The Ingalls and Oleson's sat down with Mr. Brick and went over every aspect of the experiment. They agreed on the terms and were ready to change their lives as they knew it.
Week 1
Caroline nervously opened the door to the Oleson's parlor. As she walked in she noticed a paper on the table. The paper contained a list of rules Harriet had left for her. Caroline was required to do the same thing for her house. She sat down on the sofa and read the rules.
Rule 1: The children are allowed to eat as much candy as they wish. Even if Nels says no, they may eat the candy anyway.
Rule 2: If the children are upset about their homework it is not required for them to finish. I will always finish their homework for them.
Rule 3: Nels must clean up the house every other day. He also must cook dinner at least four times a week.
Rule 4: The children may stay up until ten o'clock.
Rule 5: Do not discipline the children. Tell them what they did was wrong, but do not punish them for there mistakes.
These rules are insane. Caroline thought. No wonder Nellie and Willie act the way they do. I can't wait until it is my turn to change these rules. Maybe there will be hope for the kids when I do.
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Harriet had a disgusted look on her face as she entered the Ingalls home. She spotted the rules on their table and sat down to read.
Rule 1: When Mary and Laura come home from school they must immediately do their chores. If there is time for play before dinner they are allowed, but they must be home in time for dinner. And after they finish the dishes they must spend the rest of the evening doing their homework.
Rule 2: First thing in the morning, I make breakfast for everyone. After breakfast, I clean the dishes and send the girls off to school and Charles off to work. When everyone has left I take the eggs (which Mary should have collected before breakfast) into town. When I come home, I do housework and take care of Carrie.
Rule 3: The girls are not allowed to eat any candy before supper, and if they eat candy afterwards they are only allowed two pieces each.
Rule 4: Mary and Laura are to be ready for bed at eight o' clock. Carrie should be ready for bed at 7 o' clock.
Rule 5: If the girls do anything wrong, make sure they are punished and learn their lesson.
I should have Caroline arrested for the way she treats her family. I never heard of such strict rules! Harriet was shocked.
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"Give me my hat, Nellie!" Willie yelled as he ran after his sister.
"No way, Willie." Nellie jumped on the sofa and taunted her brother throwing the hat across the room. "There, go fetch!"
Caroline walked into the parlor. "Nellie get off that sofa right now!"
"Why? Mother always allows us to jump on the furniture."
"Well, I don't like that. You better go outside and play before anything breaks."
"It's our house. And aren't you supposed to follow our rules this week?"
Caroline sighed. "Fine. Do as you wish." She walked back into the kitchen.
"Nellie, mother never lets us play inside!" Willie said.
"I know that, but Mrs. Ingalls doesn't know that, does she?"
Willie smiled. They knew they were going to get away with so much this week.
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"Mrs. Oleson, do you need help with supper?" Mary asked after she and Laura had finished their chores.
"Oh, no. I think I have it all under control." Harriet said as she tried to air away the smoke coming from the oven.
"It doesn't look like you have it all under control." Laura commented.
"Well, I do. Now, why don't you two go off and play until supper is ready.
"We can't." Said Mary.
"And why is that?" Asked Mrs. Oleson.
"Because it's raining."
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"Children, supper is ready!" Caroline yelled across the house.
Nellie and Willie appeared at the table. "Mrs. Ingalls we aren't hungry for supper tonight. We ate so much candy." Willie explained.
"If you are not hungry, then you will sit here and wait until we are finished eating." Nels scolded his children.
"But father, we aren't hungry so why should we waste time watching other people eat?" Nellie argued.
"I guess you will think before you stuff your face with candy again, won't you?" Said Nels sharply.
Nellie burst into tears and ran up to her room.
"I'm sorry Caroline. As you can see Nellie is very spoiled. She usually doesn't eat candy before supper, but I think she and Willie are testing you. Isn't that right Willie?"
Willie looked down at the ground. "Maybe I will eat after all."
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"Half-Pint what's the matter?" Pa asked as he saw a discouraged face on Laura.
"I can't seem to get this math problem. I hate fractions!"
"Let me see what you are working on Laura." Harriet said taking Laura's tablet.
Laura watched as Harriet figured out the problem, and then she started to work on the rest of Laura's work.
"Mrs. Oleson, what are you doing?" Laura asked.
"It looks like you didn't understand your homework at all, so I will finish it for you."
"Oh, no, that's okay. Thank you, but I really need to learn how to do this myself." Laura said as she took her tablet back.
I can't wait until next week when Mrs. Oleson can do all my homework for me! Laura thought to herself.
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Caroline opened the window. It was past daybreak. She was late getting up. She hurriedly went downstairs to start breakfast but as she walked into the dinning room she saw Nels already setting the breakfast table.
"I am so sorry, Nels. I woke up later than usual." Caroline apologized.
"Don't worry, I always cook breakfast." Nels said comfortingly.
"I don't see how you manage to cook, clean, and run the store."
"I'm used to it. Do you mind finishing the eggs? I need to make sure the kids are awake."
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"Mrs. Oleson, Mrs. Oleson, wake up!" Laura and Mary shouted.
"Huh?" Harriet was confused.
"You should have been up hours ago! You are supposed to do what our Ma does. She gets up way before the sun. You need to get up now and get breakfast ready." Laura scolded.
Crankily, Harriet cooked and burnt yet another meal.
"We better be off to school." Mary said looking out the window. "I left the eggs on the counter for you to take into town."
"Why don't you take the eggs into town? You are going in that direction anyway." Harriet reasoned.
"Yes, but that is not our responsibility. The only times we take in the eggs are if our parents are out of town, Ma is sick, or something like that."
"And why does your Ma go through all the trouble of taking the eggs into town if you can do it yourselves?"
"Because..." Mary stopped herself.
"Because you always trick us with the prices." Laura finished.
Harriet felt ashamed. "Well, you better go off to school then."
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Harriet walked into the Mercantile with the egg basket. Caroline was in the backroom and saw her coming.
"Mommy!" Carrie said as she gave her Ma a hug.
"Hi, Carrie!" Caroline exclaimed.
"Come home!" Demanded Carrie.
"I can't Carrie. I will be home soon though, okay? Tell your sisters I said hi."
"Okay."
"How are you today Mrs. Oleson?" Caroline asked.
"Tired." Replied Harriet. "Please don't tell me Nels has you running the store."
"I am only doing what I signed up to do."
"Well, don't make any mistakes."
"Mrs. Oleson, may I take your eggs?"
"You may."
"Would you like cash or would you like me to mark it in the books."
"Mark it in the books please."
"Okay. Is that all?"
"No, I need some flour, dough, and pain medication."
Caroline collected the items. "That will be thirty cents."
"I know how much it costs."
"Oh, really? Then you should know that you don't have that money to spend."
Harriet remembered she was on the Ingalls budget and did not have thirty cents. "Never mind. I will make due with what I have at your house."
Harriet was about to go crazy and it was only the second day.