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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Little House Series


Lately I have been hungry for a cozy-different-era-country-book! I went looking through my book shelf and stopped at my Laura Ingalls Wilder series. My friend Danielle has been reading these to her kids lately and probably the one who inspired me to read them again! Thanks Danielle! :)

I haven't read these since I was very little. My Mom read the whole series to us kids. It was a very happy time when we had reading time with my Mom. So they hold a fondness just because of those times!

 I have devoured and soaked up these books!
 And after I had read how they had salted pork and corn bread I had to go make me some! All the food mentioned was making my mouth water! 

One thing that I was inspired by was the hearts of the family, especially when calamities would strike, which were often. And they would say "all's well that ends well". There were many hard circumstances, but the outcome was always the same, as long as they were all together life was perfect. Such a sweet family unity.  

 I was so blessed by these books! I am going to be sad when I have finished reading the rest of the series!

 I know most of my friends have read the series, but here is a little snippet out of Little House On The Prairie to rewet your pallet!

"Play, Ingalls!" he said. "Play me down the road"! So while he went down the creak road and out of sight, Pa played, and Pa and Mr. Edwards and Laura sang with all their might.

"Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man;
He washed his face in the frying-pan,
He combed his hair with a wagon wheel,
And died of the toothache in his heel.

"Git out of the way for old Dan Tucker!
He's too late to get his supper!
Supper's over and the dishes washed,
Nothing left but a piece of squash!

"Old Dan Tucker went to town,
Riding a mule, leading a houn'...."

Far over the prairie rang Pa's big voice and Laura's little one, and faintly from the creek bottoms came a last whoop from Mr. Edwards.
"Git out of the way for old Dan Tucker! 
He's too late to get his supper!"

When Pa's fiddle stopped, they could not hear Mr. Edwards any more. Only the wind rustled in the prairie grasses. The big, yellow moon was sailing high overhead. The sky was so full of light that not one star twinkled in it, and all the prairie was a shadowy mellowness. Then from the woods by the creek a nightingale began to sing. 

Everything was silent, listening to the nightingale's song. The bird sang on and on. The cool wind moved over the prairie and the song was round and clear above the grasses' whispering. The sky was like a bowl of light overturned on the flat black land. 

The song ended. No one moved or spoke. Laura and Mary were quiet, Pa and Ma sat motionless. Only the wind stirred and the grasses sighed. Then Pa lifted the fiddle to his shoulder and softly touched the bow to the strings. A few notes fell like clear drops of water into the stillness. A pause, and Pa began to play the nightingale's song. The nightingale answered him. The nightingale began to sing again. It was singing with Pa's fiddle.
When the strings were silent, the nightingale went on singing. When it paused, the fiddle called to it and it sang again. The bird and the fiddle were talking to each other in the cool night under the moon.

~Little House On The Prairie



10 comments:

Marie said...

Oh such coziness Elizabeth! I loved the little you posted about, Once I am done with my D.E. Stevenson Shoulder the Sky I will take up those yummy books!!

LOVE YOU :)
~ Marie

Unknown said...

I love these books! I sold my set from when I was little so I am slowly trying to replace them one at a time. If you like Little House I would recommend The Grandma's Attic Series by Arleta Richardson. It is a Christian series set in about the same time period that I read when I was little and I have reread them many times!

Homeschool on the Croft said...

Book companies should have you 'on staff'. You really sell this stuff!
Love, Anne (who's off to grab this book off the shelf, make a cup of tea and look for a cosy corner somewhere!) x

Elizabeth said...

Thank you Marie!

Missy, thank you for your suggestion and your comment! I cannot wait to look for these! :)

Homeschool on the Croft, you are so sweet and I am delighted that you are off to purchase them, with your tea and a cozy corner!

Katheryn said...

Lauren loves this series. You forget how wholesome and refreshing it is to read. We miss you amd love the pics.

Danielle said...

Elizabeth~ You cute thing! LOVE you!!! And how clever to include an excerpt!!!
So glad I encouraged a sweet memory. Can't wait to hear about you reading it to your little ones one day. :-D
LOVE YOU!!!

Pam said...

What sweetness to read this. It has been a long busy productive week, but some how coming home to a cozy country home is always the best. Reading this little excerpt brings back not only a flood of memories, but a flood of peaceful feelings and the thought that there are still sweet things in life to be savored and enjoyed. Thanks for this post. It is like what we were talking about this morning "Bedtime Stories". This produces "that" feeling.
Love you so much sweetie.
Mom

Ashley said...

I so love those books. When I was younger I just loved that set so I had to buy them and I still have them. Now Naomi is reading them. When I would read them I would pretend that I was back around that time.

Amber said...

I started the series with Ian in the spring. We're on Farmer Boy now. He really enjoys them!

Unknown said...

I love it Elizabeth! That took me right back. I remember when it was the largest accomplishment in the whole world when I could read those "big girl" books all by myself!