Almanzo is "Free and Independent"

I often ask myself, "How did Laura Ingalls Wilder get through hard times?"  The Ingalls family didn't lack challenges.  There were monotonous chores, shrieking winds, and overfed bachelor brothers.  During this period of self-quarantine, I decided to reread The Long Winter to discover - What Would Laura Do?

Chapter 25 - "Free and Independent"

Chapter 25 is both a brief and Laura-less chapter.  The chapter centers on Almanzo and Royal chatting in the feed store.  (Guess what?  The brothers are eating pancakes!)  Almanzo has been so focused on thinking and whittling that Royal, instead of Almanzo, is stirring-up the supper pancakes.

The Wilder Family.  A young, strapping Almanzo is second from the left (back row).  He learned how to make pancakes from his Mother.

It has dawned Almanzo that folks in DeSmet are starving.  "I said starving," Almanzo repeated.  "Take Ingalls, there's six in his family.  You notice his eyes and how thin he was?  He said he was out of wheat."  Almanzo reminds Royal a farmer can't grow much their first year of sod farming. 

Stir-crazy Almanzo starts reciting different scenarios about how starved the town will be when the train finally arrives.  He lists DeSmet families who will be depleted of provisions.  Almanzo has determined that people will starve even if he sells his precious seed wheat.  Sick of listening to his brother's ramblings, Royal asks Almanzo to get to the point.  He is shocked by Almanzo's response, "Somebody's got to go get that wheat that was raised south of town."  There is a rumor surrounding an unnamed  farmer, 20 miles south of DeSmet, who has a glut of wheat.

Almanzo is 19 years old.  He is willing to risk his life, during a narrow window of clear weather, for the town.  He knows a blizzard could strike without warning.  Plus, no one is exactly sure where the shanty is or if the farmer will sell his wheat.  Also, remember the rumor was passed on by Mr. "I Ain't Never Seen an Antelope Before" Foster.  

A rare photo of Almanzo eating supper at Royal's feed store.

Is Almanzo a hero or the result of needing three to five more years of brain development?  His brain is not fully wired for clear judgment, impulse control, and good risk assessment.  I also wonder if the sense of community was stronger in 1882 than in 2020?  Currently, many people refuse to wear a face mask to protect others from the Corona Virus.  Where is their sense of community?  If alive today, I am sure Almanzo would be wearing a mask with a "Pancake" theme.

The chapter ends with Royal declaring, "You're not going to tackle any such foolhardy trip alone.  If you're bound and determined to do it, I'm going along with you."

What Would Almanzo Do? 

• Eat a steady diet of pancakes
• Study a problem from all angles
• Chose the Hero's Journey

See you soon for Chapter 26, "Breathing Spell."  (Whew!)

Prairie Eydie