Under the Lilacs

Under the Lilacs

"Ben and Sancho", illustration from an 1888 edition of Under the Lilacs
Author	Louisa May Alcott
Publication date	1878

Under the Lilacs is a children's novel by Louisa May Alcott, first published in 1878.

Plot

Bab and Betty, two little girls, are having a tea party with their dolls when an unknown dog appears and steals their cake. The girls find the dog, Sancho, along with his owner Ben Brown, a run-away from the circus who is hiding in their play barn. They discover that Ben is a horse master and when he is taken in my the Moss', they get him a job on a neighboring farm. It is there that he can work with horses and drive cows. Ben eventually finds out that his father, who he loved dearly, was dead. A neighbor, Miss Celia, helps him through his grief and he moves in with her and her brother Thornton who is fourteen. He has a job, and a family, and an opportunity for education. Ben has a wonderful life now, but his life in the circus was full of adventure and excitement which is a struggle for Ben. Many adventures and summer-happenings go on in Celia's house, as Ben slowly finds his place among his friends. Sancho gets lost, Ben is accused of stealing, Miss Celia gets hurt and Ben takes a wild ride on her horse, Lita. They have an archery competition, where Ben emerges as the winner.

External links

• Project Gutenburg
• Full text version of Under the Lilacs
• Under the Lilacs public domain audiobook at LibriVox