Disclaimer: I do not own the Little House on the Prairie television series, book series, or any of the characters except for the Fedorov family and Doctor White.
Note: This episode takes place during the fourth season of the television series. I know that the story runs together, but I guess ffn won't let me put astricks betweens scenes. So if you know what I can do to replace the astricks please let me know. Thanks.
It was January 1880, and the winter term of the school year had just begun. Laura was dreading going back to school. She hated sitting in the cold classroom listening to lectures that didn't interest her. Worst of all, Mary seemed to excel in every subject and Laura felt inferior to her sister. She would never be as smart or quick as Mary. Luckily, the school year was starting later than usual because Mrs. Simms and her family had traveled east for the holidays and were postponed coming back to Walnut Grove because of bad weather.
Laura was in the middle of reading her Mcguffy when a shy, blonde haired girl walked into the school. Mrs. Simms noticed the girl from across the room.
"Won't you come in?" Mrs. Simms smiled.
The girl nervously walked up to the desk. Everyone stared. When she got to the front of the room, Mrs. Simms opened her attendance book and asked for the girl's name.
"My name is Klara Fedorov." She said quietly.
"And what is your age?"
"I will be thirteen on February 8th."
"Hey that is a day after my birthday!" Laura shouted from her desk.
"Laura, get back to reading." Mrs. Simms said with a chuckle. "Klara, have you been in school before?"
"Yes, I have always gone to school."
"Alright then. You may have a seat next to Andy Garvey." She pointed to Andy.
At recess Laura, Mary, and Andy saw Klara sitting on the steps so they went over to talk to her.
"Do you mind if we sit here?" Mary asked.
"No I don't mind at all." Said Klara happily.
"So where do you come from?" Laura wanted to know. She loved finding out where people came from.
"Well, we were living in Duluth, Minnesota, but then my Papa found out there was better land here."
"You don't sound like you are American." Andy bluntly stated.
"My parents are immigrants. They came from Russia." Klara explained.
They all started to talk about where there families came from when Nellie and Willie Oleson decided to join in on the conversation.
"Klara are you related to the Ingall's family? You look an awful lot like Mary." Said Willie.
Klara smiled. "No, I don't think so. My family is Russian."
"You don't look Russian. Laura looks more Russian than you."
"I do not!" Laura argued. It seemed like she was always arguing with Willie.
"Admit it Laura, you don't look like the rest of your family. You were probably adopted or something." Nellie laughed as she and her brother walked away.
This had always bothered Laura. She knew she didn't look like the rest of her family. She had similar features of her Pa, but even still she felt like she didn't belong. Once the Ingall's had a family portrait taken. When Laura had looked at the picture she seemed so out of place. And people before had asked her if she was adopted. Certainly she wasn't adopted, or was she?
"Mary, are you sure I am not adopted?" Laura asked on the way home.
"Yes, Laura I am pretty sure you aren't adopted. I was too young to remember though, but I wouldn't think you were. Don't let what Nellie says bother you. She just likes to make you mad."
"I know, but you have to admit I don't look like the rest of the family. I mean Klara looks more like an Ingalls than I do!"
"Maybe so, but that's just irony."
"Laura, you hardly ate anything and you have been awfully quiet. Is there something wrong?" Ma asked at supper.
"Laura thinks she was adopted!" Carrie laughed.
Charles glanced at Caroline. "What makes you think that half-pint?"
"Nellie said that I looked Russian and that the new girl at school looked more like an Ingalls than I do."
"Laura, you can't let Nellie trouble you like that. I promise you weren't adopted." Pa said.
"Well, I feel out of place. I'm not as smart as Ma or Mary and I don't have blonde hair."
"Wait just one minute. You are plenty smart, and Carrie and I don't have blonde hair either. God made you the way you are and had you placed in this family for a reason, Laura. It's okay to be a little different; that's what makes you unique." Pa explained.
"That's right Laura. Sometimes I wish I had more of my own look. Everyone always says I look like Ma, which is a compliment, but sometimes I want to look like Mary." Mary tried to comfort her sister.
"Laura, if you really want proof that you were not adopted, go to the hospital in Pepin. They have the papers." Said Ma.
"Ma, I didn't know I was born in a hospital."
"I became sick a few weeks before you were born, so I was in the hospital when you came."
"Oh, how come you never told me before?"
" I guess there was never a reason to tell you."
"Class, we are going to start a new subject." Mrs. Simms announced to her students a few weeks into the school term. "We are going to take each state and learn its capital, population, and some of its contributions to the whole country. Does anyone have a state they would like to start off with?"
Klara raised her hand.
"Yes, Klara?"
"Well, I lived in Wisconsin for some time, so I know a lot of information about that state."
Laura's eyes widened. "We lived in Wisconsin too!" She exclaimed.
"Really what city?" Klara asked.
"We lived in the Big Woods, near Pepin."
"Oh, I lived near Pepin also, but not in the woods."
Nellie coughed. "She's an Ingalls."
Mrs. Simms interrupted their conversation. "Alright, save your discussions for recess. We will start with Wisconsin."
"You're really from Pepin?" Laura asked Klara at recess.
"Yes, I am. We lived there for ten years. How long did you live there?"
"We moved when I was seven."
"I think it is ironic that we have similar birthdays and were both born near the same place, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Maybe it's more than ironic." A voice came from behind them. It was Nellie.
"Nellie, why don't you learn keep to your own business!"
"Laura, your just mad because you know I'm right."
"Right about what Nellie?"
"Right about that fact that you were adopted."
Mary decided to speak up. "It just so happens that you are wrong about Laura being adopted. She was born in the hospital and there are papers to prove that she is a real Ingalls."
"You were born in a hospital?" Klara asked.
"Yes. Why were you?" Laura asked nervously.
"No, but a few days after I was born I was put into the hospital because I was sick with a high fever."
Before Nellie could comment the bell rang.
Laura walked over to Klara. "This is kind of strange. Why don't you come over for dinner tonight so we can find out some stuff."
"Okay, I will have to check with my Poppa first."
Laura waited by window for Klara. Mary knew why Laura had invited Klara over, but promised not to say anything. If Ma and Pa knew what was going on they would think Laura was crazy. But Laura knew something wasn't right, but what was it?
Finally Klara came. The family sat down to a nice meal of salted pork, corn, and bread. Laura noticed that Klara made some of the same gestures of Mary, and Ma. And she knew that the rest of her family noticed also.
"Ma, did you know Klara was born near Pepin a day after me?" Laura asked.
"Yes, you told me that many times." Ma smiled.
"She was put in the hospital because she had a fever." Laura continued.
"Oh, that's too bad." Ma was tired of hearing Laura repeat herself. "So, Klara, where did you say your parents are from again?"
"They are from Russia and they moved here not long before I was born."
"Well, I am glad they came over here. I am looking forward to meeting your Pa on Sunday at church." Charles said.
"Sir, I don't think you will see my Papa at church. We are Jewish."
No one said anything. Finally Charles spoke up. "Oh, well maybe I will see him around town sometime."
"Actually, he is picking me up at your farm soon. He didn't want me walking home in the dark."
"We could have given you a ride home."
"I know, but it was plenty to have me over for dinner."
Just then there was a knock at the door. Charles got up to answer it.
"Momma, Papa!" Klara got up from the table and gave her parents a hug.
Klara's father introduced himself. "Hello, I am Grigory Fedorov and this is my wife, Natasha."
"It's nice too meet you." Charles shook his hand. "I am Charles." He pointed to the table. "This is my wife Caroline, my daughters Mary and Carrie, and you probably have heard of this one, Laura."
Mr. and Mrs. Fedorov were silent. They stared at Laura.
"Grigory, she looks like Reggie." Natasha commented.
"I know." Grigory agreed.
"Could someone tell me what is going on here?" Charles asked.
"We had another daughter named Reggie. She died of a plague back in Russia when she was ten. She looks just like Laura.
"And Klara looks like Mary!" Carrie remarked.
"I think we better find a time to talk about all of this." Caroline said.
They all stared at the picture in disbelief. Reggie looked exactly like Laura.
"Laura said that Klara was put in the hospital soon after she was born." Caroline said trying to find answers to this bizarre circumstance.
"Yes, she was, about two days after she was born. She had a horrible fever and we didn't want the same thing that happened to Reggie happen to Klara." Natasha explained.
"How long was she in the hospital?"
"February 13."
"That's the day Laura and I were released. Was your doctor's name doctor White?"
"Why, yes, it was. I had forgotten about that, but now that you say the name I think that is right."
"Charles, do you think it is possible that Laura and Klara were switched by accident?"
"Caroline, I don't think so. I mean it's probably just some sort of irony."
"Pa, I don't think it is irony. This picture looks just like me. If you look at our family portrait I am standing the same way and smiling the same way as Reggie. I have this sense that I am related to the Fedorov's."
"Charles, as much as I don't want this to be true, I think it is." Said Caroline.
"But she's our daughter Caroline."
"I know, and she will always be our daughter. But she is the Fedorov's daughter also."
"We don't know that for a fact. We are going to ask Doctor White first."
"Charles, Doctor White probably doesn't work anymore. And I don't think he would know anyway."
"That's right. He wouldn't know." Said Grigory. "Since Laura is our daughter, we want her to live with us."
"No, Laura has lived with us for this long and she will continue to live with us." Said Charles sternly
"She will live with us." Grigory argued back at Charles.
"If she lives with you than Klara is going to live with us."
"Fine."
"You mean you will give up your own daughter?"
"She isn't my daughter. Laura is and Klara is your daughter. So I guess that means you don't want your daughter since you won't take Klara."
Tears started to stream down Laura's face. "Stop! I don't want to live with the Fedorov's! I want to live with the Ingall's! And I am sure Klara would rather live with the Fedorov's. Wouldn't you Klara?"
"Actually, I would rather live with the Ingalls."
"There. Come on Laura, you are coming with us." Said Grigory.
"No, I'm not! You can't take me away from my family. Klara can come live with us if she is so unhappy with you all, but I'm not changing my whole identity just because of some mistake that happened thirteen years ago." Laura was furious.
"If you want Laura so badly, then you will just have to fight us in court for her!" Charles commanded.
Mary came up with an idea. "Or better yet, why don't you have Doctor Baker take a blood test to make sure Laura and Klara were really switched. And if they were then you can switch them back."
"I like that idea. Tomorrow we will find out. And Mr. Ingalls if Laura is really my Klara, we will be taking her away." Grigory slammed the door behind him.
"Mary, why on earth did you say that?" Caroline asked in disbelief. "We are almost certain that Laura is their daughter."
"I know Ma, but we can tell Doctor Baker to lie. He wouldn't want to see Laura leave."
And Doctor Baker did just that. The Fedorov's took Klara and moved away. Laura was happy to be with the family she grew up with. She couldn't believe though that she was really Klara Fedorov. That name didn't suite her at all. As they drove back home Laura looked forward to the cake they were going to have later that night. It was Laura's thirteenth birthday, or at least the birthday she had always thought was her own.