Chapter XVIII. Crops

by Louisa May Alcott

　　The gardens did well that summer, and in September the littlecrops were gathered in with much rejoicing. Jack and Ned joinedtheir farms and raised potatoes, those being a good salable article.They got twelve bushels, counting little ones and all, and soldthem to Mr. Bhaer at a fair price, for potatoes went fast in thathouse. Emil and Franz devoted themselves to corn, and had a jollylittle husking in the barn, after which they took their corn to themill, and came proudly home with meal enough to supply thefamily with hasty-pudding and Johnny-cake for a lone time. Theywould not take money for their crop; because, as Franz said, "Wenever can pay Uncle for all he has done for us if we raised corn forthe rest of our days."

　　Nat had beans in such abundance that he despaired of ever shellingthem, till Mrs. Jo proposed a new way, which succeededadmirably. The dry pods were spread upon the barn-floor, Natfiddled, and the boys danced quadrilles on them, till they werethrashed out with much merriment and very little labor.

　　Tommy's six weeks' beans were a failure; for a dry spell early inthe season hurt them, because he gave them no water; and afterthat he was so sure that they could take care of themselves, he letthe poor things struggle with bugs and weeds till they wereexhausted and died a lingering death. So Tommy had to dig hisfarm over again, and plant peas. But they were late; the birds atemany; the bushes, not being firmly planted, blew down, and whenthe poor peas came at last, no one cared for them, as their day wasover, and spring-lamb had grown into mutton. Tommy consoledhimself with a charitable effort; for he transplanted all the thistleshe could find, and tended them carefully for Toby, who was fondof the prickly delicacy, and had eaten all he could find on theplace. The boys had great fun over Tom's thistle bed; but heinsisted that it was better to care for poor Toby than for himself,and declared that he would devote his entire farm next year tothistles, worms, and snails, that Demi's turtles and Nat's pet owlmight have the food they loved, as well as the donkey. So likeshiftless, kind-hearted, happy-go-lucky Tommy!

　　Demi had supplied his grandmother with lettuce all summer, andin the autumn sent his grandfather a basket of turnips, each onescrubbed up till it looked like a great white egg. His Grandma wasfond of salad, and one of his Grandpa's favorite quotations was

　　"Lucullus, whom frugality could charm,

　　Ate roasted turnips at the Sabine farm."

　　Therefore these vegetable offerings to the dear domestic god andgoddess were affectionate, appropriate, and classical.

　　Daisy had nothing but flowers in her little plot, and it bloomed allsummer long with a succession of gay or fragrant posies. She wasvery fond of her garden, and delved away in it at all hours,watching over her roses, and pansies, sweet-peas, and mignonette,as faithfully and tenderly as she did over her dolls or her friends.Little nosegays were sent into town on all occasions, and certainvases about the house were her especial care. She had all sorts ofpretty fancies about her flowers, and loved to tell the children thestory of the pansy, and show them how the step-mother-leaf sat upin her green chair in purple and gold; how the two own children ingay yellow had each its little seat, while the step children, in dullcolors, both sat on one small stool, and the poor little father in hisred nightcap, was kept out of sight in the middle of the flower; thata monk's dark face looked out of the monk's-hood larkspur; thatthe flowers of the canary-vine were so like dainty birds flutteringtheir yellow wings, that one almost expected to see them fly away,and the snapdragons that went off like little pistol-shots when youcracked them. Splendid dollies did she make out of scarlet andwhite poppies, with ruffled robes tied round the waist with grassblade sashes, and astonishing hats of coreopsis on their greenheads. Pea-pod boats, with rose-leaf sails, received theseflower-people, and floated them about a placid pool in the mostcharming style; for finding that there were no elves, Daisy madeher own, and loved the fanciful little friends who played their partsin her summer-life.

　　Nan went in for herbs, and had a fine display of useful plants,which she tended with steadily increasing interest and care. Verybusy was she in September cutting, drying, and tying up her sweetharvest, and writing down in a little book how the different herbsare to be used. She had tried several experiments, and madeseveral mistakes; so she wished to be particular lest she shouldgive little Huz another fit by administering wormwood instead ofcatnip.

　　Dick, Dolly, and Rob each grubbed away on his small farm, andmade more stir about it than all the rest put together. Parsnips andcarrots were the crops of the two D.'s; and they longed for it to belate enough to pull up the precious vegetables. Dick did privatelyexamine his carrots, and plant them again, feeling that Silas wasright in saying it was too soon for them yet.

　　Rob's crop was four small squashes and one immense pumpkin. Itreally was a "bouncer," as every one said; and I assure you that twosmall persons could sit on it side by side. It seemed to haveabsorbed all the goodness of the little garden, and all the sunshinethat shone down on it, and lay there a great round, golden ball, fullof rich suggestions of pumpkin-pies for weeks to come. Robby wasso proud of his mammoth vegetable that he took every one to seeit, and, when frosts began to nip, covered it up each night with anold bedquilt, tucking it round as if the pumpkin was a well-belovedbaby. The day it was gathered he would let no one touch it buthimself, and nearly broke his back tugging it to the barn in hislittle wheelbarrow, with Dick and Dolly harnessed in front to givea heave up the path. His mother promised him that theThanksgiving-pies should be made from it, and hinted vaguely thatshe had a plan in her head which would cover the prize pumpkinand its owner with glory.

　　Poor Billy had planted cucumbers, but unfortunately hoed them upand left the pig-weed. This mistake grieved him very much for temminutes, then he forgot all about it, and sowed a handful of brightbuttons which he had collected, evidently thinking in his feeblemind that they were money, and would come up and multiply, sothat he might make many quarters, as Tommy did. No onedisturbed him, and he did what he liked with his plot, which soonlooked as if a series of small earthquakes had stirred it up. Whenthe general harvest-day came, he would have had nothing butstones and weeds to show, if kind old Asia had not hunghalf-a-dozen oranges on the dead tree he stuck up in the middle.Billy was delighted with his crop; and no one spoiled his pleasurein the little miracle which pity wrought for him, by makingwithered branches bear strange fruit.

　　Stuffy had various trials with his melons; for, being impatient totaste them, he had a solitary revel before they were ripe, and madehimself so ill, that for a day or two it seemed doubtful if he wouldever eat any more. But he pulled through it, and served up his firstcantaloupe without tasting a mouthful himself. They wereexcellent melons, for he had a warm slope for them, and theyripened fast. The last and best were lingering on the vines, andStuffy had announced that he should sell them to a neighbor. Thisdisappointed the boys, who had hoped to eat the melonsthemselves, and they expressed their displeasure in a new andstriking manner. Going one morning to gaze upon the three finewatermelons which he had kept for the market, Stuffy washorrified to find the word "PIG" cut in white letters on the greenrind, staring at him from every one. He was in a great rage, andflew to Mrs. Jo for redress. She listened, condoled with him, andthen said,

　　"If you want to turn the laugh, I'll tell you how, but you must giveup the melons."

　　"Well, I will; for I can't thrash all the boys, but I'd like to give themsomething to remember, the mean sneaks," growled Stuff, still in afume.

　　Now Mrs. Jo was pretty sure who had done the trick, for she hadseen three heads suspiciously near to one another in thesofa-corner the evening before; and when these heads had noddedwith chuckles and whispers, this experienced woman knewmischief was afoot. A moonlight night, a rustling in the oldcherry-tree near Emil's window, a cut on Tommy's finger, allhelped to confirm her suspicions; and having cooled Stuffy's wratha little, she bade him bring his maltreated melons to her room, andsay not a word to any one of what had happened. He did so, andthe three wags were amazed to find their joke so quietly taken. Itspoilt the fun, and the entire disappearance of the melons madethem uneasy. So did Stuffy's good-nature, for he looked moreplacid and plump than ever, and surveyed them with an air of calmpity that perplexed them very much.

　　At dinner-time they discovered why; for then Stuffy's vengeancefell upon them, and the laugh was turned against them. When thepudding was eaten, and the fruit was put on, Mary Annre-appeared in a high state of giggle, bearing a large watermelon;Silas followed with another; and Dan brought up the rear with athird. One was placed before each of the three guilty lads; and theyread on the smooth green skins this addition to their own work,"With the compliments of the PIG." Every one else read it also,and the whole table was in a roar, for the trick had been whisperedabout; so every one understood the sequel. Emil, Ned, and Tommydid not know where to look, and had not a word to say forthemselves; so they wisely joined in the laugh, cut up the melons,and handed them round, saying, what all the rest agreed to, thatStuffy had taken a wise and merry way to return good for evil.

　　Dan had no garden, for he was away or lame the greater part of thesummer; so he had helped Silas wherever he could, chopped woodfor Asia, and taken care of the lawn so well, that Mrs. Jo alwayshad smooth paths and nicely shaven turf before her door.

　　When the others got in their crops, he looked sorry that he had solittle to show; but as autumn went on, he bethought himself of awoodland harvest which no one would dispute with him, andwhich was peculiarly his own. Every Saturday he was away aloneto the forests, fields, and hills, and always came back loaded withspoils; for he seemed to know the meadows where the bestflag-root grew, the thicket where the sassafras was spiciest, thehaunts where the squirrels went for nuts, the white oak whose barkwas most valuable, and the little gold-thread vine that Nursey likedto cure the canker with. All sorts of splendid red and yellow leavesdid Dan bring home for Mrs. Jo to dress her parlor with,graceful-seeded grasses, clematis tassels, downy, soft, yellowwax-work berries, and mosses, red-brimmed, white, or emeraldgreen.

　　"I need not sigh for the woods now, because Dan brings the woodsto me," Mrs. Jo used to say, as she glorified the walls with yellowmaple boughs and scarlet woodbine wreaths, or filled her vaseswith russet ferns, hemlock sprays full of delicate cones, and hardyautumn flowers; for Dan's crop suited her well.

　　The great garret was full of the children's little stores and for atime was one of the sights of the house. Daisy's flower seeds inneat little paper bags, all labelled, lay in a drawer of a three-leggedtable. Nan's herbs hung in bunches against the wall, filling the airwith their aromatic breath. Tommy had a basket of thistle-downwith the tiny seeds attached, for he meant to plant them next year,if they did not all fly away before that time. Emil had bunches ofpop-corn hanging there to dry, and Demi laid up acorns anddifferent sorts of grain for the pets. But Dan's crop made the bestshow, for fully one half of the floor was covered with the nuts hebrought. All kinds were there, for he ranged the woods for milesround, climbed the tallest trees, and forced his way into thethickest hedges for his plunder. Walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, andbeechnuts lay in separate compartments, getting brown, and dry,and sweet, ready for winter revels.

　　There was one butternut-tree on the place, and Rob and Teddycalled it theirs. It bore well this year, and the great dingy nuts camedropping down to hide among the dead leaves, where the busysquirrels found them better than the lazy Bhaers. Their father hadtold them (the boys, not the squirrels) they should have the nuts ifthey would pick them up, but no one was to help. It was easy work,and Teddy liked it, only he soon got tired, and left his little baskethalf full for another day. But the other day was slow to arrive, and,meantime, the sly squirrels were hard at work, scampering up anddown the old elm-trees stowing the nuts away till their holes werefull, then all about the crotches of the boughs, to be removed attheir leisure. Their funny little ways amused the boys, till one daySilas said,

　　"Hev you sold them nuts to the squirrels?"

　　"No," answered Rob, wondering what Silas meant.

　　"Wal, then, you'd better fly round, or them spry little fellers won'tleave you none."

　　"Oh, we can beat them when we begin. There are such lots of nutswe shall have a plenty."

　　"There ain't many more to come down, and they have cleared theground pretty well, see if they hain't."

　　Robby ran to look, and was alarmed to find how few remained. Hecalled Teddy, and they worked hard all one afternoon, while thesquirrels sat on the fence and scolded.

　　"Now, Ted, we must keep watch, and pick up just as fast as theyfall, or we shan't have more than a bushel, and every one willlaugh at us if we don't."

　　"The naughty quillies tarn't have 'em. I'll pick fast and run and put'em in the barn twick," said Teddy, frowning at little Frisky, whochattered and whisked his tail indignantly.

　　That night a high wind blew down hundreds of nuts, and whenMrs. Jo came to wake her little sons, she said, briskly,

　　"Come, my laddies, the squirrels are hard at it, and you will haveto work well to-day, or they will have every nut on the ground."

　　"No, they won't," and Robby tumbled up in a great hurry, gobbledhis breakfast, and rushed out to save his property.

　　Teddy went too, and worked like a little beaver, trotting to and frowith full and empty baskets. Another bushel was soon put away inthe corn-barn, and they were scrambling among the leaves formore nuts when the bell rang for school.

　　"O father! let me stay out and pick. Those horrid squirrels willhave my nuts if you don't. I'll do my lessons by and by," cried Rob,running into the school-room, flushed and tousled by the fresh coldwind and his eager work.

　　"If you had been up early and done a little every morning therewould be no hurry now. I told you that, Rob, and you neverminded. I cannot have the lessons neglected as the work has been.The squirrels will get more than their share this year, and theydeserve it, for they have worked best. You may go an hour earlier,but that is all," and Mr. Bhaer led Rob to his place where the littleman dashed at his books as if bent on making sure of the precioushour promised him.

　　It was almost maddening to sit still and see the wind shaking downthe last nuts, and the lively thieves flying about, pausing now andthen to eat one in his face, and flirt their tails, as if they said,saucily, "We'll have them in spite of you, lazy Rob." The onlything that sustained the poor child in this trying moment was thesight of Teddy working away all alone. It was really splendid thepluck and perseverance of the little lad. He picked and picked tillhis back ached; he trudged to and fro till his small legs were tired;and he defied wind, weariness, and wicked "quillies," till hismother left her work and did the carrying for him, full ofadmiration for the kind little fellow who tried to help his brother.When Rob was dismissed, he found Teddy reposing in thebushel-basket quite used up, but unwilling to quit the field; for heflapped his hat at the thieves with one grubby little hand, while herefreshed himself with the big apple held in the other.

　　Rob fell to work and the ground was cleared before two o'clock,the nuts safely in the corn-barn loft, and the weary workers exultedin their success. But Frisky and his wife were not to be vanquishedso easily; and when Rob went up to look at his nuts a few dayslater he was amazed to see how many had vanished. None of theboys could have stolen them, because the door had been locked;the doves could not have eaten them, and there were no rats about.There was great lamentation among the young Bhaers till Dicksaid

　　"I saw Frisky on the roof of the corn-barn, may be he took them."

　　"I know he did! I'll have a trap, and kill him dead," cried Rob,disgusted with Frisky's grasping nature.

　　"Perhaps if you watch, you can find out where he puts them, and Imay be able to get them back for you," said Dan, who was muchamused by the fight between the boys and squirrels.

　　So Rob watched and saw Mr. and Mrs. Frisky drop from thedrooping elm boughs on to the roof of the corn-barn, dodge in atone of the little doors, much to the disturbance of the doves, andcome out with a nut in each mouth. So laden they could not getback the way they came, but ran down the low roof, along the wall,and leaping off at a corner they vanished a minute and re-appearedwithout their plunder. Rob ran to the place, and in a hollow underthe leaves he found a heap of the stolen property hidden away tobe carried off to the holes by and by.

　　"Oh, you little villains! I'll cheat you now, and not leave one," saidRob. So he cleared the corner and the corn-barn, and put thecontested nuts in the garret, making sure that no brokenwindow-pane could anywhere let in the unprincipled squirrels.They seemed to feel that the contest was over, and retired to theirhole, but now and then could not resist throwing down nut-shellson Rob's head, and scolding violently as if they could not forgivehim nor forget that he had the best of the battle.

　　Father and Mother Bhaer's crop was of a different sort, and not soeasily described; but they were satisfied with it, felt that theirsummer work had prospered well, and by and by had a harvest thatmade them very happy.