Pa Hunts "Antelope"

I often ask myself, "How did Laura Ingalls Wilder get through hard times?"  The Ingalls family didn't lack challenges.  There were dashed dreams of venison, runaway horses and food shortages.  During this period of self-quarantine, I decided to reread The Long Winter to discover - What Would Laura Do?

Morgans are very desirable horses and Almanzo had a matched pair named Prince and Lady. To be matched, both horses should have the same general outline from head to tail.

After endless hours of blizzards and huddling 'round the cookstove, Chapter 20 gets off to an exciting start.  Pa bursts into the kitchen announcing an antelope herd was spotted west of town.  The men of DeSmet are going hunting while the women stay home and twist hay!  Pa fills his pockets with cartridges and rushes out. 

Laura peeks out the window and sees a pack of men -  including Almanzo Wilder on his horse, Prince, a beautiful Morgan.  Last to join the hunting party is dashing Cap Garland.  Laura immediately starts day dreaming about venison.  Ma shuts that time waster down by reminding Laura, "We must not count our chickens before they are hatched."  

I have been daydreaming my entire life.  My favorite childhood daydream was pretending I was Laura.  Fortunately, my family lived next to several vacant lots, so I could run through weeds with my sunbonnet hanging down my back.  

Prairie Eydie - the original Cosplayer.

In my thirties, I daydreamed about being the perfect mother; those dreams vaporized when my oldest son was born.  My kids have been quarantined for 58 days.  Len takes long walks in his pajamas.  When I ask Gus to practice his clarinet, he rolls up in blanket and flops to the floor.  Lulu has taken up cosplay.  She said cosplay is pretending every day is Halloween.  In "normal" times I would insist on Len wearing jeans, Gus practicing for 30 minutes, and that Lulu spend her money on something other than wigs.  But.  It seems that we are never getting out of the house and I don't even care what they do.  So much for being the perfect mom.     

Almanzo loaned Mr. Foster his other horse, Lady.  If you have forgotten who Mr. Foster is - let me remind you.  We first met Mr. Foster in chapter 9 when he stumbled into the school house to lead the teacher, Miss Garland, and students home during a sudden blizzard.  It was well-meaning, yet incompetent Mr. Foster who was leading the children into the open prairie.  Luckily Laura walked into motel and saved the day.  Why Almanzo would loan Mr. Foster, who only owned oxen, an expensive horse is beyond me.  

Pa has appointed himself leader and tells the men to "String out and go slow and easy.  Don't scare 'em."  Soon, Almanzo sees that Pa and the men almost have the herd surrounded!

Almanzo turns to tell Mr. Foster, but . . . SURPRISE!  Mr. Foster has jumped off Lady and is prematurely shooting at the distant antelope herd. Lady freaks out and runs to join the antelopes.  "In a moment the horse and the herd passed over another white curve, then, growing smaller, they appeared again and again the prairie swallowed them."  Disappointed, the hunters lower their guns.  Only Mr. Foster took a shot.     

Mr. Foster shows minimal remorse for panicking Almanzo's horse, scaring the antelope away, and dashing Laura's dreams of venison.  Mr. Foster says, "I'm sorry.  I must have let the mare go.  I was so excited, I didn't think.  I thought the horse would stand.  I never saw an antelope before."  The men then politely discuss options for Almanzo to retrieve Lady.  Surprisingly, the discussion contains no cussin', blamin', or tantrums.    

Almanzo decides to circle around and look for Lady.  He is confident he will not get lost.  Soon he is engulfed by the prairie's largeness.  "He felt that he was the only life on the cold earth, under the cold sky; he and his horse alone in an enormous coldness."  Finally Almanzo spots Lady!  The wind magically carries Almanzo's whistle and Prince's whickering call to the frightened horse.  Lady gallops towards Almanzo and follows him back to town.

Meanwhile, Pa returns to the house - defeated.  The kitchen is silent, except for Carrie's sigh.  Eventually Pa spins the tale about doofus Mr. Foster and the antelope.  Ma soothes Pa's ego by saying, "They would have been poor eating anyway, this time of year."  

Royal Wilder:  1/2 of the well fed brothers

While Ma starts preparing dinner, Pa steps out to Royal's feed store to see if Almanzo found Lady.  (I have no idea why Pa needs this information.)  Royal is cooking pancakes and bacon.  Almanzo is bringing in saddles to clean. Pa notices the empty spaces on their walls and the room seems suspiciously snug.  The brothers invite Pa join them for dinner - and Pa does.   

I struggle with Pa eating pancakes and bacon while Ma and the girls are at home eating boiled potatoes - again.  I wish Pa would have slipped some bacon into his coat pocket, asked for a "to go" container, or just declined the invitation.  

Truthfully, I struggle with this chapter because the focus is not on Laura.  Let's be real.  If Laura had been in charge of the hunt, Mr. Foster would have stayed behind and twisted hay.  

WWLD Summary:

• Daydream.  Even if people tell you not to.

See you soon for Chapter 21 - "The Hard Winter."

Prairie Eydie