Chapter 4

The week finally ended, and a new one was about to begin. Caroline and Harriet were very happy to change the rules.

Harriet had the Ingalls family sit at the dinner table and wait for her as she looked over her rules once more.

"Are we going to start yet?" Laura bluntly asked.

"Laura, don't be so rude." Charles scolded.

"Actually, Charles, that brings up my first rule. I think the children should be able to say whatever they want to say without being scolded. After all, they are only children."

"Harriet," Charles started, "I don't think…"

She interrupted him. "Now, Charles, remember these are my rules, not yours." Harriet looked at him sternly. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. For my second rule, I think the bedtime should be at Ten O'clock. Eight O'clock is too early. They barely have any free time when they have to go to bed so early. Oh, and they can have all the candy and help with their homework they want. But I do think Mary and Laura should start helping prepare supper. As for you Charles, you do not do enough housework around this place! Poor Caroline works hard all day. The least you could do is sweep up the floor every now and then."

"Harriet, I work hard on the farm and at the mill everyday. I hardly make it home in time for supper. How am I supposed to help out around here?"

"Yeah Mrs. Oleson, Pa works all day. He does not need more work to do when he gets home." Laura protested.

"That doesn't matter. These are my rules and you are going to follow them. Besides it is only a week. I put up with your rules for a week, so the least you could do is put up with my rules for a week."

Charles sighed. "Are those all your rules?"

Harriet looked at her paper. "Actually, yes, that is all."

"Laura, we should probably go get ready for bed. It is getting late." Mary said as she picked up her schoolwork.

"Mary, we don't have to go to bed now. We have a couple more hours to stay up and do whatever we wish!"

Mary smiled. "Oh, I forgot already!"

"These rules are going to be fun!" Laura smirked.

"Now, hold on, don't get too used to these new rules. Starting next week things are going to go back to the way they were." Charles reminded his family.

----

Nellie, Willie, and Nels sat on the sofa as they anxiously waited for the rules to be read. Caroline finally came out of the dinning room with the rules.

"Well," She smiled, "I suppose I better begin. First of all, Nellie and Willie need to help around the house. As soon as school lets out I want the both of you to be home and ready to help me with housework.."

"Father, don't let her do this to us!" Willie yelled.

Nels smiled. "Sorry Willie, I can't do anything about these rules."

Caroline continued. "After supper, I want you," she pointed to Willie, "and Nellie to work on your homework without my help. Now, if you don't understand a problem I can help you with that, or if you need to recite a passage to me I will help you with that. But I will not do your homework for either of you.

"Do you want me to fail school?" Nellie asked sharply.

"No, but I want you to start relying on yourself instead of others. Oh, by the way, if you go to bed earlier, which you are going to this week, you might think clearer and improve in your schoolwork. Your new bedtime is at Eight O'clock. You won't be eating as much sugary food either. It is unhealthy, and that is probably why you aren't ready for bed at a decent hour. As for you Nels, I want you to discipline your kids when they do something wrong. Do not just give them warnings."

"I think I can do that." Nels agreed.

"Is that the only rule father is getting?" Willie asked.

"Yes, it is." Caroline answered. "Oh, I won't be helping in the Mercantile though."

Nels nodded his head. "I understand."

"How come he only has one rule?" Nellie wondered.

"Because your pa does enough work. It is time for him to have a break." Caroline reasoned.

"Are you finished yet?" Willie asked, in a rude tone.

"I am finished. Now, you should start to get ready for bed."

Nellie stormed up the stairs crying and Willie just sat there.

"You know," Willie started, "it's bad enough having to stand in the corner all day at school, but now I have to come home and do work all afternoon and homework all night. You are a slave driver!"

"William Oleson!" Nels yelled.

Willie's eyes opened big. He had never heard his father yell at him like this before.

"You apologize at once."

"I'm sorry." Willie mumbled.

"Get upstairs now!" Nels snatched his belt as Willie ran up to his room.

Caroline laughed. "My rules are working already!"

----

"Laura, Laura, wake up." Mary nudged her sister.

"Huh? What's going on?" Laura asked, groggily.

"You feel asleep. We are at school. We are supposed to be reading right now."

Miss Beadle heard commotion coming from the left side of the classroom. She looked up and saw Mary and Laura talking.

"Is there a problem girls?" She asked.

"No, M'am. We just didn't get much sleep last night." Mary explained.

"Oh, I see. Well, make sure you get plenty of rest tonight. There is a test tomorrow."

"Yes, M'am we will." Mary smiled.

"I am not going to bed until I have to!" Laura said quietly so that only Mary could hear.

----

"Willie, we aren't supposed to eat that much candy anymore." Nellie said as her brother reached in to the container that stored the licorice.

"So, is Mrs. Ingalls in here? I don't think so. I am going to eat as much candy as I can before we go into the house, because after that we are going to be working harder than a horse. Besides if we are going to be working that hard, we need the energy."

Nellie shrugged and took a handful of candy as well. She couldn't argue with Willie, he was right this time.

"Willie, you are eating an awful lot of candy. You might not want to eat so much."

"Stop telling me what to do. I am going to eat as much as I can while I have the chance!"

"Fine, but if you get sick you can't say I didn't warn you."

"I won't get sick!"

More to come!