Under a willow tree at Plumfield, Nan and Daisy wash their doll clothes. Nan says she is tired of dolls and would rather play with the boys. Daisy prefers to keep to conventionally female activities and not try anything outside her range of comfort and skill. Daisy looks forward to being a homemaker, while Nan wants to pursue a career in medicine. Emil comes to Nan with a splinter in his finger, and Nan uses Daisy’s sewing kit to extract it. Mr. Bhaer and Mrs. Jo encourage Nan to follow her passion, teaching her about medicinal herbs she can grow in her garden plot.

Tommy and Nat discuss what gift to get Dan to show that they are sorry for suspecting him of being a thief. Tommy generously donates a large amount of his savings from his egg business to buy Dan a microscope, which inspires Nat to buy Dan a butterfly net instead of saving for a new violin. The boys talk about the best ways to spend personal wealth, deciding that using profit for charitable causes is better than hoarding money for personal gain.

Under the willow, Dan shares his knowledge of botany with Demi, while Demi offers his theory of how to purify one’s mind and encourage moral consciousness and good behavior.