Little House on the Prairie

If I had a remembrance book,

I would surely write about the day we came to plum creek

and first saw the house in the ground.

I can remember Pa and Mr. Hanson

and how they walked and looked and talked

and how we wondered what they said.

You know, there is no hurry, Mr. Ingalls.

If I were in your boots, I would think on it and sleep on it.

Nothing to think about, Mr. Hanson. My mind's made up.

I'll be in walnut grove tomorrow morning to sign the papers.

All right, I'll be at the mill.

- I'll see you then. - Right.

- And thank you. - Thank you.

Well, Ingalls family, soon as you get done soaking your feet,

we got a wagon to unload.

We're home?

We're home.

Pa left plum creek at daybreak and worked all day in hanson's mill

earning lumber he needed to build us a house.

Pet and Patty, our team horses,

weren't big enough to pull the plow Pa needed to break the prairie sod.

Though we were sorry to see them go,

Pa swapped them to Mr. Hanson for a span of oxen,

strong enough Pa said to pull the state of Iowa 10 miles into Minnesota

if you could find a place to hitch them to.

Pa came home at sunset, and then he worked by lantern light.

Ma said he ate his supper while he was working,

and almost it was true.

Because it happened mostly in the dark,

our house grew like the mushrooms we found in the woods.

It was kind of like we were all holding our breath

and then one day our new house was there, all done,

and it was moving-in day.

Can we go in now?

Not just yet.

Charles!

We've all been in the house 100 times.

No, but not today. Today's special.

Can we go make our bed?

Of course.

Don't forget your pillows.

Our new bed's way bigger than our other one and softer, too.

This is the best house we've ever had.

We have our own window, and we can see the stars.

We're supposed to be sleeping when the stars are out,

and it will sure be nicer to hear the rain on the roof

than to have it get us all wet.

Come on, you're supposed to be helping me make the bed.

Our own window.

A wood floor. Real glass windows.

A room for the girls, and one for us.

Don't forget... A door that locks.

That, too.

Now if I hear wolves at night, I won't be afraid.

We've heard them lots times before.

If you were afraid I never knew it.

I was, but I won't be now.

At least we don't have to fear the weather.

Still have a mountain of work to do and lots of things we need.

A plow, a harrow, and seed.

Carrie!

Uh-oh. Hey! Come on now, munch.

Your room's downstairs, ok?

I'm not too worried about the harrow.

I can make one that will work till I can get a store-bought.

But plow and seed...

I'm going to have to work that out in town tomorrow.

How? We have no cash.

Well, I'll work it out. You let me worry about it, all right?

All right.

Carrie!

I'll get her.

Hi.

Carrie, you're not supposed to be up here.

How'd she climb the ladder?

What are you climbing around the house for?

You know you're not supposed to do that.

Guess she had to see what was up here though.

Bed all right?

It's soft.

I love it, Pa.

Good. Here, let me try it.

Oh, hey, it's pretty nice if I do say so myself.

How do you like your room?

It's wonderful.

Yeah. And I've decided something.

What's that, half-pint?

Home is the nicest word there is.

One of the nicest, that's for sure.

You like home?

Good.

'Cause we got one now.

Morning. Working hard?

Morning, Ingalls. Not too hard.

Mr. Ingalls, good morning.

Mr. Oleson, how you doing?

This is the fella I told you about

I ran into over at hanson's mill.

Ma'am.

What can I do for you?

Well, I'd like a plow and wheat seed,

enough for 100 acres.

I understand you're building a house out there.

Got it all finished yesterday.

Start breaking sod soon as I can get that plow.

I, uh, I don't have any money right now.

I'd like to pledge a share on my first crop.

We do give credit to a few farmers

that we've known for a long time,

but only to a few of them.

There is a reason. We need the money to buy the things

that we need to keep in business.

I understand. Cash on a barrel,

and that's the way I like to deal and wheel,

just as soon as I get that first crop to sell.

Mr. Ingalls, do you know how many families move out here

and plant their crops and run up more bills than they can hope to pay for

and then skip out in the dead of night? Hmm?

Now, I could show you a whole drawer full...

Mrs. Oleson, I can assure you I had no intention of

running out in the middle of the night.

Thank you.

Mr. Ingalls, I... there's really no way that I can...

I understand.

Looking at my fine plows, are you?

Yeah.

Would you be needing one?

Sure could. Name's Ingalls.

Liam o'Neil. Pleased to know you.

Yeah, I need a plow and seed, enough for 100 acres.

Well, you've come to the right man.

I sell only the best.

I don't have any cash.

Then I'll thank you for not wasting my time.

Yeah, I got something you need more than money.

Have you now?

Well, what is it that I could need or use more than money?

Know-how. Enough to put a new roof on that shed.

If it had been built proper, it would have never caved in.

I bought this business for cash, and I'd no sooner turned the money over

then the last snows of winter came, and they crashed in the roof.

I'll build you a roof that will support under any snow.

For a plow and seed.

That's right.

And who'll be supplying the material?

Well, you will.

Well, in that case, me lad, I'll be needing a bit more on my side

to make the bargain even.

I'm freighting in some sacks of grain from mankato.

You'd be stacking those in the shed and neatly, too.

Consider it done.

Satisfy me on one thing more and we can shake hands on it.

I see you working at hanson's every day.

How you going to get loose to work for me?

Already arranged for that.

Work for you in the morning, work for hanson in the afternoon.

You're biting off a big piece.

I'll be after wanting this done in 3 weeks.

It will be done.

Saying's one thing, but doing's another.

You got my word on it.

Ha ha. Well, if something goes wrong,

your word is not going to keep the rain out of my shed.

I'm thinking I'll be needing a bit of collateral.

Like what?

I see you driving a fair yoke of oxen.

Now, just keep it businesslike.

You sign a chattel mortgage leaving the animals to me

in case you don't do the work as promised.

Now, no offense, Ingalls. No offense meant at all.

It's just that being burned once, you fear the fire.

I was a believing man once until a shed sworn to be sound fell down.

I build a roof and stack the grain.

In 3 weeks.

My hand on it.

And I hope you'll be keeping your promise.

There's nothing to worry about.

The house is all finished except for a cupboard

and a few shelves.

There's no hurry about those.

All right, so I work at o'Neil's for 6 hours.

I work 6 hours at hanson's. That's 12 hours.

That gives me plenty of time for the plowing and the rest of the chores.

With going and coming and eating your lunch,

it's more like 15 hours.

With farm work on top of that,

you won't have any time to rest.

It's only for 3 weeks.

It's a long time to walk in your sleep.

I can do it.

I believe you can.

Mary, cut up Carrie's hot cakes for her, please.

Laura's right there. Why can't she do it?

Because she's going to set a place for her father.

Whoa, whoa, I haven't got time to eat.

I'm late for work already.

Oh, Charles, you have to eat.

I had some cornbread this morning.

Wait.

You can eat these on the run.