Little House on the Prairie - Episode Guide

The story of the Ingalls family who left their house in Wisconsin and moved to the west, wanting to find a new place for home. AKA, the Pilot episode.

The Ingalls family settles on the banks of Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Charles builds a home for them with his own hands and heads into town immediately to look for work. It is hard enough meeting his financial responsibilities and finding enough time to spend with his family, but the greatest challenge arrives when an unfortunate accident places the Ingalls family in jeopardy.

Laura and Mary are nervous about their first day of school in Walnut Grove, but they are quickly put at ease by the genuine kindness of their new teacher and the majority of their classmates. Later, when their teacher invites the children's families to a special presentation in the classroom, Laura must come up with a plan when she realizes that she is not prepared.

Delighted with his beautiful new wheat crop, Charles is in a position to buy new dresses for his daughters, a warm coat for Caroline, and maybe even some new boots for himself–not to mention an ideal team of horses that the family's newfound financial position can now afford. It all sounds like a dream come true, but the Ingalls receive a shocking wakeup call when a harsh hailstorm destroys the entire crop.

While Charles is traveling in Mankato, he meets up with a drunken Mr. Edwards and encourages his longtime friend to retun with him to Walnut Grove. Isaiah adjusts quickly with the Ingalls, bunks in the barn, and even lands a job at the mill. Caroline sets him up with the shy and reserved Grace Snider.

When a new boy named Johnny Johnson arrives at school for the first time, Laura is immediately smitten. Johnny is a friendly boy and although oblivious to Laura's crush on him, he certainly makes it clear that he is interested in Mary. Even though Mary does not share the same feelings, the "love triangle" is enough to cause tension between the sisters.

Amy Hearn is an elderly Walnut Grove resident whose children don't seem to be trying hard enough to visit her. In an act of desperation, Amy decides that staging her own funeral is the only way to see them again, but it's a scam that she can't pull off herself.

Laura connects with a sweet, shy classmate named Olga Nordstrom, who happens to have been born with a short leg. Charles has an idea that can change Olga's entire life, but the challenge will be convincing the child's stubborn widowed father.

Charles is preparing for a business trip to Mankato, and he wants to turn it into a romantic getaway for him and Caroline. They leave the girls in Mr. Edwards' care, but things don't go quite as planned for everyone involved.

When Miss Beadle is injured in an accident, Caroline is asked to fill in temporarily at the school. While teaching, Caroline sympathizes with Abel McKay – an older student who is quiet, withdrawn, and reluctant to learn.

Feeling guilty for accidentally breaking Laura's beloved china doll, Mary brings home a baby raccoon to smooth things over with her sister. Charles is hesitant to allow Laura to keep the animal, but he decides that it would be all right to make a temporary adoption – a choice that he later regrets.

When Reverend Alden suggests taking up a collection for a new church bell, tempers flare over how the bell should be financed. Proud Mrs. Oleson wants to donate the money and include a plaque with her name on it. Others protest the idea, and both sides threaten to leave the church.

While studying for a history examination in the barn one night, Mary accidentally knocks over a reading lamp. After putting out the fire, a furious Caroline yells at her daughter and forbids her to take the exam. Later, Mary takes a job at the mercantile to pay for some items damaged in the fire, then makes a decision that could further aggravate her relationship with her mother.

The Ingalls family is delighted by the birth of a new baby boy, Charles Frederick Ingalls. But Laura is jealous and refuses to pray for his good health. When tragedy strikes, she is overcome with guilt and receives insight from an unlikely friend.

Fun Fact!
This is one of Melissa Gilbert's "Top Ten" episodes. She has said that the tears at the end of the episode between her and Michael Landon were real. No makeup effects were needed for this touching scene!

Did you know?
The in-town part of this two-part episode was filmed before the "Tinker Jones" episode. You can see that the church doesn't have a bell early in the episode.

With Christmas approaching everyone works hard to make the holidays special. While Mary begins working overtime for the town seamstress, Charles raises extra money by reconstructing some wagon wheels, but perhaps the biggest shock of the season comes from little Laura, whose personal sacrifice will reaffirm everyone's understanding of genuine family love.

Mr. and Mrs. Oleson get into a huge argument and decide to separate. The Ingalls and their friends try to intervene and convince them to settle their differences.

Harriet Oleson's young niece comes to town for a visit and is immediately attracted to Doc Baker. A whirlwind romance follows, and despite their significant age difference, they become engaged – until an unexpected event leaves them both with a critical choice to make.

Several people in Walnut Grove get very sick. A quarantine is set up in the church while the source of the illness is sought.

The Ingalls receive a midnight visit from Will O'Hara, a traveling circus man who, with his irresistibly charming demeanor, persuades Charles to let him set up in front of their home. When O'Hara's "magic powers" nearly cost an appendicitis-stricken Mrs. Oleson her life, Charles asks him to leave town, only to track him down again in the wake of a family crisis.

When a young boy named Graham Stewart arrives at school every day with various bruises, nobody has the courage to do anything -- until his alcoholic father almost kills him in a drunken rage. The Walnut Grove community is reluctant to help, but Caroline encourages them to – for the child's sake.

A college-educated farmer named Joe Coulter moves to Walnut Grove and tells the farmers of a new corn hybrid that will produce good crops, and he agrees to collect everyone's money and take a trip to purchase the corn for everyone. After an accident on the way home, Joe is unable to return on time, causing everyone in town to feel cheated.

Charles decides to bring Caroline and the children along for a springtime trip to Mankato, but on the way back, they must seek shelter from a vicious blizzard. They locate a deserted cabin that allows them to build a fire and get shelter, but problems ensue when Charles must go hunting to feed his family.

Fun Fact!

Today Mankato is a mid-sized city on the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Highway. The highway was first designated in 1995 as U.S. Route 14 from Lake Benton in southwest Minnesota to Mankato in the south-central part of the state. Laura Ingalls Wilder historian John E. Miller wrote a fascinating book called Looking for History on Highway 14.

Johnny Johnson leaves to "see the world," and Mr. Edwards goes with him to keep him out of trouble. Johnny meets up with a girl who is able to trick him out of a lot of money. Mr. Edwards tries to persuade the girl to convince Johnny to return home.

With a Founder's Day event approaching for Walnut Grove, everyone prepares for the celebration, complete with games and heated competition. Everyone in the Ingalls family ends up participating, most notably Charles, who meets an unlikely nemesis in the log-splitting competition.

Fun Fact!
This episode opens with Jack at the creek getting himself a drink of water and then running back towards the house. This video clip is the same opening scene, music and everything, as the opening of the episode "Country Girls".

Did you know?
This episode celebrates the anniversary of the founding of Walnut Grove. The historic town of Walnut Grove was surveyed in 1874 and officially incorporated in 1879.

When the mill closes due to bankruptcy, Charles loses out on two months' worth of crucial wages that would have officially cleared his account at the Mercantile. With a large bill left unpaid, Charles takes on several odd jobs at once. Mary quits school temporarily to work overtime with seamstress Mrs. Whipple, while Laura does all the chores and assists Caroline with the crops.

Mary is excited to receive a pair of brand-new glasses, but her excitement fades when the other students relentlessly tease her, even after Miss Beadle points out her own pair of glasses. Mary decides to "lose" her glasses, until Miss Beadle unwittingly shows her that she does not need to worry about her glasses making her look unattractive.

When Walnut Grove builds its very first bank, the cold and heartless Mr. Sprague settles in to run it. Charles tries to get on the man's good side right off the bat, but Mr. Sprague has been in the banking business long enough to sniff out these kinds of things, and after refusing to take the bait, he proceeds to turn Charles down flat when he requests an important loan.

It's time to play ball in Walnut Grove! After losing badly the previous year, the team players know that they need to find a more reliable pitcher, and Mr. Mumfort's golden arm seems to be heaven-sent. Everything is going beautifully until bets are made, prompting Mr. Mumfort's no-nonsense wife to forbid him to play amidst such silly gambling.

Laura goes into a haunted house when Nellie dares her to do it. She becomes a friend of the old man that lives there, Mr. Pike. She finds out that he is waiting for his wife to return. After Laura learns that Mrs. Pike died years ago, she helps Mr. Pike cope with his wife's death.

Laura and Grace Snider are both in low spirits when they are left without dates for the spring dance. Feeling that Grace is under-appreciated by Isaiah Edwards, Caroline uses memories of her courtship with Charles to provide her friend with strategies to make Isaiah jealous. Laura overhears their conversation and applies it to her own situation.
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A widowed mother named Julia Sanderson learns she has a terminal illness and has no close relatives to care for her three children, John Jr., Carl, and Alicia. Charles promises Mrs. Sanderson the children will find a new home. Meanwhile, the relationship between Mr. Edwards and Grace Snider begins to really blossom.

A widowed mother named Julia Sanderson learns she has a terminal illness and has no close relatives to care for her three children, John Jr., Carl, and Alicia. Charles promises Mrs. Sanderson the children will find a new home. Meanwhile, the relationship between Mr. Edwards and Grace Snider begins to really blossom.

Fun Fact!

Michael Landon (Charles ‘Pa' Ingalls) wrote the poem "Remember Me" that is read at Julia's funeral. Melissa Gilbert went on to read this poem at Landon's funeral years later.

When Ms. Beadle assigns a leaf-gathering project to her students, Mary and Laura are excited to find unique leaves on an upcoming camping trip with the family. Harriet convinces her husband to let their family go with the Ingalls. Although the two families have a difficult time adjusting to this extended period of time together, they gradually come to have a deeper respect for one another.

While fishing in a stream, Laura and a friend discover something shiny in the water. Believing that it is gold, Laura and Jonah take many secret trips to this spot to gather it all. Laura fantasizes about all the wonderful things she can afford for her family, but when she and Jonah haul their findings to the bank, they are both heartbroken and humiliated to learn that it is only Fool's Gold.

Reverend Alden's birthday is coming up, and the Sunday School children have raised enough money to purchase a gift. School treasurer Mary is elected to order the gift and present it to the Reverend, but with only $1.67 to spend, it's obvious that they can't afford anything fancy…until Laura coaxes Mary into taking a dangerous gamble to double the money.

Isaiah and Grace Edwards are both delighted with their new family, but trouble soon begins between Isaiah and his older adopted son, John. Isaiah does not understand the boy's interest in books and poetry, and he would much prefer a son with whom he could farm and hunt. That clearly is not the kind of life John enjoys, but Isaiah keeps pushing it.

Nellie and Laura both begin clamoring for the affections of a boy at school. Angered when Jason indicates a preference for Laura over her, Nellie attempts to sabotage their relationship by using her brand-new talking machine as a malicious tool for blackmail.

Mary is thrilled to learn that she has qualified for a state-wide mathematics competition, but the excitement is halted when Charles cannot afford the expenses for the trip. When Mary silently forfeits, the school board recognizes the problem and agrees to finance the whole thing. Caroline accompanies Mary on the trip, while Laura steps in at home to care for Charles and Carrie.

Caroline decides to stay home while Charles takes the girls on a trip, but this rare alone time is aggravated when a minor scratch on her leg flares into a major infection. Caroline is close to death when Charles finally returns home, and in the wake of this terrifying event, the family realizes – more than ever – the invaluable role of this beloved wife and mother in their lives.

Mary, Laura, and Mr. Edwards' adopted son, Carl, long to get a first-hand look at the kinds of trains they learn about in school. The kids eventually con their parents into letting them go on a business trip with them. While messing around on a caboose at the train station, the children are in for the ride of their lives when it detaches from the train and runs loose.

Despite Miss Beadle's continued kindness and effective teaching, the school board calls an emergency meeting because her deteriorating classroom management hits an all-time low. It is agreed that a male teacher will be hired in her place, but the mean-spirited Mr. Applewood immediately clashes with Laura, blaming her unfairly for several incidents in his classroom.

Charles, Mr. Edwards, and two other men take a job that involves handling and transporting explosives. They must deal with many things along the road, including prejudice.

When Charles agrees to do some handy work for Widow Thurman, he forfeits any monetary compensation and works instead for Thurman's old china set – a gift that he knows Caroline would love. This does require some sneakiness on Charles' part, and as he spends increasing amounts of time at the Widow Thurman's house, Caroline struggles to maintain her trust in her husband.

Everyone in Walnut Grove is excited about the upcoming 100th birthday of the United States of America, and to commemorate the occasion, the town is planning a community picnic, complete with games, fireworks, and a brand-new flagpole. Unfortunately, everyone's spirits plummet in the wake of a drastic tax increase, which creates problems for hard-working families like the Ingalls.

Mrs. Whipple is beside herself with excitement when her only son returns home after fighting in the Civil War. Granville does his best to re-adjust to the outside world, but with so much emotional trauma to deal with, he tries to avoid it, which affects more than just him.

Feeling pleased and hopeful about the success of his current crop, Charles and his family must confront serious devastation when it is completely destroyed by a tornado. Never one to get discouraged and throw in the towel after facing adversity, Charles stuns his wife and children with his reaction to this loss, and he makes a life-changing decision without consulting them first.

Reverend Alden falls ill while collecting donations for a struggling town. He is taken in by an ex-convict named Caleb Hodgekiss and his wife. Caleb helps the Reverend by traveling to Walnut Grove and encourages everyone to donate money. He earns the community's trust with his sensitive and caring personality, but because of his dark past, it's hard to tell what he might do.

Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, play the roles of Caleb and Mattie Hodgekiss in this episode.

Nellie's physical abuse toward Bunny leads to a dangerous riding accident, but as the little girl lies in bed with a concussion and possible paralysis, her distraught mother blames Laura and orders Nels to shoot the animal. Laura secretly takes Bunny home until she can figure out a plan, but her problems run even deeper when she begins to believe that she is responsible for Nellie's condition.

Laura's beloved horse, Bunny, has officially been returned to her. She eagerly prepares to enter a local race. Jealous, Nellie throws a tantrum until Harriet agrees to buy her a thoroughbred -- without Nels' approval. Although Nellie and her horse are expected to win the race, Laura perseveres with her training. The stakes are higher than ever when Harriet donates a lavish prize for the winner.

Frustrated that Carrie has insisted on tagging along for a school assignment, Mary and Laura fail to keep a close eye on her. They live to regret this when the little girl wanders off and falls into an underground mine shaft.

Emotionally distraught after her little girl has fallen down a mine shaft, Caroline Ingalls instinctively blames someone else (in this case, Miss Beadle). Even considering the magnitude of the situation, this is incredibly out of character for Caroline, and you never see her do such a thing again.

On Halloween night, Laura and Mary get permission from their parents to walk into town and pull a little prank at the Mercantile. Laura's imagination runs wild when she peeks into the Olesons' window and witnesses Nels committing an unspeakable crime. Scarred by what she has seen, Laura can't get anyone to believe her.

In the wake of his mother's death, a devastated Charles travels home with the intention of bringing his father back to Walnut Grove. Lansford Ingalls is devastated after his wife's death and would rather commit suicide than continue his life with someone else. Meanwhile, with Thanksgiving approaching, Mary and Laura aren't quite sure how to tell Carrie the truth about the turkey they just purchased.

Although he is still struggling with his wife's death, Lansford adjusts well in Walnut Grove and bonds with everyone in the family, especially Laura. Unfortunately, another tragedy threatens to tear them all apart just as things are really starting to look up.

After working temporarily for some neighbors, Laura decides to take their problematic billy goat instead of money. The neighbors are thrilled to have "Fred" off their hands, but now the Ingalls family is forced to deal with him – and he's not exactly the ideal family pet.

The townspeople of Walnut Grove have no idea what they're in for when the three Galender brothers settle in. The oldest two run up large bills at the Mercantile and mill, and the youngest boy causes problems at school. Everyone tries to take Reverend Alden's advice and give the Galenders a chance, but when their crimes turn violent, the community's religious loyalties are tested.

Despite being a bit too young, Laura convinces her father to help sweet-talk Caroline into letting her accompany him on a hunting trip. Laura delights in this rare one-on-one time with Charles, and everything is going beautifully -- until she accidentally knocks over his loaded gun. With her beloved father very close to death, Laura must find help all on her own.

On Christmas Eve, Miss Beadle decides to surprise the schoolchildren by letting them go home early. This proves to be a grave mistake when the kids are trapped by a vicious blizzard outside, and none of them can find their way home. As Doc Baker turns the school into a makeshift hospital for frostbitten victims, the men must brave the extreme weather conditions and track down their loved ones.

Grace and Isaiah Edwards' adopted son, John, receives a four-year scholarship to a university in Chicago. Isaiah would rather have a son to share his farming lifestyle. John and Mary have marriage plans that will not be possible if John decides to follow his dream. Torn between two worlds, John is forced to make the most difficult decision of his life.

Doc Baker assists with an outbreak of mountain fever in a nearby town. The people of Walnut Grove are hopeful that the disease will pass their community by. Grace and Isaiah's young daughter, Alicia, becomes seriously ill, so Isaiah takes her to an abandoned house in town to nurse her back to health. Laura appears to have the fever as well, and Charles frantically sets out to find Doc Baker.

As a special school activity, Miss Beadle allows the children to create group skits that they will later perform for their parents. Mary and Laura team up with Nellie and Ginny Clark, a lonely young girl whose widowed mother has been neglecting her daughter's emotional needs. Meanwhile, Willie is having trouble getting the other boys to perform "Tom Sawyer" with him.

The young son of a recently-killed Sioux Indian moves to Walnut Grove with his Caucasian mother, Amelia. Amelia's father agrees to let them stay with him, but is ashamed that his daughter married a Native American and ostracizes the child. Spotted Eagle also endures harsh treatment from his insensitive classmates, but the Ingalls girls become his only friends.

At the end of this episode, Miss Beadle gets extremely angry at a student, Seth, for beating up Spotted Eagle. She slams her hand down on his desk and screams in his face. This is an extremely rare bout of fury from Miss Beadle, who was usually very mild-tempered and calm, even when such issues arose in the classroom.

Mary is kicked in the stomach by one of the family's horses, but insists that she is fine. Her internal injuries worsen over time. Unable to be properly treated by Doc Baker, she is hospitalized in Rochester, where she must undergo surgery. As if this weren't stressful enough, Charles and Caroline are in a position where they may not be able to afford the mounting hospital bills.

While Caroline stays with Mary, Charles sets out with Mr. Edwards to find work and send money back to the hospital. They eventually accept a mining job that involves building a tunnel for a railroad. Sick with fear over his daughter's illness, Charles disregards his own safety and faces serious danger.

Solomon Henry, an 11-year-old child, runs away from home to pursue his dream of attending school somewhere. He comes across Charles Ingalls in Mankato, and hitches a ride in the back of his wagon. He eventually becomes a guest in the Ingalls home. As he helps out around the farm and goes to school in Walnut Grove, Solomon's optimistic attitude is an inspiration to the whole family.

Laura befriends a classmate named Anna, whose excessive stuttering affects her ability to make friends. Laura stands by the girl's side when she is excluded from Nellie's elite new club, but matters are complicated when Laura is caught stealing Nellie's music box. Nellie agrees not to tell anyone, but she has ulterior motives of her own that may threaten Laura's friendship with Anna.

When it comes time to elect a new classroom president, Mary and Nellie are first to compete for the position. To even things out a bit, the boys strategically elect a shy, mentally-delayed classmate named Elmer Dopkins. The trouble is, Elmer's overprotective father is fully aware of the boys' ulterior motives, but how far can a parent go to protect his bullied child?

Michael Landon, Jr. plays Jim in this episode. He's the blonde boy who nominates Mary for class president.

A heavy rain has been falling in Walnut Grove for two months, and shows no signs of stopping. Charles fears that his crops will suffer and his family will go hungry. He takes them on a 400-mile journey for a temporary new life in Gold Country. Caroline opens and teaches a school in a tent, right in the middle of town, but it proves to be a less-than-ideal learning environment for everyone.

Laura is shocked and devastated to find Jack, her beloved dog, dead in the barn. After an emotional burial, Charles brings home a stray named Bandit to curb his daughter's pain, but Laura refuses to bond with the new dog. Meanwhile, the Walnut Grove townspeople have mixed reactions to the idea of welcoming an eccentric new townsperson into their Church community.

When Charles gets the opportunity to visit Chicago on business, he hopes to turn it into a romantic getaway for Caroline and himself, but he ends up escorting Mary, who longs to visit her fiancé, John. As father and daughter navigate a city that is very different from their simple Walnut Grove, unexpected revelations are on the way for both of them.

A young girl loses her life during a trip to the local swimming hole. The girl's mother blames Laura for the accident and alienates everyone around her. With Eloise now disconnected from the entire Walnut Grove community, Laura attempts to cheer her up with a home visit and some flowers, but the woman's emotionally unstable condition puts Laura in real danger.

Charles begins building a kitchen onto the back of the house, but a sudden business trip leaves him unable to complete the job. A charismatic handyman named Chris is hired to help finish while Charles is away. Chris bonds with Caroline and the girls. This causes several rumors to sweep around town, and nobody is more affected than Mary, who fears that Chris may be breaking their family apart.

Laura and Andy come across an injured female wolf and her pups. When they bring them back to the Garveys' barn, Jonathan reluctantly agrees to let them stay until Doc Baker nurses the mother back to health. As the town gradually finds out what's going on, they are concerned that more wolves will show up, threatening their families and livestock.

Laura and Andy are determined to find out who has been robbing the Mercantile and stealing food from people. The "Garvey and Ingalls Detective Agency" is officially in business, but it ultimately causes more harm than good.

After two miscarriages, Beth Novack is thrilled to be experiencing a healthy pregnancy, but when her husband takes a tumble from the roof, she becomes a widow within 24 hours. Devastated that he could not save his patient, Doc Baker decides to leave his practice and pursue a farming career, to the dismay of the townspeople.

Jesse and Frank James hide out in Walnut Grove. The people of Walnut Grove find out who they really are when bounty hunters come looking for them.

Jonathan Garvey is convinced that he has a great crop coming up, but as he is celebrating with his family at the dinner table, a fateful fire burns their entire barn down. With all their plans destroyed, Alice has a plan to help them get back on their feet, but Jonathan's pride threatens their marriage.

Fourteen years after being abandoned by his wife and son, a famous boxer named Joe Kagen passes through Walnut Grove. When a fighting match goes horribly wrong, Doc Baker and the townspeople learn that the ailing man, who sacrificed his family for his career, will only survive if he agrees never to enter the boxing ring again.

The Ingalls and Oleson families spend a fun-filled and exciting day at a county fair. Sparks fly between Mary and a smooth-talking balloonist, Caroline and Harriet face off in a pie-baking contest, and Charles and Nels enter a gritty competition of their own. Laura wastes all her spending money in a surprising way, and Carrie faces serious danger when Laura fails to supervise her.

Adam Simms and his son Luke move into town. Adam and Miss Beadle quickly fall in love, while Luke and Nellie develop a whirlwind romance of their own. Luke is a decent young man and very loyal to Nellie, but when Harriet does not approve of this farm boy, the young couple makes secret plans to elope.

A Native American man arrives in Walnut Grove with his tribe, seeking medical attention for his ailing father. Doc Baker provides his best treatment for the Chief, but when certain community members refuse to let them stay in town temporarily, Charles proposes a secret plan with Doc Baker to keep the tribe safe – but it could have deadly consequences for everyone.

Charles and Jonathan leave on a business trip that will greatly increase their incomes, but they both have a change of heart when they regret the extensive time spent away from their families. Meanwhile, Laura develops a crush on a classmate and finds herself asking help from Nellie. Laura's desperate efforts lead to humiliation, but she learns an important lesson about being herself.

Reverend Alden offers 15-year-old Mary her first temporary teaching position in a backwoods community. Unfortunately, it ends up being one of the most difficult jobs a young girl could ever encounter. Now she must decide if her career – not to mention her family values – are worth putting up the fight of her life.

On the cold, rainy evening of his wedding anniversary, Charles is stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken wagon wheel. Caroline and the girls wait at home with a special celebration dinner all prepared. Caroline passes the time by reminiscing with her daughters about her youthful beginnings with Charles.

After finding a number of bottles containing messages and a photograph from a mysterious girl, Laura finds an abandoned baby. Laura takes the child in and cares for it as if it were her own, not knowing it belongs to a timid young woman with an abusive father.

Charles inherits the entire estate of a wealthy uncle. Within 24 hours the family suddenly becomes Harriet Oleson's best pals. They are pressured to make various contributions throughout the community and even receive newspaper article offers to chronicle this tremendous change in their lives. Things get worse when this newfound fortune threatens the family's relationship with their real friends.

When young Peter Lundstrom is expelled from his private school for petty theft, his wealthy father sends the boy to stay with Uncle Nels Oleson in Walnut Grove for a long-overdue lesson in values.

A misinterpreted remark from husband Charles plants a seed of worry in newly pregnant Caroline Ingalls that he will be disappointed if the baby isn't a boy.

Long hours studying by candlelight for the state teacher's exam results in tired, blurry eyes for Mary Ingalls, prompting a routine visit to the eye doctor; but when Charles is told that Mary's worsening sight is just the beginning of a much more serious problem, the concerned father can't bring himself to tell his beloved daughter that she will, most certainly, soon be completely blind.

Feeling lost and abandoned, Mary battles anger and self-pity at a school for the blind. But soon, she finds a source of hope in her new teacher, Adam Kendall, and as they work together, they find they have much in common. Meanwhile, back in Walnut Grove, many are forced to consider the real possibility of having to start a new life elsewhere as the town's economy erodes and work becomes scarce.

NOTE: After her blindness at age 14, the real-life Mary Ingalls attended the Iowa School for the Blind in Vinton, Iowa. Mary's actual stay was much longer than the few months' time depicted on the show. Her parents took her there on November 23, 1881, and she did not graduate until June 11, 1889 at age 24, meaning she was a student for eight years. However, Mary was absent during the 1887-1888 school year as her parents could not afford the tuition and needed more time to come up with the money.

Poor financial conditions influence the Ingalls family to move to Winoka when Mary goes there to teach at the Blind School. They meet Albert, an orphan to whom Charles forms an attachment, even though Laura catches him stealing from the hotel that Charles manages.

Since Mary is teaching at the Blind School in Winoka, and the rest of the family can't make a living in Walnut Grove, they move to Winoka, too. Charles gets a job managing a hotel and Caroline runs the kitchen and dining room. They make the acquaintance of an orphan, Albert, who befriends the Ingalls.

Trying to convince Tom Carlin, blinded by a childhood bout of the measles, that he can lead a productive life, Adam Kendall battles Tom's bitter, skeptical father and is unexpectedly aided by the underdog Winoka Warriors, who have just lost their star player to a rival football team.

Laura befriends a classmate named Amelia Bevins, who is ashamed of her obese father. When the man realizes how much pain he is causing his wife and daughter, he leaves them temporarily for a "business trip" that will change their family forever.

Caroline talks to Mary, and Mary convinces Charles that he should not have to stay in Winoka if he is unhappy. So, the Ingalls decide to return to Walnut Grove. They invite Albert to join them. The children at the blind school give them a horseshoe to hang over their door and sing them home with the song about a horseshoe. The Garveys and the Olesons return home, too.

The Ingalls, Garveys, Olsens, and Albert go back to Walnut Grove to find it run down and in shabby condition. Lars Hansen, who founded Walnut Grove over 50 years prior, has suffered a stroke, and is much like the town – on his last leg. The Ingalls and the Garveys go to the farms around town to let everyone know of their plans to restore the town to its former glory.

Laura Ingalls becomes jealous of the extra attention her father pays to new family member Albert, especially after the boy is given a new calf to raise for the county fair, and asked to call Charles "Pa."

When Harriet Oleson's cousin, Sterling Murdock, comes to town, he brings his newspaper business with him. Everyone is initially excited about this, but trouble ensues when Murdock gives gossipmonger Harriet her own column – and allows her the freedom to write whatever she wants.

Michael Landon's daughter, Leslie, has an uncredited role in this episode. She is sitting behind and to the left of Doc Baker in the final scene in the church. She has several speaking roles throughout the series, but this time, she's an extra.

Adam proposes to Mary, and they plan a wedding in Winoka. Charles and Caroline cannot afford to bring the whole family to the event, so they are forced to make the trip by themselves. All seems to be going great until Mary, who fears that she and Adam can never be proper parents, calls the wedding off.

While their fathers secretly trail them, young Albert Ingalls and Andy Garvey set off to prove their mettle as men by accepting a challenge to live by their wits during a week-long, overland walk from Walnut Grove to Sleepy Eye and back.

Now that she's the new teacher in Walnut Grove, Alice Garvey begins to worry about her son, Andy, who is her weakest student. Alice reluctantly agrees to let Nellie Oleson tutor him, but this ends up being a grave mistake.

The building that houses the school for the blind is being turned into a hotel, so Adam and Mary are forced to move their school. Miraculously, there is a place in Walnut Grove that can belong to them, but with no money for transportation, they must all make the journey by foot.

As the journey from the last episode continues, a woman by the name of Hester Sue Terhoun is prepared to help teach at the new school, and she quickly gets into Joe Kagen's good graces – but not Harriet Oleson's. Meanwhile, Adam reveals a dark secret about himself, and issues concerning racism affect everyone.

Charles and Jonathan take a job on a telephone crew that is working in southern Minnesota, which requires them to be away from home for several weeks. As they gain success and earn more money than expected, they must decide if the job is worth keeping for the long term. Back in Walnut Grove, little Carrie, who misses her father and craves attention, creates an imaginary friend to pass the time.

Lonely after his grown son moves back east to start a life of his own, a widowed old craftsman named Isaac Singerman hires Albert Ingalls as his apprentice. As the two work together and become close friends, Albert faces one of the greatest challenges of his young life when he is harassed by classmates for spending time with Mr. Singerman, who is Jewish.

Laura Ingalls is horrified to witness the fall from a tree that blinds her friend, Jordan Harrison, while he's performing a circus stunt. But when she finds out that Jordan's sight has returned, Laura must decide whether it's right when he asks her to keep it a secret, especially after Jordan tells her that his parents' concern for him appears to have brought them back from the brink of divorce.

Returning home from a business trip, Charles and Jonathan run into an old friend, Toby Noe. He has no money and no job. Charles invited him to live with them temporarily in Walnut Grove. Trouble ensues when Toby becomes obsessed with Amanda Cooper, a spinster who has no interest in him. Laura wants to attend a dance with a classmate named Jason, but has a hard time expressing her feelings to him.

Adam and Mary are expecting their first child. Mary, who knows that Adam has a strained relationship with his father, secretly writes a letter to the man. Thomas Kendall arrives in Walnut Grove for a visit and desires to be closer to his son and grandchild. Meanwhile, Albert Ingalls is smitten with Miss Bennett, a beautiful young woman who is substituting for Mrs. Garvey at school.

Kezia, an eccentric lady, lives happily in her house outside of Walnut Grove, but when she neglects to pay her taxes, the property is put up for auction. Harriet Oleson, flaunting her wealth, purchases it as a "summer home." She moves into the house with her kids and allows Kezia to stay, only if she agrees to work as a maid. Laura, Albert, and Andy hatch a plan to help Kazia reclaim her home.

Trouble erupts when a local farmer, who is hateful and bigoted, refuses to set a fair price for wheat because black farmers would be entitled to the same price. The whole thing escalates when the farmer assaults Jonathan's young son and is later accused of setting fire to the Garveys' barn.

Mary begins to see a bright light every time she stands in front of a window. The possibility of regaining her vision is there, but she and Charles must pay a visit to her eye specialist in Sleepy Eye to get a definite answer. While they are away, Laura and Albert start working on a surprise project for Mary, and the Ingalls family becomes concerned about Adam's recent strange behavior.

While out of town on business for the purchase of new horses for his farm, Charles spends increasing amounts of time with the Harpers. The family patriarch is an emotionally unstable man who uses alcohol to cope with the death of his oldest son. His wife and remaining two children find solace in Charles' kind friendship, and he soon feels obligated to help them heal.

Determined to make it through the winter season, a pair of men earn money by selling tainted meat to the Walnut Grove community. Several townspeople later become infected with anthrax, including Laura, Albert, Adam, Alice, and Nels. The victims are confined to the blind school, and with time running out to help them, Charles and Jonathon go out to retrieve some medicine.

A 12-year-old boy named Dylan has leukemia and has only been given a few weeks to live. His only dream is to see the Pacific Ocean, and when his overprotective mother is too afraid to take him, Laura and Albert decide to help him get there.

As the new school year begins, Nellie receives a shocking graduation present from her mother. Caroline takes a job at the restaurant when Charles is injured and unable to work.

When Laura and Nellie get in a fight about the graduation test, Almanzo separates them and takes Laura home with him. When Charles finds out that Almanzo took Laura home with him, Charles goes to Almanzo's place and punches Almanzo because he fears his daughter was being taken advantage of. Laura yells at the fighting pair and tells them that she is no longer a child.

Albert finds himself unsure of his identity when Miss Wilder assigns the students a family tree project. The trouble is, just as the Ingalls are getting ready to adopt him officially, Albert's long-estranged biological father shows up and demands custody of him.

During a trip to a teaching awards ceremony in Minneapolis, the stagecoach that Adam, Mary, and a pregnant woman named Marge are riding in, is involved in an accident. Mary is the only one who can free herself and is left to rely on her wits to find help.

A circus act passes through Walnut Grove, and Nels Oleson is horrified when he spots his estranged sister Annabelle as "the fat lady." Embarrassed by her physical appearance, Nels denies any relation to her.

Reverend Alden begins spending time with the kindly Anna Craig, and the Reverend's spirit is truly glowing as he discovers romance for the very first time in his life. Just as he is about to propose, an unexpected turn of events prompts Anna to break things off.

On Halloween, Albert has a dream where he and Laura are kidnapped by a rogue Indian tribe after they are mistaken for members of a rival tribe.

When Isaiah Edwards loses his will to live after a crippling logging accident, a letter to Walnut Grove from his worried wife, Grace, brings Charles and Laura back to the big woods to try to help their old friend.

Jonathan Garvey is tricked into believing that he is a good wrestler in order to scam the local residents of Walnut Grove, who stand to lose a lot of money on the rigged match. Mrs. Oleson is betting heavily too – with the church funds – for which she is treasurer.

A preacher who works as a faith healer establishes a congregation in Walnut Grove, taking parishioners from Rev. Alden's church. But things grow deadly serious when a teen-age boy dies from a ruptured appendix after being healed from the pain.

Caroline's mother dies while traveling on a train heading for Walnut Grove. Caroline's father takes to the sod house for a while. Albert is the one that convinces him to go fishing with him. Caroline's father tells great stories of the children growing up in the Big Woods. Mr. Ingalls convinces Caroline's father to write down the stories. The Ingalls work hard to save up enough money to get the book published. Caroline's father leaves knowing that he is a published author.

The telephone comes to Walnut Grove, and Mrs. Olesen is hired as the switchboard operator. She takes advantage of her responsibilities to engage in her favorite pastime: gathering gossip. It will have a very damaging effect on the Garveys' marriage when she learns about Alice's hidden past.

Todd was a boy who got beaten up by his drunk father. Now Todd is 17 and is visiting his grandparents in Walnut Grove. Todd quickly gets into trouble. Charles puts Todd in jail when his watch is stolen. Todd is forced to work on Mr. Ingalls' farm. This causes Todd to learn to become a nicer person.

Walnut Grove has a school bully, Bart. Albert and Laura want to teach the bully a lesson. Albert dresses up as a werewolf, but the bully doesn't buy it when Carrie comes out and tells Albert and Laura that she'll tell Ma that all of the glue was used by them. Laura and Albert come up with another plan. But in the end, it takes the joint efforts of the school children to get the bully to be nice.

Mr. and Mrs. Ingalls travel to a farmers convention. They want to meet up with some of their old friends. Charles tries to convince the small farmers to stand up to the larger farms. Caroline is ready to go home when she finds out that several of her friends are unhappy with the way their lives have turned out. The Ingalls are more than happy to go back home.

Some escaped convicts take refuge at the blind school during a stormy night. Laura and Mary are held captives there. One of the convicts tells Laura to go get a doctor. Laura goes and gets her Pa. Pretending to be the doctor, Charles is able to disarm the convicts.

A deaf boy learns how to communicate with people when Laura teaches him sign language. The boy falls in love with her.

Albert's careless disposal of smoking materials in the basement of the School for the Blind causes a fire that kills Alice and his nephew, Adam Jr. Albert, Mary and Jonathan all have trouble dealing with the events and the resulting grief.

When Eliza Jane and Almanzo's irresponsible younger brother Perley Day, arrives in Walnut Grove, looking for some quick money, Charles tries to get Laura to move her affection of Almanzo to the younger Wilder man. However, after Perley Day injures Almanzo's horse, Charles realizes the mistake he made while they tend to the horse in the Ingalls barn.

Nels finally gets fed up with his wife and starts his own mobile merchant business. At a boarding house in another town, he meets a lovely young woman ... and nearly gives into temptation when he almost has an affair with her.

When a teacher in a neighboring town gets injured, Laura is able to earn her teaching certificate a few weeks before her 16th birthday. As a result, Almanzo starts to see her as a mature adult, However, that causes a misunderstanding when, one day Almanzo surprises Laura with a visit at the schoolhouse and he suspects a student is making romantic advances toward her. Things get straightened out on her birthday when Charles helps explain what happened.

After proposing to Laura, Almanzo is less than thrilled when Charles informs the happy couple that they have to wait until Laura turns eighteen. After suggesting that they elope and Laura is hesitant to go along with his plan, Almanzo decides to move to Sleepy Eye. Also taking place in town, Nellie seems to catch the eye of Percival Dalton, the man her parents hire to help teach her to run a restaurant. Meanwhile, Adam and Mary run into some roadblocks in rebuilding the blind school, resulting in them deciding to move the school to Sleepy Eye.

In part two of the season finale, Nellie proclaims her love to Percival and the couple gets engaged and when Nels and Harriett find out that he's jewish, the couple gets married by Doc Baker. Laura learns that Almonzo risked his life to help the Blind School pay its rent to the building owner in Sleepy Eye and sits by his bedside until he recovers. At Nellie and Percival's wedding, Charles informs Laura and Almonzo that they can get married once Laura turns seventeen.

Upon being sold a piece of land, Almanzo is eager to begin building a home for him and Laura. He hires his friend Harv Miller to assist him with his crop. Meanwhile, Laura is offered a teaching job at a faraway school.

Almanzo's dreams of building a home do not go as planned, forcing him to postpone the wedding. Laura has a way for them to earn some money, but his rejection of her idea starts a feud between them.

Jonathan and Andy Garvey move to Sleepy Eye in a quest to rebuild their lives. Jonathan decides to become a deputy sheriff to clean up the town of crime, but his job is a dangerous one that ultimately threatens his young son.

A former football star settles back into his childhood town of Walnut Grove with his wife and son. His zealous coaching is in conflict with Laura's schooling, and his interest in Albert's talent alienates his own son.

The orphanage in Sleepy Eye faces a difficult situation when two young brothers meet with a potential adoptive family. The younger child refuses to speak and shows symptoms of emotional trauma, so the family is only interested in taking the older child. Rather than be separated, the boys run away to the nearby blind school, where the kindly Houston agrees to help. Although the aging Houston would love to adopt them himself, it creates problems that he cannot handle by himself, so Charles and Jonathan must intervene.

16-year-old Annie Crane is a rising artist in Walnut Grove, where she lives with her adoptive parents. When her talent lands her an exhibition in the city, the advertisement draws the attention of her biological mother.

As Laura and Almanzo work on getting used to married life together, their wedded bliss gets tested when an old flame of Almanzo arrives in town with news that she's now a published songwriter. Seeing this as a sign their marriage is doomed, Laura feels it is best she move back home with her parents, only to have Charles and Caroline work on getting the newlyweds to work things out.

Albert tries to impress a penpal he figures he'll never see.

Charles and Almanzo expand their business by delivering goods to Sleepy Eye. After arguing about the quickest way to get there, they decide to make it a race.

Following an explosion, Adam regains his sight.

With his vision restored, Adam is eager to fulfill his dream of becoming an attorney. Meanwhile, Mary is divided in her enthusiasm about his prospects.

A female activist arrives in Walnut Grove to encourage the men to share equal property rights with their wives. After getting into a huge fight about it with her husband, Harriet Oleson goes to live at the hotel. Caroline decides to follow Harriet's lead.

When Percival's parents, Benjamin and Edna, arrive for a visit, Harriet and Benjamin clash miserably over their grandchild's religious upbringing.

Royal Wilder thinks of a perfect solution when he needs a break from dastardly duo Myron and Rupert, his spoiled, undisciplined sons...send the terrible two to Walnut Grove for a visit with unsuspecting Uncle Almanzo and Aunt Laura!

Former boxer Joe Kagan moves to Sleepy Eye to help with the maintenance of the blind school while Adam and Houston are out of town. Joe is still in love with Hester Sue, but she is being courted by another man.

Tiring of Mrs. Oleson's constant meddling at school, Laura hastily decides to quit, ultimately leaving the school children to be taught by Harriet. However, it doesn't take long for Walnut Grove's school children to band together to get Laura back at work.

New student Sylvia Webb, who has physically matured faster than most of her classmates, piques the physical curiosity of some of her male classmates. Albert goes along at first, but quickly becomes friends with Sylvia. However, he is unaware that she is trapped in a horrifying world: She's being stalked (and is eventually attacked by) a masked rapist; her father has a cold, uncaring attitude toward Sylvia's ordeal; and her cruel classmates continue to taunt her. Eventually, Sylvia collapses at school from exhaustion.

Mrs. Olson spreads word that Albert had gotten Sylvia pregnant. Caroline knows this isn't true and confronts her nemesis over this misinformation. Mr. Webb decides that, because of the shame his daughter's ordeal brought him, they will move from Walnut Grove. Sylvia decides she'd be happier with Albert, and the two decide to get married. When Mr. Webb finds out Albert had visited her (despite a no-guests rule), he calls Sylvia a whore, and she runs away. Albert - who had gotten a job as at the blacksmith's shop - later helps search for Sylvia.

Unable to get work in Sleepy Eye, Adam decides to become Walnut Grove's first lawyer, and gets his first case defending a man who sold worthless share of his land.

Pregnancy symptoms hit both Laura and her mother Caroline. Caroline, after bearing four daughters, really wants a son. But when it turns out Caroline is not pregnant at all, but is beginning menopause, she sinks into a deep depression. Her husband and daughters desperately try to convince her that they love her for the person she is, not for the person she wanted to be. Finally, Charles proposes that he and Caroline renew their wedding vows.

While making an out-of-town delivery, Albert and Charles meet and travel with the Cooper family. An accident occurs en route with the parents, leaving Charles in charge of their two children.

The Cooper children go home with Charles, but as they're adjusting, a set of adoptive parents arrive.

Percival and Nellie go to New York so that Percival can run the family business now that his father has died and passed away peacefully in his sleep. Mrs. Oleson gets very depressed because of Nellie leaving. The Olesons decide to adopt a girl to take the place of Nellie. While they are in Sleepy Eye, they find a girl that looks almost exactly like Nellie when she was young.

Nancy turns out to be worse than Nellie ever was. She even locks another girl in the ice house. The students devise a plan to teach Nancy a lesson. They trick her into being the star in a dunking tank. Also during this episode, Adam and Mary move to New York so that they can earn a living and Hester Sue comes to Walnut Grove to work at the restaurant.

Feeling that Cassandra and his presence with Charles and his family is causing more problems that they solve, James decides to run away, especially after Albert complains about how he always follows him around. After discovering that his actions towards James may have played a part in him leaving, Albert decides to go look for James to convince him to come home.

Dr. Baker posts an ad for another doctor, to relieve his workload (and Mrs. Oleson's constant pestering). He hires Dr. Caleb Ledoux, but doesn't count on him being black. The Ingalls are among the very few to accept Dr. Ledoux, as others are outright hateful and racist. Even Dr. Baker struggles with his prejudice and, to show his spite, gives the young doctor minor cases. In the end, Dr. Ledoux is the only doctor available to call on a pregnant woman who is having labor complications. The woman's husband won't allow the doctor in the house (because he's black), and can only get to her when Charles knocks the man aside. Ledoux performs a successful surgery and delivers a son to the couple. A stunned and shaken Dr. Baker witnesses the surgery and concedes that only Caleb's and his superior training could have saved the woman's life. Dr. Ledoux later angrily tells his wife he plans to leave Walnut Grove. But only Dr. Baker's emotional speech at church convinces the good doctor to stay.

Laura gets invited to attend a Great American Writers seminar in Arizona by Eliza Jane. Upon her arrival there, she is in for a rude awakening when she realizes the professor teaching the course is more interested in pursuing a brief, romantic encounter with her than teaching her about what the rest of the class is learning through reading the novels.

In an episode about hero worship, Charles and Nels share deep concerns over an aging circus performer's influence on the children of Walnut Grove. Particularly since some of them - Albert and Willie in particular - have tried some of the daredevil's more dangerous stunts, with mixed results.

Mr. Oleson gets kidnapped by a pair of bumbling ex-convicts. When he learns that Mrs. Oleson refuses to pay their ransom demands, Nels thinks of a way to bring about his freedom, resulting in a large number of Walnut Grove residents also getting kidnapped by the same pair of men.

Charles travels to Chicago to comfort a deeply grieving Mr. Edwards, whose son John Jr. had died in a tragic accident. But that grief soon gives way to rage when it becomes apparent John Jr.'s death was no accident. Charles and Mr. Edwards enlist the aid of the editor of the newspaper where John Jr. worked to uncover the truth.

An overweight boy comes to school at Walnut Grove. The schoolkids pick on him because he is so heavy. Nancy persuades the boy to bully the other school children. The jokes of the school children get so bad that the obese boy decides to quit school. The school children then decide that enough is enough. They go over and apologize to him.

Mrs. Oleson changes the restaurant into a franchise restaurant, She has a hard time living up to the agreement of the franchise. Charles and Nels get together and decide to open up a restaurant of their own, right across the street. The new restaurant forces Mrs. Oleson's restaurant out of business. The town is now back to normal, or at least as normal as it can be.

It is Christmas time in Walnut Grove and when a sudden snowstorm traps the Ingalls family at home, they all reminisce about what their favorite Christmas memories were from when they were growing up.

James makes friends with Gideon Hale, a young boy who stutters. However, the budding friendship is damaged when Gideon overhears James making fun of him. A wolf that follows James and Charles on a delivery trip may hold the key for bringing Gideon out of his shell.

After Almonzo and Charles leave to make a delivery to Arizona, Laura puts her life and the life of her unborn baby at risk keeping a newly planted orchard alive during a drought.

In an unusual framing sequence, a 1980s couple bids on a antique folding table, and notice the "CI" brand as its maker. The episode flashes back to Charles handcrafting the table for sale in Mr. Johanssen's shop. Mr. Johanssen commissions Charles to craft more of the tables to meet demand in Minneapolis. Soon, Charles is running a small round-the-clock factory to fashion the tables, leaving his family back in Walnut Grove for weeks on end. An unscrupulous furniture factory owner steals the design for the table and begins to mass-produce the item at a much lower cost.

An elderly relative of James and Cassandra tries to get custody away from Charles. He ends up being unsuccessful in the lawsuit, which means that Charles kept custody of the children.

Hester Sue's ex-husband, Sam, comes to town. He tells Hester Sue that he was no longer a drinker and a gambler. Hester Sue believes he has changed and soon decides to marry him. Hester Sue learns the truth about Sam when his wife and kids come and warn Hester Sue that Sam is still a drinker and gambler.

The Wilders' budding marriage is put to its first major test when Almonzo, soon after recovering from an illness, is felled by a stroke.

Almonzo, bitter at his apparent life-crippling illness, nearly gives up on life, despite the birth of little Rose. His attitude nearly drives Laura to consider leaving her husband. A tornado that destroys the farmstead may hold the key to both of their futures.

Mr. Edwards' alcoholism, fueled by John Jr.'s violent death, ruins his marriage, and he travels back to Walnut Grove to see solace with his old friends. However, those long-standing friendships are put to the test when an accident, caused by a drunken Mr. Edwards, nearly costs Albert his life.

A longtime friend of Caroline writes to her and asks for help. Her friend is pregnant and lives at a gold prospector's camp where there is an outbreak of influenza. Caroline finds out that her friend's husband doesn't like her wife. In fact, he wants his wife's baby to die. Caroline's friend dies during childbirth, but the child survives. In another tent, a mother's child dies while be born. Caroline decides to give the baby to the other mother since she knows that the baby will be taken care of properly.

While Mr. Edwards, Charles, and James are in Sleepy Eye, James gets shot during a bank robbery. James, who is in a coma, is taken to the hospital. While James is in the hospital, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Ingalls, and Albert look for the bank robbers. They find them and bring them to justice. Charles continues to believe that James will get better.

When Charles refuses to admit that James will likely never recover from his gunshot wound, he leaves Walnut Grove with his adopted son. He builds an altar in the woods and hopes that God will bring a miracle.

Following a rough winter, Charles decides to sell his farm to the Carter's and move his family to a new town in Iowa. Before setting off, Laura, Almanzo, and some friends throw a small party to say goodbye to Charles. Almanzo gets a letter from his older brother Royal that he and his daughter Jenny are coming for a visit.

Following Royal's death, Laura and Almanzo attempt to make Jenny feel at home. Meanwhile, Jenny feels like Royal's death is her fault, and as a result, she takes drastic steps to see her father again, only to be saved by a friend. Jeb Carter learns how to swim after he breaks his arm.

Looking to clean up Lars Hanson's old house in hopes to sell it for a nice profit, Mrs. Olsen stumbles across an old bearer bond. Instead of cashing it in and bankrupting Walnut Grove, she decides to use that bond to call in favors for her family – starting with changing the name of the town. However, when she coerces Nels into running for mayor, Laura and the others on the town council uses a bit of gossip to convince Almonzo run against him.

Mr. Stark has gotten himself so far in debt that he has lost his mind. He goes home and shoots his wife and daughter. Then he goes off and ends up at Laura's house. He mistakes Laura and Jenny for his wife and daughter, but when he sees Rose, he thinks that his daughter has had a baby.

A tiny circus performer, Lou, decides to look for work in Walnut Grove after his wife dies while giving birth to his baby girl. A prejudice Mrs. Oleson uses her power to make sure that the dwarf doesn't find work. She even threatens Mr. Anderson that she would close her account at the bank if he hired Lou. To keep the infant alive, the dwarf must steal food. Mrs. Oleson decides to press charges when she finds out who stole the food. When Nancy falls in a well, Lou risks his life to save the girl. That's when Mrs. Oleson decides that being small has its advantages and decides to drop all charges.

A traveling side-show comes to Walnut Grove. The main attraction is a wild boy. The wild boy escapes and becomes friends with the Wilders. The boy turns out to be Matthew Roger and the reason he acts wild is become he is given morphine.

Mr. Edwards keeps Matthew at his place, but Nancy Oleson tells on him. A judge comes and rules that Matthew be placed in an institution. Then Mr. Edwards makes a statement that everyone is crazy sometime. He convinces the judge to allow the boy to stay with Mr. Edwards.

Nellie returns to Walnut Grove and discovers that Nancy is a lot worse than she ever was. When Nancy isn't the center of attention, she runs away. Nels and Nellie search until they find her. Just when they think Nancy has learned a valuable lesson, she proves that she really hasn't.

The people of Walnut Grove are at first excited when the railroad wants to build through the town. This excitement doesn't last long. The railroad tells several people that they must leave their houses. The people make a stand at the Carter's place. This delay in building convinces the railroad to find a different route.

Laura's childhood friend, Jane Canfield, comes back to Walnut Grove. Although she is blind, she falls in love with Mr. Edwards, a person who was old enough to be her father. Jane then undergoes an operation which allows her to see again. After a lot of soul searching, Mr. Edwards tells Jane that she should go out and find herself a better life. At the end of the show, we see Mr. Edwards in the distance watching Jane leave on the stagecoach.

With Almanzo and John out of town for the National Grange convention in San Francisco, Mr. Edwards takes it upon himself to keep an eye out for Laura and Sarah. When an attractive minister with the diocese arrives in town on official business pertaining to Reverend Alden, Mr. Edwards jumps to the wrong conclusion when he notices both married women spending a lot of time together with the man.

Jenny looses a necklace in a pond and almost drowns trying to get it. After the incident, she has partial brain damage and has to retrain herself to talk and walk. Jenny's friend, a retired doctor, helps Jenny to force herself to get better. Thanks to him, Jenny makes a complete recovery.

When Mrs. Carter's mother dies, Sarah Carter's father comes to town. He tries to get the Carters to come with home back to New York. He wants the Carters to have a better life. The Carters tell him that home sweet home is in Walnut Grove. After a while, Sarah's father begins to understand while the Carters feel this way.

The Older Brothers is a gang that used to have a notorious reputation. First they hold up Mr. Edwards but end up losing the money. Then they try to get ransom money for Mr. Edwards but that doesn't go very well.

Laura writes a book for a book writing contest. Her book is chosen. She travels to Minneapolis to work out a deal with the publisher. However, when the publisher wants her to change some parts in her book, she withdraws from the contest and goes back home.

When Albert continually breaks the law, Charles takes him out of the big city and back to Walnut Grove. Albert doesn't change in Walnut Grove because he is addicted to morphine. Charles finally forces Albert to stop using morphine. He stays with Albert while he goes through withdrawal. Thanks to Charles, Albert is no longer addicted to morphine. We find out at the end of the show that Albert will become Dr. Albert Ingalls.

Laura gives birth to a baby boy. The baby is fine and healthy for a while. Then for no apparent reason the baby dies. To ease her mind of the death, she blames Doc Baker for what happened to her baby. Doc's reputation declines so much that he must leave town to find work. Just before Doc Baker leaves, Rose comes down with small pox. Doc must stay quarantined with the Wilders for two weeks. Watching the Doc save Rose's life causes Laura to rethink her attitude about Doc Baker. Laura and the rest of the town convince him to stay on.

Jason Carter starts working for an old lady. Jason becomes great friends of the lady. However, Jason's mom believes the lady is being too nice. Jason is forbidden to work for the old lady until Sarah finds out that the lady will soon die.

Mr. Edwards and the residents of Walnut Grove make friends with an orangutan. But the friendship and the fun-loving primate's life may be short-lived when Nancy and Mrs. Olesen cause trouble.

Willie Oleson is about to graduate from the Walnut Grove School and Harriett is intent on him getting a college education. However, Willie has a plan of his own: marry his school sweetheart Rachel Brown and then run his family's restaurant together. Furious over the fact that Willie wants to go against her wishes, Harriet almost gets them to call off the wedding by spreading needless gossip.

Mr. Montague stays at the Wilder boarding house while he is at Walnut Grove researching for a book that he is writing. Matthew Roger has a hard decision to make when his biological father shows up. Matthew decides to leave Mr. Edwards and go with his father. Mr. Edwards moves into the boarding house so he wouldn't be lonely anymore.

Reverend Edward Danford, a preacher and "faith healer," comes to Walnut Grove with his fascinating concept of overcoming all physical adversities with pure faith in God. As his popularity increases, he decides to stay in town permanently.

Charles is making a business trip from his hometown of Burr Oak, Iowa to Minnesota, and since he will be passing through Walnut Grove, he invites Albert to join him. Father and son pay a visit to college-bound Albert's ideal school for becoming a doctor, and although the tuition is high, it appears that Albert has a chance at a full scholarship. Later, while revisiting the hometown in which he grew up, Albert--who loves being back in his beloved childhood town--takes an interest in a beautiful girl named Michelle. Little Jason Carter longs to lock lips with classmate Amy Bryant, and the town faces crop-related financial issues, prompting Charles to offer his help. Through all the good and the bad, it all gets thrown into perspective when Albert, who has been fatigued and having frequent nosebleeds, visits a specialist and receives some absolutely devastating news that can either make or break the Walnut Grove community as it is known.

When Charles receives a 4-week paid vacation from his employer, he and Caroline decide to leave the younger children with an aunt and travel back to their beloved Walnut Grove for a visit. They are both delighted to reunite with Laura, her family and their friends, and they even get an opportunity to stay in their old house while John and Sarah Carter are out of town. Unfortunately, what begins as a joyously nostalgic trip down memory lane becomes an unimaginable battle when the Walnut Grove community learns that another man has legal ownership of the land. The coldhearted Mr. Lassiter is willing to let the current residents keep their homes and jobs, but only if they agree to work under his control--a compromise that nobody is about to accept. Armed with rifles, anger, and unprecedented determination, the townspeople take the fight as far as they can, but when Mr. Lassiter uses his upper hand in the matter to force them all out, they reach a unanimous, yet devastating solution to even the score.

A trip to Mankato for some Christmas shopping flares into a nightmare when Laura and Almanzo's 2-year-old daughter Rose is kidnapped by Elsa Norris, an emotionally unstable young woman who is grieving the loss of her baby. Elsa brings the little girl home to her husband, and they care for her as their own. Laura, Almanzo, and Mr. Edwards search frantically for Rose and, along the way, are joined by young Samuel, an orphaned runaway who is searching for a family to call his own. Back in Walnut Grove, with his wife away for the time being, Nels jumps at the opportunity to teach his greedy daughter Nancy some important lessons about the true meaning of the season. Jason Carter will stop at nothing to afford a Christmas present for his mother, and John and Sarah do their best to make the holiday special for their boys, who may not have much to open on Christmas morning this year. Lastly, Mr. Montague--who is initially disgusted by the commercialism of Christmas--comes through for his friends when they need it most.