Original subtitles

♪ Way back when in 1863, now part of the American lore ♪

♪ a young family must leave their home ♪

♪because of the civil war ♪

♪ living their lives in a brand new town ♪

♪doing the best they can ♪

♪ four little women are on their own ♪

♪ looking to make their stand ♪

♪ 'fortunes of war can change their way ♪

♪we imagine their lives will be ♪

♪ the march family are on their way ♪

Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy ♪

Marmee accepted aunt march's offer to stay with her

until we found our own house, but I still

dreamed of staying in a hotel.

I guess aunt march isn't as bad as I thought she

was, but she sure does frown a lot.

Have you heard the news about the march family?

They're back.

What's that?

Simply that madam invited them to stay, and

to think that means you'll have six more

mouths to feed.

This just won't do at all.

As if I don't have enough work already, now I'm

meant to feed a whole other family.

Ah, hi.

And just who might you be?

My name is Hannah.

I've been taking care of housekeeping for the

marches for a lot of years now.

Oh, then you'll be staying for a while?

Uh-huh, and you must be miss dorothea, madam told

us that you might be needing some help what

with all the new arrivals.

Oh, I'm so relieved.

I had absolutely no idea how I was going to fulfill

madam's expectations.

Easy, I'm fixing to do all the cooking here.

Now, let's get started.

I should have known something was going on

when aunt march put me and Beth in the same room.

That didn't make any sense to me at first.

I mean, the house was big enough to be

a small hotel.

There were empty rooms all over the place, and we'd

been living there a long time before we ever saw

the other wings.

If father had been there, i know things would

have been different.

I missed him, and i hated this stupid war.

Come in.

I've brought you some blankets.

Thank you, Esther.

Miss Meg, how long are you planning on

staying with madam?

We're not quite sure.

The reason I'm asking, i think it would be more

comfortable if you all had your own beds to sleep in.

Don't you worry, we'll be fine.

I meant no harm, just wondering.

If you don't me, miss, I'll be leaving.

Thank you, Esther, you've been a big help.

Thank you, miss.

So we're stuck here after all.

At least aunt could have given us each

our own room.

Meg, shhh, she may still be there.

Well, that suit me just fine, and if she does

hear, she can pass the information onto

our dear aunt.

It can't be helped, it was marmee who

made the decision.

She said two rooms would be fine.

She didn't want to be ungrateful.

Do you really believe you can sleep

on that thing?

Yes, it seems comfortable.

It may even change what I dream about.

Anyway, it's far superior to what

father's sleeping on.

I imagine the men at the front are sleeping

on rocks tonight.

Josephine, you are strange.

I am?

Listen, I'm a darn sight better off than being in

that room what with Amy's snoring and

Beth having nightmares.

I'd never have a minute of peace, really.

I'm certain, so why didn't we stay

at the hotel?

It would have been easier and so

much more comfortable.

Hmmm, you're right, it makes no sense.

She must have something else in mind.

I suppose it will take a while before we finally

wear out our welcome.

I wonder if it would help us at all if we asked aunt

march for some chores to do?

I guess it would be polite.

I don't understand how she disappeared?

We've looked everywhere, you know what?

I bet she's not even in the room.

She must have gone out exploring.

You're probably right.

I'll go see if i can find her.

What a beautiful sunset.

I do wish Frederick were here to share it with me.

Mother? Mother?

Marmee?

Oh, Amy!

I don't want to live here.

I want to have our own house.

We all want that, Amy.

And will it have lots and lots of rooms?

It won't have as many as this house.

But do you think it will have enough?

Oh, yes, as many rooms as we need.

And beds? Will I have my very own bed?

I don't want to have to sleep next to Beth anymore.

No room in bed?

I guess my little Amy's growing up.

Well, how does having your own bed and your very own

room sound, hmmm?

It sounds like we better start

looking real hard.

I promise.

Hey, milky, what have you done?

It belongs in this house.

Now clear are the stairs and let him pass by.

Stop teasing him.

Auk, all people are stupid!

Polly, you silly bird, Polly?

Come here this instant.

Where are you, Polly?

Hey, diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the

cow jumps over the moon.

Well, there you are you foolish bird.

Hmmm, who are you?

What are you doing?

My name is Beth.

Yes, hello.

Well, Beth, catch my Polly before she gets away.

Oh, be glad to.

Catch my Polly, catch my Polly.

Hold still.

Stupid bird!

Hey, leave milky alone you old crow!

Come back here you coward!

Wooff!

What seems to be the trouble, Elizabeth?

Polly keeps slipping away.

Stop it!

Polly be a good bird and get back inside your

cage this minute.

Stupid dog, stupid cat, stupid people.

Now, pretty Polly, we all know how smart you are.

Why don't you show us by coming back to

your little house?

Gotcha!

Thank you, my dear.

Now, back in your cage like a good little bird.

Stupid people, stupid people!

Oh, yeah?

Well, you're nothing but a bird brain.

Aunt march, you should take her back to the shop

and have them refund your money.

Hmmm, but why?

Because her previous owner didn't train her

very well.

She has terrible manners.

I'm sure it will only get worse.

Really? Didn't know.

I must give it serious deliberation.

Good, hmmm.

Josephine, dear, it's not the bird's fault,

aunt march is to blame.

It only repeats what she's saying.

All it does is mimic.

I'm well aware of that.

Oh, you mean that was a joke?

- Of course. - Oh.

How's the room, Beth?

It's quite nice.

And how does mother feel about our new home?

Fine.

I don't think we should stay here one day longer

than we have to.

Unless we find our own place soon, we should

move to a hotel.

Auntie's just a mean old crank who puts the fear of

god into everyone including her own animals.

Besides, it bothers me that Joe has to sleep on

that poor excuse for a sofa.

I don't mind, what seems to be

the problem, Meg?

I'll sleep on the sofa, and you can

sleep with Beth.

Hey, don't you love me anymore?

I love you but not your nightmares.

Meg's right, we really do need a place of our own.

It might take weeks, dear, and where would we

live in the meantime?

I know, you and Hannah could move over to the

hotel just temporarily.

Then Amy could sleep in her own bed.

- Impossible. - You'd be comfortable.

I know I'd be spending money we could ill afford.

It's out of the question.

I wouldn't have a moment's peace.

It's time for me to speak plainly, but first you

must promise that whatever i say to you will never

leave this room.

We no longer have the family business

to support us.

What are you talking about?

You mean that father sold his shoe factory?

I mean it doesn't exist anymore.

When the confederate army broke through and captured

our town, they confiscated everything for their war

effort, and when they had what they came for,

they burned it to the ground.

- All of it? - That's horrible!

The factory's gone, our home is gone, and what

little we have left must be invested in a house.

Marmee, are you trying to say that we're broke?

That we're surviving through the good

graces of aunt march?

Not entirely.

Before father left, he gave me enough money to

rent a house and stock it with all the

necessary furnishings.

Thank goodness for small favors.

But we'll have to be very careful until I can

find some work.

So we're very lucky to be here and we must never

complain about aunt march's military rules.

What good would it do?

Besides, she's been a great help.

Beth, she keeps staring at me.

- Shhh. - Huh?

Aunt march certainly liked things her own way.

I've never had to sit through a dinner where I

wasn't even allowed to say a single word.

She made all of these funny noises when she ate,

but we had to be quiet as mice.

She made it very clear that children should be

seen and not heard.

If only father were here, i know we'd be a

whole lot happier.

Mary, I have something to tell you.

I'm listening.

I'm pleased by your daughters' table manners.

They've behaved quite well.

I'm delighted you're pleased.

But for my taste, they talk too much.

I prefer to have absolute silence while I dine.

It's a small privilege that I lavish upon myself.

Yes, well, girls, you've heard aunt march,

so please stop the chattering.

- Chattering? - Meg?

Yes ma'am.

Just one thing. This is not a hotel.

I expect all of you to help with the chores as

long as you remain.

Like cleaning up?

Yes, and picking up after themselves, drying

the dishes, and helping Esther with the housework.

What does she want, a maid?

I don't know.

And my pets, they'll need attention.

Maybe Amy could...

Mary, I think Beth would be more responsible.

Beth, would you take care of Harry and Polly?

Marmee, she wants know tend to that silly bird.

Beth, Harry, too. Humm

then it's firm.

Now I'll need someone to read to me before my nap.

My goodness, Joe used to read to the family

at home, hmmm?

Oh, I would love to do it myself, but over the

past few years, my eyesight has become bad.

I'll help you.

What kind of books are you particularly fond of?

I'm just in the middle of one.

It's by a man named Victor Hugo, a French man.

It's called the hunchback of notre dame.

Have you ever heard of it?

Not the book, but I've heard of him.

He wrote le miserable, didn't he?

Quite right, quite right.

I'm very pleased that you're so knowledgeable.

Aunt march, Joe's going to be a famous novelist

when she grows up.

Amy, you're not supposed to tell.

So you want to be a writer, do you?

I hate them, a lot of them are liars and fakes.

Most of them can't even tell a good story.

That's a matter of opinion.

Well, that's my opinion, young lady, and

mine is the one that counts here.

Besides, they corrupt the minds of young people.

Now, then, Esther will explain your chores, and

I'll see you tomorrow bright and early.

Sleep well.

By the by, Mary, what do you have on your agenda

for tomorrow?

I was hoping to find a permanent place for

our family to live.

Yes, of course, you must look.

With your permission, i think we're all exhausted.

That train ride was quite tiring.

We're going to bed, we'll be able to get a fresh

start in the morning.

You're quite right.

A good night's sleep will do you wonders.

Jo, are you sure you'll be comfortable

on the sofa?

Don't worry about me, Meg.

I'll be asleep before you put your head back

on the pillow.

If I can get to sleep.

Jo, I've decided I'm going to look for a job.

A job, I wish I could.

Aunt march will probably drive me like

a steam engine.

I mean it.

I'm want to try to contribute something

to our family.

Why don't you help me?

Because we need the money.

And you think she's a tight wad.

Jo, I think that whatever you might earn

from reading to our aunt march will barely be

enough to pay for your own clothing,

and we're all going to need new wardrobes.

We're in pretty bad shape, aren't we?

That's true, we've all seen better days.

Frederick my love, your family really needs you.

We miss you so very much.

Ah haaa

Ahh ahhhh

Good night, darlings.

The girls will miss you around the house, Meg.

We need the money, don't we?

When we find a home, we won't be under such

financial pressure because then I'll be contributing

to the family's welfare.

I know it's going to work out for us, mother.

I hope so.

Consider yourself a lucky person, Mrs. march.

There's a house that just came on the market.

Looks like it matches your specifications.

Golly, I've never seen so many books in my life!

Oh, aunt march was right.

Now I'll be able to read to my heart's content.

Whoa, there!

Is there anything in particular that you're

looking for, Esther?

One of the girls seems to have misplaced my

cleaning rag, sir.

My, my, it seems that my dear aunt has decided

that she now needs more than one maid to

do the cleaning up.

Yes, sir, the girls are meant to do household

chores to pay for their keep.

I'll be, typical of aunt march.

Well, how else could she justify the situation?

Letting her poor relatives stay in her home for free.

No sir, they're not planning to stay.

They've gone out looking for a place to

live as we speak.

Ha, I guess that means they're not planning

to stay after all.

How fortunate.

Hello.

Hello!

Esther's been looking for you.

Something about finding a misplaced cleaning rag

I believe she said.

Oh, I forgot! Excuse me.

I suggest you leave the books right here.

Auntie wouldn't be happy if she found them missing.

I was preparing to read to her before her nap.

It's part of my chores, you know.

Hmmm, now what should i read to her today?

That's nice, my late uncle was extremely proud

of his book collection.

It's fantastic.

I've never seen so many books in one place before.

Our uncle was a schooner captain.

His favorite hobby was collecting books from

around the world.

Then why is it that aunt march hates

reading so much?

Our uncle was a romantic who lived in his

own dream world.

I guess auntie was jealous because he never paid

her much attention.

And you, sir, are you a romantic?

I'm afraid not.

I seem to be something of a realist like our aunt.

Although I'm much more like our uncle when

it comes to the subject of romance.

I'm pursuing a dream just like uncle march.

I'm going to be a writer someday.

Interesting, well, life certainly has

its little games.

By the way, have i got it right?

You're planning a short stay?

I've heard you'll be here just temporarily.

Yes, why do you ask?

Because I want to avoid complications.

My uncle made a great deal of money in shipping,

and I'm the only surviving relative left besides my aunt.

So you see, that makes me the only beneficiary left.

Unless of course there are others like some

long lost relative.

There are, my family.

Ah. It completely slipped my mind.

We did find a nice, a nice old house with a

widow's walk.

There were cherry trees and apples in the

backyard, and the front yard had a beautiful fountain.

The rooms were large, and there were lots of

windows, but we didn't take it.

What displeases you about the house, what?

It isn't a matter of not liking the house.

Huh?

I only remarked that the rent was high.

Now, wait a minute, the rent is very reasonable,

well within your guidelines.

I know what my budget is, and this is much too

much for us to pay.

Thank you, auntie.

David, are you really going to use that

to buy cotton?

Yes, that I am, aunt march, that I am.

But what can one buy for $50 these days?

You may remember i told you I would be

needing about $200.

Yes, i remember exactly.

Oh, you've cut me to the quick.

Anyway, I promised you that I would spend it only

on business matters. Don't worry.

Listen to me, I mean it.

I won't give you anymore money for gambling.

I absolutely agree.

My fervent wish is for your lasting good health.

Is $50 a month that difficult to pay?

I'm afraid it is, at least for now.

It was a very beautiful home.

Yes, it was, but Meg, dear, the war has caused

the price of housing to sky rocket.

The rentals are just too expensive.

I'm afraid we won't be able to live on what

father gave us.

I'm certain the realtor will be able to find us

something we can afford.

I hope you're right, Meg, I do

hope you're right.

The war was really creating a lot of

problems for our family.

We didn't hear from father from one month to the

next, and our money was dwindling while

prices were rising.

We needed to have our own home, and we

needed it soon.

Oh, stop moving so much, Harry, or else I'll

never get finished.

♪ Fortunes of war can change their way ♪

♪ we imagine their lives will be ♪

♪ the march family are on their way ♪

♪ Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy ♪