I know they were making a story, but this action was extremely out of character for Mary to go along with ...
5 Reviews
Story
drexmaverick6 June 2019
Not for sale
mitchrmp11 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Reverend Alden's birthday is coming up and the Sunday School class has gathered a lot of money (About $1.70). Mary is put in charge of buying the gift. After the kids vote on a new Bible, Mary promises to order it. Unfortunately, she involves Laura in the decision.
Laura wants to get the Reverend the best Bible they can get. They can't afford the "best," so Laura comes up with an idea. While looking through the catalog, she discovers Dr. Briskin's Homeopathic Remedies. She gets the idea they can order it, sell the bottles, and have enough money to buy the most expensive Bible.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out as it did. They tried to sell them, but people were too poor and just simply didn't want them. They even tried to hit up Mrs. Beadle. But my favorite was when Laura dressed up like a beggar and tried to convince a woman that her mother was dead and her father sick.
A big lesson is learned in this episode. I think the hardest was the medicine they had to swallow by telling their father what they had done. Or maybe it was telling the preacher himself...
Laura wants to get the Reverend the best Bible they can get. They can't afford the "best," so Laura comes up with an idea. While looking through the catalog, she discovers Dr. Briskin's Homeopathic Remedies. She gets the idea they can order it, sell the bottles, and have enough money to buy the most expensive Bible.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out as it did. They tried to sell them, but people were too poor and just simply didn't want them. They even tried to hit up Mrs. Beadle. But my favorite was when Laura dressed up like a beggar and tried to convince a woman that her mother was dead and her father sick.
A big lesson is learned in this episode. I think the hardest was the medicine they had to swallow by telling their father what they had done. Or maybe it was telling the preacher himself...
How Not to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
ExplorerDS67895 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
With Reverend Alden's birthday looming on the horizon, five weeks to be exact, the Sunday school class decide to use the money in their treasury to buy him the perfect gift: a brand spankin' new Bible with all the trimmings. The daunting task of ordering said Bible was bestowed upon Mary, the treasurer. She and Laura will have to hurry and order it because Nellie was once again ahead of the game. Rather than contribute her share to the treasury, she and Willie decided to get their own gift, and in this case, it was a new, revolutionary Bible with gold lettering on the cover, steel engravings, and pictures. However, one mustn't judge the Good Book by its cover. That evening, Mary and Laura perused a catalog with many selections of Bibles, wondering what kind they could possibly purchase for only $1.67, which was still a lot of money back in those days. Momentarily turning away from the Bibles, Laura discovered an ad for Dr. Briskin's Homeopathic Remedies and tries to sell Mary on the idea: if they sold these medicines, they could turn a profit and double their money. And why not? It includes the cure for the flu! Not to mention whooping cough and Pepsi-ah...whatever that is. After much convincing, Mary finally agreed to invest in the homeopathic remedies. Laura was sure they would double their money... I can't see this going right at all.
When the box'o miracle cures finally arrives, Mary and Laura set about their mission of selling them. Needless to say they have a lousy first day as both girls get rudely blown off by would-be customers. So they go back to the barn where they start pointing fingers and pouting. But did they give up? Heck no, they learned of a clever sales ploy from a Mr. Faubus (Little House's answer to Mr. Haney from Green Acres) to put on a sob story in order to properly peddle your goods. Dishonesty is not the best policy, but it's better than nothing. Laura tries it on an old lady, but ends up getting taken herself. Does everybody in Walnut Grove know something they don't? Do they know that Briskin's a phony? Or maybe everybody's just an asshole? Anyway, never knowing when to quit, Laura found an old burlap sack and dressed like a cavewoman to give it one more go. She poured on the heartache: her ma was dead, her pa was real sick, her baby siblings were starving. That didn't work either since this would-be chump knew Laura and her family, and how stupid is it to say you've got the cure for every disease when your father is sick? Anyway, come Reverend Alden's birthday the girls were without a present, but many unsold bottles of elixirs. They feigned illness to get out of church, but Charles saw right through them when they mispronounced their disease. They spilled the beans to their pa, who said they had to own up to it. So, reluctantly, Mary and Laura did go to church and confess the matter to Reverend Alden. Regardless of their misdeed, he knew they were both sorry and had learned a powerful lesson from all this, and in his service that day, he addressed it. Seems the reverend liked the girls' gift moreso than the Olesons' Bible, which is what everybody seems to give a reverend on his birthday, so they also get points for originality. As for the medicine, Alden used the case to store his Bible, so it was not all in vain. The gift of love is the greatest gift of all. Happy birthday, Reverend.
Good episode. One of the series' finest. It really shows Mary and Laura being kids, and you know how kids are: irresponsible with money, trying to do things like the grown ups do them but not quite getting it, they have good intentions even when they do bad deeds...most of the time. Melissas Gilbert and Sue Anderson were very cute and also performed very well, they're so believable as sisters even if they didn't have a similar relationship in real life (I hear they were distant off camera), and also good was Dabbs Greer, very powerful in the latter half of this episode. You think he's really angry over the gift snafu, only to later realize it touched him deeply. Now as or the medicines, you have to wonder why Mary and Laura didn't try selling them to people they knew? Like Mr. Edwards or Mr. Hanson? Maybe because they knew them too well and might tell their parents? Perhaps. Anyway The Gift is a great episode as well as a very good lesson for children: selling drugs is NOT the way to get money.
When the box'o miracle cures finally arrives, Mary and Laura set about their mission of selling them. Needless to say they have a lousy first day as both girls get rudely blown off by would-be customers. So they go back to the barn where they start pointing fingers and pouting. But did they give up? Heck no, they learned of a clever sales ploy from a Mr. Faubus (Little House's answer to Mr. Haney from Green Acres) to put on a sob story in order to properly peddle your goods. Dishonesty is not the best policy, but it's better than nothing. Laura tries it on an old lady, but ends up getting taken herself. Does everybody in Walnut Grove know something they don't? Do they know that Briskin's a phony? Or maybe everybody's just an asshole? Anyway, never knowing when to quit, Laura found an old burlap sack and dressed like a cavewoman to give it one more go. She poured on the heartache: her ma was dead, her pa was real sick, her baby siblings were starving. That didn't work either since this would-be chump knew Laura and her family, and how stupid is it to say you've got the cure for every disease when your father is sick? Anyway, come Reverend Alden's birthday the girls were without a present, but many unsold bottles of elixirs. They feigned illness to get out of church, but Charles saw right through them when they mispronounced their disease. They spilled the beans to their pa, who said they had to own up to it. So, reluctantly, Mary and Laura did go to church and confess the matter to Reverend Alden. Regardless of their misdeed, he knew they were both sorry and had learned a powerful lesson from all this, and in his service that day, he addressed it. Seems the reverend liked the girls' gift moreso than the Olesons' Bible, which is what everybody seems to give a reverend on his birthday, so they also get points for originality. As for the medicine, Alden used the case to store his Bible, so it was not all in vain. The gift of love is the greatest gift of all. Happy birthday, Reverend.
Good episode. One of the series' finest. It really shows Mary and Laura being kids, and you know how kids are: irresponsible with money, trying to do things like the grown ups do them but not quite getting it, they have good intentions even when they do bad deeds...most of the time. Melissas Gilbert and Sue Anderson were very cute and also performed very well, they're so believable as sisters even if they didn't have a similar relationship in real life (I hear they were distant off camera), and also good was Dabbs Greer, very powerful in the latter half of this episode. You think he's really angry over the gift snafu, only to later realize it touched him deeply. Now as or the medicines, you have to wonder why Mary and Laura didn't try selling them to people they knew? Like Mr. Edwards or Mr. Hanson? Maybe because they knew them too well and might tell their parents? Perhaps. Anyway The Gift is a great episode as well as a very good lesson for children: selling drugs is NOT the way to get money.
its the reverend Aldens birthday!
RedRainbowUnicorn233 October 2015
So the sundayschool children have collected money over a period of time to buy Reverend Robert Alden a nice present for his birthday!! At the end of the collection they decide that Mary should be the one to pick out a present. So she quickly decide that they should give him a new Bible since his old one is falling apart. As the olesons are Nellie and Willie doent want to help bc their mother says that their different than the other children.(You can just shake heads) At home Mary look up bibles in the catalog and finds one for $1,50c.With still 12c to spear. But Laura finds a bible which has golden letters of the the name of the person you're given it too in printed in the front and the back. But its cost $3. Mary tells Laura that they don't have that money. So "smart" Laura sees an ad in the catalog. That if you order this medicine cabinet and sell all of it they could double their money. So the idea pops in to laura's head that if they order this medicines for $1,50c they could make $3 and buy that grand Bible. Mary is totally against it and Tells Laura that its not their money. But later gives in of Laura's nagging. They order the medicine. But once they have it.......... Check this episode out and see what happens. Thiers a good lesson in this one! Memorable lines: Laura:"Nellie and Willie why don't you give money same as the other children?" Nellie:"my mother says that were different than the other children" Laura"I guess she's right" 2nd one! Laura:whe should not have ordered this" Mary;"well you told me too" Laura:"well your older you should have not listen to me" (facepalm)(always excuses its hiler) This episode is good but not outstanding.
Now continue to season2 episode 12
Now continue to season2 episode 12
Midseason filler....
cbest-3481322 September 2020
Although I am fan of "life lesson' episodes.....this one falls a little flat for me. Just not alot of character development, and the rivalry between the Olesons have seen better days. I am a fan of Rev. Alden, but this episodes is somewhat of a slog for me. Overall, not my favorite
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