Chapter 13 Sandcastles

Context: Laurie (iago) sees the sisters from her house heading towards the mountains with
some things in hand and decides to follow them.

(The scene where the sisters are may already be set and iago walks towards us from
somewhere in the room)

Jo: Reading and sewing

Meg: Sewing

Amy: painting

Beth: Playing with some pinecones

Laurie (iago approaches)

Laurie- Can I go there, please? Or will I bother you? - he asks, but is afraid to join.

Meg (Gustavo) raises her eyebrows curiously, while Jo (Marcia) looks at her with a defiant
frown.

Jo- Of course you can. We should have invited you, but we thought you wouldn't want to
attend a girls' gathering like this.

Laurie— I've always enjoyed your meetings; but if Meg doesn't want me here, I'll go.

Meg— I don't object if you take care of something; It's against the rules to stay here and do
nothing,” Meg replies seriously.

Laurie—Thank you very much. I'll do anything if they let me stay here for a little while, because
back home it's as monotonous as the Sahara desert. Should I sew, read, pick up pinecones,
draw, or all at the same time? Say what you want; I'm ready.¬ Laurie sits up, a submissive,
charming expression on her face.

Jo “Finish this story while I fix my heel,” says Jo, handing him the book.

Laurie “Yes, miss,” he replies gently.

Laurie (iago) is going to read some short poem that we are going to give him. Still to be
decided.

After finishing the story Laurie asks

Laurie—Please ma'am, may I ask if this institution, highly instructive and charming, is new?

Meg: Do you want to tell him?

Amy—He's Gonna Laugh—Amy Warns

Jo- So what?

Laurie— I give you my word that I will not laugh. Tell me soon, Jo, and don't be afraid.

Jo— What an idea, to be afraid of you! Well, you know, we used to

represent Pilgrim’s Progress, and throughout the winter and summer we have continued to do
so with the utmost seriousness.

Laurie “Yeah, I know,” says Laurie, with a thoughtful nod.

Jo— Who told you?

Laurie- Spirits. Says Laurie mocking.

Beth- No, it was me. I wanted to amuse him one night when all of you were out and he was
really upset. He liked it, so don't scold him Jo.- says Beth, sweetly.

Jo—You can't keep a secret. But, it doesn't matter, now it avoids problems.

Amy- But I bet she didn't tell you about this new plan of ours? Well, we try not to waste our
vacation; so each of us took on a task and worked hard at it. The holidays are almost over, the
tasks have all been accomplished and we are very happy because we didn't waste time.- Amy
speaks spontaneously.

Laurie—Yes, I think it's very good. -Laurie shows on her face a slight regret for her idle days.

Jo— Mom likes to see us outdoors as much as possible, so we bring our work here and have a
nice time. Just for fun, we put our stuff in these bags, we used old hats, we used sticks to help
us up the hill, playing pilgrims, as we used to say for years. We call this the Delightful
Mountain, because we can look into the distance and see the countryside, where we hope to
live someday.

Jo points to the mountain and Laurie stands up trying to see.

Laurie- How beautiful! says Laurie quietly, with a fascinated look in his eyes.

Amy— Jo is talking about the field, where we hope to live someday, the real field, she means,
with pigs and chicks and drying hay. I wish the beautiful countryside up there was real and we
could go there someday. It's often like that and we like to look at it, because it's never the
same, but it's always beautiful,” Amy said, wishing she could paint it.

Meg “There's a field even more beautiful than that, where we'll go, in a while, if we're good
enough,” Meg says sweetly.

Jo— Seems like a long time to wait, so hard to reach. I wanted to fly there immediately, as
those swallows fly, and enter that wonderful gate.

Jo looks at her sister Beth with love in her eyes.

Jo— Beth will get there, sooner or later, unlike me. I will have to fight, work, climb and wait,
maybe after all ill never enter.

Laurie— You'll have me for company, if that's any consolation. I'll have to travel a long way
before I see your Heavenly City. If you're late, you'll recommend me, won't you, Beth?

Beth- If people really want to go, and if they really try all their lives, I think they will go in. I
don't believe there is any lock on that door or any guard at the gate.
Jo— Wouldn't it be funny if all the sandcastles we built could come true and if we could live in
thems? says Jo, after a short pause.

Laurie- I've done so many that it would be hard to choose which one to live in.

Meg— You should have your favorite. Which is?

Laurie— If I say mine, do you say yours?

Meg— Yes, if the girls say so too.

Amy—We will. Go ahead, Laurie. Says Amy paying attention to the conversation.

Laurie— After I've seen the world as much as I want, I'd like to settle in Germany and have all
the music I want. I will be a famous musician myself and all the people of the world will run to
hear me; and I will never worry about money or business, but I will enjoy myself and live for
what I please. This is my favorite castle. What's yours, Meg?

Meg finds it difficult to answer, taking a moment.

Meg— I would like to have a nice house, full of all kinds of luxurious things—good food, nice
clothes, nice furniture, nice people, and lots of money. I'll own it and run it as I please, with a
bunch of servants, so I don't have to work a bit. How I would like that! Because I wouldn't be
idle, but I would do good and make everyone love me very much.

Laurie— Wouldn't your castle in the air have a lord? Laurie asks mischievously.

(This malice does not refer to him, but to his teacher who is interested in Meg, Brooke)

Meg— I said “nice people”, she knows. Says Meg and hides her face in embarrassment.

Jo— Why don't you say you would have a wonderful, wise, good husband and some angelic
children? You know your castle wouldn't be perfect without it,” Jo says gruffly.

Meg "You wouldn't have anything in yours but horses and inkwells and novels," Meg replied
provocatively.
Jo- And why not? I would have a stable full of Arabian steeds, rooms full of books, and I would
write with a magic inkwell, so that my works would become as famous as Laurie's music. I
want to do something splendid before I enter my castle, something heroic or wonderful that
will not be forgotten after I die. I don't know what, but I'm looking forward to finding out, and I
intend to amaze you all someday. I think I'll write books and become rich and famous: this
suits me, and so it's my favorite dream.

Beth—Mine is to stay home with Mom and Dad, and help take care of the family. Ever since I
got my little piano, I'm perfectly satisfied. I just want to see all of us always happy and
together, nothing more.

Amy— I always have many desires, but what keeps coming back is to be an artist, to go to
Rome, to make beautiful paintings, to be the best artist in the whole world.

Laurie- We are a group of ambitious people, aren't we? Everyone but Beth wants to be rich
and famous and wonderful in every way. I wonder if any of us will ever get to fulfill his wishes.

Jo— I have the key to my castle in the air, but if I can unlock the door, that remains to be seen.

Laurie—I have the key to mine, but I'm not allowed to try to open it. grumbled Laurie with an
impatient smile.

Amy - Here's mine! — and Amy waved her pencil.

Meg "I don't have any," Meg said sadly.

Laurie "Yes, you do," Laurie said instantly.

Meg- Where?

Laurie— In your face.

Meg- Nonsense, it's no use.

Laurie- Wait and see if he doesn't bring you something worth having.

Meg blushes.

Jo— If we're all alive, ten years from now, let's meet and see if our desires have been fulfilled
or if at least we've come closer to them than we are now.

Meg- Oh my God! How old will I be... twenty-seven! exclaims Meg.

Jo- You and I will be twenty-six, Teddy and Beth will be twenty-four, and Amy will be twenty-
two. What a respectable group!

Laurie- I hope we've done something to be proud of by now, but I'm so lazy I'm afraid of
loafing around Jo.

Jo — You just need a motivation, as Mom says.

Laurie- Did she say that? My God, it's true, if I get the chance! exclaims Laurie with sudden
energy.

Laurie- I should be content just to please Grandpa, and I try, but it's rowing against the current,
you know, and so it's hard. He wants me to be a merchant in India, you know, and I would
rather die. I hate tea and silk and spices and all the rubbish your old ships bring, and I don't
care if they sink immediately when I own them. Going to college should satisfy Grandpa; giving
him four years, he might let me stay out of business; but he has already made up his mind, I
must do exactly what he did, unless he turns me away and lives as I please, as my father did. If
there was anyone left to take the old gentleman, I would do it tomorrow.

Jo— I advise you to go sailing on one of your ships and not return home until you have
experienced living the way you want.

Meg- That's not right, Jo; you shouldn't talk like that, and Laurie shouldn't accept your bad
advice either. You must do exactly what your grandfather wants, my dear boy,” Meg says, in
her most motherly voice. “Do your best at the university, and when he finds you're trying to
please you, I'm sure he won't be harsh or unfair. As you say, there is no other person who can
stay with him and love him, and you would never forgive yourself if you left him without his
permission. Do not be sad or anxious, but do your duty and you will get your reward, as good
as Mr. Brooke got being respected and loved.

Laurie — What do you know about him?

Meg-Just what his grandfather told us about him: how he took good care of his mother until
she died, and his refusal to go abroad as a private tutor to a good person because he didn't
want to leave her; and how, now, he supports an old woman who has taken care of his mother
and never tells anyone about it, but is immensely generous and patient and kind.

Laurie— And that's right, that dear fellow! It's just my grandfather's thing to find out all about
Brooke without letting him know, and tell others how kind he is so they can like him. Brooke
couldn't understand why his mother was so generous to him, always inviting him along with
me, and treating him in her beautiful, loving way. She thought she was just perfect and talked
about it for days on end, going on about you all in a fiery style. If I ever get my wish, you'll see
what I'll do for Brooke.

Meg “Start doing something now, not tormenting him so much,” Meg says gruffly.

Laurie- How do you know I do that, miss?

Meg — I always see it by his face when he leaves. If you've been good, he seems content and
walks briskly; if you've tormented him, he looks serious, as if he wants to go back and do his
job better.

Laurie: Oh, I like that! So, you have a report of my good or bad grades across Brooke's face, do
you? I see him bend over and smile as he passes your window, but I didn't know you had a
telegraph.

Meg- We don't have. Don't be angry and please don't tell him anything I said! It's just to show
that I care about the way you do, and everything here is said in confidence, you know,” Meg
exclaims, very alarmed.

Laurie—I don't go around spreading stories. But if Brooke is going to be a thermometer, I have
to pay attention and make time for him to broadcast.
Meg —Please don't be offended. I didn't mean to preach, spread stories, or be silly. I just
thought that Jo was encouraging a feeling in her that you would later regret. You are so
generous to us that we feel for you as we would for a brother, and we say exactly what we
think. Forgive me, my intentions were good.

And Meg extends her hand, in a gesture that is both affectionate and shy. Ashamed of his
momentary resentment, Laurie squeezes the generous hand and says truthfully,

Laurie- I'm the one who should apologize. I'm bored, I've been out of my mind all day. I like
you to tell me about my mistakes and behave like a sister to me; don't mind when I'm grumpy
every now and then. I am grateful in the same way.

Amy- It's starting to get dark, I can't see the swallows in the trees anymore, we should go back
before mom worries. I can no longer paint anyway.

The group begins to gather their belongings.

Laurie- Can I show up again? Laurie asks shyly.

Meg—Yes, if you're good and love your books, as they say to boys who are learning the
alphabet— Meg says, smiling.

Laurie- I'll try.

Jo— Then you can come and I will teach you to knit, as the

Scottish men. There is a demand for socks at the moment.

The group leaves.

THE END