Season 1 Episode 15 “Family Quarrel”- Little House on the Prairie

Mr. Oleson is outside the family store putting his new hound dog on the porch. Mrs. Oleson is annoyed about the dog and gets angry with Mr. Oleson for continuing to drink cough medicine when he doesn’t have a cough any more. She believes he’s drinking it for the alcohol. The two are bickering when Mrs. Ingalls comes into the store to sell her chicken eggs. Mrs. Oleson decides not to pay Mrs. Ingalls full price for the eggs. When Mrs. Ingalls begins to protest, Mr. Oleson becomes angry at his wife all over again and calls her a mean woman that likes making people’s lives miserable. Mrs. Oleson responds to his comment by taking the basket of eggs that Mrs. Ingalls has brought and smashing it on her husband’s head.

Back home, Caroline tells the whole story to Charles who can’t help but laugh about the episode. Caroline feels somewhat responsible for the quarrel, but Charles has a hard time consoling her between fits of laughter over the whole situation. He assures Caroline that the Oleson’s always fight and not to worry about it.

After the quarrel, Mr. and Mrs. Oleson refuse to speak to each other. Mr. Oleson is the first to break the silence and asks his wife if they could try to be kinder to each other. He compliments her and she softens with his remarks. She agrees to be less harsh, but before their conversation is over, they become a little too honest with each other about certain personality traits which leave them angry again!

Mrs. Ingalls has been thinking of some way to help the Oleson’s work out their differences. She decides that she will invite the Oleson kids over for a few days so Mr. and Mrs. Oleson can have some time to themselves to work out their issues.

The next day, Mr. Oleson has packed his bags and takes his dog to the local hotel. The Ingalls girls see him go there and tell their parents about it. Caroline is even more upset about the situation and is determined to try and help the Olesons. She goes into the Oleson’s store as soon as it opens. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Oleson are working together in the store, but not speaking to each other. It seems that the whole town has come to the store to see what will happen next between the two. Charles gives Mr. Oleson a pep talk to encourage him to work it out with his wife. Caroline begins complimenting Mrs. Oleson about all the hard work that she does and asks Mrs. Oleson if she could have the Oleson kids stay at her home in order to give her a break. Mrs. Oleson is about to accept the offer but decides to decline.

At church, Mr. and Mrs. Oleson are not sitting together. The Reverend asks them to stay after the meeting so he can counsel them about there marital problems. The discussion does not go well and the couple ends up fighting with each other again. The whole church congregation watch the two of them leave separately.

Soon the town doctor decides he can help the Oleson’s work out their problems. He convinces Mr. Hansen, the mill owner to pretend he likes Mrs. Oleson so that Mr. Oleson will become jealous and want his wife back. Mr. Hansen goes to the Oleson store to give Mrs. Oleson some flowers. She is highly offended by his advances and decides she is so humiliated that she must leave Walnut Grove now.

Caroline hears about the whole situation and is very agitated about the Doctor’s approach to solve the problem. Mary and Laura feel bad for the Oleson kids and Mary convinces Laura to be nice to them at school. Caroline and Charles come up with a plan to get the couple back together.

Back in town, Mr. Hansen gives Mr. Oleson a trunk for his wife to use on her trip back East. Mr. Hansen apologizes for his behavior towards Mrs. Oleson. Caroline and Charles come to town to talk to the Oleson’s separately. Caroline helps Mrs. Oleson pack her bags and begins telling Mrs. Oleson that she is doing the right thing by leaving Mr. Oleson. Caroline continues to point out Mr. Oleson’s faults and what a strong woman Mrs. Oleson must be to have put up with him for so long. As the conversation continues, Mrs. Oleson starts defending her husband and recalls all the good things about him. She realizes that she really doesn’t want to leave him.

Meanwhile, Charles is having the same sort of conversation with Mr. Olsen, who also discovers that he does still love his wife and is determined to not let her leave. He and Mrs. Oleson reconcile and everything goes back to the way it was before the quarrel!