Three times Quote by Frances Hodgson Burnett
““Just at that moment Ermengarde almost jumped off the bed, she was so startled by a sound she heard. It was like two distinct knocks on the wall. “What is that?” she exclaimed. Sara got up from the floor and answered quite dramatically: “It is the prisoner in the next cell.” “Becky!” cried Ermengarde, enraptured. “Yes,” said Sara. “Listen; the two knocks meant, ‘Prisoner, are you there?’” She knocked three times on the wall herself, as if in answer. “That means, ‘Yes, I am here, and all is well.’” Four knocks came from Becky’s side of the wall. “That means,” explained Sara, “‘Then, fellow-sufferer, we will sleep in peace. Good night.’” Ermengarde quite beamed with delight. “Oh, Sara!” she whispered joyfully. “It is like a story!” “It is a story,” said Sara. “ Everything ’s a story. You are a story--I am a story. Miss Minchin is a story.” And she sat down again and talked until Ermengarde forgot that she was a sort of escaped prisoner herself, and had to be reminded by Sara that she could not remain in the Bastille all night, but must steal noiselessly downstairs again and creep back into her deserted bed.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Secret Garden, 1911
A moment of fear becomes a shared story, turning isolation into connection and comfort.
In simple terms: Fear turns into shared story and comfort.
Key Takeaway
Find connection in shared narratives.
Themes
friendship
storytelling
comfort
solitude
imagination
Mood
hopeful
intimate
reflective
Type
literary
conversational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- nighttime fear
- prisoner isolation
- story sharing
- comfort seeking
- imaginative coping
Key Concepts
Narrative therapy
empathy
psychological safety
Questions to Reflect On
- How can shared stories ease loneliness?
- What limits do stories have in confronting real threats?
A Different Perspective
Stories may not fully resolve real danger, only provide temporary emotional relief.
