The birds were flying about and twittering with delight [04:04.25]And the flowers were looking up [04:05.81]Through the green grass and laughing [04:07.24]It was a lovely scene [04:08.43] [04:09.48]Only in one corner it was still Winter [04:11.57] [04:12.59]It was the farthest corner of the garden [04:14.42] [04:15.04]And in it was standing a little boy [04:16.60] [04:17.83]He was so small that he could not reach up [04:19.70]To the branches of the tree [04:20.69] [04:21.30]And he was wandering all round it [04:23.26]Crying bitterly [04:24.17] [04:25.34]The poor tree was still quite covered [04:27.00]With frost and snow [04:28.52]And the North Wind was blowing and roaring above it [04:31.08] [04:31.72]'Climb up little boy ' [04:32.68]Said the Tree and it bent its branches down [04:35.80]As low as it could; but the little boy was too tiny [04:38.56] [04:39.78]And the Giant's heart melted as he looked out [04:42.18] [04:44.83]How selfish I have been ' he said [04:47.25] [04:48.06]Now I know why the Spring would not come here [04:50.50] [04:51.24]I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree [04:54.08] [04:55.03]And then I will knock down the wall [04:56.73]And my garden shall be the children's playground [04:58.69]For ever and ever [04:59.47] [05:00.47]He was really very sorry for what he had done [05:02.22] [05:03.12]So he crept downstairs [05:04.01] [05:04.74]And opened the front door quite softly [05:06.18] [05:06.89]And went out into the garden [05:08.07] [05:08.95]But when the children saw him they were [05:10.31]So frightened that they all ran away [05:12.08]And the garden became Winter again [05:13.26] [05:14.15]Only the little boy did not run [05:15.97] [05:16.65]For his eyes were so full of tears [05:18.84]That he died not see the Giant coming [05:20.23] [05:22.09]And the Giant stole up behind him [05:23.27] [05:24.09]And took him gently in his hand [05:25.53] [05:26.41]And put him up into the tree [05:27.76] [05:28.51]And the tree broke at once into blossom [05:30.34]And the birds came and sang on it [05:31.97]And the little boy stretched out his two arms [05:34.01]And flung them round the Giant's neck [05:35.78]And kissed him And the other children [05:38.44]When they saw [05:39.16]That the Giant was not wicked any longer [05:40.82]Came running back [05:41.40] [05:42.06]And with them came the Spring [05:43.24] [05:44.27]It is your garden now little children [05:46.11] [05:46.91]Said the Giant [05:47.59] [05:48.19]And he took a great axe and knocked down the wall [05:50.73] [05:52.10]And when the people were gong to market [05:53.70]At twelve o'clock they found the Giant playing [05:55.42] [05:55.94]With the children in the most beautiful garden [05:58.38]They had ever seen [05:59.12] [06:00.64]All day long they played [06:01.78] [06:02.51]And in the evening they came to the Giant [06:04.70]To bid him good-bye [06:05.42] [06:06.28]'But where is your little companion [06:07.60] [06:08.62]He said the boy I put into the tree [06:11.50] [06:12.87]The Giant loved him the best [06:14.29] [06:15.16]Because he had kissed him [06:16.40] [06:17.22]We don't know [06:17.74]Answered the children he has gone away [06:19.59] [06:20.52]'You must tell him to be sure [06:22.08]And come here to-morrow [06:23.19]Said the Giant [06:23.88] [06:24.59]But the children said [06:25.58]That they did not know where he lived [06:27.12] And had never seen him before [06:28.23] [06:29.02]And the Giant felt very sad [06:30.31] [06:32.16]Every afternoon when school was over [06:34.06]The children came and played with the Giant [06:35.66] [06:36.55]But the little boy [06:37.52]Whom the Giant loved was never seen again [06:39.70] [06:41.24]The Giant was very kind to all the children [06:43.04]Yet he longed for his first little friend [06:45.40] [06:46.44]And often spoke of him [06:47.40] [06:48.94]How I would like to see him [06:50.64] [06:51.50]He used to say [06:52.16] [06:53.86]Years went over [06:55.18] [06:56.41]And the Giant grew very old and feeble [06:58.31] [06:59.55]He could not play about any more [07:00.84] [07:01.62]So he sat in a huge armchair [07:03.25] [07:04.53]And watched the children at their games [07:06.25] [07:07.42]And admired his garden [07:08.55] [07:10.30]I have many beautiful flowers [07:12.47]He said but the children are [07:16.31]The most beautiful flowers of all ' [07:18.17] [07:20.56]One winter morning he looked out of [07:23.28]His window as he was dressing [07:24.51] [07:25.55]He did not hate the Winter now [07:26.99] [07:27.56]For he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep [07:29.61] [07:30.70]And that the flowers were resting [07:31.93] [07:33.36]Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder [07:35.18] [07:36.75]And looked and looked [07:38.66] [07:40.15]It certainly was a marvellous sight [07:42.29] [07:43.05]In the farthest corner of the garden [07:45.12]Was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms [07:47.43] [07:48.27]It's branches were all golden [07:50.00] [07:50.67]And silver fruit hung down from them [07:52.94]And underneath it stood the little boy he had loved [07:55.28] [07:56.06]Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy [07:58.27]And out into the garden [07:59.43]He hastened across the grass [08:00.65]And came near to the child [08:01.54] [08:02.34]And when he came quite close [08:03.87]His face grew red with anger [08:05.44] [08:06.10]And he said Who hath dared to wound thee [08:09.44] [08:10.59]For on the palms of the child's hands [08:12.73] [08:14.35]Were the prints of two nails [08:15.49] [08:16.68]And the prints of two nails were on the little feet [08:18.81] [08:19.72]Who hath dared to wound thee [08:21.19] [08:21.73]'Tell me [08:22.10]That I may take my big sword and slay him [08:23.93] [08:25.81]'Nay ' answered the child [08:28.64] [08:30.06]But these are the wounds of Love [08:31.78] [08:33.97]'Who art thou ' said the Giant [08:38.28] [08:40.41]And a strange awe fell on him [08:42.74] [08:43.67]And he knelt before the little child [08:45.32] [08:46.67]And the child smiled on the Giant [08:48.81]And said to him [08:49.53] [08:51.55]You let me play once in your garden [08:53.75] [08:55.62]To-day you shall come with me to my garden [08:58.25] [08:59.41]Which is Paradise ' [09:00.12] [09:03.24]And when the children ran in that afternoon [09:04.86] [09:06.41]They found the Giant lying dead under the tree [09:08.50] [09:10.27]All covered with white blossoms