# ■ 6 Amy in trouble

Where are you going？'Amy asked Meg and Jo one afternoon.'I want to come，too．'

You can't， dear， you're not invited，said Meg．

You're going somewhere with Laurle， I know you are！'

Yes， we are，'said Jo．'Now stop annoying us．'

You're going to the theatre！'Amy said suddenly．'I want to go With you！'

We could take her，I suppose，'began Meg．

No，Laurie only invited us，'said Jo．

I shall go，'shouted Amy．'Meg says I can．'

You just stay where you are！' said Jo， angrily．

I'll make you sorry fof this， Jo March！'Amy shouted，as Meg and Jo left the house．

The two older sisters enjoyed themselves at the theatre， but Jo couldn't stop worrying as she wondered what Amy would do to 'make her sorry'．

She found out the next afternoon．

Beth，Amy and Meg were sitting together when Jo ran into the room．'Has anyone taken my notebook？'Jo asked．

Meg and Beth said 'No'at once， but Amy said nothing．

Amy，you've got it，'said Jo．

No，I haven't，' said Amy．

That's a lie！'said Jo．'Tell me the truth， or I'll make you！'

Do what you like，'said Amy．'You'll never see your stupid book again，because I burned it！'

Jo's face went white．'What！ But I worked so hard writing my stories！'

I said I'd make you sorry，and I have！'said Amy．

Jo jumped at Amy and shook her shoulders．'You wicked，wicked girl！'cried Jo．'I'll never，ever forgive you！'And she ran out of the room．

Mrs March came home and heard the story．

Oh， how could you do that， Amy？'she said．'That was Jo's book of stories．She wrote them all herself，and was hoping to make them good enough to print．'

Slowly，Amy began to understand the terrible thing she had done， and started to cry．Later，when Jo appeared for tea，Amy begged her sister to forgive her．

I shall never forgive you，'Jo answered．

It was not a happy evening， and when singing time came，Jo remained silent． Afterwards， she kissed her mother and said'Goodnight'．

My dear，don't go to bed feeling so angry with your sister，'whispered Mrs March．

I'm sorry，Mother，I can't for give her，'replied Jo，Next day， Jo wanted to get out of the house， so she picked up her skates and went next door to ask Laurie to tske her skating．

Amy heard them going．'Jo promised to take me with her next time！'she complained．

It's hard for her to forgive you，Amy，'said Meg．'Go after them and wait until Jo is enjoying herself，then give her a kiss or do something kind．'

It was not far to the river，but Jo and Laurie were already skating when Amy arrived．Jo saw Amy but turned away．

Laurie was carefully skating along the edge of the ice and didn't see the younger girl．

Amy put her skates on and stood on the ice．

Keep near the edge．The ice isn't safe in the middle，'Laurie called to Jo，then he disappeared round the first bend in the river．

Jo heard，but Amy did not．Jo realized that Amy probably hadn't heard，but she said nothing and skated after Laurie．'Let Amy look after herself！'Jo thought．

Amy skated out towards the smoother ice in the middle of the river．Jo reached the bend，and for a moment she stood still，a strange feeling in her heart．Something made her turn round—just in time to see Amy throw up her hands and go crashing through the ice into the cold water！Amy gave a cry that make Jo's heart stop with fear．She tried to call Laurie，but her voice was gone，and for a second she could only stand and stare at the little blue hood of Amy's coat above the black water．

Suddenly，Laurie skated past her and shouted，'Bring a piece of wood from the side of the river，quickly！'

Wild with fear，Jo fetched some wood and pulled it across the ice，while Laurie held Amy's head above the water．Together，they got her out．

She was more frightened than hurt，and was quickly taken home．They covered her in blankets and tried to calm her，and after a little while she fell asleep in front of the warm fire．Later，when everything was quiet，Jo asked her mother，'Are you sure she s safe？'

Quite safe，dear．It was sensible to get her home as quickly as you did．'

Laurie did it all，'said Jo．'Mother，if she should die，it will be my fault．I get angry so quickly．Oh，why can't I be more like you？'

I get angry nearly every day of my life，Jo，'said Mrs March，'but I've learned not to show it．I've learned to stop myself saying the angry words that come to my lips，and you must try to do the same，my dear．'

Amy moved in her sleep and Jo looked at her．'I refused to forgive her，and today，she nearly died！And it was Laurie who saved her．How could I be so wicked？'Jo began to cry．

Then Amy opened her eyes and held out her arms，with a smile that went straight to Jo's heart．Neither of them said a word，but they held each other close， and everything was forgiven and forgotten．

■ 6 艾米遇到麻煩

“你們上哪兒去？”一天下午艾米問麥格和瓊。“我也要去。”

“你不能去，親愛的，你沒被邀請，”麥格說。

“你們是和羅瑞一起出去，我知道！”

“是的，”瓊說，“別煩我們了。”

“你們是要去劇院，”艾米突然說，“我要和你們一起去！”

“我想我們可以帶上她，”麥格說。

“不行，羅瑞只邀請了咱們倆，”瓊說。

“我就要去，”艾米喊道，“麥格說我可以去。”

“你就呆在那兒！”瓊生氣地說。

“我會讓你為此感到後悔的，瓊·馬奇！”麥格和瓊離開家時艾米大聲喊道。

兩個姐姐在劇院很開心，可瓊不停地擔心，她納悶艾米會用什麼辦法來“讓她後悔”。

第二天下午她就知道了。

白絲、艾米和麥格坐在一起，此時瓊衝進房間。“誰拿了我的筆記本？”瓊問。

麥格和白絲立即說：“沒拿，”可艾米沒作聲。

“艾米，是你拿了，”瓊說。

“不，我沒拿，”艾米答道。

“你說謊！”瓊說，“告訴我實話，否則我會逼你講！”

“隨你的便，”艾米說，“你永遠也不會見到那個討厭的筆記本了，因為我把它燒了！”

瓊的臉變得慘白。“什麼？我那麼努力地寫我的故事！”

“我說過會讓你後悔，現在我做到了！”艾米說。

瓊跳過來搖晃著艾米的肩膀，“你這個可惡透頂的孩子！”瓊喊著，“我永遠永遠也不會饒恕你的！”然後她就跑出了房間。

馬奇太太回到家裡聽說了這件事。

“噢，你怎麼能那樣做呢，艾米？”她說。“那是瓊的故事書。那些都是她自己寫的，她期望有一天把它們修改好了能夠去發表的。”

慢慢地，艾米開始意識到她所做的事情有多糟，她開始哭起來。後來，當瓊來喝茶的時候，艾米請求她姐姐原諒她。

“我永遠也不會原諒你，”瓊回答。

那天晚上很不愉快。當唱歌的時間到了的時候，瓊默不作聲。後來，她吻了吻母親說：“晚安！”

“我親愛的，別帶著對你妹妹的怨情上床，”馬奇太太小聲說。

“抱歉，媽媽，我不能原諒她，”瓊回答。

第二天，瓊想要出門，於是她拿起她的冰鞋到隔壁去叫羅瑞帶她去滑冰。

艾米聽見他們出去了。“瓊答應過我下次帶我去的！”她抱怨說。

“她很難原諒你，艾米，”麥格說。“你跟著他們。等瓊高興的時候就給她一個吻或做點其它什麼友好的事。”

到河邊的路並不遠，可當艾米到那兒的時候瓊和羅瑞已經在滑冰了。瓊看見了艾米，可她背過身去。羅瑞正沿著冰的邊緣專心致致地滑，沒有看到這個小一點的女孩。

艾米換上冰鞋站到了冰上。

“在邊上滑，中間的冰不安全，”羅瑞朝瓊喊。然後他就消失在河的第一個拐角那邊。

瓊聽見了，可艾米沒聽見。瓊意識到艾米可能沒聽見，可她什麼也沒說，跟著羅瑞滑過去。“讓艾米自己照顧自己吧！”她想。

艾米向河中心冰面光滑的地方滑去。瓊滑到了拐彎的地方，片刻她站定了，心裡有種奇怪的感覺。有什麼事使她轉過身——正好看到艾米舉起雙手滑過冰面，掉進了冰冷的河水裡！艾米喊叫了一聲，使瓊的心幾乎嚇得停止了跳動。她想喊羅瑞，可她的聲音怎麼也發不出來，有一陣她只得站在那兒盯著艾米那藍色外衣的帽子漂在黑色的水面上。

突然，羅瑞滑過她身邊，對她喊：“到岸邊拿塊木頭來，快！”

瓊嚇瘋了，她去拿了木頭，把它拖過冰面，此時羅瑞將艾米的頭托出水面。他們一起把她從水中撈了出來。

她沒受什麼傷，更多的是受了驚嚇，被很快送回了家。他們用毛毯蓋住她，並試圖安慰她，過了一會兒她就在溫暖的爐火前睡著了。然後，當一切安靜下來，瓊問母親：“你能肯定她沒事嗎？”

“肯定沒事，親愛的，你很明智，很快就把她送回家來。”

“都是羅瑞做的。”瓊說，“媽媽，如果她死了，那都是我的錯。我太愛生氣了。噢，我為什麼就不能像你呢？”

“我每天都會生氣，瓊，”馬奇太太說，“但我學會了不表現出來。我學會了在生氣的話就要到嘴邊時住口，你也要盡力這樣做，我親愛的。”

艾米在睡夢中動了一下，瓊看了看她。“我拒絕饒恕她，結果今天她差點就死了！是羅瑞救了她。我怎麼會這麼可惡呢？”瓊哭了。

然後艾米睜開了雙眼，伸出了她的雙臂，面帶微笑，那微笑一直走進了瓊的心裡。她們誰也沒說話，但她們緊緊擁抱在一起，一切都已被原諒和遺忘了。