Little House on the Prairie, Season 9

Harriet:
Ah, good morning, Laura and Jenny.

Laura:
Good morning, Mrs. Oleson.

Jenny:
How did that woman know my name?

Laura:
That's Mrs. Oleson. She knows everything that goes on in Walnut Grove and what she doesn't know, she makes up!

Laura:
[voiceover] It was the spring of 1887. It had been a hard winter for everyone, especially for Pa. He had to sell the farm and move to where he could find the work. He settled the family in Burr Oak, Iowa. Pa came back to get the last of the family's things. He pretended that moving on would be a great thing for the family, but I knew how much he loved his little house on Plum Creek and I could see how he was hurting inside.

Charles:
I'm sorry.

Mr. Edwards:
Don't be.

Charles:
It's just that I made so many friends here. The best friends I ever had in my life. It's hard leaving them.

Mr. Edwards:
You say that like we're never gonna see each other again. We will. We're kind of like a bad penny, always turning up.

Charles:
Watch over my family, will you?

Mr. Edwards:
You know I will. I'm proud you asked me.

Jenny:
I killed him.

Laura:
What?

Jenny:
He was running that day, trying to keep up with me. Why didn't you tell me he was sick? Why?

Laura:
Jenny, your father asked us not to.

Jenny:
You should have. This never would have happened if you had told me!

Laura:
Jenny, now you listen to me. Your father was very sick. Doc Baker told you that.

Jenny:
I could have taken care of him. I could have helped him live, but instead I killed him.

Laura:
Jenny, you didn't kill him.

Jenny:
Leave me alone. Get out and leave me alone!

Jenny:
[when she wakes up in bed] How did I get here?

Laura:
Jeb found your note. He saved your life.

Jenny:
Why didn't he let me die? It's what I wanted!

Laura:
What you wanted? Well, maybe it's about time you started thinking of someone else besides yourself.

Jenny:
I want to be with them. I love them.

Laura:
If you love them like you say you do, then you would never do anything like this, to hurt them like this! Jenny, your parents loved you more than anything else in the world. They wanted you to have everything. Everything! Your own family, children, their grandchildren! But because of your self-pity, you'll deny them everything?

Jenny:
That's not true!

Laura:
Yes, it is! You talk about God and love? God put you on this Earth for a reason just like all of us! You're strong and healthy, and you should get down on your knees and thank the Lord for what you've got! But instead, you just throw it all away, and you nearly cost an innocent boy to lose his life.

Jenny:
What?

Laura:
Yes! Jeb Carter nearly drowned trying to save you! His father told me he couldn't swim a stroke, yet he jumped into that water, and he somehow got you out! Now, I don't want to hear anymore about what you want. You start thinking about what your parents would want for you if you love them like you say you do.

Jenny:
[about Matthew] Well, Doctor? What's wrong with him?

Doc Baker:
I think Matthew's suffering from morphinism. It's a condition that affects normal behavior due to the extended use of morphine. I saw quite a bit of it after the war.

Laura:
Well, how would he have gotten that way?

Doc Baker:
My guess is that McQueen has been using his elixir to keep the boy sedated.

Mr. Edwards:
I'm sorry, Doc, I don't see the connection.

Doc Baker:
Isaiah, that elixir that McQueen is peddling probably has a morphine base. I'd have to test it to be sure. Anyway, all he had to do was give the boy large doses of the elixir and he was able to control his moods.

Mr. Edwards:
You mean, that's why the boy was acting crazy?

Doc Baker:
Exactly. When he wants the boy to go wild, all he has to do is withhold the solution, just long enough for the boy's need to bring on the violence.

Jenny:
How could anybody do that to a boy?

Doc Baker:
Oh, Jenny. That and worse may have been done to him. I examined Matthew's throat. At some point in his life, he swallowed some lye, and that's why he can't speak. I hope to God it wasn't done deliberately.

Laura:
[about Matthew] It's him! It's the Wild Boy!

Jenny:
But he's not wild!

Almanzo:
I said keep away from him! There's no telling what he's gonna do.

Jenny:
Please! Won't you just listen to me? He's not wild, I tell you! He's a mute! [walks over to Matthew] It'll be all right, Matthew. They won't hurt you. His name's Matthew. He can't talk, but he can hear. He scratched his name in the dirt over there. The reason he acts this way is because Dr. McQueen keeps him locked up in that cage. You'd act wild, too!

Laura:
I can't believe anybody would do something like this.

Almanzo:
What I can't understand is how he got here. Jenny, how long have you known about this?

Jenny:
Just today. Well, see, some of us sneaked into the tent to see him. We were just gonna take a quick peek and leave, honest. Nancy started teasing him and hitting him with a cane. Well, I stopped her. When I was putting the cane back, he reached down and touched my arm. He was scared, and he had this look on his face like.....well, now I know that all he wanted was for someone to help him.

Laura:
These are my sign language books. They can teach you to talk with your hands.

Mr. Edwards:
They can?

Laura:
It's the way deaf people talk.

Mr. Edwards:
Matthew can hear just fine.

Laura:
But he can't talk, can he?

Mr. Edwards:
That's right, he can't. Trying to understand that boy is about as easy as scratching your ear with your elbow!

Laura:
Well, I can change that. I can teach Matthew how to talk with his hands, and I can teach you and Jenny how to understand him.

Jenny:
Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Mr. Edwards:
You think you can? I'm kind of a bonehead.

Laura:
[laughs] I know I can.

[When Matthew is ordered by a judge to be sent to an asylum]

Mr. Edwards:
I find this whole thing amazing. A boy like Matthew is able to say more with his heart than most of us can ever say with our mouths. I guess today, this boy was judged to be unstable, not normal. See, um, I haven't had a whole lot of schooling, so I don't quite understand what that means. Maybe somebody can explain it to me. Laura? Doc? (both of them are silent) Maybe I'm not normal. You know what I wanted that boy to do yesterday? I wanted him to run away with me. He refused. You know why he refused? Because he didn't want his friend to get into any trouble with the law. Maybe you could tell me which one of us was acting normal. I mean, how many of us fit that description? John, I recall you helping Almanzo plow his field after working in your blacksmith shop all day long. A lot of people called you crazy for that. Nels, two years ago, when we had the drought, you extended credit to every man in this room. I mean, half of them haven't even paid you back yet! That ain't normal, Nels. Not normal at all. How about you, Reverend? What do you get for all the things you do for us besides an invite to Sunday supper, and the right to hear all our problems? And Doc, you took care of this boy. You gave him your best medical care. Your best! You know what you ought to do, Doc? You ought to wander around this room and gather up all the money that everybody owes you. But you won't do that, will you? You just accept a dozen eggs or a basket of turnips. And Laura, do you know that you taught a wild boy how to speak with his hands? Honey, that's crazy. Crazy! I'll tell you what we ought to do. [walks over to Jenny] We ought to take this little girl right here and send her right along with Matthew, because she met this boy, this "unstable," this "not normal," this "wild boy," and she made a friend! A friend, Judge! You ought to just get a rope and just hitch it around this whole building, and pull us all along with Matthew, because we don't act any more normal than that boy over there! There's something wrong here, something terribly wrong! I love that boy. I'm sorry for taking up your time, Reverend. I'm through. [walks out]

Nellie:
And this must be Nancy! Oh, Mother, you're absolutely right! Why, she's just a picture of me at that age.

Nancy:
I've seen pictures of you when you were my age. We don't look at all alike. I'm way prettier.

Nancy:
You love her but you hate me!

Harriet:
Oh! Oh Nancy!

Nellie:
[to Laura] Look at you, you're all grown up!

Laura:
Well, so are you.

Nellie:
I've missed you.

Laura:
Oh, I've missed you, too.

Nellie:
I can't believe we're saying this to each other! Remember how we used to fight?

Laura:
I sure do!

Nellie:
I wonder if you can still beat me up.

Laura:
I don't know. Wanna fight?

Nels:
[about Nancy] Harriet, you are finally going to have to do something about that child. I don't know what, but during the last two weeks, she's gotten almost as bad as when she first came here.

Harriet:
[hears Nancy slamming and breaking things upstairs] Oh, dear. Nels, what's she done now?

Nels:
Well, among other things, she poured ink all over Willie's head.

Harriet:
Oh, the poor child. You know, Nels, she probably....she probably isn't getting enough attention.

Nels:
Not enough attention? That's all she gets is attention! Something has got to be done!

Nellie:
I can't get over that essay. Nancy truly views herself as a helpless victim, surrounded by people who hate her.

Nels:
Every day, we prove to her the exact opposite. How could she possibly think that?

Nellie:
I don't know, but Mother's always saying how much Nancy looks like me.

Nels:
It's true.

Nellie:
Well, maybe she thinks that's the only reason you adopted her.

Nels:
Well, I admit it started out that way, but it's not true anymore.

Nellie:
Then I think you need to prove it to her.

Nels:
How?

Nellie:
I'm not sure, but she did get ignored a lot since I've arrived.

Nels:
She did?

Nellie:
Think about it. I guess it was a time when we should have made an extra effort to pay more attention to her.

Laura:
[to Almanzo] I don't think it's such a good idea for Jenny to be spending so much time at Marvin's.

Almanzo:
Why not?

Laura:
Well, you saw her. She's exhausted. She could barely keep her eyes open at the dinner table. She hardly even ate anything! I just don't think it's a good idea.

Almanzo:
Beth, how many times has that child come home so exhausted from playing that she can barely keep her eyes open?

Laura:
It was different then.

Almanzo:
How?

Laura:
She was all right then. How do we know this isn't making her worse? All that walking.....

Almanzo:
Beth, it's good for her. She's having fun. Don't treat her like an invalid. You said you were gonna give this a chance.

Marvin:
[to Jenny] So, you went back to school and they acted different to you. Is that it?

Jenny:
Yes.

Marvin:
And you weren't different? You weren't any different from the way you were before? Of course you were.

Jenny:
But they made me feel uncomfortable.

Marvin:
That's because they were uncomfortable. They didn't know what to say to you. Land sakes, you've gotta give people a chance.

Jenny:
Then Nancy said things--

Marvin:
Nancy said mean things to you. Didn't she always? Didn't she?

Jenny:
Well, yes, but--

Marvin:
But nothing. She shouldn't be mean to you now because of what happened to you? That's nonsense. You're upset at the other children because they acted differently. You were upset at Nancy because she acted the way she always does.

Marvin:
[to Jenny] What are you gonna do now? Go home and feel sorry for yourself? That'll do you a lot of good.

Jenny:
You don't understand. You pretended to be my friend, but you don't care. You don't care at all!

Marvin:
That's it! That's it! Get angry! It's good for you! I do it lots of times, because I'm a doctor and I'm going blind. And that makes me damn angry because I'm still a good doctor and I can't help people anymore! [voice softens] I do understand, and I do care. If I didn't care, I wouldn't have told you to go back to school. I didn't want you to, you know. I wanted you to spend your days here with me. I couldn't wait for you to come every morning. It made me feel that I was still able to help someone, that I was useful. And I wasn't quite so frightened with the coming doctors, because you were around. Jenny, you're my last patient, and you're getting better. You're getting better all the time and you can still keep getting better as long as you fight. You got angry today. Use it! Fight this thing. Show Nancy. Show them all!

Jenny:
You don't have to drive me to school tomorrow. I'm gonna walk.

Laura:
That's an awfully long way. Are you sure?

Jenny:
I'll make it. Believe me, I'll make it.

Laura:
[voiceover] And make it she did. Within a few months, Jenny was running to school, and by the end of the year, it was as though the accident had never happened. Jenny was Marvin's last patient and he was proud.

Charles:
[about Albert] I just keep wondering where I went wrong. A man couldn't have asked for a better son than him.

Mr. Edwards:
It's hard to say. He just got caught in a bad crowd.

Charles:
But it all happened so fast. Granted, I worked late every night, and I didn't spend the time with him that I should have.

Mr. Edwards:
Oh, now, don't be blaming yourself for working hard. The boy should have understood that. You've got no reason to feel guilt. You know what I think? I think we go about raising kids all wrong. The minute they get old enough to work, then the father ought to just quit and go off and lay in a hammock somewhere! Right? Let the kids take over. The man's done his share.

Mr. Gibson:
[to Charles] If I were to drop the charges against your boy, what would you do? You can't just let it go on like this.

Charles:
To be honest, I don't know.

Mr. Gibson:
You've got to get the boy out of the environment that he's in now.

Charles:
But how?

Mr. Gibson:
I think that if I were you, I'd take him back home to your little town.

Charles:
Oh, I wish I could, but I can't. I can't pull up stakes now. My wife has a job here. The children have their schooling, their new friends.

Mr. Gibson:
Do you have any family there?

Charles:
Yeah. I have my daughter and her husband.

Mr. Gibson:
Maybe he could live with them.

Charles:
Without us?

Mr. Gibson:
Mr. Ingalls, if things remain as they are, he's going to be living away from home, anyway, in a workhouse.

Charles:
[as his eyes fill up with tears] I know you're right, but away from the family. Maybe I can talk to my wife. Does that mean that you'll drop the charges?

Mr. Gibson:
[smiles] Yes. We could go on down to the station house right now if you want. You won't get a good night's sleep after having a cup of my coffee, anyway.

Charles:
[to Charles] Your mother and I had a talk.

Albert:
Oh?

Charles:
And we decided that it would be best for you if you were out of the city, so I'm going to take you back to Walnut Grove.

Albert:
I don't want to go back. I have friends here. I like it here.

Charles:
Albert, what you want and what's going to be are two entirely different things.

Albert:
I'm not going.

Charles:
You'll do what I say.

Albert:
And if I don't?

Charles:
If you don't, then I'll ask Mr. Gibson to change his mind and press charges against you.

Albert:
You would do that?

Charles:
I've have to do that. I'm not going to sit back and watch you destroy your life, and your mother's, and mine. I'm not going to do that. You're not the only one in this family. You're hurting all of us and I'm not going to let it happen anymore.

Laura:
[about naming the baby] It was so much easier when we were sure it was gonna be a girl.

Almanzo:
Yeah, and the only problem is, I can't think of a boy's name similar to Elizabeth.

Laura:
All right, Baby Wilder. Time to greet the morning! [reaches into the baby's crib and stops cold) Baby? [long pause, backs away] Manly? MANLY!

Almanzo:
Beth, what is it?

Laura:
There's something wrong. There's something wrong with the baby! Oh, God!

Jenny:
[walks in as Laura backs away in shock) Aunt Laura, what's wrong? Aunt Laura?

Almanzo:
[tries to wake the baby up, long silence] Dear God. He's dead. Our baby's dead.

Laura:
Doc Baker, I will not have you present at the burial of our child.

Almanzo:
Beth, please.

Laura:
No! Not when our son is dead because of him.

Doc Baker:
Laura!

Laura:
Just go away. You're not wanted here.

Nels:
[to Harriet] You deliberately snubbed Doc Baker.

Harriet:
Oh, did I?

Nels:
Yes! He's a fine man, and he's a--

Harriet:
He's a quack! That's what he is!

Nels:
He's a friend of mine! And as long as he is, you will be civil to him.

Harriet:
Oh, is that so?

Nels:
Yes, that's so. And please keep your totally irresponsible opinions of him to yourself.

Harriet:
Irresponsible?!?!?

Nels:
Yes!

Harriet:
That man should thank his stars that he is walking around free, and not behind bars where he belongs. Why, he as much as murdered Laura's child!

Nels:
That's not true!

Harriet:
It is true! And Laura herself believes it!

Nels:
Laura is a disturbed person! A person in her condition has got to have somebody to blame. Time will bring her around, but you have no reason to--

Harriet:
You listen to me, Nels Oleson and you listen with both of your ears! The town has turned against Doc Baker.

Nels:
With no small thanks to you, I'm sure.

Harriet:
Because he's incompetent, that's why! Can't you get it through your head? I will never, and our children will never go into his office ever again because if we do, that's irresponsible! [storms out]

Doc Baker:
Laura, we have a chance to cure Rose, but I want you to know the seriousness of this illness. There is no known medicine. We can only do what I know to do. Can you accept that?

Laura:
I'll have to. But I want you to know that no matter what happens, nothing will change the way I feel about what happened to my baby boy. Nothing.

Doc Baker:
[pauses] So be it. My only concern now is to cure Rose.

Willie:
Mother, I have something to say to you, and I'm only going to say it once, so I want you to pay attention.

Harriet:
Willie, there's nothing that you have to say--

Willie:
Mother, I'm talking! You're listening! You've been complaining to me and to Father, and to anyone else in Walnut Grove that'll listen to you, that Rachel is ruining my life. Now I've kept quiet about it because I thought you would realize how wrong you are, but I'm not going to keep quiet about it any longer. If anyone is ruining my chances for a happy life around here, you are!

Harriet:
Me?!

Willie:
Yes, you! Rachel is my best chance for a happy life, and I don't ever want to hear you say another unkind word about her. Now, we are going to open up the restaurant. And you can stay here until you accept the fact that Rachel and I are getting married. Because that's exactly what we are gonna do!

Harriet:
Oh, fine! Fine, go ahead! Marry her, marry her! What do I care? I won't be there, I promise you that!

Willie:
Fine! That's your decision. Oh, and by the way, Mr. Edwards is going to be my best man! [he and Rachel leave]

Harriet:
Oh, there, you see? Do you see what that-that wench has done to him?

Nels:
[smiles] Astonishing.

Nels:
[about Rachel and Willie's wedding] Brings back memories, doesn't it, Harriet? Remember how upset my mother was? She didn't want me to quit college and get married. I believe she said that it would ruin my life. But she was wrong. Marrying you was the smartest thing I ever did.

Harriet:
Do you really mean that?

Nels:
If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

Willie:
[about not going to college and marrying Rachel] You don't think I'm doing the right thing, do you?

Nels:
Son, if it feels right to you, then it's right. You've got to live your own life, not your mother's or mine.

Willie:
You mean that?

Nels:
Of course I mean it. And congratulations. You've picked yourself a fine young lady.

Willie:
I know.

Nancy:
You're Mr. Montague, the famous writer!

Mr. Montague:
That is correct.

Nancy:
Then you know how I must feel. Pouring your entire soul into your writing and then having somebody tell you it's no good.

Mr. Montague:
I have never had that experience.

Mr. Rogers:
[about Matthew] I don't understand. What is he--

Mr. Edwards:
It's called sign language. He can't talk no other way.

Mr. Rogers:
But there was nothing wrong when he was a child. He was already beginning to talk.

Mr. Edwards:
Seems somebody at the workhouse wanted to teach Matthew a lesson, so they forced lye down his throat.

Laura:
[voiceover] If I had a remembrance book, I would mark down how it was when we left our little house in the Big Woods to go west to Indian territory. We had to go, Pa said, because so many people had come to live in the Big Woods. There wasn't enough game anymore for him to hunt, and he feared we might go hungry. Ma said we might never again see Grandma and Grandpa, or Aunt Dosey and Aunt Ruby, and Uncle George. Though it made me sad, I still thought it a fine thing to go where there had never been a road before. We'd go where the land was more bountiful, he said. We sold the house, the land and cows, and packed whatever would fit into the wagon. I was glad Pa took his fiddle, for it makes a joyous sound. Mary was afraid to go, but I knew nothing bad could happen as long as we had Pa and Jack. Jack is my best and truest friend, and Pa said there's never been a better watchdog. I knew there would be rivers to cross and hills to climb, and I was glad for this is a fair land, and I rejoiced that I would see it.

Charles:
[when Mary and Laura start arguing with each other] The Bible says "Thou shall not argue before breakfast."

Caroline:
That's not in the Bible, Charles.

Charles:
Yeah, well, it ought to be.

Caroline:
I'm worried about the girls' schooling. I can manage for now, but Mary's got her heart set on being a schoolteacher. She'll need formal training and--

Charles:
We'll worry about that when the time comes! I'm sorry.

Caroline:
There's one other thing. I don't see how the girls can grow up properly without ever going to church.

Charles:
I don't see how they can get any closer to God than they are right here. Now, stop worrying. Everything's going to be fine.

Charles:
[to Caroline] I shouldn't have brought you here.

Caroline:
It's not your fault.

Charles:
Oh, yes it is. We're here because it's where I want to be. I took you away from your home, your family.

Caroline:
Now that's nonsense! My home is where you are. And you and the children are my family.

Charles:
Caroline Ingalls, I love you.

Albert:
[about Walnut Grove] Laura, are you happy here? I mean, now that you're married and you have Rose?

Laura:
Yeah, I'm very happy. If I had it my way, I'd stay here for the rest of my life.

Albert:
Me too. I'm going to school to become a doctor, but I want to come back here. This is where life seems to be the best, not in the city where nobody has time for one another.

Laura:
Will the future "Dr. Ingalls" be giving my family a discount?

Albert:
Oh, of course. You can pay me with one chicken instead of two.

Charles:
How long will the treatments take before you can get him back on his feet?

Doctor:
Mr. Ingalls, I'm sorry, but well, there is no treatment. Albert's not going to get any better. Only worse.

Mr. Edwards:
Wait a minute, Doc. Are you trying to tell us that Albert can't be helped?

Doctor:
Yes, that's right.

Charles:
I--I don't understand. I mean, he's been fine up until yesterday. He's been a little tired, but--

Doctor:
Mr. Ingalls, Albert has had this problem for a very long time and now we're just beginning to see the symptoms because it's getting progressively worse.

Charles:
[to Albert] I talked to Laura. She and Almanzo are making plans to come and see you before I take you home.

Albert:
Pa, I've been thinking. I want to go home, but I don't want to go home to Burr Oak. I want to go home to Walnut Grove.

Charles:
Walnut Grove? But you ought to be with your family.

Albert:
Pa, just hear me out. I've been trying to think about what I'd like to do with the time I've got left. You know, seeing some of the places I've been talking about going to see, but my mind keeps going back to Walnut Grove.

Charles:
But your Ma--

Albert:
I've been thinking about that, too. I've been thinking about Ma, and my brother, and my sisters. Pa, I don't want them to watch me die. That's all they'd be doing, watching it happen. They won't be able to do anything about it. It's better for them.

Charles:
No. They want to be with you.

Albert:
But I don't want them to be. I don't have much time left. I want to spend it doing as many things as I can. Things I used to do when I was a kid. I know it sounds selfish, but it's my last chance.

Charles:
Albert, I understand how you feel, but--

Albert:
No, you don't understand. Nobody understands how I feel but me. I know you're trying to, but you don't know. It's my time, Pa. Don't you think I have a say in what I want to do with the rest of my life?

Nancy:
Could I ask Albert a question?

Miss Plum:
Well, certainly.

Nancy:
What's it like knowing you're gonna die?

Children:
Nancy!

Miss Plum:
Nancy, I don't think that's any of your business.

Albert:
Oh, it's all right, Miss Plum. I don't mind talking about it. I, um......well, first, I was scared and angry. But once I started to think about my life, I found that I made myself some wonderful memories--you know, all the good times, all the good friends. And you know, the best thing about it all is that they all took place right here, and that's why I came back, because there's no better place on God's Earth. Just don't waste the time you have left. All of you. Just go out and have a good time, and make yourself lots of good friends. You see, that way, when it's your time to look back and find your memories, you'll see that you won't be scared or angry, either.

Reverend Alden:
[to the Walnut Grove community] I'd like to take a moment to talk to you. Times like these test our faith. Why does God allow a man like Lassiter to exist? Why doesn't the Lord intercede on our behalf? Now, we're good Christians. Why are we the ones to suffer at the hands of a man like this? They're not easy questions to answer. but the fact is.....evil does exist in this world, and it always will. But I believe with God on our side, we will survive--and we'll prosper, for faith and love are the strongest weapons in the world. We must hold those weapons high at times like these, just as we have in the past. We've felt the power of love in this town many times. When adversity struck, we pulled together. We have felt the caring of friends. We have felt something that a man like Lassiter will never feel. And we thank God for that.

Mr. Edwards:
But I'm feeling something a little different, Reverend. And I'll tell you what I'm feeling. Anger!

Reverend Alden:
Do you think I don't? Do you think that just because I am a minister, I don't feel those things? Of course, I do. But he owns the land! What good is it to worry about something that is past when we have the future to look to?

Mr. Edwards:
No, Lassiter's got the future. He moves in here and runs the businesses that we've sweated over for years!

Laura:
Well, why let him?! There's something we can do. I got mad today, really mad, and you know what I did? I busted some windows. Yeah, it may sound silly, well, maybe it is. But they were our windows and he's not gonna get them. He owns the land, well, let him have it. But he's gonna have an awful lot of fixin' up to do before he starts running our boarding house.

John Carter:
Listen here. You want to do more than bust a couple of windows? I got a wagon at my place loaded to the gills with dynamite for the mine.

Mr. Edwards:
All right, by God! If Lassiter wants to kill our town, the least we can do is bury it! Now, what do you say?!

All:
YEAH!!

Attorney:
Well, gentlemen, I wish I had better news for you, but I'm afraid Mr. Lassiter and Company has done quite a job at setting this up.

Mr. Oleson:
You mean he has a legal right to this town? He can just come in and take it over?

Attorney:
Legally, he has every right. Morally, he doesn't. However the court will only concern itself, I'm afraid, with the legal aspects of the case.

Charles:
I can't believe it. I can't believe that the law could be that unfair.

Attorney:
Neither could the Indians, who were originally given this land.

Laura:
Why are you cleaning that rifle?

Almanzo:
Beth, we've been all through this.

Laura:
You've been through it! I asked you not to buy it and you went right ahead and did it anyway!

Almanzo:
[to Laura] Beth, I'm not going to let someone come in here and just take away my property.

Laura:
(scoffs) He's not going to take it away. He said you could work on it same as always.

Almanzo:
It's mine, it's not his. I'm not going to be a slave on my own property.

Laura:
And you'd use that gun to stop him? Answer me!

Almanzo:
YES! Yes, I would if I had to!

Charles:
They're making plans for Friday. A show of force when Lassiter comes into town.

Laura:
With guns?

Charles:
Yeah, I'm afraid so. The reverend tried to talk them out of it, but it's no use.

Doc Baker:
[to Charles] You can't bluff a man like Lassiter, you know that.

Charles:
You gotta try, Doc.

Doc Baker:
I'm with you.

Laura:
I don't understand any of you. No piece of land is worth losing your life over.

Charles:
You're right. You don't understand.

Samuel:
[to Laura and Almanzo at an orphanage] Are you here to adopt a boy?

Laura:
No, we're looking for a little girl.

Samuel:
I knew it. Everybody wants to adopt a girl.

Laura:
We're not looking to adopt one. We're looking for our daughter. She's missing and we thought maybe she came here.

Samuel:
Nobody would come here unless they had to.

Almanzo:
[about Rose] She's here somewhere. We're going to find her.

Laura:
It's so black out. There's not a single star in the sky. You know, I just realized it's Christmas Eve. We should be sitting around the table having turkey, and hanging our stockings. Oh, God, we're never going to find her.

Almanzo:
We are.

Laura:
No, we're not! Why did you leave her? I asked you to stay with her!

Almanzo:
You know what happened.

Laura:
Oh yeah, I know. I know what happened. Isaiah had one of his stupid fights and you had to leave our baby to go and help him!

Nancy:
You really do hate me, don't you?

Nels:
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Patrick:
[to Almanzo and Laura about Rose] This is your last chance. Put her down!

Elsa:
No, Patrick. No. Leave them alone. She's their daughter. She belongs to them. I took her. I thought they'd never find us. [starts to cry] I wanted a child so much! When I lost my baby, something happened to me. Then I saw Rose, and....the next thing I knew, we were on the train. I'm sorry, Patrick. [they hug each other]

Patrick:
[to Almanzo and Laura] My wife has been through a terrible time. I know you have every right to press charges against her, but....

Laura:
There will be no charges.

Patrick:
Thank you.

Elsa:
I'm so sorry. I took real good care of her. She's beautiful.

Mr. Edwards:
[to Almanzo and Laura about Samuel] He ain't gonna answer. He took off.

Almanzo:
Now why would he go and do a thing like that?

Mr. Edwards:
Because he didn't want to go back to the orphanage. I should've known. I should've seen it. He kept asking me what happens when we find Rose? When do we go back? That's why he didn't tell us right off he'd seen her.

Laura:
We've gotta find him.

Mr. Edwards:
Let's go.

Harriet:
Nels?

Nels:
Yes, dear?

Harriet:
Can I ask you something?

Nels:
Yes, dear.

Harriet:
Am I fat?

Nels:
Yes, dear.

Laura Ingalls:
Home is the nicest word there is.

Laura Ingalls:
Hard working folks only smell bad to people who have nothing better than stick their noses in the air! Well, whenever you stick your nose in the air with me, Nellie Oleson, it's going to get punched! (Laura to Nellie in, 2.01 The Richest Man in Walnut Grove)

Isaiah Edwards:
Lemon verbena! Anyone who wears lemon verbena is a friend of mine! (Isaiah to Jenny in, 9.01 Times Are Changing)

Andrew Garvey:
My pa doesn't know anything about football (Andy to his friends in episode 5.03, "The Winoka Warriors". This comment was an inside joke on Merlin Olsen (as Andy Garvey's father Jonathan) who knew everything about football as he played for 15 seasons in the National Football League (all with the Los Angeles Rams) and appeared in the Pro Bowl for 14 of his 15 seasons)

Miss Beadle:
[to Pa] This is your fault! You're killed a dog!

Miss Beadle:
Laura stand they other corner. [Uncle John: No, Ms. Beadle, I don't wanna hear it! You're grounded!] What?! No, no, I will never seen it again!

Miss Beadle:
Bad dog! Percival, you are a VERY bad dog!

Miss Beadle:
Robber, he bit me!

Miss Beadle:
Stupid dog!

Miss Beadle:
Dakota Norris, don't you walk away of this!

Others:
Remember me with smiles and laughter, for that is how I will remember you all. If you can only remember me with tears, then don't remember me at all (Julia Sanderson, 2.08 Remember Me, Part 1)

Jack C. Thomas:
Eva, you're lying! [Eva: Willie and Laura, go to your room! Please!] I'll kill stand the corner! [Eva Beadle: I never sent I was.]