When a cholera epidemic kills Mary Lennox's family in India, she
is taken to her Uncle Craven's house in the sprawling Yorkshire moors,
Misselthwaite Manor. Previously angry and lonely, Mary grows
calmer and gradually makes friends with her maidservant Martha
Sowerby who tells her that the late Mrs Craven used to love tending
to a private garden in the grounds but following her death, her
Uncle Craven had locked the garden and buried the key. Mary becomes
fascinated by this secret garden and one day miraculously discovers
the key down a badger's hole. As she becomes accustomed to
life in Yorkshire and tending to the secret garden, Mary becomes
convinced that she can hear a mysterious crying sound from within
the house. With the help of Martha's younger brother Dickon, Mary
discovers that she has a secret young cousin Colin who has been
locked away in the house for years and it is he who has been crying.
Mary and Dickon take it upon themselves to nurture Colin back
to health, exploring the secret garden as they do. Eventually
there is a happy ending for all the children, thanks to the Secret
Garden.