[as she recites her poem for school] Once, I was lost, and scared, and cold. You have no family, I was told, except a brother to keep me warm in any winter and any storm. He was as lost and scared as I, but brave enough not to cry. We'll make it through, is what he said, even though Ma and Pa are dead. But in my heart, I could not see how life without them could ever be. They lay in cold silence beneath the sod. To save us would be a miracle from God. The miracle came like a glorious dawn, just when it seemed all hope was gone. We give thanks to God in his heaven above for our new family's unbounded love.
All S1
S1 E15Unfinished Business
[while in bed with Almanzo] I know we've had a hard time choosing a name, but I have the perfect one if it's a girl. Cassandra brought me a rose today, and I just thought, "That's it. Rose Wilder." It's perfect. What do you think? Almanzo? [turns around to see that Almanzo is sound asleep; smiles] Rose Wilder it is.
How's Laura?
[turning to Almanzo] She's fine, and so is your new baby daughter! Meet Rose Wilder! Isn't she beautiful?
Good thing it's a girl. A man can't very well play ball with his son when he's a cripple!
[to Almanzo] You don't need a wheelchair! You could only walk if you tried!
We've been all through this. You don't know what it's like.
And you don't know what it's like for me to watch my husband just give up! I think you want to be a cripple.
What kind of thing is that to say?
The truth, that's what!
Beth, you know that I have tried.
Oh, yes. Just long enough to give up. Doc Baker gave you exercises, and you won't even do them!
They don't work! Can't you understand that?
No, I don't! I don't understand anything about you anymore!
FMrs. Foster
Oh, Laura. When are you moving to Minneapolis?
When it snows on the Fourth Of July!
I don't want anyone taking care of me. Not you, not Laura. Nobody.
You have no choice.
Yes, I do. I can die.
Almanzo, you don't mean that!
I pray for it every night. If there's a God in Heaven, He'll let me die. Please go away, Eliza Jane. Go away.
[to Almanzo] What are you doing?
I'm building a house for me and my family to live in.
Why? We're moving to Minneapolis. You can't build a house here!
Eliza Jane--
Look, this came today! It's a job, Almanzo. A proper job! One you can handle from your wheelchair. Now you don't have to worry about this silly farm anymore.
Maybe Almanzo doesn't think this is a silly farm.
He'll be a lot better off once we get him to Minneapolis.
He doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in that chair!
It's not my doing that he's in the wheelchair.
Isn't it? It seems to me that as long as you were doing everything for him, he had no reason to get out of it.
[to Eliza Jane] I'm standing on my own two feet and I don't want you to take that away from me.
Almanzo!
You've always been my big sister. I've listened to you, looked up to you. I always thought you knew what was best for me.
I do want what's best for you!
I know you do. But you need to let me decide what that is from now on.
This job! It's what we've been waiting for!
It's what you've been waiting for. I want to be a farmer. That's all I've ever wanted out of the whole world. After we finish raising the house and working the fields for next year's crops two weeks ago, I didn't know what I was going to do. Now I do.
[backs away and starts crying] After everything I've done for you, I can't believe you're going to throw it all away! [runs off]
[to Charles] I didn't want to hurt her like that.
She'll be all right.
[to Laura about the new house] I know it's small. We're all gonna be living in one room for a while.
I'm used to that.
And you'll have to fetch the water from the well, because there's no pump in the kitchen like before.
I'm used to that, too.
We're gonna be downright poor for a time, but the Farmer's Almanac predicts a good year. Cool summer, mild winter.
If the Almanac says it's so, it's so.
We're right back where we started, you might say, but the land is ours and nobody can take it away from us.
They better not try!
Welcome home, Beth. [they hug each other]
Charles, uh...I was just gonna have a drink, Charles. With what everything that's happened, you could probably use one as much as me.
My son could lose his leg because of your drinking.
It was an accident, Charles. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Isaiah, what's happened to you?
What's happened? I lost my son, my wife. Grace sent me on my way. Says she don't want me near her or the children.
Why?
Because I drink. I drink! I can't find whiskey, I drink cough remedies. I drink.
Then why in God's name don't you stop?
Because I can't. Don't you understand that? I can't!
All I understand is that your drinking cost you your family and almost cost me my son's life. [walks away] Go away, Isaiah. I don't want you near me or my family again.
[to Charles] What you're asking for is a miracle.
I've spent my whole life believing in God's word. Why shouldn't I ask for a miracle?
Why does Pa keep talking like James is getting better? Why?
Because he wants it to be true.
But it's not and I can't stand to watch him anymore. Please, Ma, let me go away. Let me stay with Laura. I love James, but... I can't.
Ah, good morning, Laura and Jenny.
Good morning, Mrs. Oleson.
How did that woman know my name?
That's Mrs. Oleson. She knows everything that goes on in Walnut Grove and what she doesn't know, she makes up!
[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.
I'm sorry.
Don't be.
It's just that I made so many friends here. The best friends I ever had in my life. It's hard leaving them.
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.
Watch over my family, will you?
You know I will. I'm proud you asked me.
These quotes come from Wikiquote's Little House on the Prairie pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.