Little House on the Prairie (1974) s01e05 Episode Script

1
Pa says the most important thing
about digging a well is
to mind the bad air.
You can't see it, can't smell it,
but it can kill you if you're not careful.
Every morning, before they begin,
they send the candle down.
If the flame goes out, no one goes in.
Those are the rules.
Let's get to work.
Rope.
Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Ingalls!
Don't mind me.
Thought I'd get an early start.
You can't blame a young man
for his enthusiasm.
You rest. I'll put on the coffee.
I got the coffee.
I told Caroline to sleep in,
so I can't guarantee it'll taste any good.
It will get the job done.
Adam?
Adam?
Caroline! Caroline!
What happened?
Caroline! Hold on!
Adam! Adam! Adam! Adam!
-Is he dead?
-Adam. Hey, Adam.
Did you put the candle down first?
What did I say, George?
-What did I say about the rules?
-Hey.
I'm sorry, Mr. Ingalls.
Are you nervous?
About the Women's Society?
No.
Maybe a little.
What about you?
No. I am dying to meet the James girls.
Maybe they like Dickens or Hawthorne.
Maybe they have books
I can borrow to read to the new baby.
I wanna know what samplers they've done
and what poems they know.
Do you think I look like someone that
they'd wanna be friends with?
Absolutely.
Laura, you're next.
I miss Pet and Patty.
Me too.
I thought they'd be back by now.
Lots of people's horses
went missing during the fever.
Had nothing to do with you. Promise.
Can I help you build the church today?
I could carry your tools
or get water or hold nails.
-I promise I won't get in the way.
-You have plans with the James girls.
Town girls never like me.
They always like Mary.
All you have to do is be yourself,
and it will be impossible not to like you.
Hair, please.
Let's get this wilderness
looking respectable.
How's Mad Dog look?
Respectable?
I want you to be
on your best behavior today.
Mrs. James is very important.
We want her to know we're ready to step up
and be a part of the community here.
-All of us.
-Yes, Ma.
Make pleasant conversation,
compliment your hosts, and no arguing.
-Do you understand?
-Yes, Ma.
Guests are polite, agreeable,
and gracious, okay?
Please and thank yous.
Small bites, no second helpings.
-Make a good impression.
-Yes, Ma.
If we wanted to make a good impression,
we should've left you at home.
You're just scared they'll like me better.
I bet you they will.
Fine, it's a bet.
Ingalls! Impeccable timing.
-I've got your plans right here.
-You remember my wife, Caroline.
-Our daughters, Mary and Laura.
-Of course. What a pleasure.
-You have a very lovely home, Mr. James.
-Yes, it's very lovely, Mr. James.
That's very kind of you to say so.
Go on in. Make yourselves at home.
Jemma and the twins are expecting you.
Charles and I are off to build a church.
-Wish us luck.
-Good luck.
-Save me a cookie.
-Yes, Pa.
Beautiful family.
Caroline! Girls!
Thank you for the invitation.
-I… I brought some blackberry jam.
-How clever you are.
Could you please
put these out with the scones?
Girls, come, please!
-These are for you, Mrs. James.
-Sweet girl.
Mary, Laura, I'd like you
to meet my twins, Romanzy and Edith.
Do you wanna see our room?
That would be lovely.
Yes, lovely.
I can't wait for you to meet the others.
I've been telling them
absolutely everything about you.
-All good, I hope.
-Of course.
We're two peas in a pod, aren't we?
I think we'll make a wonderful team.
I'm sure we will.
I guess you'll be looking
for a new pair.
I'm not quite ready to give up on 'em yet.
Pet and Patty are like family.
Hm.
Well, a man's horse
is an extension of himself.
They might as well have stolen
an arm or a leg.
I should've known Independence
would attract horse thieves.
Unfortunately, where there are men,
there is crime.
I thought maybe they'd moved on,
but just yesterday,
Russell Kind had one of his
stolen out from under him.
Just another reminder
that as our town expands,
so do our needs for law and order,
which is why I've sent for
a federal marshal.
We need rules, Charles.
Rules are what make a society run.
-Morning, gentlemen.
-Good morning.
-How are you feeling?
-Fine.
And I promise,
I'll never make the mistake again.
Glad to hear it.
He's been telling the tale
of how the great hero,
Charles Ingalls,
saved his life to anyone with ears.
Gentlemen, may I have
your attention, please?
Before we begin,
I'd like to thank Charles Ingalls
for drafting such a vision
for this church.
-Hear, hear.
-Hear, hear.
Thank you, Mr. Ingalls.
When I first stepped foot on this land,
I… I felt something.
I felt inspired. I felt at peace.
But most of all,
I felt the Lord.
Let's give this town a place to worship!
-Hear, hear.
-Hear, hear.
Let's get to work.
Hi.
But he won't sit still.
Caroline,
I'd like you to meet Margaret Parker,
whose husband owns the mill,
Sarah Graves,
younger sister of Clarence Graves,
who owns the Independence Pioneer,
and Winnie Richardson.
Her husband has an import business.
Ladies, Caroline Ingalls
is the teacher I told you about.
It's a pleasure.
Your husband designed
the church being built, correct?
-Mm.
-Oh, you must be so proud.
I am. Hm.
I was thinking we might even use
that church as a school in the spring.
Oh yes.
I can't tell you how excited I was to hear
we have an experienced teacher amongst us.
I'm a little out of practice,
but I'm teaching the girls
lessons at home right now.
Oh, her girls are darling. And smart.
Well, if Jemma invited you,
you must be worth your weight in gold.
-I think so.
-Are you taking on students?
Because I'm hopeless
with sums and grammar,
and my boys are driving me absolutely mad.
Oh…
-Oh, I don't know.
-Please, won't you consider it?
Jemma said you've already got
at least one extra student.
Didn't you mention that? A neighbor girl?
I'm not sure you said who though.
Oh…
It's nothing formal.
I have two at home that haven't been
to school in over a year.
It seems you have a lot to discuss.
I'll leave you to it.
-Where did you get all these clothes?
-Mother's always had a trunk for dress-up.
She says it simulates a sense
of fashion and sophistication.
I'll be Lady Francesca of Yomesford,
the secret heiress to the throne.
You two can be Eleanor and Catherine,
my trusted loyals,
sworn to protect my secret at all costs.
Now, go on. Pick something.
Ooh!
-Elegant.
-Thank you.
Now you, Laura.
Um, not that one.
-But you said
-That one's mine.
Father bought it for me
from an honest-to-goodness cowboy.
I like your necklace.
Father brought this
from New York for my birthday.
He said it was from England and possibly
belonged to Queen Victoria herself.
It's very sophisticated,
and perfect for high tea
with Lady Francesca.
What did your father
give you for your last birthday?
He made me a slingshot out of sugar maple.
A slingshot?
I can get a rabbit from 20 paces.
Get? You mean kill?
It makes a good stew.
Lady Francesca,
please forgive my sister's poor taste.
You, however, look simply marvelous.
The duke is a very lucky man.
He is, isn't he?
That hat looks absolutely
delicious on you, Eleanor.
Let me see if we can find you
some lace gloves too.
Do you prefer pink or white?
Ready, heave!
Ready, heave!
Ready, heave!
Heave!
Ready, heave!
Ready, heave!
Ready, heave! Ready, heave!
Hold, hold, hold, hold, hold!
-Thought I'd stop by, say hello.
-Good to see you.
My, uh, translating job kept me away
longer than I was expecting.
Thank you for looking in on
my family during the fever.
I can't take credit. I was sick as a dog.
-It was all Laura.
-That's what my daughter keeps telling me.
-How was your trip?
-I met the new Indian agent, Isaac Gibson.
-He's a Quaker.
-How'd it go?
I'm not sure yet.
But he seems set on putting
a removal agreement in place
as soon as possible.
A removal agreement?
A deal for the land.
A fair one, I hope.
Seven chiefs have to agree to the terms.
There's still a lot to be discussed.
We're probably looking at spring
before anything would get signed.
Is it all right if I call lunch?
-The honor's all yours.
-Stay and eat with us, Mr. Mitchell?
I brought lots to share.
It's an old habit.
Nobody much liked me when I was young,
so I'd stuff my bag full
of treats to hand out at lunch.
-It always worked.
-Thank you. I'll do it.
That's lunch, gentlemen!
Mother says Adam Scott is
from a family of bankers in Boston.
She says they are very wealthy.
But even so, his fiancée
left him standing at the altar.
-It was quite the scandal.
-That's so sad to hear.
Poor Adam.
You mean rich Adam.
Now he's the most
eligible bachelor in Independence.
Mother says he'll find a wife any day now.
He's got a trust fund.
He is very good-looking.
He… he is, isn't he?
-What do you think, Laura?
-About what?
Adam.
He almost died in our well.
Laura!
Don't be gruesome.
Please forgive my sister her manners.
May I be excused?
You're excused.
Mary, do you think
any other boys in town are cute?
You do! Who?
Do you know Caleb?
Caleb? That chowderhead orphan boy
who works at the General Store?
Oh! No.
I was thinking of a boy who lives
a few homesteads away from us.
I thought his name was Caleb.
It must be Jacob.
You know, Caleb's parents
left him out on the trail.
Just up and walked away in the middle
of the night and left him on his own.
Why would they do that?
-Maybe they didn't want him.
-Or maybe they were eaten by wolves.
Or maybe there's something wrong with him.
Maybe he drove them away.
Now that the church is on its way,
I wonder if we should bring in a reverend?
-Mmm.
-Mmm.
I'm a long way from home, but I'm sure
one of you have connections in the area.
I know an excellent candidate
from Elk City. Walter Eaton.
He's been traveling the state
helping set up funds for the poor,
but I know he'd love
to settle down for a spell.
Well, I've already taken the liberty
of arranging for Reverend Daniel Franklin
from St. Louis.
Oh, he's a man of extraordinary faith
and character.
And he comes from one of the most
respected families in the city.
St. Louis is a long way to come.
It's important to have not just someone,
but the right someone.
I'm sure Caroline would agree.
Of course.
Hm.
When you're ready.
-Do it.
-On three.
One…
There you go.
-What has my brother done now?
-He lost his footing and he landed wrong.
He'll be just fine though.
Might wanna have Caleb do
the heavy lifting for a couple of weeks.
You were supposed to come back an hour ago
so I could go
to the Women's Society meeting.
I guess I lost track of time.
I guess you did.
I'll be on my way, then.
Thank you, Dr. Tann.
Yeah.
I made cookies. Building a church
calls for a treat, I'd say.
-Gingersnaps are my favorite.
-I know.
I don't wanna keep you from your meeting.
I never mind
an extra moment or two with you, doctor.
Now, have a good day. Be safe.
Hm.
I apologize for my late arrival.
I brought cookies.
I… I see.
The Women's Society is today, isn't it?
I feel like I've been staring
at that flyer in my store for weeks.
Oh, I'm afraid the Women's Society is
for the married women of Independence.
The married women?
-That's right.
-Mmm.
It's protocol.
I'm sure you understand.
I'm sure I do.
My apologies for the misunderstanding.
Did you hear
how Mr. Ingalls saved my life?
I was just about dead
at the bottom of a well,
and he jumped in to pull me out.
Everybody's heard.
I don't mind if people make fun. I'm just
grateful to be alive. He's a hero.
It's true.
What about in the war, Mr. Ingalls?
Where'd you fight?
I'll bet you were a real hero there too.
I wanted to sign up,
but Grandfather said I was too young.
My father needed my help.
I stayed back to work the farms with him.
Oh.
I didn't know you could do that.
You can't.
I guess some people don't think
the rules apply to them.
I got the horse thief.
What's all this, Russell?
Well, while you were sitting on your ass,
we tracked this degenerate down.
-Edwards isn't a thief, and you know it.
-I don't know any such thing.
I told you to leave this
with me, Kind.
You're not the law here,
and you don't have any proof.
He's been roaming the prairie
in the dead of night for weeks,
scoping us out, lying in wait.
-We've all seen him.
-That's true. I've seen him.
And as soon as
the horses go missing,
well, all of a sudden
he's waving around stacks of cash.
His whiskey business busted up,
so he went straight for the horses,
just like he did back in Tennessee.
Go ahead, ask him.
He won't deny it.
Edwards, say something.
Untie him!
Untie him, you disgusting little toad!
The only money
he's waving around is yours,
after he took you
for everything you're worth in cards.
And you too, Bronson.
Or should I ask your wife about it?
All the money you lost at my place?
Stay out of it.
Last time I'm gonna say it. Untie him now.
Lacey!
I'm not letting him
get thrown to the wolves.
There's not gonna be
any frontier justice on my watch.
Until the marshal arrives
to sort this out,
we'll hold Mr. Edwards at the hotel.
Come on.
It's for your own safety.
Lacey.
-Where are you going?
-To clear his name.
You really think Eli is gonna stop Kind
and his idiots
from doing something stupid?
You can ride out to see
the Osage with me if you want to.
Or you can stay here and be Eli's puppet.
-The Osage didn't do this.
-I didn't say that they did.
But nothing gets past
that brother-in-law of yours.
I got him out of a scrape last month.
He owes me.
I'm not gonna let her ride out on her own.
You can take my horse.
I'll go keep an eye on Edwards.
Now that lunch is out of the way,
we should probably get down to business.
Will you sit with me up front?
Perhaps jot down a few notes?
Do you mind if I run and get Emily
before we start?
I don't want her to miss anything.
She must've lost track of time.
I'll be fast. I promise.
Oh, that's why she had the idea to come.
She was here?
Yes.
And as I explained to her,
the society is for married women.
Of course, I apologized
profusely for the inconvenience.
I'm not married.
Yes, but you're a writer
and from a very respectable family.
What's not respectable about running
the largest store in Independence?
This society has rules, Caroline.
Now, ladies, if you'll find your seats,
I thought we could start
our discussion with the vote.
Women account for
over half the population of this country,
and yet we are unable to participate
in deciding its direction.
I think it's time we change that,
starting with Independence.
Caroline.
Now, vote.
Vote begins with V.
What else begins with V? Voice.
What are you doing? Those are
from Father's special collection,
and we're not supposed to open them.
Why?
Because it's not proper
to look at drawings of half-naked men.
But that's just how they dress.
Everything they wear has a meaning,
even the colors.
See?
Laura,
put it back.
I'm sorry. My sister's a wilding.
My best friend is Osage.
Her name is Good Eagle.
Indians have come
to your house?
Of course.
And not just Good Eagle.
Do you wanna hear a story?
One morning, when Pa was off
helping Mr. Scott build his house,
Jack and I came home from the creek
to find unexpected visitors.
I already told you,
I didn't take the horses.
You hear that?
I didn't take your horses.
I didn't say you took them.
I'm guessing you know a place or two
where a dozen could be hidden
without drawing attention.
Let your squatter friends
figure it out for themselves.
If they can hunt our game,
they can hunt for their own horses.
Louis lost a horse last week.
How long before you start
missing horses too?
Fine. I'll show you.
Thought I'd take a look at that bruise.
-That'd be all right?
-I'm fine.
I don't understand
why you didn't stand up for yourself.
You're a lot of things, John,
but you're not a thief.
We can talk, or we can just sit.
I spent the past few weeks
drying out on Lacey's porch.
Sobering up's supposed to be
a good thing, but
nobody tells you about all the hours
you're forced to sit with your thoughts.
Today is six years since I came home
and found all my girls gone.
Cholera.
And every day since
has been like a knife in my heart.
And for what?
What did I get in return
for choosing war over my family?
Kind came for me.
I thought, well, maybe this is it.
Maybe I'll finally get to be
with my girls again.
War took a piece of every man
and woman in this country.
And even though the cause was just,
everyone lost something
they can't get back.
All I know is there are people
in this town who care about you.
Maybe start letting 'em do that.
Maybe you start thinking about a future.
There's my Pet and Patty.
See?
And those are Osage horses.
Bunch of dumb kids.
Dumb kids doing dumb things.
I know the type.
What now?
We strike up a conversation.
Call.
Two pair. Queens over diamonds.
There they are.
Hello, boys. Am I glad to see you.
We've been looking everywhere
for these horses.
Tell you what, a lot of people owe you
a debt of gratitude for finding 'em.
Everything's fine.
It's time for them to come home.
Hey, whoa.
Hey.
If we go now,
we can march them back by sunset.
I think we should let 'em go,
as long as they agree
not to show their faces here again.
You're making a mistake.
What do you boys think? Is it a mistake?
'Cause I may not be here next time
to stop Lacey from putting a few holes
in your head.
You won't see us again.
Then go on.
-You don't like to fight?
-Nothing good ever comes of it.
I disagree.
Me too.
But you're a good man.
There's my Pet.
-Tell us another, Laura.
-Please, Laura?
Lady Francesca, you shouldn't be listening
to all of this nonsense,
not when the duke is on his way home.
You don't have to listen, Mary.
You can go back to the other room.
Do you wanna hear the story
about how we tried to cross a river
and almost drowned?
Every last one of us, even our dog.
Yes!
Lots of wagons had crossed
before us,
but spring rains
made the river run fast and deep.
Suddenly, the horses
couldn't touch the bottom anymore,
and the current started
pulling all of us downstream.
And if Independence is to grow,
we'll want to establish
strong town traditions
before the railroad lays a single track,
which is why Eli and I have decided
to hold a Founders' Day festival
next summer.
-Fantastic.
-Good idea.
Caroline, I love the enthusiasm.
If we're meant to be a women's society,
shouldn't we include all of the women
of our community,
not just the ones you deem respectable?
Perhaps that's a topic for another time.
Unless anyone disagrees?
Shall we continue?
Thank you for lunch.
Hm.
Caleb, wait!
What are you doing here?
-We came for tea with Edith and Romanzy.
-Oh.
-How's that going?
-They aren't very nice.
Neither of them
have ever said a word to me,
even when I say something first,
or even when I run cookies over after dark
when they feel like having cookies.
-They made it seem like they knew you.
-Why? What did they say?
They said your parents
left you out on the trail.
-That's a lie.
-I'm just telling you what they told me.
Then why would you repeat it?
I'm sorry.
Mary has a boyfriend!
Mary has a boyfriend!
So, it is Caleb.
You do like the ugly orphan boy.
Wait! Caleb!
Girls.
I've been looking everywhere
for you. Let's go.
Say your goodbyes to Edith and Romanzy.
Bye, Laura. Bye, Mary.
What happened, Ma?
What's wrong?
Stay here. Mind yourselves.
I'm sorry.
Jemma is who she is.
It's foolish to expect anything different.
It isn't foolish.
There are battles worth fighting,
and Jemma James isn't one of 'em.
Did you walk out on her?
I guess I did.
-Thank you.
-Mm-hm.
Mm.
Ma!
Ma, it's Pet and Patty!
Like I always say,
peace and justice
make for a well-ordered society.
-Pa, you found them.
-Yeah.
I missed you so much.
They missed you too.
I thought
you were building a church.
I was.
I got sidetracked.
You're welcome, you oaf.
-Bright and early tomorrow?
-We'll get the rest up in no time.
I'm ready to go home.
Just one more stop. I'll be quick.
-Take care.
-Yeah.
Come have dinner with us.
You and Lacey.
The girls miss you terribly.
Nah, I shouldn't let 'em see me like this.
Please come.
-Play another one.
-Oh, I don't know. It's gettin' late.
Please, Mr. Edwards? Thought of you
every day, and now you're finally here.
Well, how about a song
I used to sing for my girls?
"Sweet By-and-By." Know it, Charles?
Hm.
There's a land that is fairer than day ♪
And by faith we can see it afar ♪
For the Father waits over the way ♪
To prepare us a dwell… ♪
Sorry.
In the sweet by-and-by ♪
We shall meet on that beautiful shore ♪
In the sweet by-and-by ♪
We shall meet on that beautiful shore ♪
Another one.
Yes.
At least there was one good thing
about visiting those dumb girls.