Little women. Маленькие женщины. Адаптированная книга на английском

The girls dressed up and were ready to go.

“Have a good time!” said Mrs. March.

Meg was a lady but Jo, who jumped and ran and shouted like a boy, didn’t know what to do. Should she shake hands* with boys? “Of course, no!” said Meg. She said she would lift her eyebrows if Jo would do anything wrong.

At the Eve’s night, Jo saw boys who were talking about skates. Oh, how she loves skates! She wanted to go to them and talk with them. “No!” – Meg’s eyebrows went high and Jo didn’t move.

Soon Jo was tired of standing there and found a small dark room.

“Oh dear! I didn’t know someone was here” said Jo when she met a boy.

“You can stay. I don’t mind. I am here because I wanted to have rest from all those people.”

“So did I”, said Jo. “You live near our house, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for your Christmas present! We had such a wonderful dinner.”

“My grandpa sent it.”

“But you told him to do so, didn’t you, Mr.

“Please, Miss March, call me Laurie”, asked the boy.

“Then I am just Jo and not Miss March.”

They talked and talked. Laurie told her about his voyage to Paris, how he learned French. Jo was very curious how old he was, and he told her that he was going to be sixteen next month. Then they heard nice fast music and Laurie said he wanted to go dancing.

“But I can’t go!” said Jo.

“Why?”

“You won’t tell anyone?” asked Jo

“Never!”

“I stood near the fireplace and burned the back of my dress.

Laurie didn’t laugh. “You know what? We can go to the hall, there are no people in the hall, we can dance there. No one will see your burned dress.”

The went dancing and danced until they saw Meg. She went looking for her sister. Her shoes were too small and she hurt her foot. Laurie offered to go in his carriage and they went talking about this evening.

__________

*shake hands – здороваться за руки

Chapter 4

Christmas holidays were over.

“I wish it were Christmas or New Year all the time!” said Jo.

“What’s the use of* looking pretty if no one sees it, only my sisters?” said Meg angrily.

Beth was lying on the some with her cat and three kittens.

“Beth, keep your cats in the cellar. I don’t want them here!” said Meg.

Amy was crying because she couldn’t do Maths’ exercise.

“This is such an angry family!” cried Jo.

“But you are the angriest!” said Amy.