Read this story on Yak Yacker with clickable word help, full story audio, and lesson notes below the text.
This version is written for English-speaking learners who want a friendly reading experience in English.
The March family lived in a . There were four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Their father was . They were not rich, but they had each other. Their mother, Marmee, smiled and said, "We have love. That is a ."
One Christmas, the girls were . They had no money for presents. "I want a new dress," said Meg. "I want a book," said Jo. "I want a piano," said Beth. Amy said, "I want ." But they had no food for a special meal. "Let's to the poor family down the road," said Jo. The others agreed.
They took bread and milk to the little house. A poor woman and her children . "Thank you, kind angels!" she said. The girls felt . When they returned home, Marmee said, "You gave . That is the best Christmas present." Then they saw small gifts on the table: books for all of them. They laughed and hugged.
Next door lived a boy named Laurie. Jo met him at a party. He was . "Do you want to dance?" she asked. "I don't know how," he said. "It's !" she said, and they laughed together. From that day, they were good friends.
Jo loved to . She read them to her sisters in the . Beth listened with big eyes. "It's , Jo," she said. Amy, the youngest, drew pictures. Meg, the oldest, sewed quietly. "One day I will be a real writer," said Jo.
Suddenly, Beth got very sick. She had . The doctor came. "She must ," he said. Jo sat by her bed all day. "Please get better, dear Beth," she whispered. Marmee came home from the war hospital. She held Beth's hand. Slowly, Beth opened her eyes. "I am here," she said .
The family was happy again. Meg fell in love with John Brooke, Laurie's teacher. "Will you ?" he asked. "Yes!" said Meg. They had a small, . Amy went to Europe with Aunt March. She learned to paint and grew into a young lady.
Jo felt . She went to New York. There she met a kind man, Professor Bhaer. He had warm eyes and loved books. "Your stories have great ," he told her. Jo's heart grew strong. She wrote a book about her sisters. People loved it. "We are all so proud of you!" said Laurie.
In the end, Jo married Professor Bhaer. They opened a school together. The sisters often visited. Beth played the piano, and everyone sang. "We are little women, but we have big hearts," said Jo. And they always held each other in .
The March family lived in a small house with four daughters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Their father was at war. They weren't rich, but they had each other. Their mother Marmee said love is a great gift.
One Christmas, the girls were sad because they had no money for gifts. Each wanted something, but they had no food for a special meal. Jo suggested giving their breakfast to a poor family, and the others agreed.
They brought bread and milk to a poor family. The mother thanked them. They felt good. At home, Marmee said their kindness was the best present. They found small gifts on the table and were happy.
A boy named Laurie lived next door. Jo met him at a party. He was shy. She asked him to dance, but he didn't know how. She said it's easy, they laughed, and became good friends.
Jo loved writing stories and read them to her sisters in the attic. Beth listened with big eyes. Amy drew, Meg sewed. Jo wanted to be a real writer one day.
Beth got very sick with scarlet fever. The doctor said she must rest. Jo stayed by her bed. Marmee came from the war hospital and held Beth's hand. Beth slowly woke and said she was there.
The family was happy again. Meg fell in love with John Brooke, Laurie's teacher, and they married. Amy went to Europe with Aunt March and learned to paint, becoming graceful.
Jo felt lonely and went to New York, where she met Professor Bhaer. He loved books and praised her stories. She wrote a book about her sisters that people liked, and all were proud.
Jo married Professor Bhaer, and they opened a school. The sisters visited often, Beth played the piano, and everyone sang. Jo said they are little women with big hearts, and they always loved each other.
The March sisters use many everyday words. Let's learn some of them to talk about family, gifts, and kindness.
- "gift" - something you give to someone, like a present
- "poor" - having very little money
- "agree" - to say "yes" to an idea
- "shy" - feeling nervous around new people
In the story, Jo says "Let's give our breakfast to the poor family." We use "let's" to suggest an action that includes ourselves.
- "Let's" + base verb: e.g., Let's play, Let's eat.
- It is a friendly way to invite others to do something together.
- We can also say "How about we…?" for a softer suggestion.
The characters feel many emotions. Learning these describing words helps you talk about your own feelings and the people around you.
- "warm" - kind and friendly ("They felt warm inside")
- "lonely" - sad because you are alone
- "joyful" - very happy, full of joy
- "proud" - feeling good about something you did
You have read about the March family. Think about your own family or friends. Can you tell a short story about them in English?
- Use the new words: gift, agree, shy, lonely.
- Try to use "let's" to make a suggestion.
- Draw a picture of a happy moment and describe it aloud.
- Share your story with a friend!
Little Women comes from an older public-domain story tradition and is best known as a public_domain_story_retelling. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on public-domain source material, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. This version is adapted for A2 Elementary learners studying English.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the Expand Your A2 English Vocabulary. After that, try Learn More About Adjectives and Adverbs for another useful next step.
