The Long Winter

There is a break in the weather, but it is still ferociously cold, and Mary and Laura can hardly twist enough hay to keep the fire going. After Pa returns and does chores and they have the afternoon meal, he goes to the drug store to watch a checkers game. There is no checkers game, but he returns with the news that Almanzo and Cap will try to find the claim with the wheat. Another townsperson, Loftus, provided the money so that Almanzo and Cap can buy all the wheat they can haul back to town. They are planning on going the next day, but in the morning, there is another blizzard.

The storm has ended when Almanzo wakes at 3 o’ clock in the morning, and he and Cap meet with their sleds and head out of town. Almanzo and Cap find the homestead at midday and meet the homesteader, Anderson. Anderson has not seen anyone since last October when he went in for supplies. Almanzo and Cap explain the situation and ask him to sell some of his wheat. Anderson says no, but Almanzo negotiates with him and offers him more money until he finally acquiesces. Anderson pleads with Cap and Almanzo to stay the night because of the time, but they decline and start back. The journey back is more challenging because the horses are pulling heavy sleds and keep falling through the snow crust. The horses are exhausted as the night falls, a blizzard threatens, and Almanzo and Cap still have miles to go before they get to town.

The Ingalls family goes about their day, waiting for news of Cap and Almanzo’s trip to get wheat. As the day goes on, there is a storm cloud. When the blizzard comes, Pa yells at the storm and says that he wishes that he could play the fiddle. Laura has the idea to sing, which the family does together. The next morning, Ma announces that they are out of wheat and have only enough left for a small loaf. Late that day, the blizzard finally stops, and Pa goes to get news at Fuller’s store.

Cap and Almanzo are trying to get across the Big Slough as “the black storm climbed rapidly up the sky and in silence destroyed the stars” (295). Almanzo spots a flickering light, which is the only thing that guides them to town. Almanzo brings the wheat to Loftus and declines any payment. Almanzo must tend to his feet, which were injured from the cold. When the storm ends, Loftus charges over twice what he paid for the wheat and Pa leads a group to broker an agreement. Loftus does not relent until Pa reminds him that if he does this, no one will buy from him again when the summer comes. Loftus agrees to sell the wheat at the price he paid, and it is divided evenly among the townspeople based on their need and the provisions they still have.

Winter seems unending, and the days are monotonous. Laura does her chores, but “she did not ever feel awake. She felt beaten by the cold and the storms” (309). The storms continue into April. While the family is physically surviving, they are psychologically suffering. Pa declares that the winter cannot beat them, and this reignites a little warmth in Laura. That night, Laura wakes the house in her excitement when she hears dripping from the eaves and warm winds blowing in. Finally, winter has ended.

The Ingallses cannot move back to the homestead until the train arrives, because Pa does not have the supplies to repair the damage to the shanty from the storms. Nevertheless, Laura enjoys the warmer weather and takes walks outside and gets reacquainted with her friends from school, Mary and Minnie, from whom she has been apart for months. The train is still not able to get to De Smet because soil and snow cover the rails, which must be cleared by work teams. Without the train, food is running out, but when the train arrives its staff tries to withhold groceries, because those train cars were meant for other towns. The train conductor tries to reason with the townspeople and tell them that the next train will arrive the next day. Nevertheless, the men in town break into the train cars and take groceries, and Pa declares that he does not care if the railroad has to pay damages. Ma is slightly reproachful but understands Pa’s decision.

After the arrival of the next train, Pa brings the long-awaited Christmas barrel to the house, and it is filled with presents and treats. There are clothes for each of them and some beautiful embroidery supplies that Ma gives to Laura, because Laura gave her embroidery to Carrie and her lace to Mary as presents. There are books for the girls, and the most exciting item of all is the frozen-solid turkey with cranberries. Ma invites Mr. and Mrs. Boast over to have a belated Christmas meal with them.

Pa is able to buy all the groceries they need now, and Ma creates a Christmas feast. She and the girls prepare pies and breads and the turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing. When Mr. and Mrs. Boast arrive, Mrs. Boast surprises the Ingalls family with a pat of butter for the bread. They eat two helpings and discuss the challenges they dealt with over the winter. Mr. and Mrs. Boast do not regret staying in their shanty out on their homestead, but it was very hard. Pa’s fingers are finally nimble enough to play the fiddle, and he plays while everyone sings an uplifting song about pushing through challenges.