The family had left the Indian Territory headed east they went through Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and came to Minnesota. They came to a town called Walnut Grove. Pa had asked if there was land for sale here and someone told him about some land. A man was going to move and wanted to sell his land. Pa took the family to the land he was looking it over and a man came up to the wagon and Pa asked if he was Mr. Hanson. The man said yes.
This house was built into the bank of a hill. There was a stable already built there too. The house was built of sod and had vines around the doorway. Ma said the house was very clean Ma told the girls that Norwegians are very clean people. You could walk on the roof of the house and not even know it was there. The house was only three miles to town now.
Pa had met a neighbor his name was Mr. Nelson. Pa had bought a cow from Mr. Nelson and she had a wreath of roses on her. The Nelson's called her reet but that is a Norwegian name but it means a wreath of roses. The cow has red spots in a circle.
In the spring Pa was working in the field to plant the wheat and also Ma's garden. At night time he was working on there new house he was building. This was with wood that Pa was buying. The house was going to have lots of windows, an attic for Mary and Laura's room, a bedroom for Ma and Pa and Carrie. Pa also bought Ma a brand new cooking stove for the new house. When Pa was done with the new house they all grabbed some stuff and walked to the new house and they couldn't believe how beautiful it was. Then Ma seen the new stove and was very happy.
For there first Christmas there the girls prayed for new horses. Because the ox were real slow for Pa in the field. The ox could not do the work of horses in the field. So on Christmas day they went to the stable and Pa brought out two new horses. The girls were so happy that Pa got his horses.
Then in the Spring the girls had to start school in town. This was the first time they would be going to school and seeing the inside of a school. Mary was nine years old and Laura was eight years old. Ma was a school teacher so she was teaching them there school lessons. But Ma said when they come to a town that has a school the girls will go to school. There is no school in the winter time.
At school is when they first meet Nellie Oleson. Nellie called them country girls because Nellie lives in town and her Ma and Pa own the store. Nellie was having a party and she invited all the girls in town. When they all got there she said no one could play with her things they had to play with her brother Willie's toys. Nellie was very mean and nasty to the girls that lived in the country. Then two weeks later Mary and Laura had a party and invited all the girls. Nellie didn't like it in the country she was even nasty to Mary and Laura's Ma. Nellie had a fur cape and she was showing it off.
Then Pa heard that every Sunday there was church. So on Sunday everyone put on there best clothes and they all went to church. The Reverend Alden was there and he remembered talking to Pa. Pa had told the Reverend the girls names and he remembered. He called the girls his little country girls.
Pa said the wheat was growing real good. When he would harvest it he would be able to buy new things for everyone. Then all of a sudden the next day a very different cloud came over. This looked like a storm cloud but it wasn't. It was a big cloud of flying grasshoppers. They all landed and started to eat everything including all the wheat in the field. The grasshoppers even stuck to your clothes. This lasted until winter then they started to walk to the west. It is really surprising that they knew which way was west.
Then one night the family put on there good clothes and there was a surprise in town. It was really cold outside but all the town people were asked to come to town. Reverend Alden has another church out east and all the people in his church had gotten together and brought presents for everyone in Walnut Grove. There were presents on the Christmas Tree in the church. Some of the presents were wrapped and some weren't. Ma had gotten a new shawl, Pa had gotten a new coat, Mary had gotten a new blue coat, booklet with bible pictures, bag with candy and a popcorn ball and blue mittens. Laura had gotten red mittens, a bag with candy and popcorn ball, china jewelry box on the top was a tea cup and saucer and a fur cape with a muff. Carrie had gotten a bag with candy and popcorn ball, rag doll with a china head, china dog it is white with brown spots.
Pa had to go away at harvesting time so he could make some money to pay the bill for the wood. So the girls had to be on there best behavior while Pa was gone. He was gone for a long time when he came back it was starting to get real cold. He said he would be able to make a new crop in a couple years. The grasshoppers had laid there eggs all over the land.
Then a real bad blizzard came and there would be three days of real bad winds with the snow then one sunny day. This is how bad it was all winter long. On one of the good days pay walked to town he said he would make it back before it snowed. But he didn't come home for three days. He was stuck out in the bad weather for three days and he survived it. When Pa came home it was Christmas Eve. He had gone for oysters, crackers and candy for the girls stockings. But he was so hungry he ate the crackers and candy. The girls said they didn't care as long as Pa made it home.
Well that is the end of this revue I hope you all like it. I hope to hear your comments on this revue. The next book will be about By The Shores Of Silver Lake. Thank you for taking the time to read this!
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