(spoiler alert) This is one of my favorite episodes.....the focus of the episode is a school friend Olga who suffers from a shortened leg, She can not participate in school games and physical activities. Laura befriends Olga and becomes sensitive to her disability. Laura even informs Pa about Olga.....and Pa decides to go to work on a method to balance Olga's walk. This is done by simply adding an extension to Olga's boot. Olga's father seems reluctant for his daughter to try out the new boot. He thinks any radical change to Olga's way of life will end with disappointment. The episode ends with a party at the Ingalls house where Olga tries out the new boot and to her surprise can walk normally for the first time. When Olga discovers this she overjoyed and gives PA a tearful hug (very touching moment) .....FANTASTIC EPISODE
Little House on the Prairie (TV Series)
Town Party-Country Party (1974)
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What's a girl to do?
mitchrmp8 February 2013
What's a girl to do when she finds a crab that she thinks can break a stick in two? Well, it would be a wonderful thing to use against your enemy, namely Nellie Olsen, and she does...
But that's not the main part of this story. It all begins when Mary and Laura are invited to the Olsen's home for Nellie's party. I'm sure Harriet risks no chance of showing off how rich she is - especially to the poor...And this is no exception. Laura and Mary are of course impressed, but Laura soon befriends a young girl - Olga - who is lame due to having one leg shorter than the other.
Another one of Laura's characteristics shine through in this episode. We see her caring nature. Laura's always been the sensitive one. Of all the girls, I'd say Laura is the most like her father. She cares about everything, and usually she and her father can think alike. Charles comes up with a solution for Olga, but Olga has a very overprotective father who is used to his daughter being made fun of. He comes off being mean and uncaring, but his problem is that he cares too much and is way too protective.
When the girls' have a party of their own, The show turns into another direction. By the end of the party, you find yourself tearing up at the father/daughter scene. And then the crab story peaks it's head out again and there's a cute interchange between Laura and Pa.
By the end of the episode, you just know that there is hope for others.
But that's not the main part of this story. It all begins when Mary and Laura are invited to the Olsen's home for Nellie's party. I'm sure Harriet risks no chance of showing off how rich she is - especially to the poor...And this is no exception. Laura and Mary are of course impressed, but Laura soon befriends a young girl - Olga - who is lame due to having one leg shorter than the other.
Another one of Laura's characteristics shine through in this episode. We see her caring nature. Laura's always been the sensitive one. Of all the girls, I'd say Laura is the most like her father. She cares about everything, and usually she and her father can think alike. Charles comes up with a solution for Olga, but Olga has a very overprotective father who is used to his daughter being made fun of. He comes off being mean and uncaring, but his problem is that he cares too much and is way too protective.
When the girls' have a party of their own, The show turns into another direction. By the end of the party, you find yourself tearing up at the father/daughter scene. And then the crab story peaks it's head out again and there's a cute interchange between Laura and Pa.
By the end of the episode, you just know that there is hope for others.
Walkin' on Sunshine.
ExplorerDS678927 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
After school one fine day, Laura went to the pond to hunt an elusive crayfish, and she might have caught it, had Jack's barking and Mary's yelling not scared the little bugger off. Mary came to call Laura back to the house, because ma's got a big announcement. The girls have been invited to a party, and not just any party: Nellie's birthday party! They were disappointed, and Caroline pulls the "how would you feel if the shoe were on the other foot" spiel. That night, during a lovely supper of corn on the cob and apple fritters, Mary gushes about finally seeing Nellie's house and if it's really the store-bought paradise she's always building it up to be. In another household, the new girl in town, Olga Nordstrom, was also invited, but her father, Jon was a bit reluctant to let her go. He knew how the other children treated her because of her handicap, they treated her as an outcast, but she was allowed to go anyway. She'll show'em; Mary, Laura and the other girls arrived at the Olesons' to celebrate yet another year of Nellie's existence promptly at 2:00. The Ingalls girls were astonished at the Olesons' living room and the birthday brat greeted them by tossing their heartfelt gifts aside, and showing off an expensive doll she received. When Laura tried to touch it, a piece of the dress came loose, though easily fixable, Nellie and Harriet acted as though the world were coming to an end. So while the other kids ran around in the yard like idiots, Laura and Olga, both feeling like outcasts and because Laura twisted her ankle coming down the stoop, went down to the pond to catch frogs. They had a ribbetting good time...sorry. So Olga enjoyed herself, but Jon was unsatisfied just because Olga only got to talk to one girl. How fickle can a guy get?
Charles and Caroline got to talking that night, due to the "success" of Nellie's party, why couldn't the girls throw their own? They thought it was a fine idea, provided they invite Nellie too. You know, "shoe on the other foot" and other such crap. Mary asks Olga to come and when she hears Nellie will be there, she admits that she pities the Oleson girl, because she was very poor on the inside. Meanwhile, Charles and Laura have one of their world famous talks, as she explains Olga's plight, having been born with one leg shorter than the other, but whenever she steps on a thick enough plank of wood, it evens it out, kind of like a horseshoe, so Charles pays the Nordstroms a visit and while grandmother Helga was cordial, Jon wouldn't give Charles the time of day. Basically the Ingalls patriarch wanted to fix Olga's shoe to give her balance, but Jon told him to buzz off. Fortunately, the sensible Helga brought the girl and her shoes to Charles, explaining that her son is an overprotective, bullheaded lout who never listens to reason. So Charles rigged the shoe, and Olga walked perfectly! So the party was on and everybody enjoyed themselves...except Nellie, naturally. But when they go wading in the creek, she's really all wet! When Jon finds out Charles rigged the shoes behind his back, he storms over to the Ingalls' place... what is this guy's problem? Does he want his daughter to stay crippled? So he confronts Charles, they wrestle in the hay, and then Jon sees how much fun Olga is having with her new friends, and a change seems to come over him. He realizes what a douchebag he'd been to everyone, and so all was well. Olga had a newfound self-esteem and she fit in with the other kids, made new friends, and was never seen or heard from again after this episode.
A very good character building episode, for both Olga and her father. It just shows that people need a helping hand here and there, and it can make a world of difference. Kim Richards was very good as Olga, as was Jan Merlin as her bullheaded father, Maya Van Horn as the ever-patient Helga, not to mention Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, Allison Arngrim and Katherine MacGregor also gave notable performances. You can really learn to despise Harriet and Nellie towards the beginning, and see just how rotten and cheeky that little girl can be. I recommend checking out this episode, as well as the rest of Little House's first season. I've critiqued each episode and I think it's a solid introductory season. Sure the first seasons of most TV shows are weak, but that's just because it's setting everything up, and while Season 1 probably isn't the show's best, it's still really good. My favorites would have to be "Money Crop", "Ma's Holiday", "100 Mile Walk", "A Harvest of Friends", "The Raccoon", "The Voice of Tinker Jones" and "Christmas at Plum Creek", with my least favorites being "Love of Johnny Johnson", "Founders' Day" and "The Award." So check this season out, you'll be glad you did.
Charles and Caroline got to talking that night, due to the "success" of Nellie's party, why couldn't the girls throw their own? They thought it was a fine idea, provided they invite Nellie too. You know, "shoe on the other foot" and other such crap. Mary asks Olga to come and when she hears Nellie will be there, she admits that she pities the Oleson girl, because she was very poor on the inside. Meanwhile, Charles and Laura have one of their world famous talks, as she explains Olga's plight, having been born with one leg shorter than the other, but whenever she steps on a thick enough plank of wood, it evens it out, kind of like a horseshoe, so Charles pays the Nordstroms a visit and while grandmother Helga was cordial, Jon wouldn't give Charles the time of day. Basically the Ingalls patriarch wanted to fix Olga's shoe to give her balance, but Jon told him to buzz off. Fortunately, the sensible Helga brought the girl and her shoes to Charles, explaining that her son is an overprotective, bullheaded lout who never listens to reason. So Charles rigged the shoe, and Olga walked perfectly! So the party was on and everybody enjoyed themselves...except Nellie, naturally. But when they go wading in the creek, she's really all wet! When Jon finds out Charles rigged the shoes behind his back, he storms over to the Ingalls' place... what is this guy's problem? Does he want his daughter to stay crippled? So he confronts Charles, they wrestle in the hay, and then Jon sees how much fun Olga is having with her new friends, and a change seems to come over him. He realizes what a douchebag he'd been to everyone, and so all was well. Olga had a newfound self-esteem and she fit in with the other kids, made new friends, and was never seen or heard from again after this episode.
A very good character building episode, for both Olga and her father. It just shows that people need a helping hand here and there, and it can make a world of difference. Kim Richards was very good as Olga, as was Jan Merlin as her bullheaded father, Maya Van Horn as the ever-patient Helga, not to mention Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, Allison Arngrim and Katherine MacGregor also gave notable performances. You can really learn to despise Harriet and Nellie towards the beginning, and see just how rotten and cheeky that little girl can be. I recommend checking out this episode, as well as the rest of Little House's first season. I've critiqued each episode and I think it's a solid introductory season. Sure the first seasons of most TV shows are weak, but that's just because it's setting everything up, and while Season 1 probably isn't the show's best, it's still really good. My favorites would have to be "Money Crop", "Ma's Holiday", "100 Mile Walk", "A Harvest of Friends", "The Raccoon", "The Voice of Tinker Jones" and "Christmas at Plum Creek", with my least favorites being "Love of Johnny Johnson", "Founders' Day" and "The Award." So check this season out, you'll be glad you did.
Olga was a good little girl
kurt782517 May 2020
Partly directed by Michael Landon; funny and touching episode
filmgoer24971113 January 2022
Charles fixes a little girl that has one leg that is longer than another new shoes. It is a touching and sometimes funny little episode, as Laura shoves Nelly into the creek. Little behind the scenes story on this, and I would not add it if not too make a point, Allison Arngrim writes that in the scene in which Nelly is pushed into the lake/pond/creek that director Alf Kjellin shot the scene with her stunt double, being pushed into the water, but then he was going to shoot a take with Allison being pushed into the water. What reason? Michael Landon evidently thought there was no reason for that either. He wanted to move on and shoot close ups of Nelly's reaction. Now in the book apparently, Arngrim is trying to criticize Michael Landon, but I agree with him. I think it would have been a not a smart move of the other director. For one, it would be a waste of film to shoot Allison after already having shot her stunt double, and it could cause the child to catch pneumonia. Michael Landon then fired Alf, after telling him he was doing his job for him, and the two of them exchanged some choice words. Michael was obviously right, and anybody that thinks otherwise would not be much of a problem solver, to put it nicely.
Town party country party
RedRainbowUnicorn2319 August 2015
This episode is good but its not one of my faves! Its Nellie's birthday and everyone is invited. On this party Laura meets a girl named Olga.She has a Liam leg.Laura tells her dad about this and he think since his horse has the same problem and he can make a special shoe for the horse that he can make her a special shoe so that she could walk normal.Her father does not want Charles's help and tells him to go away.Find out if he is going to have a change of heart by watching this episode Ps when the girls have a party of their own Nelluie is also invited and ooh does some funny things happen at the ingalls's pond!!!!! Check it out.
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