Charles Ingalls decides to uproot his wife and daughters from their Wisconsin home to claim a new parcel of land on the Kansas Prairie.
Indians approach the house while Charles Ingalls is away, terrifying Laura and Mary. Caroline is delighted to meet Mr. and Mrs. Scott, the family's kind but odd new neighbors. Illness forces the family to depend on the kindness of a new stranger.
Fire threatens the Ingalls' home. Charles has difficulty bartering. Laura becomes fascinating with the Indians who live nearby.