Oscar Wilde's story of a giant, a garden, and a wall that keeps the children — and the spring — outside.
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These are the new words for the story. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = C (a giant) · 2 = B (a garden) · 3 = E (a wall) · 4 = H (selfish)
5 = A (spring) · 6 = D (winter) · 7 = G (a flower) · 8 = F (kind)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
Every afternoon, the children played in the Giant's garden. It was a big, beautiful garden with soft green grass. There were pretty flowers and twelve peach trees. In spring, the trees had pink flowers. The birds sang, and the children were very happy. "How happy we are here!" they said.
One day the Giant came home. He was away for seven years, and now he was back. He saw the children in his garden, and he was angry. "This is my garden!" he said. "Only I can play here." So he built a high wall all around the garden. He put up a big sign: KEEP OUT. He was a very selfish Giant.
Now the children had no place to play. Then spring came to all the country. There were flowers and birds everywhere — but not in the Giant's garden. In his garden, it was still winter. There was snow on the grass and ice on the trees. The cold wind blew all day. "Spring forgot this garden," said the Snow and the Frost. "We can stay here all year!" And so the Giant's garden was always cold.
1. Why did the Giant build a wall?
2. What was the weather like in the garden after the wall?
1. He came home and saw the children playing. He was angry and selfish. He wanted the garden only for himself, so he built a wall.
2. It was always winter. There was snow and ice, and the cold wind blew all day. Spring did not come.
One morning the Giant was in bed. He heard a beautiful sound. It was a little bird, singing in his garden. He did not hear a bird for a very long time. It was the most beautiful music in the world. The wind stopped, and a sweet smell came in the window. "I think spring is here!" said the Giant, and he jumped out of bed.
He looked out, and he saw a wonderful thing. There was a small hole in the wall, and the children came in through the hole. They were sitting in the trees. In every tree, there was a little child. The trees were so happy that they had flowers again. The birds sang, and the flowers looked up through the grass.
But in one corner, it was still winter. It was the coldest corner. A little boy stood there. He was very small, and he could not reach the tree. He walked round and round it, and he cried. The tree was still white with snow, and the cold wind blew above him. When the Giant saw this, his heart became warm. "I was so selfish!" he said. "Now I know why spring did not come here."
1. How did the children get into the garden?
2. What was the problem with the little boy in the corner?
1. There was a small hole in the wall. The children came in through the hole and sat in the trees. Then spring came back.
2. He was too small to reach the tree. He could not climb up, so he cried. His tree was still cold and white with snow.
The Giant went downstairs and out into the garden. But when the children saw him, they were afraid, and they ran away. Then the garden was winter again. Only the little boy did not run, because his eyes were full of tears. So the Giant went to him quietly. He picked him up gently and put him into the tree. At once, the tree had flowers, and the birds came to sing. The little boy put his arms around the Giant's neck and kissed him.
The other children saw that the Giant was kind now. They ran back, and spring came with them. "It is your garden now, children," said the Giant. He took a big axe and knocked down the wall. All day the children played. In the evening they said goodbye, but the little boy was not there. "Where is the little boy?" the Giant asked. "We don't know," said the children. "He went away." The Giant looked for him for many years, but he could not find him.
Many years passed, and the Giant was very old. He could not play now, so he sat in a big chair and watched the children. One winter morning, he looked out and saw a beautiful thing. In the far corner, one tree was full of white flowers. Under it stood the little boy. The Giant ran to him. He saw small marks on the boy's hands and feet. "Who hurt you?" said the Giant. "These are the marks of love," said the child. And the Giant felt a quiet wonder, and he knelt down before the child. That afternoon, the children found the old Giant. He was lying under the tree, covered with white flowers, and he was smiling. He was at peace.
1. What did the Giant do with the wall?
2. How does the story end?
1. He put the crying boy in the tree. Then he took a big axe and knocked the wall down, and he gave the garden to the children.
2. Years later, the little boy came back. He had marks of love on his hands and feet. The old Giant knelt before him, and that afternoon the children found the Giant, peaceful and at rest under the white tree.
This story happened in the past, so we use the past simple. We also use there was and there were to say what existed.
Put the verb in brackets into the past simple. Then read the sentence out loud.
1. Every afternoon the children (play) in the garden.
2. The Giant (build) a high wall. (irregular)
3. One morning the Giant (hear) a bird. (irregular)
4. He (knock) down the wall.
1. played (regular: play + ed)
2. built (irregular: build → built)
3. heard (irregular: hear → heard)
4. knocked (regular: knock + ed)
Choose there was (one thing) or there were (many things).
1. twelve peach trees in the garden.
2. snow on the grass all year.
3. a small hole in the wall.
4. beautiful flowers everywhere.
1. There were (twelve trees — plural)
2. There was (snow — singular)
3. There was (a hole — singular)
4. There were (flowers — plural)
Fill each gap with the past simple or with there was / there were. Read it aloud when you finish.
Long ago, a beautiful garden. Every day the children (play) there. Then the Giant (come) home and built a wall. After that, only snow and ice in the garden.
there was (a garden — singular) · played · came · there was (snow and ice, as one cold scene — singular)
Use there was for one thing and there were for many things, and the past simple for finished actions.
Oscar Wilde wrote this story in 1888 for his own two young sons. It looks like a simple children's story, but it has a big idea inside it: when we are selfish, we hurt ourselves too — and kindness can change everything.
Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of the Selfish Giant in your own words. Use these steps to help you: the children played in the garden → the Giant came home and built a wall → it was always winter → the children came back through a hole → the Giant saw the crying boy → he knocked the wall down → the little boy came back at the end.
Try to use the past simple ("he built", "they played") and there was / there were ("there was a wall", "there were trees"), and some key words (giant, garden, wall, selfish, spring, winter, flower, kind).
The Giant was selfish, and then he became kind. Is it easy or hard to share? When is it good to share, and when is it OK to keep something for yourself? Give an example from your life.
Talk about a place you remember — a garden, a park, a room. Use the past simple and there was / there were to describe it: what was there, and what you did.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: