| NICK: | Is Amy really gonna need all this stuff? I thought the girls were only goin' to Boston for one night? |
| LAURIE: | Oh, they are, but Amy always likes to look her best. |
| JO: | [Calling up the stairs.] Amy, come on! |
| AMY: | I'm just fixing my hair. |
| JO: | We want to be in Boston by four so we have time to check into the hotel before we go to the theatre. |
| MEG: | We have plenty of time, Jo. Don't worry. |
| JO: | I'm just so excited. It's been so long since we've done anything fun together. |
| MEG: | I know. I've been looking forward to this for weeks. Two whole days together. Just us three sisters. |
| JO: | It's only going to be two sisters if Amy doesn't hurry up. |
| AMY: | I'm coming, I'm coming. [Coming down the stairs.] Fine. Well, are we ready to go? We don't want to be late. |
| LAURIE: | Are you ladies sure you don't want a dashing, charming, handsome escort to accompany you to the theatre tonight? |
| AMY: | Well, Laurie, where on earth would we find someone like that on such short notice? [The ladies laugh at Laurie's expense.] |
| LAURIE: | Good-bye. |
| JO: | We'll be back tomorrow afternoon. |
| NICK: | Have a good time. |
| JO: | We will, don't worry. |
| DAN: | ...And how about some cheese? |
| NAT: | Yeah, good idea. Add some in. |
| DAN: | And some pickled beets to give it some colour. |
| NAT: | Good idea. That should be good. |
| DAN: | Yeah. Wait. |
| BESS: | [Picks up her fudge, but Dan takes it from her before she can eat it.] Uh, I was eating that fudge. |
| DAN: | [Adding Bess's fudge to the bait ball.] Now it's ready. |
| BESS: | Ugh, what is that? |
| NAT: | It's a bait ball. We're goin' after Big Charlie, and he don't like worms. |
| BESS: | Who's big Charlie? |
| DAN: | He's the biggest catfish we've ever seen. Me and Nat have been tryin' to catch him for three months. We tried all different kinds of bait we could think of, but today we're tryin' somethin' a little different. |
| NAT: | A little bit of everything. We want to surprise Mrs. Jo when she gets back. |
| NAN: | Do you really think that's gonna work? Big Charlie didn't get that big by being stupid, you know. |
| DAN: | Oh, and Nan, you think that bug's gonna work? |
| NAN: | I'm not using it for bait, Dan. It's a violet ground beetle. I'm adding it to my insect collection. |
| BESS: | Nan, don't you have enough bugs already? |
| NAN: | You can never have too many bugs. |
| BESS: | Of course, I forget. |
| NAT: | [Feeling a nibble on his fishing line.] Dan! |
| ASIA: | Well, that should be enough vegetables. |
| NICK: | Better cut up a few more. Jo and her sisters'll probably be starvin' by the time they get home. |
BESS, NAN, NAT and DAN have returned from their fishing trip and display their afternoon's catch.
| NAT: | Hey, Asia. |
| ASIA: | Well, look at the size of that fish! |
| NICK: | Hey, is that Big Charlie? |
| DAN: | Yep. We finally caught him. |
| NAT: | He put up a good fight, too. It took the both of us to reel him in. |
| NICK: | Good job, boys. |
| ASIA: | Well, I know what we're havin' for Thanksgiving dinner. |
| BESS: | [Bess's father, Laurie, enters.] Father, what are you doing here? |
| LAURIE: | I was looking for your mother. They're not back yet, Nick? |
| NICK: | No. I thought that maybe they stopped a while at your place. |
| LAURIE: | No, I have seen them. They were supposed to be back hours ago. |
| NICK: | They're probably havin' so much fun in Boston that they lost track of time. |
| LAURIE: | I'm sure you're right. |
| NICK: | I bet they're on their way home right now. We'll probably pass them on the road. |
| LAURIE: | Is that their carriage? |
| NICK: | Looks like it. |
NICK pulls the wagon to a halt. NICK and LAURIE get out and check out the carriage. The ladies' bags are still in the back, but there is no trace of the women or their horse.
| LAURIE: | That's Amy's. Well, where are they? |
| NICK: | [Examining the reigns.] The straps ain't broken. Looks to me like someone unbuckled them. |
| LAURIE: | Why? |
| LAURIE: | Amy! Meg! |
| NICK: | Jo! Jo! |
| LAURIE: | Amy! [To Nick.] What is it? |
| NICK: | The trail's gone. |
| LAURIE: | Gone? |
| NICK: | They might've backtracked or maybe they followed the stream. It's hard to tell in the dark. |
| LAURIE: | Well, we have to head back to Concord to tell the sheriff. We need to organize a search party immediately. |
| NICK: | Yeah, it's gonna be light soon. |
| NICK: | I don't believe it. |
| LAURIE: | Is that them? |
| NICK: | Jo? |
JO, MEG and AMY stop and turn.
| LAURIE: | Thank God. Are you all right? |
| AMY: | Just take me home. |
| NICK: | What happened to you? |
| MEG: | We've been wandering around the woods for two days. |
| AMY: | Thanks to Jo's shortcut. |
| JO: | Oh, Amy, don't start with me. I said I'd get us back to the road and I did. |
| AMY: | Yes, after two days. Some short cut. |
| JO: | Well, if we didn't have to stop and wait for you every five seconds, Amy, it wouldn't have taken so long. |
| AMY: | I hurt my ankle, Jo. |
| MEG: | Yes, running away from your imaginary bear. |
| AMY: | Shut up, Meg. |
| NICK: | Ladies! Ladies, now, start at the beginning. What happened to your horse? |
| AMY: | Some crazy woman stole him. |
| JO: | Yes, Meg's little friend. |
| MEG: | She wasn't my friend, Jo. She was just, well, someone who needed a ride. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. ROAD (Meg's perspective) | |
| AMY, MEG and JO are on their way to Boston. AMY is primping in front of her handheld mirror in the back seat of the carriage, and MEG is singing happily while JO is irritable in the driver's seat. They come across a quiet spoken WOMAN (SADIE) walking along the road. | |
| MEG: | [Singing] She'll be comin' round the mountain / she'll be comin' round the mountain / she'll be comin' round the mountain when she comes! / Toot! Toot! [To JO.] Come on, sing with me. |
| JO: | Stop asking, Meg. I don't want to sing. |
| MEG: | Jo, stop the buggy. There's someone on the road. |
| JO: | I don't have time to stop. |
| MEG: | Jo, please, just for a minute. |
| JO: | All right. [To the horse.] Whoa! |
| MEG: | Excuse me. Are you all right? |
| SADIE: | Oh, yes. Thank you for asking. I'm fine. |
| MEG: | Are you going to Boston? |
| SADIE: | Yes. Burns... Sadie Burns. I'm going to see my mother who's gravely ill. The doctors say she'll be lucky if she makes it through the night so I'm making my way to Boston to tell her that I love her and to say good-bye. |
| JO: | How tragic . |
| MEG: | We're heading to Boston ourselves. Please, let us give you a ride. |
| SADIE: | I'm all right. I don't mean to impose. I only have another twenty miles to go. |
| JO: | Well, then. You must be on your way. We wouldn't want to hold you up. |
| MEG: | Jo, we can't let her walk all the way to Boston. |
| JO: | Meg, I'm not giving this woman a ride. |
| MEG: | Why not? |
| JO: | Because I don't like her. |
| MEG: | What's wrong with her? |
| JO: | I just don't like her and what I say is all that matters. I don't care what anyone else wants. |
| JO: | I did not say that! |
| MEG: | Well, that's what you were thinking. |
| JO: | I didn't want to pick up that woman because she was dangerous. I could see that from the moment we laid eyes on her. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. ROAD (Jo's perspective) | |
| AMY, MEG and JO are on their way to Boston. They have been stopped by SADIE who is a rough looking cowgirl with a cigar in her hand. She examines JO's horse with a greedy eye. The situation is tense. | |
| SADIE: | Nice horse you got there. |
| JO: | Thanks. |
| MEG: | We're on our way to Boston. Are you heading there too? |
| SADIE: | That's right. Boston. |
| MEG: | Well, hop in. We'll give you a ride. |
| JO: | [Under her breath.] Meg! I don't know about this woman. |
| MEG: | What's wrong with her? |
| JO: | Look at her. She looks dangerous. |
| MEG: | Oh, Jo. |
| SADIE: | [Climbing inelegantly into the carriage and settling beside a disgusted Amy.] We goin' or what? I ain't getting' any younger back here. |
| JO: | [To the horse.] Giddup! |
| JO: | Later, Amy said she was starving. So we stopped for a picnic. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. FIELD (Jo's perspective) | |
| AMY, MEG, JO and SADIE have stopped for their picnic. SADIE's cheeks are filled like a chipmunk's as she devours all the food that the women have brought with them. | |
| SADIE: | Mmm! Good, hmm? [Belches] |
| MEG: | Oh, my! You must have been hungry. |
| AMY: | I wanted some chicken. |
| SADIE: | Got some whiskey in there? |
| JO: | No. |
| SADIE: | No? |
| JO: | No. |
| SADIE: | [Ungracefully picking her teeth.] Got mine in the wagon. Reckon I better go get some. [Sadie exits.] |
| JO: | I'm telling you, Meg, this woman is trouble. |
| AMY: | She ate all the chicken. |
| MEG: | Quit being so negative. |
| AMY: | I didn't even get any of it. |
| JO: | I think we should just forget about this picnic and just keep driving. |
| AMY: | Not a wing. Not a drumstick. Nothing! |
| MEG: | Cookie? |
| JO: | Sadie was taking a long time, so I thought I'd better go and check on her. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. ROAD (Jo's perspective) | |
| SADIE is unbuckling the straps from the horse. JO comes running towards her to stop her. | |
| JO: | Hey! Stop! You're not taking my horse! |
| SADIE: | And who's going to stop me? |
| JO: | I am! |
| A fistfight ensues between SADIE and JO in which JO manages some mighty punches. | |
| AMY: | Oh, please! You did not get into a fight with that woman. She was already riding away by the time we got there. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. ROAD (Amy's perspective) | |
| SADIE is riding away on JO's horse. The sisters have arrived too late to do anything about it. | |
| JO: | Wait! Come back! [To Meg.] This is all your fault! |
| AMY: | So, with the horse gone, we were stuck out there in the middle of no where. I wanted to wait for another wagon to come along, but Jo got impatient and said: |
FLASHBACK: EXT. ROAD (Amy's perspective) | |
| MEG, JO and AMY are stranded. | |
| JO: | Well, I'm walking home. I know a shortcut through the woods. |
| AMY: | I really think we should stay on the road. I'm sure someone's bound to come along. |
| JO: | Well, I'm sick of waiting. |
| MEG: | I'm doing whatever Jo's doing. |
| MEG: | I never said that. I just didn't want her wandering off in the woods alone. |
| JO: | Oh, I see. So you were doing me a favour. Is that it? |
| MEG: | Well, what was I supposed to do, Jo? Let you go traipsing off in the woods all by yourself? |
| LAURIE: | Why don't we discuss the details a little later. |
| JO: | Fine. Let's go home. |
| AMY: | Good idea. |
| MEG: | Ah! Finally, something we all agree on. |
| NAN: | Mrs. Jo, are you all right? |
| TOMMY: | Where's your dress? |
| BESS: | Mother, what happened to you? |
| AMY: | It's a long story. [Laurie touches her arm.] Ow! Careful. |
| BESS: | What did you do to your arm? |
| LAURIE: | How did that happen, Amy? |
| AMY: | I fell when I was running. |
| JO: | From her imaginary bear. |
| AMY: | It was a real bear, Jo. |
| DAN: | You got chased by a bear? |
| MEG: | There was no bear. |
| JO: | And because of Amy, we lost the only food that we had. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. FOREST - STREAM (Jo's perspective) | |
| MEG and JO are standing in the stream. JO has removed her skirt so as not to be encumbered by it as she fishes for food. She is triumphant and holds a huge fish (bigger than Big Charlie) over her head. | |
| JO: | [Triumphant.] Ah! I got it! I got it! |
| AMY: | [Screaming past Meg and Jo.] A bear! |
| JO drops the fish and she and MEG follow AMY. | |
| JO: | There was no bear! |
| AMY: | I'm telling you, it was real. I was picking berries, and that's when I heard it. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. FOREST (Amy's perspective) | |
| AMY is contentedly picking berries when she hears a growling and sees the rustling of the bushes. | |
| AMY: | [Frightened.] Jo? Meg? |
| The bear is in full view now. AMY screams and runs past her sisters. JO is holding a tiny fish in her hands. | |
| JO: | Look what I caught! |
| AMY: | A bear! Run! |
| JO: | For the last time, Amy, there was no bear! It was all in your head! |
| AMY: | I don't have to stand here and listen to this. |
| JO: | Fine. Then leave. Both of you. |
| MEG: | Fine by me. |
| AMY: | Laurie, take me home. [Amy and Laurie exit.] |
| MEG: | Nick, would you be so kind as to give me a ride home? |
| NICK: | Sure. |
MEG exits. NICK takes one last look at JO, not certain that she might not interpret his willingness to take MEG home as a sign that he is taking sides. JO does not look back and marches out of the parlour towards the kitchen. NICK exits.
| NAN: | Thanks for putting up those shelves for me. My insect collection is gonna look great. |
| BESS: | Maybe now you can keep those disgusting creatures on your side of the room. |
| NAT: | Did you see how mad Mrs. Jo was at her sisters today? |
| BESS: | I know. I couldn't believe how rude she was to my mother. |
| NAN: | Well, she's got a right to be. Being stuck out in the woods for two days with your mother? |
| BESS: | Well, Aunt Jo isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with either. She's constantly bossing us all around. |
| NAN: | Look who's talking. |
| DAN: | Lay off, Nan. |
| NAT: | Hey, she was just standing up for Mrs. Jo. |
| DAN: | And Bess is just sticking up for her mother. |
| JO: | [Enters.] Is everything all right in here? |
| BESS: | Everything's fine. |
| JO: | Bess, the lamps in the parlour are almost empty. Isn't it your job to refill them this week? |
| BESS: | I'll get right to it. [Bess and Jo exit.] |
| JO: | Oh, Asia, if you have some time, I'd like to start looking through this recipe book and planning Thanksgiving dinner with you. |
| ASIA: | All right, but don't you want to discuss it with your sisters? |
| JO: | Oh, I think it'll just be you and I planning dinner this year. |
| ASIA: | Jo, how long are you gonna let this go on? It's been four days and you haven't said not one word to your sisters. I don't understand. What happened out there in those woods to make you so angry with them? |
| JO: | Well, it was one ordeal after another. I was doing everything I could to make the best of things, but Amy and Meg were no help at all. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. FOREST (JO's perspective) | |
| JO, AMY and MEG are wandering through the woods, trying to find their way back to the road. | |
| AMY: | [Plaintively.] Oh, slow down. I'm tired and my feet hurt. |
| JO: | It isn't much further, Amy. |
| MEG: | It's a beautiful day to be lost in the woods. |
| JO: | We aren't lost, Meg. I know exactly where we are. |
| AMY: | No, you don't. We've been walking around for hours and hours and I'm stopping right here. |
| MEG: | I'm doing whatever Amy's doing. |
| JO: | Well, then, I guess we'll just camp out here for the night. |
| AMY: | No, I am not spending the night in the woods. |
| JO: | Well, Amy, you're the one who wanted to stop. And besides, it's going to be dark soon. We'll get some rest and get a fresh start in the morning. |
| AMY: | Jo, it's dirty. And there's bugs. And it's dirty! |
| JO: | [Starting to take off her skirt.] Sit on this. |
| AMY: | But the ground is too hard. |
| JO: | Fine. Meg, let's get some firewood. Meg? |
| JO: | Meg had wandered off so I had to build the fire myself. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. FOREST (Jo's perspective - a little later) | |
| JO is slaving over a little pile of twigs, trying to get a fire going. | |
| AMY: | Jo, you're not doing it right. |
| JO: | What am I doing wrong? |
| AMY: | I don't know how to build a fire. I just know you're doing it wrong. |
| JO: | [The fire ignites.] Well, now at least we'll keep warm. |
| Suddenly, the sky opens up and releases a downpour of rain. | |
| AMY: | Jo! It's raining! |
| JO: | Amy even found a way to blame me for that! |
| ASIA: | You know you would be miserable without your sisters. Why don't you go and make up with them? Hmm? Somebody's gotta make the first step. |
| DAN: | What are you doin' here? |
| NAT: | I'm tryin' to look for Nan's beetle. It escaped again. |
| DAN: | Why isn't she lookin' for it herself? |
| NAT: | Because she doesn't want to run into Bess. What are you doin' here? |
| DAN: | Bess wanted her hair tonic. She didn't wanna have to see Nan. |
| NAT: | How long do you think Bess and Nan will be mad at each other. |
| DAN: | 'Til Nan learns to keep her big mouth shut. |
| NAT: | What are you talkin' about? |
| DAN: | Come on, Nat. She's always got an opinion about everything. She's always sayin' exactly what's on her mind, even when people don't wanna hear it. |
| NAT: | Well, there's nothing wrong with that. |
| DAN: | There is if it hurts someone's feelings. [Finds the beetle.] Here. Nan's supposed to keep those things on her side of the room. |
| NAT: | She would if Bess's stuff didn't clutter up the whole place. Never seen anyone with more beauty products in my life. |
| DAN: | So? She just likes to look good. What's wrong with that? |
| NAT: | Come on, Dan. The only reason you're stickin' up for her is because you're sweet on her. We both know that. [Nat exits.] |
| LAURIE: | Jo. |
| JO: | Laurie, hello. |
| LAURIE: | Hi. |
| JO: | Is Amy here? |
| LAURIE: | No, she's in town, but she'll be back soon. She'll be happy to see you. |
| JO: | I think this thing has gone on long enough. |
| LAURIE: | Well, I'm glad to hear you say that, Jo, because I know Amy feels the same way and she's ready to forgive you and put this all behind her. |
| JO: | I'm sorry. Forgive me for what? |
| LAURIE: | Getting all of you lost in the woods. |
| JO: | Well, if it weren't for Amy, we wouldn't have had to go into the woods at all. She cost us our only ride back to Concord. |
| LAURIE: | What are you talking about? Amy said she wanted to wait for the ride, but you got impatient and marched off into the woods. |
| JO: | We did wait for the ride. Finally, one came along and Amy took one look at the wagon and just refused to get in. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. ROAD (Jo's perspective) | |
| JO and MEG are standing in a wagon carrying a few little pigs. AMY is standing on the road, stubbornly refusing to get in with them. | |
| AMY: | I am not getting into that wagon with those animals. |
| JO: | For heaven's sake, Amy. It's just three little pigs. And they're fenced off. There's plenty of room in here for us. |
| AMY: | No! |
| MEG: | Look at how cute they are. [Holding one of the pigs.] You're so cute. Yes, you are. |
| JO: | Amy, get in. |
| AMY: | I am not getting into that wagon. |
| JO: | Amy! |
| AMY: | [Throwing a tantrum.] I'm not, I'm not, I'm not! |
| AMY: | [Entering the parlour.] I did not have a tantrum. |
| JO: | Yes, you did. |
| AMY: | No, I didn't. And they were not three "little" pigs. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. ROAD (Amy's perspective) | |
| JO and MEG are standing in a wagon carrying several large, dirty pigs. AMY is standing on the road. | |
| JO: | Well, hop in, Amy. There's plenty of room. |
| MEG: | Look how cute they are. |
| AMY: | Maybe we should wait for another wagon. |
| MEG: | What's wrong with this one? |
| JO: | Oh, Amy, it wasn't that bad. |
| AMY: | Yes, it was. I had very good reason not to get into that wagon. |
| JO: | So, none of us got into the wagon. No, we waited and waited and waited for another ride to come along. And after several hours, I thought that the best thing for us to do was to take a shortcut through the woods. |
| AMY: | But did you ask us what we wanted to do? Of course not. You never do. |
| NAN: | Nat, wanna go fishing after church today? |
| NAT: | I guess. |
| NAN: | Dan, wanna come? |
| DAN: | [Drops his spoon.] No. [Dan exits.] |
| NAN: | What's his problem? |
| BESS: | [Enters.] He obviously doesn't want to spend time with either of you, and I can't blame him for that. |
| NAN: | Nat, would you please tell Bess I'm not interested in hearing anything she has to say? |
| BESS: | Well, Nat, would you please tell Nan that I wouldn't waste my breath talking to her anyway. |
| NAN: | Well, tell Bess that I don't - |
| NAT: | [Standing.] You know what? Tell her yourself. I'm sick of both of you. [Nat exits.] |
| MEG: | I need to speak with you. |
| AMY: | What do you want? |
| MEG: | Just come with me. |
AMY and MEG approach JO who is speaking to another woman.
| JO: | [To the other woman.] Well, that's a lovely hat. |
| MEG: | [To Jo.] I think the three of us need to talk. |
| JO: | [Keeping her back turned to her sisters.] Unless the two of you have come to apologize, I have nothing to say to you. |
| AMY: | Oh, here we go again. It's always us who need to apologize to you. It's never your fault, is it, Jo? It must be nice to be so perfect. |
| JO: | [Turning to her sisters. The other woman exits.] If anyone thinks they're perfect, Amy, it's you. |
| LAURIE: | Ladies, please. |
| JO: | If you spent half as much time fashioning your character as you do styling your hair, you might actually be an interesting person. |
| MEG: | Let's not argue, please. I know we've had our differences in the past, but we've always managed to get through them. I know that we can do it again. |
| AMY: | Meg, take off the rose coloured glasses for once in your life! |
| MEG: | What? |
| AMY: | You're so na�ve about everything. That woman on the street, for example, she was nothing but trouble. You couldn't see it. You just had to pick her up. |
| MEG: | You two always have to find someone to blame, don't you? Whenever something goes wrong, all you do is fight like children and I'm the one that gets caught in the middle. Well, I am tired of waiting for you two to grow up! [Meg exits furiously.] |
| JO: | Oh! |
| LAURIE: | I came over to spend some time with Bess. |
| JO: | Where's Amy? |
| LAURIE: | Well, she's refusing to set foot inside Plumfield. [Bess comes downstairs.] Hello, sweetheart. |
| BESS: | Father! I thought you could teach me how to play chess today. |
| JO: | Oh, chess! I love chess. Your father and I used to play all the time when we were children. |
| BESS: | Oh, on second thought, I'd rather go for a walk. Come on. Let's go. |
| LAURIE: | I'll be along in a moment. I just want to speak to your Aunt Jo. |
| BESS: | All right. [Bess exits.] |
| LAURIE: | Jo, I'm sorry. |
| JO: | I'm not surprised that she's angry with me. I would expect her to stand up for her mother. |
| LAURIE: | Well, I'll try to talk to her, but I really think that the best way to settle this is for you and Amy to resolve your differences. |
| JO: | It's not that simple, Laurie. You heard us outside the church. We said some terrible things to each other. |
| LAURIE: | That was just your anger speaking. |
| JO: | It wasn't just anger. For the first time, we all said what we really thought of each other, how we really see each other. [Beat.] We were malicious and hurtful. I don't know if we'll ever get past that. |
| NAT: | What kind of bait are you using? |
| DAN: | Worms. |
| NAT: | Do you think there's another Big Charlie in here? |
| DAN: | I don't know. Maybe. |
| NAT: | He was pretty big, huh? |
| DAN: | Yeah, I thought he was gonna pull the pole right out of your hands. |
| NAT: | I had a good hold of him. |
| DAN: | Come on, Nat. You know full well that if I hadn't jumped in there when I did, you would've lost him for sure. |
| NAT: | I didn't ask for your help. |
| DAN: | Well, you needed it. |
| NAT: | No, I didn't. Dan, you're always trying to act like the hero whether other people need your help or not. |
| DAN: | Listen, I saved your hide a good number of times back in Boston. I never heard you complain about it then. |
| NAT: | 'Cause you wouldn't let me. I'm sick of you always trying to help me. |
| DAN: | Fine. See if I ever help you again. |
| BESS: | Nan, I have told you a million times to keep these disgusting creatures away from me! |
| NAN: | What are you doing? |
| BESS: | Keep them on your side of the room. [She empties the contents of one of the jars out the window.] |
| NAN: | Bess, how could you? |
| JO: | [To Rob.] ... Thank you for reminding me of that. |
| ROB: | Hey, Demi and Daisy are here. [Runs over to join his cousins.] |
| MEG: | [To clerk.] Thank you. Demi and Daisy, time to go. [Leaves with the twins.] |
| ROB: | [Rejoining Jo.] How come they don't come over and play with me anymore? |
| JO: | Well, Aunt Meg has been very busy lately. Come over here and help me with this list. |
| NICK: | Hey, Meg. Did you see Jo inside? |
| MEG: | Yes, I did. |
| NICK: | Meg, the three of you can't keep goin' like this. Thanksgiving's comin' up. Now you're always the one who settles things between your sisters. Can't you try to talk to 'em? |
| MEG: | I did. I tried outside the church, in the cabin, in the woods... |
| NICK: | Wait, what cabin? |
| MEG: | The one we found while we were in the woods, following another one of Jo's shortcuts. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. FOREST (Meg's perspective) | |
| MEG and AMY follow behind JO as she leads their way. | |
| JO: | It's got to be this way. I know it is. |
| MEG: | You're always right. |
| AMY: | My dress is ruined. |
| JO: | Oh, Amy, I'm sure you'll buy another one. [Seeing a cabin.] Look! It's a cabin! |
| MEG: | Someone must live there. |
| AMY: | And they must have food! |
| JO: | Hurry up! Hurry up! |
| MEG: | Let's knock on the door. Maybe they'll be willing to help us. [Knocks.] Nope, no one home |
| JO: | Well, let's wait out here. I'm sure they'll be back soon. |
| AMY: | Something's cooking. Smells like beef stew. |
| MEG: | [As Jo starts throwing herself against the closed door.] Jo? |
| AMY: | Beef stew with rosemary and tarragon. |
| MEG: | Jo, what are you doing? |
| JO: | It's an old door. I've got to be able to break it down. |
| MEG: | Jo, you can't just break into somebody's home. |
| AMY: | Hurry, Jo, I'm starving. [Jo kicks the door in.] It is stew! |
| MEG: | [Standing in the doorway.] Amy, Jo, we don't have permission to be in here. |
| JO: | Blah, blah, blah! |
| MEG: | [Sadie enters with her rifle pointed at the sisters.] Don't shoot. |
| JO: | You! |
| SADIE: | You! |
| NICK: | So the woman who stole your horse was the one who owned the cabin? |
| MEG: | Well, she didn't exactly own it. |
FLASHBACK: INT. CABIN (Meg's perspective) | |
| MEG and AMY follow behind JO as she leads their way. | |
| SADIE: | I found this place first, now you get out. |
| JO: | Where's my horse? |
| SADIE: | I said get out! |
| JO: | [Marching right up to the barrel of the rifle.] No! What? Do you think you're so tough because you have that rifle? |
| MEG: | Jo! |
| SADIE: | You'd better watch your mouth. |
| AMY: | [Eating stew with her hands.] Excuse me, miss? I just want to say that she doesn't speak for the rest of us. I personally don't think you're a coward at all. |
| JO: | People like you make me sick. |
| SADIE: | Shut up or I'm gonna - |
| JO: | You're gonna what? You're gonna shoot me? Go right ahead! I dare you. |
| JO: | Nick, could you please help me with these boxes? |
| NICK: | I'll be right there. |
| MEG: | Well, let's just say if it wasn't for me, Jo would have gotten us all killed. [Meg climbs in her carriage and exits.] |
| BOY: | Need any help, Nat. |
| NAT: | No. |
| DAN: | Nat doesn't need any help with anything. Do you, Nat? |
From upstairs, we hear BESS Scream.
| BESS: | [Screams.] Nan, I'm gonna kill you! |
| NAN: | No! Bess, give it back. |
| DAN: | Hey! |
| NAT: | What's going on here? |
| DAN: | Bess, Nan, stop it! |
| NAN: | She threw my entire insect collection out the window! |
| BESS: | Well, look what you did to my hair. She put something in my tonic! |
| NAN: | Do you know how long it took me to collect those bugs? |
| DAN: | They're just bugs, Nan. You can collect more, but dying Bess's hair green, that's going to far. |
| NAN: | It's chlorinated lime, Dan. It'll wash out. Those bugs were important to me. |
| DAN: | Well, I'm glad Bess threw 'em out. Maybe that'll teach you to think next time before you go pulling one of your stupid pranks. |
| NAT: | Don't talk to Nan like that. |
| DAN: | Stay out of this, Nat. |
| NAT: | No! You're always trying to act like you're above us or something, trying to tell us what to do. Well, you're not the boss! |
| DAN: | Nat... Well, at least I try to solve problems myself instead of running to Mrs. Jo all the time. |
| EMIL: | Yeah, you're such a goody, Nat. |
| NAN: | Stay out of it, Emil. |
| NAT: | At least I follow the rules. I'm not always trying to prove what a bit man I am. |
| DAN: | I'm not the one who's got to prove anything, Nat. [A scuffle ensues between NAT and DAN.] |
| EMIL: | Yeah! Get him! |
| BESS: | Dan! Dan! |
| NAN: | Keep off, Bess! |
| BESS: | Oh, shut up! |
| ALL: | Get him! Come on, Dan! [etc.] |
JO and NICK enter.
| JO: | What is going on in here? |
| NICK: | [Breaking up the fight.] Knock it off! |
| JO: | What has gotten into all of you? You're supposed to be friends. Friends don't treat each other like this. |
| DAN: | Oh, that means a lot coming from you. [Dan exits.] |
| JO: | I had no idea it had come to this. I mean, Nan and Bess argue all the time, but Dan and Nat getting into a fist fight because of the fighting I've been doing with my sisters? It's gone too far. |
| NICK: | Yes, it has. Now either you go into town on your own and sort things out with your sisters, or I'm gonna take you there myself. |
| JO: | Amy! Meg! [She approaches Meg.] We need to talk. [To Amy.] Amy, please. [Amy approaches.] It's time we put an end to all this fighting between us. It's starting to affect everyone around us, including the children. We can't let it go on any longer. |
| MEG: | All right. |
| AMY: | Fine. |
| JO: | We can talk in the park. It's a little more private there. [They awkwardly start walking side by side.] Hey! |
| MEG: | What? |
| JO: | This is my horse! |
| MEG: | Well, if this is your horse, where is the woman who stole him. |
| AMY: | Oh, my God! She's robbing the store. |
| MEG: | What are we going to do? |
| SADIE: | If you can throw in some of that licorice too, I sure would appreciate it. [The clerk does as he is told.] It's been a pleasure doing business with you. You all have a good day now. |
| JO: | [Grabbing the rifle.] What are you doing? |
| AMY: | I'm trying to knock her out. |
| JO: | With a cabbage? Go and get the sheriff. |
| SADIE: | They gave me the horse. |
| AMY: | Oh, that's right. We gave you our horse because we didn't really want to spend two wonderful days in Boston. We would much rather spend the time wandering around in the woods with nothing to eat, sleeping out in the rain, being chased by a bear. |
| MEG: | Oh, here we go with the bear again! |
| AMY: | I know what I saw. |
| SHERIFF: | So, she did steal the horse. |
| NICK: | Wait, wait. How come you were sleepin' out in the rain. I thought you found a cabin? |
| JO: | We didn't find the cabin until the second day. We spent the first night out in the woods. |
| MEG: | Yes, out in the rain. |
| AMY: | Not the entire night. |
FLASHBACK: EXT. FOREST (Amy's perspective) | |
| MEG, AMY and JO are soaking wet and freezing cold as a torrent of rain falls on them. It's nighttime. | |
| MEG: | [Sneezes.]It's so cold. |
| JO: | I know, but what are we supposed to do? |
| MEG: | We can't stand out here all night in the rain or we'll catch our death of cold. |
| AMY: | We could build a shelter. |
| JO: | A shelter? With what? |
| AMY: | With our clothes. We'll use my dress as a tarp. Jo, we can spread your dress on the ground and lie on it. And, Meg, we can use your dress as a blanket to keep warm. |
| MEG: | Oh, Amy, I don't know if this is going to work. |
| AMY: | Of course it'll work. I saw it once in a play: "The Tempest". When they get shipwrecked on Prospero's island, they build a shelter with all the things that they have. |
| MEG: | What are we supposed to hold it up with? |
| AMY: | [Removing her hat pin.] With these! |
| AMY: | So, once we guilt the shelter, we were finally able to get some sleep. |
| SHERIFF: | Excuse me, ladies. Where was Miss Burns during all this? |
| MEG: | Well, she was already gone by that point. |
| SHERIFF: | Then what does any of this have to do with her stealing your horse? |
| JO: | Well, she didn't just steal our horse. She held us at gunpoint in the cabin. |
| SADIE: | You were trespassing. |
| JO: | It wasn't your cabin to begin with. Besides, the door was open. |
| MEG: | After you broke it down. |
| JO: | I didn't break it down, Meg. I just turned the doorknob. |
| MEG: | I told you not to go in there, but you never listen to me. |
| SHERIFF: | Can we just stick to the matter at hand? Now, tell me what happened when you were at the cabin. |
| JO: | Well, we were walking through the woods - |
| SADIE: | Sheriff, if you want to hear the truth, you're not going to get it out of these three. I'll tell you what really happened. |
FLASHBACK: INT. CABIN (Sadie's perspective) | |||||
SADIE returns to the cabin, her hair tied back in a big bow. She is holding a bouquet of flowers and humming pleasantly to herself. MEG, JO and AMY are gathered around the stew, eating ravenously.
| SADIE: | Oh, hello... | SISTERS: | [Running at Sadie.] Get out! Get out of here! | | |
| SISTERS: | What!? |
| JO: | That isn't the truth at all! |
| SHERIFF: | Now stop! Now, either you tell me the truth or I'll put all of you in jail. |
| JO: | All right. We were sitting there having some stew when that woman walked in and pulled a gun on us. |
FLASHBACK: INT. CABIN (Jo's perspective) | |
| SADIE returns to the cabin, rifle in hand. MEG, AMY and JO stand to face her. | |
| MEG: | Don't shoot. |
| JO: | You! |
| SADIE: | You. |
| MEG: | Please, just let us go. |
| SADIE: | So you can run straight to the Sheriff's office? I don't think so. |
| AMY: | We won't go to the sheriff. I promise. |
| SADIE: | I can't take that chance. I'm just gonna have to shoot you. |
| JO: | How can you be so cold? |
| SADIE: | [To Jo.] I think I'm gonna shoot you first. |
| MEG: | No, Sadie, please. Forgive my sister. She's just tired. We all are. We've been wandering around the woods for two days and we just want to go home. Keep the horse. We don't care about that. Just please let us go. We have children waiting for us at home. Please. |
| SADIE: | [Beat.] Get out of here. Get out! [The sisters depart quickly.] |
| SADIE: | I should've shot you when I had the chance. |
| SHERIFF: | Thank you, ladies. I have enough information to press charges. You can go now. [All exit except Sadie and the Sheriff.] |
| NICK: | So, after the cabin you found your way back to the road? |
| AMY: | Well, not right away. We spent most of the night wandering around in the woods following another one of Jo's shortcuts. |
| MEG: | Yes, Jo kept insisting she knew the way. She just wouldn't let it go. |
| NICK: | Yeah, she can be pretty stubborn. [Jo glares at Nick.] But, you know, it comes in handy. She did get you back to the road, didn't she? |
| LAURIE: | Yes, and Meg got you out of that cabin. And Amy kept you out of the rain. So, when you really think about it, all three of you played a part in getting yourselves through that ordeal. |
| NICK: | [Beat. To Laurie.] Let's get the wagon. |
| JO: | [As she steps outside.] Asia, I'm heading into town. |
| AMY: | Hello, Dan. |
| DAN: | Mrs. Laurence. |
| AMY: | I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were on your way out. |
| JO: | I was on my way to see you and Meg, actually. |
| AMY: | Really? |
| JO: | Come inside. I'll make us some tea. |
DAN marvels at the way in which JO and AMY seem to be resolving their differences. He stands and stares after them as they go into the house.
| NAN: | What's your mother doing here? |
| BESS: | She's talking to Aunt Jo. It looks like they're making up. |
| NAN: | Even after all those mean things they said to each other. |
| BESS: | They always forgive each other, no matter how much they fight. |
| NAN: | They do fight an awful lot. |
| BESS: | They can't help it. They're so different. |
| NAN: | Like night and day. |
| BESS: | Yeah, I'm sure it won't be long before they're fighting again. |
| NAN: | Well, at least they know that they'll always make up. |
| BESS: | Yeah. |
| DAN: | Nat? You wanna go fishing? [Nat accepts the invitation with a nod. Dan hands him a pole.] Let's go. |
| AMY: | It seems as though all we've been doing these last couple of weeks has been arguing over what happened in the woods. But it wasn't until last night that I realized there was something I forgot to say. [Beat.] I forgot to say thank you... for not giving up on me. I know I drove you crazy, and I did complain... about everything. But still, not once did you give up on me. |
| JO: | You're my little sister, Amy. It's my job to look after you. |
| AMY: | I've always needed looking after, haven't I? Meg was always the sensible one. You, the smart one. Beth, the sweet one. And I was always the little one, trying desperately to be noticed. I thought that if I was pretty that I might finally be noticed. I suppose that's my looks have always been so important to me. I don't really have anything else to offer. |
| JO: | Amy! That's not true. You have so many wonderful qualities that I could only dream of having. You're graceful, and you're elegant, and refined. And you're good at so many things. Look at how you organized the town dance. [Catching herself and stifling a laugh.] ... Ball. I could never have done that. I'm short-tempered and outspoken, and I'm stubborn to a fault. |
| AMY: | Not stubborn, determined. You know what you want and you're not afraid to go after it. Oh, I wish I could be more like that. |
| MEG: | [Enters quietly.] So do I. I can never make a decision, and even when I do, I'm always turning to you two for help. |
| JO: | Well, it wouldn't hurt me to be a little more patient... like you, Meg. Maybe if I were, I wouldn't always be getting myself into so much trouble. |
| MEG: | [Holding her sisters as they stand to join her.] We're all hopelessly flawed, aren't we? |
| JO: | But together we make one perfect person? |
| MEG: | Well, maybe not perfect. |
| AMY: | Well, I guess we'd better stick together then. |