LITTLE WOMEN

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

By Louisa M. Alcott

This book has pictures by Frank T. Merrill. There are more than 200 pictures. There is also a picture of the house where the real "Little Women" lived, made by Edmund H. Garrett.

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A Note Before the Story

Here is a little poem that starts the book. It talks about a book going out into the world, like a friend, to visit readers. It hopes it can help people be good and wise, the way old story-heroes tried to be good and wise too.

(Adapted from words by John Bunyan.)

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Contents

Part One

1. Playing Pilgrims
2. A Merry Christmas
3. The Laurence Boy
4. Burdens
5. Being Neighborly
6. Beth Finds the Palace Beautiful
7. Amy's Valley of Hard Feelings
8. Jo Meets a Big Problem
9. Meg Goes to a Fancy Party
10. The Club and the Post Office
11. Trying New Things
12. Camp Laurence
13. Castles in the Air
14. Secrets
15. A Telegram
16. Letters
17. Little Faithful
18. Dark Days
19. Amy's Wish List
20. Just Between Us
21. Laurie Causes Trouble, and Jo Makes Peace
22. Pleasant Meadows
23. Aunt March Decides

Part Two

1. Gossip
2. The First Wedding
3. Trying to Be an Artist
4. Lessons in Writing
5. Learning to Keep House
6. Visits
7. What Happens Next
8. Letters From Far Away
9. Small Troubles of the Heart
10. Jo's Diary
11. A Friend
12. Heartache
13. Beth's Secret
14. New Ideas
15. Waiting and Watching
16. Lazy Laurie
17. A Very Sad Time
18. Learning to Let Go
19. All Alone
20. Surprises
21. My Lord and My Lady
22. Daisy and Demi
23. Under the Umbrella
24. Harvest Time

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List of Pictures

Here are some of the pictures in the book, and what they show:

• The family sitting by the fire, with Mother in the big chair and Beth at her feet
• "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents"
• Beth warming a pair of slippers by the fire
• "I used to be scared when it was my turn to sit in the big chair"
• Learning how to clasp hands the right way
• A cheerful letter
• Playing "Pilgrim's Progress" like they used to
• Beth playing the old piano
• The girls singing together at nine o'clock, like always
• "Merry Christmas!"
• A little parade
• Meg with fake gray hair for a play
• A girl in a soft white dress
• Two pretend lovers kneeling for a blessing
• Talking over the fence
• Eating apples and crying over a sad book
• Jo pretends to pinch someone's curled hair
• Meeting the Laurence boy face to face
• Sitting together on the stairs
• Asking about the party
• A kitten stuck just out of reach
• Curling up in the big chair
• Reading a boring old book
• "He took her by the ear!"
• Mr. Laurence catching a big fish
• Being a good neighbor
• Laurie opening the window
• A parrot pulling off someone's wig
• Giving gifts for someone's mother
• "They do care very much!"
• Mr. Laurence often opening his study door
• A hug and a kiss
• Amy standing strong through some hard knocks
• "You do know her"
• "Girls, where are you going?"
• "I burned it up!"
• Being held up during a game
• Packing a travel trunk
• Meg's dance partner
• Asking to be introduced
• "I wouldn't, Meg"
• Mrs. March holding both girls' hands
• Jo throwing open a closet door
• Jo spending the morning by the river
• Amy sitting down to draw
• Miss Crocker making a funny face
• "We'll work like bees"
• Beth working as post-mistress
• Amy putting a clothespin on her nose
• Mr. Laurence waving his hat
• A cheerful lunch
• A quiet walk down the street
• "Oh, rise," she said
• Getting hit by a big heavy book
• Someone sneezing
• Walking the plank in a pretend game
• "Will you give me a rose?"
• Swinging back and forth in a hammock
• A pretty little scene
• Waving a fan in front of her face
• Jo very busy at work
• "Hurrah for Miss March!"
• Jo darting away
• Jo lying on the sofa, pretending to read
• "November is the most gloomy month of the year"
• One of those new telegraph machines
• Meeting Mr. Brooke by surprise
• Letters
• Winding the clock
• "It didn't move, and I knew it was gone"
• Sitting beside her
• "What do you want now?"
• Beth being sick with fever
• Gently stroking her hair, like Mother used to do
• Amy's list of wishes
• Polishing the spoons and the silver teapot
• Choosing carefully
• Walking back and forth, deep in thought
• Mrs. March staying by Beth's side
• Jo and her mother reading a note together
• "Get up and stop being silly"
• "Hold your tongue!" Jo cried, covering her ears
• Standing firm, like a guard
• Beth resting on the sofa all day
• A mountain called the Jungfrau
• Popping her head in now and then
• Sitting with the family close by
• "Shall I tell you how?"
• "Bless me, what's all this?"
• A letter "For Mrs. John Brooke"
• The real home of the Little Women
• The little dove house
• A small watchman's noise-maker
• The First Wedding
• Trying to make art
• Getting a foot stuck in a pan of wet plaster
• "Please don't—it's mine"
• Lessons in writing
• A check for one hundred dollars
• Learning to keep house
• Feeling very uncomfortable
• "A fair deal, I promise you, ma'am"
• Laurie closing his eyes while something is placed in his arms
• Making visits
• Saddling the horse
• "It could have been worse"
• A visit to Aunt March's house
• "You shall have another table"
• Buying up all the flowers
• Riding in a hansom-cab
• Everyone being kind, especially the soldiers
• "I've seen the royal family many times"
• Sketching a stone lion's head on a wall
• Resting her head in her hands
• "This is filling, for the price"
• A cheerful old song
• Dropping cookies over the back of a seat
• "You shall have your Bhaer"
• Waving his hand, sock and all
• "This is my elephant"
• Sitting on the floor, eating and reading and looking around
• Sitting with three gentlemen
• A little party of friends
• "He doesn't fuss over his mirror before coming"
• Jo stuffing a whole bundle into the stove
• Helping the sisters into a carriage
• Resting his head on a mossy post
• "Oh Jo, can't you?"
• Resting her head in Jo's lap, feeling the fresh wind
• Hurrying forward to greet her
• "Here are your flowers"
• Demi and Daisy
• "Good morning now"
• "My dear man, it's a bonnet"
• Sitting and playing music while goats hop nearby
• Throwing himself down on the grass
• A quick sketch of Laurie taming a horse
• A Very Sad Time
• Staring up at some statues
• Turning a ring on his finger, deep in thought
• "Oh Laurie, Laurie, I knew you'd come"
• "How well we work together"
• Jo and her father
• Jo crying with her head on a soft bag
• A ghostly figure leaning over her
• An uncle tossing around his small nephew
• "Oh Mr. Bhaer, I am so glad to see you"
• Mr. Bhaer singing with all his heart
• A baby sitting in her mother's lap
• Walking slowly back and forth
• "I love everybody"
• "What makes my legs go, Grandpa?"
• "Grandpa, it's a wheel"
• Mr. Bhaer and Jo enjoying a walk together
• Looking up and seeing Mr. Bhaer
• "Does this work for you, Mr. Bhaer?"
• Under the umbrella
• Harvest time
• A boy living a lucky, charmed life
• Leaving Mrs. March and her daughters under a tree at the celebration

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Chapter 1: Playing Pilgrims

"Christmas won't feel like Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo. She was lying on the rug.

"It's so hard to be poor!" sighed Meg. She looked down at her old dress.

"It's not fair," said little Amy. She sniffed, feeling hurt. "Some girls get lots of pretty things. Other girls get nothing at all."

"But we have Father and Mother. And we have each other," said Beth happily, from her corner of the room.

The firelight lit up the four young faces. For a moment, everyone smiled at Beth's cheerful words. But then their faces grew sad again. Jo spoke softly.

"We don't have Father right now," she said. "And we won't have him for a long time."

Jo did not say the word "perhaps" — as in "perhaps never." But each girl silently thought it. They were all thinking of their father, who was far away.