He was in one of his moods , for the day had been both unprofitable and unsatisfactory , and he was wishing he could live it over again . The hot weather made him indolent , and he had shirked his studies , tried Mr. Brooke 's patience to the utmost , displeased his grandfather by practicing half the afternoon , frightened the maidservants half out of their wits by mischievously hinting that one of his dogs was going mad , and , after high words with the stableman about some fancied neglect of his horse , he had flung himself into his hammock to fume over the stupidity of the world in general , till the peace of the lovely day quieted him in spite of himself . Staring up into the green gloom of the horse-chestnut trees above him , he dreamed dreams of all sorts , and was just imagining himself tossing on the ocean in a voyage round the world , when the sound of voices brought him ashore in a flash . Peeping through the meshes of the hammock , he saw the Marches coming out , as if bound on some expedition . `` What in the world are those girls about now ? '' thought Laurie , opening his sleepy eyes to take a good look , for there was something rather peculiar in the appearance of his neighbors . Each wore a large , flapping hat , a brown linen pouch slung over one shoulder , and carried a long staff . Meg had a cushion , Jo a book , Beth a basket , and Amy a portfolio . All walked quietly through the garden , out at the little back gate , and began to climb the hill that lay between the house and river . `` Well , that 's cool , '' said Laurie to himself , `` to have a picnic and never ask me ! They ca n't be going in the boat , for they have n't got the key . Perhaps they forgot it . I 'll take it to them , and see what 's going on . '' Though possessed of half a dozen hats , it took him some time to find one , then there was a hunt for the key , which was at last discovered in his pocket , so that the girls were quite out of sight when he leaped the fence and ran after them . Taking the shortest way to the boathouse , he waited for them to appear , but no one came , and he went up the hill to take an observation . A grove of pines covered one part of it , and from the heart of this green spot came a clearer sound than the soft sigh of the pines or the drowsy chirp of the crickets . `` Here 's a landscape ! '' thought Laurie , peeping through the bushes , and looking wide-awake and good-natured already . It was a rather pretty little picture , for the sisters sat together in the shady nook , with sun and shadow flickering over them , the aromatic wind lifting their hair and cooling their hot cheeks , and all the little wood people going on with their affairs as if these were no strangers but old friends . Meg sat upon her cushion , sewing daintily with her white hands , and looking as fresh and sweet as a rose in her pink dress among the green .
XXXXX was sorting the cones that lay thick under the hemlock near by , for she made pretty things with them .
Amy Beth Jo Laurie afternoon boathouse chirp maidservants meshes nook