Laura quotes from Little House on the Prairie

Jenny

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

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

Jenny

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

[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.

[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.

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?

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.

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

Almanzo

Beth, please.

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

Laura!

Just go away. You're not wanted here.

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?

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.

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

Bye, Ma. Bye, Pa. Bye, Carrie. [hugs them all and leaves for school]

Charles

[to Caroline] That's an awful lot of good-byes for someone who's going to be home for supper.

Mary

Here, Carrie. Let's make letters.

Pictures.

Mary

No, Carrie, we're going to make letters.

Pictures.

Mary

Letters.

Pictures!

Mary

Letters!

Pictures!

Let her draw! Why do you always have to spoil everything, anyway?

Mary

I don't know what you're talking about.

You do too. We always used to have fun walking home, and now all you do is show off playing "teacher."

Mary

That's silly.

It's not silly! And you're two-faced, Mary Ingalls! Saying one thing about Johnny Johnson behind his back and acting another to his face!

Mary

It wasn't my idea to play "teacher." It was his! You're just all--

SHUT UP! You just SHUT UP!

Charles

How was school today?

It was fine, Pa.

Mary

Not for me. My day was awful and it's all because of that numbskull Johnny Johnson!

Caroline

What on Earth? Why, he seemed like such a nice lad.

Mary

He went off and put my initials on the sweetheart tree for everyone to gape at. I don't even like him! Willie's right, he looks like a scarecrow, and he's scatterbrained as well!

[standing up] How could you be so mean? Johnny Johnson's the best-looking boy in the whole school. You're the numbskull! [runs out]

I don't want to grow up to be a woman. It hurts.

Caroline

Well, we never do completely because in every woman there's a little girl, and in every little girl, there's a woman.

[to Mary] Do you want a brother or a sister?

Mary

I don't care.

Pa wants a boy, you know.

Mary

How do you know that?

Because every time he talked about the baby at supper, he said "him" or "he." That's how I know.

Mary

Well, only God knows if it's a boy or a girl, so you might as well get some sleep.

I hope God wants a girl.

Jonathan

Everyone has a mean thought once in a while.

Not my Ma and Pa.

Jonathan

Well, maybe just a little one. But the point is, you do good things to make up for it like taking care of that bird. Why, most folks would just walk right past it and not do a thing.

I couldn't do that.

Jonathan

Of course not, but some folks do. Always in such a hurry. Always too busy to think about another one of God's creatures. All that time they spend thinking about themselves.

I bet that makes God angry.

Jonathan

Angry? Yes, but mostly sad.

I never thought of God being sad like regular people.

Jonathan

[to Laura] Patience, child.

I can't help it. Pa says children aren't supposed to have any.

Jonathan

Your Pa sounds like a bright man.

Oh, he is. So's my Ma. She used to be a schoolteacher and she knows a bunch of stuff.

Jonathan

You're quite fond of your folks.

Sure. Everybody loves their Ma and Pa.

Jonathan

Then how come you ran off?

I can't tell you.

Jonathan

Fair enough.

I wish I could tell you, Mr. Jonathan, but it's just between me and God.

I don't want Pa to find me until God answers.

Jonathan

He has answered.

No, he hasn't!

Jonathan

He has answered and He's made His decision. That's why He sent your Pa. He wants you to be with your Pa and your brother to be with Him.

That isn't what I wanted. Pa wants a son!

Jonathan

No, child. That's what you thought he wanted. Only God knows best about these things. That's why He sent your Pa here because He knows that your Pa loves you and needs you. How else could your Pa have found you?

How can you be sure?

Jonathan

He told me, child.