Tom's Midnight Garden - Chapters 20 and 21 - Reading Comprehension answers

In chapters 20 and 21 of "Tom's Midnight Garden," the garden undergoes a seasonal transformation to winter, which Tom discovers during his Tuesday visit. To locate Hatty, Tom follows her footprints in the snow. Hatty refers to Tom as 'thinner,' indicating that his visibility to her is fading. She is reluctant to inspect the inside of the clock because she prefers to skate with her friends. Abel, who is not disturbed by Hatty's use of his Bible, hopes to guide her towards 'salvation' and away from what he believes to be devilish influences, such as Tom. Tom's uncle is irate over a conversation about angels, as he believes that angels should not be mixed with scientific discourse. Hatty finds joy in skating as it gives her a sense of freedom and the opportunity to venture further. Tom suggests that Hatty should keep her skates hidden in the cupboard in her bedroom, and later, he searches his own cupboard with the hope of finding those very skates.

A brief summary of these chapters would be: Tom discovers the garden in winter and tracks Hatty by her footprints. Visibility issues arise, and Hatty's reluctance to explore the clock is overcome by her love for skating. Tom faces his uncle's anger over mixing angels with science and hopes to find Hatty's skates in his modern-day cupboard.