“Once upon a time, there were four girls, who had enough to eat and drink and wear, a good many comforts and pleasures, kind friends and parents, who loved them dearly, and yet they were not contented.” (Here the listeners stole sly looks at one another, and began to sew diligently.) “These girls were anxious to be good, and made many excellent resolutions; but they did not keep them very well, and were constantly saying, ‘If we only had this,’ or ‘If we could only do that,’ quite forgetting how much they already had, and how many pleasant things they actually could do. So they asked an old woman what spell they could use to make them happy, and she said, ‘When you feel discontented, think over your blessings, and be grateful.’ ” (Here Jo looked up quickly, as if about to speak, but changed her mind, seeing that the story was not done yet.)