# ■ 8 All play and no work

The first of June，and the King family is going on holiday tomorrow！'said Meg．'I'm free for three months！'

And Aunt March went away for her holiday today，'said Jo．'Isn't life wonderful！'

What will you do all your holiday？'asked Amy．

I'll stay in bed late，and do nothing，'said Meg．

I have lots of books to read，'said Jo．

Let's not do any studying，Beth，'said Amy．'Let's play all the time，and rest，as Jo and Meg are going to do．'

I will if Mother doesn't mind，'said Beth．

Mrs March agreed to the plan and said they could try it for a week．

But，'she added，'I think by Saturday night you will find that all play and no work is as bad as all work and no play．'

Next day，Meg appeared at ten o'clock and ate breakfast alone．It was a lonely meal and the room was untidy，because Beth had not cleaned it．

Jo went to the river with Laurie，then sat in the apple tree and read a book Beth began to tidy things in her cupboard，but she got tired and left it half-done．She went to her piano，glad that she did not have to wash the cups and plates．Amy sat in the garden to draw，hoping someone would see her and say something nice about her picture．But no one appeared，so she went for a walk，got caught in the rain and came home very wet．

At tea，everyone said that it had been a delightful but unusually long day．Meg，who had been shopping in the afternoon，now decided that she did not like the dress she had bought．Jo had a headache from reading too long．Beth couldn't find anything in her cupboard，and the rain had made Amy's dress so wet that she couldn't wear it to Katy Brown's party the next day．

Mrs March listened，smiled and said nothing．

The week seemed to get longer and longer with nothing much to do，and by Friday the girls were glad that it was nearly over．Then Mrs March gave Hannah a holiday，and when the girls got up on Saturday，there was no breakfast ready，no fire in the kitchen，and no mother waiting for them．

What has happened？'said Jo．

Meg ran upstairs，then came down to say that Mother was staying in her room to have a rest．'She says we must look after ourselves today，'Meg said．

Good，I want something to do，'said Jo．

Secretly，they were all pleased to have something useful to do again．Beth and Amy put cups and plates on the table while Jo and Meg got the breakfast，then Meg took some tea and an egg up to Mrs March．The tea was too strong and the egg wasburned．Mrs March did not complain，but she laughed to herself afterwards．

Jo decided to invite Laurie to dinner．'There's meat and vegetables and plenty of potatoes，'she told Meg，'and we can have strawberries，and then coffee．' Her mother said she did not mind at all because she was going out for dinner．

Jo did her best，but the potatoes were still hard in the middle，the vegetables were cooked too long and fell to pieces，and the meat was burned black．The strawberries were not ready for eating，and she put salt on them instead of sugar！Unfortunately，this was not discovered until Laurie began eating them．He pretended everything was all right，but Amy took a spoonful and ran from the table．

What's wrong？'said Jo．

Meg and Laurie told her．'Oh，no！'said Jo．Then she saw Laurie start to smile，and she began to laugh．Soon everyone was laughing with her．

What a terrible day！'said Jo，after they had cleared everything away．

Mrs March returned home later．'Have you enjoyed your week of all play and no work，girls，or do you want another week of it？'she said．

I don't！'said Jo．

Nor do I！'shouted the others．

Mother，did you go out and leave us just to see how we would manage？asked Meg．

Yes，'said Mrs March．'I wanted you to see that being comfortable depends on us all helping each other and not just thinking of ourselves．Isn't it better to have time for play and time for work，and to make each day useful and enjoyable？'

Oh，it is，Mother，it is！'said the girls．

Some days later，all four girls went on a picnic with Laurie and his tutor，Mr Brooke，and some other young people．Sallie Gardiner and her English friend，Miss Kate Vaughn，were among them．It was a sunny day and they had their picnic on a hill，under some trees．

After the meal，most of the young ladies and gentlemen played games，but Miss Kate sat under a tree and began to draw．Meg watched，while Mr Brooke lay on the grass beside her，with a book which he did not read．

I wish I could draw，'said Meg．

Why don't you learn？'replied Miss Kate．She was a little older than the other girls and was very much the fashionable young lady．

I haven't time，'said Meg．'I have a job，teaching four children in a family．'

Oh！'said Miss Kate，looking rather shocked．She said no more，but her face showed that she thought being a private teacher was little better than being a servant，and Meg's cheeks quickly became red．

In America，young ladies prefer to work and earn money for themselves，'said Mr Brooke quickly，'and not expect others to pay for everything．'

I see，'said Miss Kate，coldly．Soon after，she took her drawing and moved away．

There's no place like America for us workers，Miss Meg，'said Mr Brooke，smiling．His brown eyes looked at Meg warmly，and she smiled back at him．

I wish I liked teaching as much as you do，she said．

You would if you were teaching Laurie，'said Mr Brooke．'I'll be sorry when he goes to college next year．But then I shall become a soldier．'

I think every young man wants to be a soldier，'said Meg，'but it's hard for the family who stay at home．'

I have no family，and not many friends to care if I live or die，'said Mr Brooke，sadly．

Laurie and his grandfather would care，'said Meg，'and we would all be very sorry if anything happened to you．'

Thank you，'said Mr Brooke，cheering up immediately．

■ 8 只有玩樂沒有工作

“今天是6月1號，金一家明天就要去度假了，”麥格說，“我有三個月的自由時間！”

“今天馬奇姑媽也去度假了，”瓊說，“生活真好啊！”

“你們整個假期做什麼呢？”艾米問。

“我會睡懶覺，什麼也不做，”麥格答道。

“我有許多的書要讀，”瓊說。

“咱們什麼功課都不做了吧，白絲，”艾米說，“咱們所有時間都用來玩和休息，就像瓊和麥格要做的那樣。”

“如果媽媽不介意我就同意，”白絲說。

馬奇太太同意了這個計劃，並說她們可以試一個星期。

“但是，”她補充道，“我想到星期六晚上你們就會發現只有玩樂沒有工作的生活就像只有工作沒有玩樂一樣糟糕。”

第二天，麥格10點鐘才露面，獨自用早餐。這是一頓孤寂的早餐，房間亂糟糟的，因為白絲沒有整理過。

瓊和羅瑞到河邊去了，然後坐在一棵蘋果樹上看書。白絲開始整理她的櫥櫃，可她感到累了，只做了一半就不做了。她來到她的鋼琴旁，為她不用洗杯子和盤子而高興。艾米坐在花園裡畫畫，希望有人能看到她並誇獎她的畫。可沒有一個人出現，於是她就去散步，途中遇到了雨，溼淋淋地回到家。

喝茶時，每個人都說那天過得很愉快，只是有些出乎尋常地長。麥格下午去買東西了，可她現在卻覺得她不喜歡她買的衣服。瓊因為看書時間太長，頭疼起來。白絲在她的櫥櫃裡什麼都找不到了。雨把艾米的衣服弄得太溼，第二天她不能穿那件衣服去參加凱特·布朗家的聚會了。

馬奇太太聽著，面帶微笑，什麼都沒說。

因為沒有事情做，那個星期看起來越來越長，到了星期五孩子們都很高興這一切就要結束了。然後馬奇太太放了海娜一天假，當星期六早晨孩子們起床時，發現沒有了早餐，沒有了爐火，媽媽也沒在等她們。

“發生了什麼事？”瓊說。

麥格跑上樓，然後又跑下來跟大家說媽媽呆在她的房間裡休息。“她說今天我們得自己照顧自己。”麥格說。

“好啊，我想做點事，”瓊說。

私下裡，她們都很高興又有些有用的事情可以做了。白絲和艾米把杯子和盤子擺到桌上，瓊和麥格做早餐，然後麥格把一些茶和一個雞蛋拿到樓上給母親。茶太濃了，雞蛋燒糊了。馬奇太太沒有抱怨，但之後她對自己笑了。

瓊決定請羅瑞來吃晚餐。“有肉、蔬菜和足夠的土豆，”她告訴麥格，“我們還可以吃草莓，然後喝咖啡。”母親說她一點也不在乎，因為她要出去吃晚餐。

瓊盡了最大努力，可土豆的中間還是硬的，蔬菜做得時間太長，變爛了，肉也給燒黑了。草莓還不能吃，她又把鹽當成糖撒在了上面！不幸的是，直到羅瑞開始吃草莓這情況才被發現。他裝做一切無恙，可艾米吃了一勺後從桌邊跑開了。

“怎麼啦？”瓊問。

麥格和羅瑞告訴了她。“噢，不！”瓊說。然後她看見羅瑞笑了，她也開始笑。旋即每個人都和她一起笑了。

“多糟的一天！”當她們把一切收拾走後，瓊說。

馬奇太太很晚才回來。“你們喜歡這個只有玩樂沒有工作的星期嗎，孩子們？你們是不是還想再來一個這樣的星期？”她問。

“我不要了！”瓊說。

“我也不要了！”其他人都喊道。

“媽媽，你是不是出門去就想看看我們會怎麼辦？”麥格問。

“是的．”馬奇太太說，“我想讓你們知道舒適依賴於我們大家互相幫助，不要只想到自己。有時間玩樂，也有時間工作，使每天既有用又愉快不是很好嗎？”

“噢，是的，媽媽，是的！”孩子們說。

幾天之後，四個女孩子和羅瑞及他的家庭教師布魯克先生，還有其他幾個年輕人一起去野餐，薩麗·加迪那和她的英國朋友凱特·瓦格小姐也去了。那天陽光燦爛，他們在一個小山坡上的一些樹下野餐。

餐後，大部分年輕姑娘和小夥子都去做遊戲了，可凱特小姐卻坐在一棵樹下開始畫畫。麥格看著，布魯克先生躺在她身旁的草地上，拿著一本書，但他並沒有在看。

“真希望我會畫畫，”麥格說。

“你為什麼不學呢？”凱特小姐問。她比其他的女孩稍大點，並且是最時髦的姑娘。

“我沒時間，”麥格說，“我有工作，給一家四個孩子教課。”

“噢，”凱特小姐說，看上去很吃驚。她什麼也沒說，可從她臉上的表情可以看出她認為做家庭教師僅僅比做僕人好一些。麥格的臉很快變紅了。

“在美國，年輕的小姐喜歡為自己工作掙錢，”布魯克先生很快地說，“她們不指望別人給她們掏錢。”

“是這樣，”凱特小姐冷冷地說。一會兒，她拿起她的畫走開了。

“沒有其它地方像美國這樣適合我們工作的人了，麥格小姐，”布魯克先生笑著說。他棕色的眼睛溫和地看著麥格，她也向他笑笑。

“我真希望像你一樣喜歡教書，”她說。

“如果你教的是羅瑞你就會喜歡教書的，”布魯克先生說，“明年他要去上大學，我會感到很遺憾。可然後我就要去當兵了。”

“我認為每個年輕人都想當兵，”麥格說，“可這對呆在家裡的人來說是很難的。”

“我沒有家，也沒有許多朋友在乎我的死活，”布魯克先生傷感地說。

“羅瑞和他祖父會在乎的，”麥格說，“如果你發生什麼事，我們大家都會很悲傷的。”

“謝謝你，”布魯克先生說，立刻高興起來。