Written by Philippa Pearce
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 128 Kbps
Dramatization

Thirteen, proclaimed the clock, and stopped striking. Thirteen? Tom’s mind gave a jerk – had it really struck thirteen? Even mad old clocks never struck that. He must have imagined it.

But Tom Long, sent away to Aunt Gwen and Uncle Alan’s house when his brother catches measles, did not imagine it. He ventures downstairs and, opening the back door, discovers not a poky yard filled with rubbish bins, but a lustrous garden with tall trees, flowerbeds, hedges and a greenhouse. Have his aunt and uncle deceived him? Tom realises they have no idea about the garden which only exists when the grandfather clock strikes thirteen.

Suddenly, what seemed like a boring holiday becomes filled with adventures, as each night Tom sneaks downstairs into the garden. There are trees to climb, trails to follow and a young girl who becomes Tom’s playmate...