We begin our recaps with the Little House on the Prairie pilot, a made-for-TV movie that originally aired in March 1974. This was America’s introduction to the TV Ingalls family.

We were soon to learn that the series that was to become Little House on the Prairie bore little resemblance to the historical fiction books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder,. They bore even less resemblance to the true-life adventures of the Ingalls and Wilder families.

Little House on the Prairie Pilot: Opening Scene

The Little House on the Prairie Pilot opens in the snow-covered Big Woods of Wisconsin, where the Ingalls family is leaving their extended family to go West to “Indian Territory.”  Pa (Michael Landon) isn’t feeling all the newcomers moving to the area, who are making game so scarce. Hence, his solution is to take his family, including three young daughters, to hostile Indian territory, perhaps never seeing their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins ever again.

Ma (Karen Grassle), Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson), Laura (Melissa Gilbert), and Carrie (Lindsey and Sidney Greenbush) bid farewell to their relatives, knowing that this may be the last time they’ll all be together.

Fun Fact: In real life, Carrie wasn’t yet born when the Ingalls family moved to Indian Territory. 

Spunky Laura, like her Pa, was up for the adventure. Charles sold the house, cow, and land to make this trip and packed their few possessions into a wagon. Fortunately, there was room for Pa’s fiddle, a necessity for sure!

The Ingalls Family Gets the Show on the Road

Laura and Mary snuggle up with blankets in the back of the wagon while Ma, Pa, and a blanket-wrapped Carrie are exposed to the elements in the wagon’s front seat. If I were Ma, having to pack up everything and leave my family for hostile grounds, I’d be snuggled in the back with the girls, leaving Pa to keep himself company. But that’s just me.

Narrating Laura tells us that Mary is afraid to go to Indian territory, and really, can you blame her? But Laura isn’t, because Pa and Jack, the dog, will protect her. Mind you, Jack has to walk the whole way to the prairie in the snow and weather, rivers and creeks, and might be a little too exhausted to do much protecting. But the Ingalls are a resilient lot, so we have high expectations for Jack.

Footage of the Ingalls’ journey ensues. They endure wind and rain and the inexplicable sound of horses’ hooves clomping on the sidewalk as they cross the grass. At some point, they stop along the way for fresh horses, which Laura and Mary name Pet and Patty. It should be noted that Patty is pregnant, so the Ingalls are getting a three-for-two deal. I so love a good sale.

The Ingalls Family Crosses a River

Oh dear. The Ingalls have encountered a river. (And is that a plane in the sky?) Ma has her doubts, but Pa is a trooper and tells her not to worry as he plunges the wagon into the river. Jack isn’t so sure about this and barks from the riverbed. Laura would like Jack to ride in the wagon, but Pa doesn’t feel that idea either. Poor Jack has had to walk hundreds of miles behind a wagon, and now he’s expected to cross a raging river, too. Those pioneer dogs were made of sturdier stuff than my Doodle, who will go to great lengths to avoid a puddle. 

Uh oh. The river is deeper than it looks, and the horse and the wagon are having trouble. Pa gets out of the wagon to help things along when the current drags him under the water. “Charles!” Ma screams in horror. Not to worry, Ma, this is Pa, we’re talking about. He didn’t come this far to drown in some river. Pa takes the front of the horses, and Ma whips them into submission from the rear. Their awesome teamwork gets them across the river. Riverbank hugs and kisses. 

The Ingalls’ happiness in making it across alive quickly fades as Laura can’t find Jack, and Pa sets out to find him. This Little House on the Prairie pilot sure is stressful.

Where’s Jack?

It’s nighttime, and a visibly nervous Ma and the girls are sitting around the campfire with no sign of man or beast. Pa comes back alone, with no Jack. Pa thinks Jack drowned and snaps at Laura when she suggests looking again tomorrow. Pa is worried about making the rest of the journey with no watchdog.

The next morning, the Ingalls family is back in the saddle again, and Laura is walking next to the wagon, sunbonnet off. Ma warns her that her skin will turn all leathery, but Laura has no craps to give about leathery skin; she is a girl who is grieving for her dog, and who can blame her?

Camped for the night, the girls are in bed, and Ma and Pa are talking around the campfire. We learn that the Ingalls family has been in Kansas for four days, and Ma wants to settle. 

What’s this? A sound? A rustle in the grass? Why, it’s Jack! Jack lives! Tears and dog hugs ensue. Pa plays his fiddle in celebration.

Home at Last

Pancakes the next morning, and damn, but those Ingalls love their molasses. I mean, that’s a lot of syrup. Pa mentions that they’re only about 40 or 50 miles from the town of Independence, Kansas. Ma is thrilled at the thought of seeing a town and people, but her hopes are dashed when Pa reminds her that they didn’t come all this way to go to some town. Poor Ma, she just wants to be with civilized people. Pa walks a bit, and eureka! He found it! Their new home. Not a tree in sight, and no water that the eye can see, but this works for Pa. We will pretend we don’t see the vehicle tracks in the distance.

Pa begins marking out their new house with stones, and Ma gets busy digging holes. Somehow, in a place that was devoid of trees five minutes ago, the Ingalls found enough trees to build a house. I love this family. Ma is exhausted from all her hard work and almost drops a log they were raising to build a wall. Pa laments that he took Caroline away from her home and family, but Caroline assures Pa that her family is where Charles is because she is a better person than I. Side of the cabin hugs ensue.

Introducing Mr. Edwards

Ma and the girls are working around a campfire when Pa excitedly pulls up to let the family know they have a neighbor. A neighbor! A bachelor. Pa tells Ma that he’s a wonderful man and that Ma will like him.  Ma speaks too soon and says that she’s sure she will.

I am reserving judgment because the next day, their guest is taking on the important task of teaching Laura how to spit, and Ma doesn’t seem like a ladies who spit kind of girl. Ma spit shames Mr. Edwards, who obviously hasn’t spent a lot of time in polite company. Later, Ma tells Pa she doesn’t like Mr. Edwards, but she’ll be friendly to him even though her heart won’t be in it. With a little prompting, Ma invites Mr Edwards to dinner, which is only fair because he did spend the whole day putting up walls. After dinner, fiddling and a dancing Mr. Edwards ensue.

Ma, who is becoming something of a funsucker, puts an end to the tomfoolery and sends the girls to bed. Pa plays Mr. Edwards home with the song that will become his theme song throughout the series, “Old Dan Tucker.” Narrating Laura proclaims this a “Mighty Fine Night,” even if she did have to go to bed.

The Ingalls Family Gets a Roof…Sort Of

As we return from commercial, we see Pa using the canvas wagon cover to put a roof on the house. Inside, Ma is sweeping the dirt floor with purpose, something that brings much amusement to Pa. Ma, not amused, informs him that it’s the only floor they have. Pa promises to build a hardwood floor one day and informs Ma he’s doing the best he can. Ma tells him she’s not complaining, even though everyone can tell there is much complaining going on in her mind.

Ma is worried about school. She can handle some homeschooling for now, but how can Mary become a teacher without formal training? There’s also the church situation. Pa reassures Ma that there’s nothing godlier than being alone in hostile Indian territory.

After dinner, Ma puts Pa on notice that he’ll have to bring water up from the creek tomorrow so she can do the washing. Pa tells Ma it would be a lot easier if she would just bring her washing to the creek like Indian women. Unamused, Ma tells Pa if she wanted to live like an Indian, she’d sleep in a tent. You go, Ma! Laura wants to see Indians, but Ma hopes she never does. Oh, Ma. Can’t we all just get along? The sound of wolves makes Pa and Ma a little nervous, and Ma thinks Pa’s next chore should be a stable. Good call.

Keeping the Wolves at Bay

The next time we see the Ingalls family, the stable is just about finished. As Pa works on the roof, Mr. Edwards talks to Laura, which doesn’t look a whole lot like helping. It should also be noted that while Pa is off building a stable to keep the wolves away from the ponies, the front door of their home is made up of a very wolf-friendly granny square blanket.

Ma is still not feeling Mr. Edwards and makes a snarky comment about his body odor. But I don’t see any running water at the Ingalls homestead, and I am thinking they all must be a little gamey by now. Laura starts to work up some spit, which Ma nips in the bud.

The new pony is born, and Laura is in awe of the wonders of nature. After a brief introduction, Pa leaves Ma and the girls to fend for themselves so he can go hunting.

I guess Mr. Edwards hasn’t been around lately because Laura is speculating that he’s staying home because he knows Ma doesn’t like him because he spits. Spitting is just one of the many reasons Ma isn’t feeling Mr. Edwards, Half Pint.

Pa rides off while Laura laments over big people having all the fun.

Pa and his horses and a saddle full of dead animals stop at a creek for a drink of water, where they are immediately set upon by a pack of wolves. Pa rides as fast as he can, but those wolves are fast too! To get rid of them, Pa drops all his freshly caught rabbits.

Oh, the irony! Pa moved the family away from civilization because it was getting harder to hunt, and on his first hunting trip, he had to toss all of his meat to the wolves. The prairie doesn’t seem to be solving Pa’s food problems. When he gets home, Pa lies and tells his girls he didn’t have any luck hunting and falls asleep before Ma can bring his stew in from the outside cooking area.

If I just had a pack of hungry wolves chasing after me, I don’t know if I could sleep in a house with no doors or windows, and I might suggest that Ma not go outside around the smell of food. But what do I know?

Pa’s nap didn’t last long, because Laura woke up in the middle of the night and found him outside sitting with his shotgun. His wolf friends are running back and forth around the front of the house. Pa told Laura of his canine encounter and made her promise not to tell Ma. Nice. Secret keeping. He also vowed to build a new door the next day. You think, Pa?

Indians Visit the Ingalls Family

Well, Pa must have been feeling quite ambitious because not only did Pa give the Ingalls a door, but they also now have a fireplace, chimney, and mantle. Why, it’s downright civilized. Pa wished for a bigger house and glass window panes.

Pa ties Jack to the stable and makes Laura promise not to untie them. Pa isn’t even gone a minute when two Indians run up to the Ingalls house. Laura tries to untie Jack, but Mary pushes her out of the way, and they both go into the house where the Indians are feeling up Ma’s hair. A visibly trembling Ma gives them Pa’s tobacco and some cornbread. The indians take the bread knife for good measure and run away.

When Pa comes home, Laura thinks he should smoke his pipe, but Pa thinks he can wait until after dinner. Laura throws Ma under the bus and tells him he won’t be able to smoke after dinner because Ma gave the Indians his tobacco. There’s enough bus throwing to go around because Mary tells Pa that Laura wanted to untie Jack. Pa disposes of his indoor voice and lets Laura know she can’t disobey him ever. Pa is a lot less patient in the Little House on the Prairie pilot than I remember. A heart-to-heart ensues.

Pa Plays Cowboy

Ma is scrubbing water when Pa rides up, all excited. He ran into a cattle drive and was offered some beef in exchange for helping keep the cattle out of the ravine. What a treat! It hasn’t escaped my attention that as Pa rides off, he didn’t tie Jack to the stable.

Pa returns later, all sweaty pits and limping, but bearing a cow and a calf! The calf was a bonus because it was too small to be taken from its mother. (We’re going to pretend we can’t tell the difference between a boy cow and a girl cow today.) Ma can’t wait for fresh milk and butter, and can you blame her?

Winter is Coming

Pa predicts a cold winter because the Muskrats and other creatures are growing heavy fur. It’s a good time for Pa to take a trip to Independence for winter supplies, a round trip that takes a week. I’m sure Ma is once again thrilled to be left alone to fend off the Indians and wolves by herself.

Inside, Ma is spinning wool into yarn, no simple feat with nary a sheep in sight. Narrating Laura is missing Pa. As Ma does chores and the cold, heavy wind moves in, she spies two more Indians. Running into the house, she rocks back and forth, shotgun in her lap, singing hymns to comfort herself as the girls sleep. She’s startled as she hears a horse whinny. Jack bears his teeth. Ma pulls back the safety and points it at the door. The door opens and …it’s Pa! Pa is home and would feel a lot more welcome if Ma would put the gun down. Whew! That was some dramatic moment!

Maybe the next day, maybe another day, Pa is cleaning animal skins when two French-speaking Indians roll up. Ma knows French…who knew? The Head Indian In Charge informs Pa his name is Soldat du Chen, which means “dog soldier” in French. Pa grunts “IN-GALLLS” in return. Laura is impressed with Soldat du Chen’s drip and admires his bear claw, which he gives to her after smoking with Pa. The visit lasted all of about five minutes. Ma was happy to see him go, but Pa thought he was nice. Laura has a woke moment as she laments that it’s not fair that the government is moving the Indians because they were here first.

Ma scrubs her new, very used-looking, hardwood floor, and Pa shoots a turkey. It’s a productive day on the prairie!

The Best Christmas Ever!

Oh dear. It’s a Christmas blizzard, and Mr. Edwards is crossing the river in his underwear, something I hope never to witness again. There’s no hypothermia on the prairie; these are sturdy folk. Mr Edwards makes it to the Ingalls’ house in time for Christmas and sits in their cabin, again, in his underwear, this time surrounded by children, which isn’t creepy at all. I somehow think this wouldn’t fly in the current climate.

Mr. Edwards begins telling a tale of a heck of a coincidence. It seems that he just happened to be in Independence in the middle of a blizzard, and who did he see but Santa Claus on a pack mule! Santa was very concerned because he didn’t think he could cross the creek to bring the Ingalls girls any Christmas presents, what with his age and weight and all. Frankly, I think that should be a concern with all of his deliveries, but Santa knows his limits.

Well, as luck would have it, Mr. Edwards told Santa, why, yes, he does know those Ingalls girls and would be happy to drop off their Christmas gifts. It’s a Christmas miracle!

Mind you, Ma is still looking like she’s not feeling Mr. Edwards, who still hasn’t put his clothes on, and allows the girls to open their Christmas gifts. Something tells me that Ma is about to change her mind about Mr. Edwards.

Mr Edwards reaches into his bag and pulls out a tin cup for each of the girls. “We each have our own cups now,” Laura exclaims with delight. My inner germaphobe is also delighted. The girls also receive peppermint sticks, which Laura bites into right away.

But wait! There’s more! Mr. Edwards reaches back into his bag and pulls out enough sweet potatoes to feed the family. Ma is thrilled. She can’t recall the last time she had such a treat. Ma thanks Mr Edwards for making such a fine Christmas for the girls. The girls also have presents in their stockings, the kind Santa doesn’t bring. Ma and Mr Edwards smile warmly at each other. All is forgiven. Narrating Laura proclaimed this the best Christmas ever, not only because of the presents, but because Ma took kindly to Mr. Edwards.

Prairie Fires

It’s not winter anymore, and Pa is driving the wagon along the prairie. The Ingalls are happy to feel the warm sun. While we were on commercial break, Pa traded all the furs he harvested for a plow and seed. Narrating Laura doesn’t think she’s ever seen Pa as proud of anything as he was of that plow. That’s some commentary for a man with three kids.

Much plowing ensues.

Uh oh! Sweaty Pa spies smoke – the prairie is burning! Ma brings Carrie to the creek while Pa begins wetting down the house. Ma sits Carrie in the cold creek and tells her to stay there. Carrie cries in the creek as Pa lets the animals out of the stable, and the rest of the family fills buckets to throw on the house. Pa climbs the roof and puts out a fire with a wet blanket. I am on the edge of my seat. The bright blue skies remain bright blue as they open up, and a downpour saves the Ingalls home!

Later, at dinner, with the sound of drumbeats in the background, Ma speculates that the Indians set the fires to get them to leave and then snaps at Carrie when she imitates the drums. Ma gives Pa that look that says it’s time for them to go home.

Drumbeats continue day and night until they don’t. Pa is standing by the front (and only) door with his rifle in his hand, when they hear the sound of horses approaching the Ingalls home. It’s their friend Soldate du Chen! And he has a translator with him! Turns out, the drums were a pow wow between bickering tribes. The other tribes were trying to drive away the white man, but our boy Soldat said that if they did that, the white soldiers would come and drive away the Indians. So they packed up their drums and went home. Ma made another friend.

The Ingalls family is having a productive summer, what with harvesting corn, washing clothes, and Carrie running to the outhouse, which is apparently very funny to Ma. Pa, working in the dried-out cornfield, tells a water-bearing Ma that he’d be content to live all his days right there on the prairie, even if other settlers come because there’s room enough for everyone.

Well, Pa is about to be sorely disappointed because the Cavalry rides up to inform Pa that he has to leave. An emotional Pa brings the news to Ma. Sadly, Ma, Mary, and Carrie walk back into the house.

Saying Goodbye to the Little House on the Prairie

Mr. Edwards comes by to help the Ingalls pack up, and Pa gives him the cow and calf. Sad goodbyes all around as Ma gives her heartfelt thanks for all Mr. Edwards has done for their family.

And so we close out our recap of the Little House on the Prairie Pilot. You’ll be happy to know the pilot was approved, and there will be a lot more “Little House” to talk about.

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