"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. "

"I will if Mother doesn't mind, " said Beth. Mrs March agreed 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. "

The next day, Meg appeared at ten o'clock and ate breakfast alone. It was a lonely meal and the room was untidy. Jo read a book with her friend Laurie by the river. Beth was glad that she did not have to wash the cups and plates. Amy went for a walk, got caught in the rain and came home very wet.

At tea, everyone said that it had been a delightful(令人偷快的) but unusually long day. Meg now realised that she did not like the dress she had bought in the afternoon. Jo had a headache from rending 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.

    ▲    . She thought the girls would learn a lesson from the experience and she would wait and see. 

The week seemed to get longer and longer. Then Mrs March gave the maid(女佣) 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. They must look after themselves. 

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, and then Meg took some tea and an egg up to Mrs March. The tea was too strong and the egg was burned. Mrs March did not complain, but she laughed to herself afterwards. Jo wanted to invite Laurie to dinner. Her mother said she did not mind at all because she was going out for dinner. She would wait and see what happened. 

It was dinner time. 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 not sugar! Unfortunately, this was not discovered before Laurie began eating them. He pretended(假装) everything was all right, but Amy took a spoonful and ran from the table. When Jo learnt what was wrong, everyone began to laugh. 

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