Excellent flash fiction based on facts for the contest Courageous Little Women by June Sargent Flash Fiction contest entry Artwork by meg119 at FanArtReview.com

Four young women were giggling as they rehearsed their play in the parlor - when they heard pebbles thrown against a window.  Their mother ordered the girls to go to their rooms.   Peeking out the window, she spied  two men hiding behind a tree.  She signaled by waving a candle and the men hurried to the back of the house. Opening the kitchen door, the mother asked what they wanted.  One replied, “Could you spare a cup of chicken broth.”  She then smiled and said, “Welcome, gentlemen!  We have plenty of soup." After supper, the girls handed the men a sack filled with bread, cheese and apples,  along with a warm blanket. “Thank you so much, ma’am! This slave's owner followed us from Georgia and is searching for him in Boston.  We need to move as quickly as possible.” “Your ride will be here shortly.   Freedom awaits you in Canada." Recognized Author Notes Little known fact - the family of Louisa May Alcott used their home called the Wayside in Concord, Massachusetts to shelter at least two slaves being transported on the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada. It was legal in many states for slave owners to recapture runaway slaves. In Canada, however, it was illegal.

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