Season 1 Episode 6 “If I Should Wake Before I Die”- Little House on the Prairie

The Ingalls have invited Miss Matty to their home for the day while Charles is helping her room-mate, Miss Amy Hurn, to decorate their home for Matty’s 80th birthday. Laura and the girls love to watch Miss Matty play the auto-harp and listen to her sing.

Miss Matty is hoping that her daughter, Eliza, will show up to the birthday party. She receives a letter from her daughter saying she won’t be able to attend. It breaks Miss Matty’s heart and soon after she dies.

Miss Amy Hurn, is now alone and soon it will be her 80th birthday too. She has not seen her three children in many years and one son she has not heard from in 15 years. She believes he could be dead because he left to fight in the “Indian Wars” long ago. She decides that the only way she’ll be able to get her kids to visit is to pretend that she died because they will have to come to the wake and funeral for it is a sin if they don’t.

Miss Amy makes the Doctor and Charles Ingalls and family promise to help her with this plan. They all think she’s crazy, but they promised her so they reluctantly help her with her plan. The townspeople all think that she died as well. The Ingalls keep Miss Amy at their home while they prepare for the wake. They even get the priest from Mankato to come and speak at her funeral.

The day of the wake soon arrives, which is also Miss Amy’s birthday. She is dressed in black with a black veil on so no one recognizes her. The priest thinks she is an old friend of Miss Amy’s and introduces her as such. The Ingalls are very anxious about the whole affair and hope that Miss Amy’s family arrives. Soon her daughter, with her children, come in, with the eldest son of Miss Amy. They are happy to see each other and talk about their memories of their mother.

Miss Amy stands in the background listening to her children. Finally, Miss Amy’s son, who she hasn’t seen for 15 years, arrives as well. There is a joyous reunion among the siblings. Miss Amy can’t hold back any longer and lifts her veil to reveal that she is indeed still alive. Her children are shocked and a bit angry at their mother’s plan to get them together. She scolds them for not visiting, especially the youngest son, and explains that she wanted to see them all before she died! They all realize how foolish everyone has been and hug one another. It turns out to be a joyous birthday party after all!