21 Little Women Read By Stephanie Poppins
Following the female stoic theme, this novel focuses on love, family, morality, and personal growth. Meg, the eldest, is drawn to marriage and domestic life. Jo, the headstrong and tomboyish one, pursues her passion for writing. Beth, the quiet and gentle one, finds solace in music and is tragically affected by illness. Amy, the youngest and most artistic, navigates her path, ultimately finding success in the art world. In this episode, the March girls learn a lesson.
Transcript
Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,
Your go-to podcast that offers you a calm and relaxing transition into a great night's sleep.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now,
And nowhere you need to go.
Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you and let all the worries of the day drift away.
This is your time and your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.
There is nothing you need to be doing now,
And nowhere you need to go.
Happy listening.
Chapter 11 Experiments The first of June.
The kings are off to the seashore tomorrow and I'm free.
Three months' vacation,
How I shall enjoy it!
Exclaimed Meg,
Coming home one warm day to find Jo laid upon the sofa in an unusual state of exhaustion,
While Beth took off her dusty boots and Amy made lemonade for the refreshment of the whole party.
Aunt March went today,
For which I'll be joyful,
Said Jo.
I was mortally afraid she asked me to go with her,
But if she had,
I should have felt as if I ought to do it.
Plumfield is about as gay as a church child,
You know,
And I'd rather be excused.
We had a flurry getting the old lady off,
And I had a fright every time she spoke to me,
For I was in such a hurry to be through that I was uncommonly helpful and sweet and feared she'd find it impossible to part from me.
I quaked until she was fairly in the carriage and had a final fright,
But as it drove off she popped out her head saying,
Josephine,
Won't you?
I didn't hear any more,
For I basely turned and fled.
I did actually run and whisk round the corner when I felt safe.
Poor old Jo,
She came in looking as if bears were after her,
Said Beth as she cuddled her sister's feet with motherly air.
Art March is a regular samphire,
Is she not?
Observed Amy.
She means vampire,
Not seaweed,
But it doesn't matter.
It's too warm to be particular about one's parts of speech,
Murmured Jo.
What shall you do in your vacation?
Asked Amy,
Changing the subject.
I shall lie abed late and do nothing,
Replied Meg.
I've been booted up early all winter and had to spend my days working for other people,
So now I'm going to rest and revel to my heart's content.
No,
Said Jo,
That dozy wouldn't suit me.
I've laid in a heap of books and I'm going to improve my shining hours reaching on my perch in the old apple tree.
Don't let us do any lessons,
Beth,
For a while,
But play all the time and rest as girls may too,
Proposed Amy.
Well,
I will if mother doesn't mind.
I want to learn some new songs and my children need fitting up for the summer.
They're dreadfully out of order and really suffering for clothes.
May we,
Mother?
Asked Meg,
Turning to Mrs March.
You may try your experiment for a week and see how you like it,
She said.
I think by Saturday night you'll find that all play and no work is as bad as all work and no play.
Oh dear,
No.
It'll be delicious,
I'm sure,
Said Meg.
I now propose a toast,
Cried Jo,
As my friend and partner Sari Gamp says,
Fun forever and no grubbing.
The lemonade then went round.
They drank it merrily and began the experiment by lounging for the rest of the day.
Next morning Meg did not appear until ten o'clock.
Her solitary breakfast did not taste nice and the room seemed lonely and untidy.
Jo had not filled the vases,
Beth had not dusted and Amy's books lay scattered about.
Nothing was neat and pleasant but Marmy's corner which looked as usual and there Meg sat to rest and read which meant yawn and imagine what pretty summer dresses she would get with her salary.
Jo spent the morning on the river with Laurie and the afternoon reading and crying over the wide,
Wide world up in the apple tree.
Beth began by rummaging everything out of the big closet where her family resided getting tired before half done.
She left her establishment topsy-turvy and went to her music rejoicing she had no dishes to wash.
Amy arranged her bower,
Put on her best white frock smoothed her curls and sat down to draw under the honeysuckles hoping someone would see and enquire who the young artist was.
As no one appeared but an inquisitive daddy-long-legs who examined her work with interest she went for a walk,
Got caught in a shower and came home dripping.
At tea time they compared notes.
All agreed it had been a delightful though unusually long day.
Meg who went shopping in the afternoon got a sweet blue muzzling.
After she'd cut the breads off she discovered it wouldn't wash which mishap made her slightly cross.
Jo had burnt the skin off her nose boating and got a raging headache by reading too long.
Beth was worried by the confusion of her closet and the difficulty of learning three or four songs at once and Amy deeply regretted the damage done to her frock for Katie Brown's party was to be the next day.
But these were mere trifles and they assured their mother that the experiment was working finally.
She smiled,
Said nothing and with Hannah's help did their neglected work keeping home pleasant and the domestic machinery running smoothly.
It was astonishing what a peculiar and uncomfortable state of things was produced by the resting and revelling process.
The days kept getting longer and longer the weather was unusually variable and so were tempers.
Satan found plenty of mischief for the idle hands to do.
At the height of luxury Meg put out some of her sewing and found time hanged so heavily she fell to snipping and spoiling her clothes.
Jo read till her eyes gave out and she was sick of books got so fidgety that even good-natured Laurie had a quarrel with her.
Beth got on pretty well for she was constantly forgetting that it was to be all play and no work and she fell back into her own ways now and then.
But something in the air affected her and more than once her tranquillity was much disturbed so much that on one occasion she actually shook poor dear Joanna and told her she was afraid.
Amy,
Meanwhile,
Fared worst of all.
Her resources were small and when her sisters left her to amuse and care for herself she soon found that accomplished an important little self a great burden.
She didn't like dolls fairy tales were childish and no one could draw all the time.
Tea parties didn't amount to much either neither did picnics unless very well conducted.
If one could have a fine house full of nice girls or go travelling the summer would be delightful she thought but to stay at home with three selfish sisters and a grown-up boy is enough to try the patience of a boas.
No one would own they were tired of the experiment but by Friday night each acknowledged to herself she was glad the week was nearly done Hoping to impress the lesson more deeply Mrs March who had a good deal of humour resolved to finish off the trial in an appropriate manner so she gave Hannah a holiday and let the girls enjoy the full effect of the play system.
When they got up on Saturday morning there was no fire in the kitchen no breakfast in the dining room and no mother anywhere to be seen.
Mercy on us what has happened?
Cried Jo staring about herself in dismay.
Meg ran upstairs and soon came back again looking relieved but rather bewildered and a little ashamed.
Mother isn't sick only very tired and she said she's going to stay quietly in her room all day and let us do the best we can It's a very queer thing for her to do she doesn't act a bit like herself but she says it's been a hard week so we mustn't grumble but take care of ourselves.
That's easy enough to do said Jo I like the idea I'm aching for something to do actually some new amusement you know.
In fact it was an immense relief to them all to have a little work and they took hold with a will but soon realised the truth of Hannah's saying housekeeping ain't no joke.
There was plenty of food in the larder and while Beth and Amy set the table Meg and Jo got breakfast wondering as they did so why servants ever talked about hard work.
I shall take some up to mother though she said we weren't to think of her said Meg so a tray was fitted out before anyone began and taken up with the cook's compliments.
The boiled tea was very bitter the omelette scorched and the biscuits speckled but Mrs March received her repast with thanks and laughed heartily over it after Jo was gone.
Poor little souls she said to herself they will have a hard time I'm afraid but they won't suffer and it'll do them good.
Many now were the complaints below and great the chagrin of the head cook at her failures.
Never mind I'll get the dinner and be servant you be mistress keep your hands nice and see company and give orders said Jo who knew still less than Meg about culinary affairs.
This obliging offer was gladly accepted and Margaret retired to the parlour which she hastily put in order by whisking the litter onto the sofa and shutting the blinds to save the trouble of dusting.
Jo with perfect faith in her own powers and a friendly desire to make up the quarrel immediately put a note in the office inviting Laurie to dinner.
You'd better see what you've got before you think about having company said Meg.
Oh there's corned beef and plenty of potatoes and I'll get some asparagus and a lobster for relish as Hannah says.
We'll have lettuce I'll make a salad I don't know how but the book tells I'll have blancmange and strawberries for dessert and coffee too if you want to be elegant.
Don't try too many Mrs Jo for you can't make anything but gingerbread and molasses candy fit to eat.
I wash my hands of the dinner party and since you've asked Laurie on your own responsibility you may just take care of him.
I don't want you to do anything but be civil and help with the pudding said Jo rather hurt.
You'll give me your advice if I get in a muddle now won't you?
Yes but I don't know much except about bread and a few trifles.
You'd better ask Mother's leave before you order anything returned Meg prudently.
Of course I shall I'm not a fool said Jo and she went off in a huff at the doubts expressed of her powers.
Get what you like and don't disturb me Jo I'm going out to dinner and I can't worry about things at home said Mrs March.
I never enjoyed housekeeping and I'm going to take a vacation and read and write and go visiting and amuse myself.
The unusual spectacle of her mother busy rocking comfortably and reading early in the morning made Jo feel as if some natural phenomenon had occurred for an eclipse,
An earthquake or a volcanic eruption would hardly have seemed stranger.
Everything's out of sort somehow she said to herself.
There's Beth crying that's a sure sign something's going wrong and if Amy's bothering I'll just have to shake her.
Feeling very much out of sorts herself Jo hurried into the parlour to find Beth sobbing over Pip the canary who lay dead in the cage with his little claws pathetically extended as if imploring the food for wonder which he had died.
It's all my fault I forgot him,
There isn't a seed or a drop left Pip how could I be so cruel to you cried Beth taking the poor thing in her hands and trying to restore him.
Jo offered her a box for a coffin I'll make him a shroud and he shall be buried in the garden said Beth I'll never have another bird,
Never for I'm too bad to own one The funeral shall be this afternoon said Jo,
We'll all go now don't cry Betty,
It's a pity but nothing goes right this week and Pip's had the worst of the experiment make a shroud and lay him in my box and after the dinner party we'll have a nice little funeral Then leaving the others to console Beth she departed to the kitchen which was in a most discouraging state of confusion.
Putting on a big apron she fell to work and got the dishes piled up ready for washing It was going to be a long day
