In exchange for his help, Pa brings home beef and a new calf that couldn’t make the journey. Two men stop by to speak with Pa about herding cattle along the creek. Ma fears the Indians however, Pa tells her that they will not be a threat if they don’t feel threatened.īy the sound of cattle rumbling nearby, Pa knows that cowboys are heading north with their herds. Out of fear and respect, Ma feeds them and gives them cornmeal and Pa’s tobacco, at their request. One afternoon while Pa is out hunting, two Indians come into their home. Everyone continues to work together to care for their family’s daily needs. They are being forced west to settle in new areas as the white man continues to settle their land.Īs winter nears, Pa builds a rock chimney so that Ma can cook indoors over a fireplace and their family has heat. The government has been pushing the Indians out of their land for years.

The Indians share these prairies however, they resent the white man and do not interact with them. Although neighbors may live a few miles apart, they share provisions and take care of one another. Other settlers are to moving to the area. He eventually builds the roof, a bed for Ma, chairs and a table. Edwards dances.īefore working on the floor or roof, Pa hurries to make a stable for their horses because so many wolves are in the area. After dinner, Pa takes out his fiddle and sings while Mr. The evening their home is complete, minus a floor and roof, Ma makes a special dinner. One afternoon while hunting, Pa meets a neighbor who lives 2 miles away. Laura and Mary fetch water, do laundry, prepare food and help care for their baby sister, Carrie. The Ingalls decide to unpack their wagon and begin to settle this land as their own. They are near the Verdigris River, and there are no worn trails in sight. On the final day of travel, they come across a beautiful open space of land on the plains.

Mary, Laura’s older sister, and Laura pick flowers, hunt rabbits, chase gophers and keep an eye out for Indians. Their days are filled with chores and finding or making food, but there is still time for the children to explore. It turns out to be Jack he found his way back to them. Laura spots eyes in the darkness staring at them. At night they hear the howl of wolves, which scares the children. As they travel, the landscape slowly changes, but Pa discovers plenty of good hunting. While crossing a creek with unusually high water, the family loses their loyal dog, Jack, who is taken downriver. They will travel across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas to reach the open prairies. They hope to cross the Mississippi River before its frozen ice melts. One winter during the late 1800s, Laura Ingalls and her family leave the woods of Wisconsin for the West because where they live has become crowded with new settlers.

Little house on the prairie books