Underlying book story — recording-specific coverage unverified
Coverage is limited to the scope described in this write-up. Recording changes, further installments or an unwritten ending may remain outside it.
This synopsis covers the underlying book linked to this recording: Little Men. Recording-specific abridgements, added material or adaptation changes have not been verified.
The story begins with the arrival of Nat Blake at Plumfield, the school run by Professor Bhaer and Mrs. Josephine Bhaer (née March). Nat, a shy young orphan with a habit of telling fibs, charms the ten other boys attending the school, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer, with fiddle skills learned from his father. Mrs. Bhaer shares with him that every Sunday, she reviews each student's behavior and whether they were good or they disappointed her that week. Nat resolves to make her proud.
Nat quickly realizes Plumfield is not run by conventional means. Fifteen-minute pillow fights are permitted on Saturdays to keep mischief during the week to a minimum. All the children have their own gardens and pets, and are encouraged to be independent. Nat soon forms a friendship with Tommy Bangs, the troublemaker of the school, who keeps chickens and allows Nat to keep one egg from every dozen found. Nat dreams of buying his own violin with his egg profits. Demi and Daisy, Meg's twin children, also live at Plumfield and Nat becomes close friends with them.
Mr. Bhaer cures Nat of his fibbing habit by making him strike Mr. Bhaer's hand with a ruler when he is caught lying. Nat is only consoled by playing his violin and walking with Daisy, who is normally excluded from playing with the boys. Mrs. Bhaer and Laurie surprise her with a tiny, functional kitchen which the boys are not allowed to play with, and she puts on little parties for the boys with her meager cooking skills.
Nat's wild friend Dan comes to live at Plumfield. Dan originally decides the other boys are "molly-coddles" and leads them in experiments with boxing, drinking, smoking, profanity, and card games. When one of his games starts the house on fire, Dan, along with Mr. Bhaer's nephews Franz and Emil, put out the fire, and he is sent away to a farm in the country.
Nan arrives as a companion for Daisy, but she is even more of a tomboy than Jo was as a teenager and gets into all sorts of trouble. Dan runs away, and drawn by the idea of seeing the Bhaers again, returns to Plumfield with a broken foot and is nursed back to health by Mrs. Bhaer. When Laurie sponsors a new natural history museum for the school, Dan becomes curator because of his interest in the outdoors.
One day, everyone goes to pick berries and Nan promises to take care of little Rob, but they end up missing the wagon back home. After a joyful reunion, the next day Mrs. Bhaer teaches them a lesson by tying Nan up to a string in one room for the day. Later, Laurie and Amy's daughter, Bess, comes for a visit and all the boys respect her so greatly that their behavior improves from her presence. When Nat is falsely accused of theft by the other boys, Dan takes the fall so Nat is no longer shunned. Dan saves another student named Jack from a fall, leading Jack to admit he stole the money and leave the school. The boys plan to buy Dan a microscope for his kindness. Although Dan cares more for the Bhaers than before, he begins to long for freedom again and Mrs. Bhaer attempts to keep him home with various tasks.
Near the end of the novel, Demi and Daisy's father, John, becomes ill. They are taken to visit him and he dies that night, leaving Demi with an increased feeling of responsibility. A short while later, the boys have a story night in which they trick members of the household into the schoolroom and only let them out when they tell a story. Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer tell moral-based stories of hard work and kindness. At Thanksgiving, they feast on the harvest of each boy's garden, giving thanks for all they have learned and been given, and then they end the night with a play.
The story begins with the arrival of Nat Blake at Plumfield, the school run by Professor Bhaer and Mrs. Josephine Bhaer (née March). Nat, a shy young orphan with a habit of telling fibs, charms the ten other boys attending the school, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer, with fiddle skills learned from his father. Mrs. Bhaer shares with him that every Sunday, she reviews each student's behavior and whether they were good or they disappointed her that week. Nat resolves to make her proud.
Nat quickly realizes Plumfield is not run by conventional means. Fifteen-minute pillow fights are permitted on Saturdays to keep mischief during the week to a minimum. All the children have their own gardens and pets, and are encouraged to be independent. Nat soon forms a friendship with Tommy Bangs, the troublemaker of the school, who keeps chickens and allows Nat to keep one egg from every dozen found. Nat dreams of buying his own violin with his egg profits. Demi and Daisy, Meg's twin children, also live at Plumfield and Nat becomes close friends with them.
Mr. Bhaer cures Nat of his fibbing habit by making him strike Mr. Bhaer's hand with a ruler when he is caught lying. Nat is only consoled by playing his violin and walking with Daisy, who is normally excluded from playing with the boys. Mrs. Bhaer and Laurie surprise her with a tiny, functional kitchen which the boys are not allowed to play with, and she puts on little parties for the boys with her meager cooking skills.
Nat's wild friend Dan comes to live at Plumfield. Dan originally decides the other boys are "molly-coddles" and leads them in experiments with boxing, drinking, smoking, profanity, and card games. When one of his games starts the house on fire, Dan, along with Mr. Bhaer's nephews Franz and Emil, put out the fire, and he is sent away to a farm in the country.
Nan arrives as a companion for Daisy, but she is even more of a tomboy than Jo was as a teenager and gets into all sorts of trouble. Dan runs away, and drawn by the idea of seeing the Bhaers again, returns to Plumfield with a broken foot and is nursed back to health by Mrs. Bhaer. When Laurie sponsors a new natural history museum for the school, Dan becomes curator because of his interest in the outdoors.
One day, everyone goes to pick berries and Nan promises to take care of little Rob, but they end up missing the wagon back home. After a joyful reunion, the next day Mrs. Bhaer teaches them a lesson by tying Nan up to a string in one room for the day. Later, Laurie and Amy's daughter, Bess, comes for a visit and all the boys respect her so greatly that their behavior improves from her presence. When Nat is falsely accused of theft by the other boys, Dan takes the fall so Nat is no longer shunned. Dan saves another student named Jack from a fall, leading Jack to admit he stole the money and leave the school. The boys plan to buy Dan a microscope for his kindness. Although Dan cares more for the Bhaers than before, he begins to long for freedom again and Mrs. Bhaer attempts to keep him home with various tasks.
Near the end of the novel, Demi and Daisy's father, John, becomes ill. They are taken to visit him and he dies that night, leaving Demi with an increased feeling of responsibility. A short while later, the boys have a story night in which they trick members of the household into the schoolroom and only let them out when they tell a story. Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer tell moral-based stories of hard work and kindness. At Thanksgiving, they feast on the harvest of each boy's garden, giving thanks for all they have learned and been given, and then they end the night with a play.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history ↗ · Underlying book identified by the catalog’s explicit book_slug relation. Exact source annotation 964. Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Little Men. Section headings and formatting adjusted. · Content license