CHAPTER 1
A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS x
That year the March family’s Christmas would not be cheered up by gifts. The four sisters –Meg, Jo, Beth and little Amy – stood in front of the fireplace in the living room and sighed.
“Without presents it won’t be a real celebration!” they complained to each other. Their mother had encouraged them to give up presents and instead to spend their little money on charity.
It was a very difficult time, as the United States was shaken by a civil war and their father was fighting at the front.
“Just one miserable dollar! Not much for our soldiers…” said the eldest sister, Meg.
The following morning, Christmas Day, each one of them found a little book under their pillow: it was a present from their mother. Once they reached the dining room, however, they found only Anna, the elderly maid, who was arranging their breakfast on the long table. “Mrs. March went out early. A little boy asked her for help and she didn’t hesitate. Your mother is truly an angel!”
The sisters waited for her return, carefully arranging the gifts they had prepared for her near the fireplace: they couldn’t wait to
celebrate together. But when Mrs. March returned, she told them about a poor family she had visited: a mother with seven small children, without food or firewood. The girls, after a moment’s hesitation, got to work: one filled a bucket with wood, another took bread, butter, cream and all the food meant for their breakfast. Together, they went out into the snowy morning to reach the miserable hut where the family lived. They looked after them all with joy, smiles, food and blankets.
CHAPTER
2
A NEW FRIEND x
The invitation to the ball from Mrs. Gardiner, one of the March family’s neighbors, was received with great joy by Meg, but with less enthusiasm by Jo. On the evening of the event, the two sisters entered the room in the best dresses they owned – not as elegant as those of the other girls, but perfect for them – and took their positions. Meg, after a great scare at home when Jo had scorched her hair by curling it with a hot iron, was now chatting with Sallie Gardiner, the landlady’s daughter. Jo, on the other hand, who had a noticeable burn on the fabric on the back of her dress, didn’t leave the wall so as not to show the mending.
Showing up in class with a packet of candies was a source of great joy for any student at the school Amy attended. For this reason, she asked her sisters for a coin. “I have a lot of debts, you know? My classmates gave me so many candies and I never had the chance to return the favor!” Meg opened her purse and gave her a cent. That day, Amy entered the classroom boldly with twenty-four fragrant candies to distribute among her best friends. But, alas, one of the excluded students was so annoyed that she told everything to Mr. Davis, the teacher. CHAPTER 3
SISTERLY QUARRELS
Jo and Laurie began skating, but after a few moments, they heard a piercing scream. Amy had fallen into the freezing water! Jo was paralyzed with terror, but Laurie encouraged her to react and together they managed to save the little girl and bring her home. Jo was torn. Because of her stupid resentment, she had risked losing her beloved sister! But, with her mother’s advice, she learned a hard lesson: she had to try to keep her impetuous temper at bay and think before speaking.
CHAPTER
4
SAD DAYS x
A cold November day was shaken by sad news: a telegram informed Mrs. March that her husband was seriously ill and had been admitted to a hospital in the city of Washington. The whole family, including Anna and Laurie, who were there visiting, was in turmoil. Meg began to pack the trunk with clothes, Beth was sent to Mr. Laurence to get some wine, Amy helped Anna and Laurie took care of a note to be delivered to Aunt March, asking her to lend money for the trip.
Mr. Laurence arranged for Laurie’s tutor, the serious Mr. Brooke, to accompany Mrs. March on the trip, much to everyone’s relief. When they found themselves in the living room of the house, only Jo was missing, as she had gone into town.
CHAPTER 5
