Christmas Morning
by Louisa May Alcott
Quick answers:
1. List:
a. the five gifts Mrs. March received.
= Slippers, Handkerchief, Cologne, Rose and Gloves.
b. the names of the four sisters.
= Jo, Meg, Beth, Amy.
c. the three items from the Christmas breakfast that the girls took to the Hummel home.
= Muffins, Buckwheats, Gruel.
d. the two words that describe how Mrs. March felt when she received her gifts.
= Surprised and touched.
e. one word that describes how the March family felt after giving away their Christmas breakfast.
= Happy.
Reference to context:
2. "She remembered her mother's promise and, slipping her hand under her pillow, drew out a little crimson-covered book."
a. Who remembered her mother's promise?
= Jo remembered her mother's promise.
b. When did she remember this promise?
= She remembered this promise after waking up in the grey dawn in the Christmas Morning.
c. What did she do next?
= Next, She woke Meg up with a 'Merry Christmas' and told her to see what was under her pillow.
3. "Where is Mother?' asked Meg, as she and Jo ran down to the kitchen to thank their mother for their gifts, half an hour later."
a. Who was in the kitchen when Meg and Jo ran down?
= Hannah, their housekeeper, was in the kitchen when Meg and Jo ran down.
b. Where was their mother?
= Their mother had gone straight off to see what was needed by those poor persons who came for help.
c. What request did their mother make when she returned?
= Their mother requested them to give their breakfast to Mrs. Hummel and her children who had no food and fire in that cold.
Read, reflect and write:
4. How did the March family make the Hummel home happy and cheerful?
= The March family went to the Hummel family with their breakfast as soon as they could go. Hannah made a fire with the wood she had carried. She also stopped up the broken panes with old newspaper. Mrs. March gave the mother tea and gruel. She also comforted her with promises for help. The girls spread the table, set the children round the fire, and fed them like so many hungry birds. In a few minutes, the room began to look cheerful.
5. What kind of person is Mrs. March?
= Mrs. March was a common housewife and mother with some uncommon virtues. She knew that she had a shortage of money due to the ongoing war, yet she promised her daughters to gift them on Christmas eve. We find her attending some poor persons who needed help. Her heart melted at the adverse situation of Mrs. Hummel and her children. She badly wanted to help them and convinced her daughters to give their breakfast to the Hummel family without celebrating Christmas. She was a kind and generous lady and taught her daughters to be the same.
6. Do you think the March sisters are selfish or generous? Give reasons for your answer.
= I think the March sisters are much kind and generous like their mother. On her mother's request, they instantly agreed to give their breakfast to the Hummel family and went their house to help them. At the Hummel's house, they spread the table, set the children round the fire and fed them like so many hungry birds. They felt good when the whole Hummel family became happy after the breakfast. They liked helping and loving their neighbours better than themselves.
7. The main idea, message or moral of a story is its theme. What do you think is the theme of this story?
= The theme of the story is to be happy after making others happy, especially who are poor and needy. Here in this story the March family became happy after making Mrs. Hummel and her children happy. The March sisters realised that it was better loving and helping their neighbour than themselves.
8. What are some ways in which you can celebrate a festival in a way that benefits others and makes you happy too?
= I can donate my old and less-used clothes to the poor children in my locality. I can distribute sweets among them. I can go to their house and decorate their houses with some candles and ribbons and spend some time with them celebrating the festival.
About the Author:
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was an American novelist and poet. Little Women is set in her own hometown and is based on her experience of growing up with three sisters. Many small events that take place in the book are also taken from things that actually happened in the family.