"THE RICHEST MAN IN WALNUT GROVE"

[Note from Carol regarding Editing]
Since I do the Episode Reviews, I have been given acces in the Episode Reviews forum to edit, move posts so that all posts regarding an episode stay together. If I post an episode review that has some post already started.... instead of me using the quotes feature... I will just edit the first post of whoever started the thread about that episode to include the pictures of the episodes at the top of the thread. That way, all comments and posts remain in their original form. [End of Carol's Note]

“The Richest Man of Walnut Grove”


After the mill closes, Charles is unable to pay off his debt at the mercantile. Charles must taken on several jobs at the same time. Mary gets a job to help the family, while Laura does the chores at home. When the bill finally gets paid, Nels tells Charles that he thinks Charles is the richest man in Walnut Grove, since he has a very loving family.















This is one of those great Little House episodes. I just love the lesson that it teaches. It’s easy to relate to this episode because everyone goes through hard times, sometimes economically and the attitude that Charles displayed was just awesome. He wasn’t too proud like some men would be, not allowing their loved ones to help them, Caroline and the girls, they each helped each other so much that in the end, like Charles said, it couldn’t have been done without them.

Of course this is the episode that has the famous line: “Hard working folks only smell bad to folks who don’t have anything better to do than stick their noses in the air. Well, whenever you stick your nose in the air with me Nellie, it’s gonna get punched!” LOL…. I just loved that scene, Nellie deserved what she got.

I also thought that the scene when the family is eating berries is very touching. They each try to comfort each other, for example saying thing that it didn’t matter that they didn’t have coffee because too much of it wasn’t good, lol.

Here is an interesting thing. I was there on the set when they were doing some behind the scenes shooting and I know that nobody wanted to get close to Jack because of fear of getting bitten. :mrgreen: Looks like he was staying in character all the time and was ticked off just a bit at Harriett. Here is a picture I took of him after the scene where the family goes to town to pay their debt at the Mercantile.



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"ingallsfan2008" said:

I don't know if there's a topic yet for this episode, but I watched it yesterday and I like it! I think it's heartwarming that the entire Ingalls family pitched in to help Pa pay off the bill at the mercantile! even Carrie was so cute when she said she would help milk the cow! and this was just one of the episodes where Laura stood up to Nellie! :thankyou:

This episode is one of my top ten favorites!

This is one of my favorites. My favorite scene is the one in the barn where Charles finds out what Laura is so upset about and gives Laura the idea of what to say to Nellie (may not be the exact quote but it's close) -- "Hard-working folks only smell bad to people who have nothing better to do than stick their noses in the air. Well, from now on, when you stick your nose in the air with me, Nellie, it's gonna get punched!" The end of the barn scene is great -- you think it's over, and then Laura climbs to the top of the ladder again and says, "Pa, I just love you so much."

I loved this one ....the final scene of the ingalls in the wagon and laura looking a wee bit smug as they rode away was delightful....and Pa's way of conveying his pride when the woman folk asked to help him pay the debt was brillant piece of acting by ML

I watched this episode yesterday and I also thought it was very nice, I really liked the 'fight' between Mrs. Olseson and Caroline when Harriet said something like 'I don't think it's fair of you to take advantage of a friendship' and Caroline responding 'I could hardly take adavantage of something that doesn't excist!', I really had the tendency to step into my television said and say: YOU GO GIRL!

like Nels said, I definitley think Charles was the Richest Man in Walnut Grove. you shouldn't be rich only if you have money

A wonderful episode. One of my favorites.

nice family they really were....very close and loving..kind hearted.

I just watched this one today. I really love how they all pulled together during a time of need. It was great at the end when they walked into the mercantile and Nels made Harriet accept their payment in full.

bethandmanly wrote:

I just watched this one today. I really love how they all pulled together during a time of need. It was great at the end when they walked into the mercantile and Nels made Harriet accept their payment in full.

i agree

Were you on the set when they were shooting the ep Carol????

I LOVE this episode. At the end when Nels says, I'll let Harriet take care of this
And great quotes-
Charles: All right, then. Now, as for a decent job, that's a whole other thing. Any job a man can get to make his way in this world is a decent job, as long as he works hard and does his best at it. You know, God didn't put sweat in a man's body for no reason. He put it there so he could work hard, cleanse himself, and feel proud. And don't you ever forget that. Hard-working folks only smell bad to folks who have nothing better to do than stick their noses in the air. I think you and I both know who they are.

Charles: You'll never guess what Carrie just did.
Caroline: What?
Charles: (to Carrie) Go ahead. Tell them.
Carrie: I got to milk the cow!
Mary: Wow!
Charles: A real fine job, too.
Caroline: You're getting to be a big girl! Pretty soon, you'll be helping with all the chores.
Laura: Yeah! Want me to teach you how to clean out the chicken coop?
Carrie: No!
Laura: I thought you'd say that.

When I sat down to rewatch this episode I had to really rack my brain to remember which "Poor Ingalls" episode this was. I finally remembered it was the one where Charles builds the irrigation ditch.

This episode reminds me a lot of "Harvest of Friends." I'm kind of surprised that they would have the first episodes of the first two seasons be so similar to each other.
I can see this episode working a little better in mid-season... for instance after a crop is destroyed.

That being said, I do like this episode.

I do think it was a little odd that Laura was so upset by what Nellie and Willie said. Most of what they were saying really was true. Pa did smell bad.

I really like the scene where Harriet almost walks into Charles. That's just classic!

very sweet Episode

Quote :

When I sat down to rewatch this episode I had to really rack my brain to remember which "Poor Ingalls" episode this was. I finally remembered it was the one where Charles builds the irrigation ditch.

This episode reminds me a lot of "Harvest of Friends." I'm kind of surprised that they would have the first episodes of the first two seasons be so similar to each other.

I agree with the above. While the episode was very touching (especially when Laura says "I just love you so much" to Pa), I did find it similar to at least two episodes already from season 1. I'm thinking of A HARVEST OF FRIENDS and THE 100 MILE WALK. In both of those episodes, the family pitched in to help out.

In addition, I really find myself understanding Harriet's point of view. I probably just thought she was a mean lady when I was a kid, but now that I have had my own business (which I no longer have), I am much more understanding of her. Of course, it is the way she says it which is not very nice. And the fact that she is rather hypocritical (especially with all that stuff about pride going before a fall, etc.) But extending 2 months of credit to someone seems pretty generous to me, so I can see her being upset that it is not going to be paid off as promised. (I think it was two months of credit.)

In addition, I really do think that Caroline could have apologized. And I also don't really like it that Laura punched Nellie in the nose. I think it would have been fine for her just to make her comment and leave it at that, showing Nellie that what Nellie said would not hurt her any more.

I do love Ms. Beadle in this episode, though. She is so sweet. And I also like how Revd. Alden is trying to smooth things over between Charles and Nels (and even Harriet a bit, too). Mrs. Whipple is a really cute character, too, with all her talk about "old people."

It is also really touching to see how Pa reacts to Ma when she is out in the field plowing. That part is really nice.

By the way, I got the season 2 DVDs from my friend this evening, so now I can be watching these! Yippee!

I just re-watched this episode. I really do like it, but it seems odd to have both the season one and the season two openers be about such similar things. And then also to have the season two finale be another "poor Ingalls" episode! But this one does have some very good things in it. I like Pa mentioning to Laura that he doesn't exactly smell like a bottle of lemon verbina when he comes home. I think I would like to have some lemon verbina just so I could know what it really smells like!

I still do wish, though, that Caroline had apologized to Mrs. Oleson and that Laura had not punched Nellie in the nose. I don't think that was appropriate behavior for Laura, even though Nellie may have had it coming. Just how many times did Laura and Nellie engage in physical fights throughout the course of the series? I wonder if anyone has counted all of them!

alexczarn wrote:

Were you on the set when they were shooting the ep Carol????

I LOVE this episode. At the end when Nels says, I'll let Harriet take care of this
And great quotes-
Charles: All right, then. Now, as for a decent job, that's a whole other thing. Any job a man can get to make his way in this world is a decent job, as long as he works hard and does his best at it. You know, God didn't put sweat in a man's body for no reason. He put it there so he could work hard, cleanse himself, and feel proud. And don't you ever forget that. Hard-working folks only smell bad to folks who have nothing better to do than stick their noses in the air. I think you and I both know who they are.

Charles: You'll never guess what Carrie just did.
Caroline: What?
Charles: (to Carrie) Go ahead. Tell them.
Carrie: I got to milk the cow!
Mary: Wow!
Charles: A real fine job, too.
Caroline: You're getting to be a big girl! Pretty soon, you'll be helping with all the chores.
Laura: Yeah! Want me to teach you how to clean out the chicken coop?
Carrie: No!
Laura: I thought you'd say that.

my other favorite episode. A very heart warming episode. @ Alex, that was just cute scene. Carrie telling her Ma, & her sisters, she milk the cow.

I loved how laura punshed nellie in the nose.

I liked this one

I liked this episode. I like it when they show a family helping each other.
I didn't mind Laura standing up for herself but hitting wasn't right. I thought it was worse when as a grown married woman they had her rolling in the dirt with what she thought was Almonzo's girlfriend.
That just looked silly, the school teacher fist-fighting with a perfectly innocent young woman because she wouldn't communicate with her husband.

I never thought that was funny.

littlehouselover wrote:

I liked this episode. I like it when they show a family helping each other.
I didn't mind Laura standing up for herself but hitting wasn't right. I thought it was worse when as a grown married woman they had her rolling in the dirt with what she thought was Almonzo's girlfriend.
That just looked silly, the school teacher fist-fighting with a perfectly innocent young woman because she wouldn't communicate with her husband.

I never thought that was funny.

You've said it!

Vanesa.

littlehouselover wrote:

I didn't mind Laura standing up for herself but hitting wasn't right. I thought it was worse when as a grown married woman they had her rolling in the dirt with what she thought was Almonzo's girlfriend. That just looked silly, the school teacher fist-fighting with a perfectly innocent young woman because she wouldn't communicate with her husband.

I never thought that was funny.

I agree. There her students are cheering her on. Caroline was shocked. "You will be silent." How often have you heard her talk like that?

bethandmanly wrote:

I agree. There her students are cheering her on. Caroline was shocked. "You will be silent." How often have you heard her talk like that?

I know. I liked that part...

Carol...send me the photo with Laura in the loft...please????

Gin wrote:

Carol...send me the photo with Laura in the loft...please????

You want this picture? But a little bigger and clearer right?