# ■ 2 A Happy Christmas

Jo was the first to wake up on Christmas morning，but soon they were all awake and they went downstairs．

Where's Mother？'asked Meg．

I don't know，'said old Hannah．She had lived with the family since Meg was born，and was more like a friend than a servant．'Some poor woman came to the door and your mother went off to see what was needed．'

She'll be back soon，'said Meg． She looked at the presents for her mother which were in a basket under a chair， ready to bring out at the right time．'Where is Amy's bottle of perfume？'

She went to put some pretty paper round it，I think，'said Jo．

Suddenly， they heard the outside door close．

Here's Mother！ Hide the basket， quick！' said Jo．

But it was Amy．She came in quickly．

Where have you been，and what's that behind you？'asked Meg．

I ran to the shop and changed the little bottle of perfume for a big one，'said Amy．'I spent all my money to get it，and I'm not going to be selfish any more！'

Meg smiled proudly and put her arms around her sister．Then there was another bang from the outside door， and the basket was pushed back under the chair．The girls ran to the table， ready for their breakfast．

Happy Christmas， Mother！'they shouted．

Happy Christmas，little daughters！'said Mrs March．

Then the smile disappeared from her face．'Girls，listen．Not far away is a poor woman，Mrs Hummel，with a new baby．Her six children are in one bed， trying to keep warm，as they have no wood for a fire．There is nothing to eat and they are hungry and cold．Will you give them your breakfast as a Christmas present？

For a minute no one spoke．Then Jo said，'Mother， I'm so glad you came back before we began to eat！'And the girls quickly began to put their breakfast in a basket．

I knew you would do it，'said Mrs March，smiling．

She took the girls and Hannah to a cold, miserable little room in an old building， where they found a sick mother， a crying baby，and a group of children with white，frightened faces．The children were on the bed under a blanket，trying to keep warm．

The woman almost cried with happiness when she saw the girls．Hannah，who had brought wood，made a fire． Mrs March gave the mother tea and hot food，then she dressed the little baby gently．The girls put the children round the fire and fed them like hungry birds．

It was a very happy meal， although the girls ate none of it．But no one was happier than those hungry young ladies who gave away their breakfast on Christmas morning．

Mrs March was surprised and pleased when she saw her presents later．There was a lot of laughing and kissing and explaining．Then，for the rest of the day，the girls were busy．Jo liked to write plays，and the four of them were going to act one that evening．They had learned their words， and had worked hard to make strange and wonderful clothes for all the different characters in the play．

On Christmas night， some other girls came to watch． At first，there was a lot of whispering and laughing from the four sisters behind the curtains．Then the curtains were opened and the play began．

It was an exciting story about Hugo（acted by Jo wearing a black beard！）， beautiful Zara and brave Roderigo．There were also two ghosts，a cruel king，and a tall castle made of paper and wool-which unfortunately fell down just as Roderigo and Zara were escaping from it．There were screams of laughter from everyone， but the actors picked the mselves up and carried on through more dangers and mysteries until the happy ending was reached．

All the visitors loved the play，and after the excitement and fun came a surprise for everyone．

would the young ladles like to stay for supper？'asked Hannah．

And when the girls saw the supper table，they could not believe their eyes！There was ice-cream， cake，fruit，and French chocolate！ And in the middle of the table were flowers for each of the four actors．

Where did it all come from？'asked Amy．

From Father Christmas， perhaps？'said Beth．

Mother did it，'said Meg．

Aunt March sent it，'said Jo．

You're all wrong，'laughed Mrs March．'Old Mr Laurence sent it！'

The Laurence boy's grandfather？'said Meg．'But we don't know him．'

Hannah told his servant about your breakfast party， and that pleased him，'said Mrs March．'He knew my faher many years ago，and he sent me a note this afternoon，asking if he could send my cbildren a few small Christmas presents．'

The idea came from that boy，I know it did！'said Jo．'I'm sure he wants to know us，but he's shy，and Meg won't let me speak to him when we pass him in the street．She says that it's not at all polite for young ladies to introduce themselves to strangers．

You mean the people who live in the big house next door，don't you？'said one of the other girls．'My mother knows old Mr Laurence． She says he keeps his grandson in the house when the boy isn't riding or walking with his tutor， and makes him study very hard．We invited the boy to our party but he didn't come．'

That boy needs to have some fun，'said Jo．

■ 2 快樂的聖誕節

聖誕節清晨，瓊是第一個醒來的，可隨後她們就都醒了，然後下了樓。

“媽媽在哪兒？”麥格問。

“我不知道，”老海娜答道。她從麥格一出世就和全家住在一起，就像是一個朋友，而不像僕人。“有個可憐的女人來到門口，你們的母親隨她去了，好看看她需要什麼。”

“她很快就會回來的，”麥格說。她看了看那些給母親的禮物，它們被裝在一個籃子裡，放在椅子下面，時刻準備拿出來。“艾米的那瓶香水呢？”

“我想她是想拿去包上些漂亮的紙，”瓊答道。

突然，她們聽到外面的門被關上了。

“媽媽來了，把籃子藏起來，快！”瓊說。

但那是艾米。她匆匆走進屋。

“你到哪兒去了，藏在你身後的是什麼？”麥格問。

“我跑到商店去了，把那瓶香水換成了一大瓶，”艾米說，“我花掉了所有的錢，我再也不自私了！”

麥格驕傲地笑了，伸出雙臂擁抱她的妹妹。然後外面的門又有響動了，籃子被推到了椅子下面。女孩子們跑到桌邊坐定，準備吃早餐。

“聖誕快樂，媽媽！”她們喊道。

“聖誕快樂，小女兒們！”馬奇太太應道。

隨後笑容從她臉上消失了。“孩子們，聽著，不遠處有個窮婦人，哈梅爾太太，她有個剛降生的嬰兒。她的六個孩子擠在一張床上取暖，因為他們沒有木柴生火。他們沒有吃的，又餓又冷。你們把你們的早餐送給他們做聖誕禮物怎麼樣？”

有一陣子沒人說話。然後瓊說：“媽媽，我很高興你在我們開始吃飯之前回來！”孩子們開始很快地將她們的早餐放到一個籃子裡。

“我知道你們會這樣做的，”馬奇太太微笑著說。

她把孩子們和海娜帶到位於一座舊樓裡的一間又冷又破的小屋裡。在那裡她們見到了一位生病的母親，一個正在啼哭的嬰兒，和一幫面容蒼白、滿臉恐懼的孩子。那些孩子擠在床上的一張毛毯裡，試圖以此取暖。

那婦人見到女孩子們後高興得幾乎哭出來。海娜帶來了木柴，燃起了爐火。馬奇太太把茶和熱氣騰騰的食物交給了那位母親，並輕柔地給嬰兒穿衣服。女孩子們則把其他孩子抱到爐火旁邊，然後像喂小鳥一樣餵給他們東西吃。

那頓飯吃得很高興，雖然女孩子們並沒有吃到東西。可沒有任何人能比這些在聖誕節早晨將早餐送給別人的餓肚子的女孩子更高興了。

馬奇太太隨後看到她的禮物時又驚又喜。此後是一陣大笑、親吻和解釋。然後，那天剩下的時光裡女孩子們都忙忙碌碌的。瓊喜歡寫劇本，那天晚上她們四個就要演其中一個劇。她們已經記住了臺詞，還費力地為劇中的不同人物做了怪異和精彩的服裝。

聖誕節晚上，其他一些女孩子都來看錶演。一開始，幕後傳出了四姐妹的許多低語和笑聲，然後，幕簾開啟，演出開始。

那是一個關於雨果、美麗的贊拉和勇敢的羅德里歌的激動人心的故事（雨果由瓊扮演，她戴著一撮黑鬍子！）。還有兩個鬼魂、一個殘暴的國王以及一個由紙和木頭做成的城堡。不幸的是，當羅德里歌和贊拉從城堡中出逃時，城堡塌了下來。所有觀眾都尖聲大笑，可演員們將城堡扶起，又歷經許多的風險和神祕，最終獲得了幸福的結局。

每個來訪者都十分喜歡那齣劇。這件令人激動、妙趣橫生的事件過後，發生了一件令每個人都吃驚的事。

“你們這些年輕小姐都留下來吃晚飯好嗎？”海娜問道。

當女孩子們看見餐桌的時候，她們簡直不敢相信自己的眼睛！冰淇淋、蛋糕、水果和法國巧克力！在桌子正中還擺著給四位演員每人一束鮮花！

“哪來的？”艾米問。

“可能是聖誕老人送來的，”白絲說。

“媽媽做的，”麥格說。

“馬奇姑媽送來的，”瓊說。

“你們都錯了，”馬奇太太笑著說，“是老勞倫斯先生送來的！”

“是那個勞倫斯家的小男孩的祖父？”麥格問，“可我們不認識他呀。”

“海娜給他的僕人講了你們的早餐聚會，那讓他感到很高興，”馬奇太太說，“很多年前他就認識我父親。今天下午他送來張紙條，問他可否給我的孩子送些聖誕禮物。”

“這一定是那個男孩的主意，我知道，”瓊說，“他一定是想認識我們，可他很怕羞。我們在街上碰到他時麥格不讓我跟他講話。她說女孩子主動跟陌生人搭訕太沒禮貌。”

“你是說住在隔壁大房子裡的人嗎？”其他女孩子中的一個問。“我媽媽認識勞倫斯先生。她說除了騎馬和跟家庭教師散步，他總讓孫子呆在屋裡，讓他用功學習。我們曾邀請那男孩參加我們的聚會，可他沒來。”

“那個男孩需要些樂趣，”瓊說。