Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer
JACK AND JILL
By Louisa May Alcott
To the schoolmates of ELLSWORTH DEVENS, Whose lovely character will not soon be forgotten, This Village Story is affectionately inscribed by their friend,
L.M.A. 1880
Contents
Chapter I The Catastrophe Chapter II Two Penitents Chapter III Ward No. I Chapter IV Ward No. 2 Chapter V Secrets Chapter VI Surprises Chapter VII Jill's Mission Chapter VIII Merry and Molly Chapter IX The Debating Club Chapter X The Dramatic Club Chapter XI "Down Brakes" Chapter XII The Twenty-second of February Chapter XIII Jack Has a Mystery Chapter XIV And Jill Finds it out Chapter XV Saint Lucy Chapter XVI Up at Merry's Chapter XVII Down at Molly's Chapter XVIII May Baskets Chapter XIX Good Templars Chapter XX A Sweet Memory Chapter XXI Pebbly Beach Chapter XXII A Happy Day Chapter XXIII Cattle Show Chapter XXIV Down the River
JACK AND JILL
Jack and Jill went up the hill To coast with fun and laughter; Jack fell down and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after.
Chapter I. The Catastrophe
"Clear the lulla!" was the general cry on a bright December afternoon, when all the boys and girls of Harmony Village were out enjoying the first good snow of the season. Up and down three long coasts they went as fast as legs and sleds could carry them. One smooth path led into the meadow, and here the little folk congregated; one swept across the pond, where skaters were darting about like water-bugs; and the third, from the very top of the steep hill, ended abruptly at a rail fence on the high bank above the road. There was a group of lads and lasses sitting or leaning on this fence to rest after an exciting race, and, as they reposed, they amused themselves with criticising their mates, still absorbed in this most delightful of out-door sports.
"Here comes Frank Minot, looking as solemn as a judge," cried one, as a tall fellow of sixteen spun by, with a set look about the mouth and a keen sparkle of the eyes, fixed on the distant goal with a do-or-die expression.
"Here's Molly Loo And little Boo!"
sang out another; and down came a girl with flying hair, carrying a small boy behind her, so fat that his short legs stuck out from the sides, and his round face looked over her shoulder like a full moon.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott
- 2: Here's Jack and Jill going like fury
- 3: Putting on the mittens with a nod of thanks
- 4: Jill took her seat as she spoke
- 5: Jill shut her eyes and waved the girls away
- 6: Jill suffered most in her mind
- 7: And it breaks my heart to see my Janey so
- 8: Minot understood the state of the case without more words
- 9: Stand firm and help Jill to control her headstrong will
- 10: Each of the Minot boys had his own room
- 11: Minot lengthened her forty winks into a three hours' nap
- 12: I never ate any gorver jelly
- 13: Jill promptly responded with the loan of a tiny black kitten
- 14: Molly Loo hair several yards long
- 15: Gus is so strong he doesn't know how his pounding hurts
- 16: Pecq began to fear that Janey was to be a cripple for life
- 17: Pecq to sew on Jack's new night gowns
- 18: Pecq looked longingly at the English ship
- 19: And Molly Loo looked about her with a fierce air
- 20: Anna Minot She knew what the child would like
- 21: But Jill did not mind her loneliness now
- 22: Minot liked to have him with her sons
- 23: And you know neither donkeys nor ducks are favorites of mine
- 24: Minot took her things off with a cordial welcome
- 25: Down the long room rattled the chair
- 26: And Ralph threw a bon bon at Jill
- 27: Jack and Jill lay silently watching
- 28: That Jill hardly knew her own mother
- 29: Watching candle after candle sputter
- 30: And Jill felt like a millionaire
- 31: Jill peeped out wondering what it was
- 32: Jill was so delighted with this handsome apology
- 33: Do they wear helmets like that
- 34: Or Jill do more than clutch and cling to the gum brush
- 35: Minot wrote one page of a new letter
- 36: Jill caught up the long handled hook
- 37: Minot was looking for the letter
- 38: Please tell me about Lucinda Snow
- 39: And laughing out with a hearty Haw
- 40: And kept her eye on careless Roxy till all was in order
- 41: And a clean tidy over the pincushion
- 42: I take all the care of Boo off her hands
- 43: For Boo took bites at it now and then
- 44: Boo I'm sure he needs it enough
- 45: What a dreadful evening poor Boo spent
- 46: For Ed had not returned to school in the autumn
- 47: But she settled matters for herself by holding fast to Merry
- 48: Only an anti snoring machine and an elbow pad
- 49: And Ed looked at Gus and Frank
- 50: A laugh greeted this bold declaration
- 51: Grif composed himself to listen
- 52: Poor Jill was feeling the effects of her second fall
- 53: She found she could use her zither as it lay upon her breast
- 54: Jill was singing like a bobolink
- 55: And just what princesses really wear
- 56: Handing Jill a long strip of paper
- 57: Princess Jill as fine as you please
- 58: As Jill tried to gather them all in her arms
- 59: As if daring Gus to give the word
- 60: For just at that moment Joe appeared at the switch
- 61: Gus generously forebore to speak
- 62: Pecq clapped one hand over his mouth
- 63: Gus must not suffer for your fault
- 64: Minot permitted the house to be turned topsy turvy
- 65: And such a frown that poor Boo looked dismayed
- 66: Surrounded by tumultuous waves of blue cambric
- 67: It was evident that something very martial was to follow
- 68: And Washington at Trenton was prettily done
- 69: It was counteracted by irrepressible Grif
- 70: With a long handled frying pan
- 71: Goose and her bird at the other
- 72: And Jill lay quite still for five minutes
- 73: And Jill insisted on paying six cents for them
- 74: And Jill held up the order from Harry Grant
- 75: Jill took up her knitting and worked quietly by firelight
- 76: Acton in his most impressive manner
- 77: Does any one beside Jerry know of this
- 78: Minot was as much surprised as he
- 79: And Jill Finds It Out Jill worried about it more than he did
- 80: Jill put a great splash of red sealing wax on it
- 81: Said Jill in her most coaxing tone
- 82: While Mamma made a charge at Jill
- 83: For obedience was her hardest trial
- 84: Then I was afraid Jerry would go and make a fuss
- 85: And Jack flew off to have rejoicings with Jill
- 86: I never saw such a fellow to wash and brush
- 87: Minot often found for her in grown up books
- 88: They did not call her a saint then
- 89: Who talks about taking Jill away
- 90: Minot went to take Frank's place
- 91: But it satisfied Jill to her heart's core
- 92: Down the front stairs to the parlor door
- 93: So the great logs were kindled
- 94: The beets ought to be on this minute
- 95: And in five minutes away went Merry
- 96: Ralph seemed to agree with her
- 97: Before he went away to feed on artistic crusts
- 98: Was a timid black and white kit
- 99: I just took care of Boo and myself
- 100: I always said Sister Dawes meant well
- 101: Poor Boo could have sympathized with her
- 102: Bemis looked at his frayed wristband
- 103: I thought Miss Bat did that for you
- 104: Bemis looked at his wristbands again
- 105: But to Jill it seemed the loveliest she had ever known
- 106: Jill took great delight in her pretty pensioners
- 107: And Jill held up her finest hyacinth
- 108: Modestly passing the story along to Gus
- 109: And Jill stretched out her hand involuntarily
- 110: Ed must choose his baskets first
- 111: You will never hear the last of that if Grif gets it
- 112: As Grif would never think of that
- 113: Jack was miles away in the twinkling of a bedpost
- 114: And Frank declaimed in his deepest voice
- 115: And he said he'd join the Lodge
- 116: Which Jill promised to do before night
- 117: Chauncey gave each a hearty grip
- 118: But of the great crusade against it going on everywhere
- 119: While Gus stood leaning on an oar in a nautical attitude
- 120: So invitingly that Gus could not resist
- 121: For he was not as gentle as Ed
- 122: As it gilded the flower strewn mound they left behind
- 123: Somehow everybody seems to love everybody else more for it
- 124: While Jill turned up her nose at boys' rubbish
- 125: And Jill found it impossible to sleep after her journey
- 126: I've found a nice place for Jill to sit
- 127: Jill thought that was even better
- 128: But Jill had the best time of all
- 129: Was so kind and gay that Jill quite adored her
- 130: Minot drove to Gloucester one afternoon
- 131: Jill called and waved her handkerchief
- 132: Till with a good deal of shifting and flapping of the sail
- 133: But Jill remembered that hour long afterward
- 134: Minot sent for us to spend a week
- 135: Molly and Jill did not care about tennis
- 136: And Boo ran back to get more dear lobs
- 137: Boo recovered his spirits first
- 138: Minot laid her hand on his shoulder as she spoke
- 139: You and Molly are to have lessons here
- 140: Ralph is going to send my bust
- 141: And off rushed Jack to lure unsuspecting old Bun
- 142: And Grif proposed to give some of the cats extra tails
- 143: It's that rogue of a Grif with some new joke
- 144: Who found Jill and Merry rejoicing over it
- 145: Katherine Parr had the best of it
- 146: Neither was Jill a famous woman
- 147: I couldn't go to some of your picnics
- 148: Leaving Jill to sit among the apples
- 149: Which grew still brighter as Jill exclaimed
- 150: A great many acorns are wasted
