Season 1 Episode 11 “The Voice of Tinker Jones”- Little House on the Prairie

Mr. Tinker Jones comes to the Ingalls’ home to sell them some kitchen pots. He makes very nice pots, pans, and toys. He can not speak and has a difficult time hearing but he is kind and friendly to all. He gives the Ingalls’ girls toys that he has made. They all love him very much and wonder where his family is and wish he could speak.

When the Ingalls go to church that Sunday, the Reverend suggests that the congregation take up a collection so they can buy a bell for their church. Some of the people want to donate a little but Mrs. Oleson wants to buy a very big bell and have a plaque made dedicating it to her family. Many of the members of the congregation are apposed to this idea and they begin to argue with those who think it’s a fine idea. Soon there becomes a division in the congregation. The Reverend is worried about this split and feels that he caused the problem by suggesting the idea of a bell. He thinks he should find a new Reverend for Walnut Grove because he has caused such a division. Charles Ingalls decides to call a town meeting to discuss the bell again and come to a compromise.

The townspeople all meet again to discuss the church bell topic. Mrs. Oleson becomes angry that there are people who don’t want them to buy the whole bell by themselves. Most of the members want to contribute too so it will be a group effort. Mrs. Oleson storms out of the meeting, causing others to become very upset. Again, no decision is made and all the parents are angry with one another.

The next day at school, the children are very sad. Their parents have told them they can’t play with certain children because of angry feelings towards their parents. This also begins to effect church attendance. The Reverend tells the congregation that he will not be preaching to them any more.

This is very upsetting to Mrs. Ingalls, so she decides to go talk to the wife of one of the men that is so angry about the bell dispute. She is having a nice visit with Mrs. Kennedy when Mr. Kennedy comes into the house and rudely tells her to drop the subject of the bell because it’s a bad idea and he doesn’t want it to be bought by anyone now. Mrs. Ingalls becomes angry at how stubborn Mr. Kennedy is behaving and is all the more determined to get a bell for the church.

Since all the school kids are forbidden by their parents to associate with certain other kids, they all begin visiting Tinker Jones because none of the parents say they can’t visit him. Soon all the kids are meeting at Tinker’s home and watching him make toys from metal. They all love their toys very much but some kids start arguing and then call each other’s parents names because their parents are mad at each other. Tinker makes them all stop arguing and shows them that they are all acting like their parents too. The children are sad and wish their parents would agree on getting a bell for the church. Tinker has an idea that they should make the bell themselves! He tells all the kids with a drawing he has made of his plan.

The kids all help by gathering as much tin and metal as possible so they can melt it down and make a bell. They work all week before and after school gathering metals and firewood for the smelting. They all contribute their own toys made of metal for the bell. On Saturday, the children spend the whole day helping and watching Tinker melt the metal and pour it into the bell mold. By the end of the day, the bell is finished and ready to be used. Tinker mounts it to the church in the night.

Early the next morning the townspeople hear a bell ringing. They all gather at the church to see what is going on. Some of the people are very excited and the Reverend, who has come for one last visit, is happy too. Not all the people are happy about the bell and they begin arguing again about it, accusing others of getting it behind their backs. Tinker interrupts the bickering and tries to explain through hand actions how they got the bell. The children help explain that they all made it. The people realize how silly they have been to fight over such a thing and resolve their disputes and go to church together again!