Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983): Season 2, Episode 10 - At the End of the Rainbow - full transcript

Are you sure you put it in your
pocket when you from left home?

I'm sure I did.

Are you sure it isn't
in the lunchpail?

No. I don't think so.

I'll look.

Willie: Come on,
let's go'.

Come on'.
Get your rock'.

Willie, look'.
A nickel'.

It's mine'.

There's a fight'.
Let's see'.

Come on'.
Come on, Jonah'.



That's enough'.

I said that's enough'.

Will you kindly tell me
what this is all about?

He started it'.

I did not'.
It was my nickel.

Willie: It was mine'.

Jonah: Liar'.
Miss beadle, I saw it lying there,

and then
he grabbed it.

It fell out
of my pocket.

All right.
One at a time.

Who has the nickel?

Do you suppose
we can settle this

without any more fighting?

Did anyone here
see what happened?



Mary: Miss beadle?

Yes, Mary. Did you see
what happened?

No, ma'am, but does the
nickel have a Nick on the edge

and some tree gum
stuck on it?

Yes, it does.

It's mine.

I was going to buy some
paper tablets after school.

That's true,
miss beadle.

Well, I'd say that settles it,
wouldn't you?

Unless Willie would
like to explain

how Mary's nickel
fell out of his pocket.

All right. Recess is over.
I want you all back in school.

Here you are, Mary.

Thank you.

My goodness,
so much fuss over a nickel.

You'd think it was sutter's
mill all over again.

Come on.

What was sutter's mill?

Laura, sutter's mill
was the site

of a rather important
historical event.

I'll tell you what.
We're about to have a history lesson.

Why don't we discuss sutter's
mill and what happened there?

Then maybe you'll understand
why I made that remark.

You could have
licked him good.

I know.

But it was
Mary's nickel.

Want to go fishing
this Saturday?

Uh-huh.

Come on. We better
get inside.

And miss beadle said
when people found out

that there was gold
at sutter's mill,

it started the biggest gold
rush the world has ever seen.

Thousands
and thousands of men

braved the wilderness
and the high seas.

And they took
indelible risks...

Incredible risks.

That's what I said.

They took
incredible risks

and endured
terrible hardships

to get to the place
where the gold was,

and they jumped all over
each other's claims.

The word is claimjumped.

And they stole and killed
each other and everything.

It was wickedness
let loose.

Miss beadle said that it was
actually a mixed blessing.

What did she mean?

Some got rich,
and some got killed.

I don't think that's exactly
what she meant, half-pint.

A lot of bad things happened,
but a lot of good came out of it.

We wouldn't be here right now
if it hadn't been for that.

Where would we be?

Well, I don't know
but not looking for gold

at the end of the rainbow,
that's for sure.

Not that there's
anything wrong with gold.

It's just that
if it's around,

people aren't too particular
how they get it.

Some people
can be so silly.

That they can, half-pint.
That they can.

We haven't even
had a bite yet.

This is the place.

How do you know?

'Cause I saw him.

Fish don't stay
in the same place.

This one does.
He's a big old granddaddy.

I bet you never saw one
near as big.

Bet I did.

Shh'. Don't talk so much.
You'll scare him away.

What's so funny?

Your name's Jonah.

What about it?

You're trying to
catch a whale.

Ha ha. I got him'.
I got him'.

Hold the line tight'.
He's headed for those rocks'.

Work him here'.

I am'.

It snagged. Wait.

Did you get him?

You should have done
what I said.

Now look at me.
I'm all wet.

It's not my fault.

We might as well
find another hole.

You scared
everything else away.

I'll get your stuff.

Jonah, come here'.

I got your stuff.

Jonah, look.

What do you think
it is?

Where did you
get it?

In the water over there.

Is it what
I think it is?

Yeah'.

Gold'. Gold'. Gold'.

Gold'. Gold'. Gold'.

Gold'. Gold'. Gold'.

Jonah, stop'.

Remember what
miss beadle said

about what happened
at sutter's mill?

You want that
to happen here?

Well,
what will we do?

I don't know,
but we dasn't tell anybody.

Not even our parents?

They'd want to come
and see for themselves.

If people started to see
them digging out around here,

they'd want to know
what's going on,

and then
they'd find out.

Do you think what miss
beadle said is really true?

Well, you heard her.
It's history.

It's in our
history books.

Just look at it.

Gold dust.

We're going to
have to pan for it,

like miss beadle said.

How do you do that?

I don't know.
Maybe it says how in our history books.

We got to swear
not to tell anybody.

We got to promise
to keep it a secret.

When we get it all out,
then we can show our parents.

They won't mind it
being a secret then.

Say what I say.

I swear...

I swear...

Not to tell
a living soul...

Not to tell
a living soul...

About
our discovery...

About our discovery...

On pain of death.

Do I got to say that?

Say it.

On pain of death.

Good. Come on.

We'll start panning
after school on Monday.

Doesn't matter anyway.
We're already wet'.

Jonah, look'.

There really is gold
at the end of the rainbow.

That isn't all homework.

It is too.

It's about mining.

That's not homework.

It's history,
and it is.

I thought
you hated history.

I do.

Then how come you're staying
up so late reading it?

Well, it's a sin to hate,
and I'm trying to get over it.

How long are you
going to read?

Till I'm finished.

You're keeping me
awake.

All right.

Mary: Laura.

Laura, wake up.

Ha ha ha'.

Laura'.

What are you
laughing at?

Never mind.

And don't
wake me up again.

I'm going to try and
get back into my dream.

Mary: When you were dreaming last
night, you laughed.

What was so funny?

I dreamed we were rich.

That doesn't
sound funny.

Well, it was.

What would you wish for if you
could have anything you wanted?

I'd wish for something
for ma and pa.

So would I, but if you could
have something for yourself,

what would you wish for?

I don't know.
This is silly.

Besides, we have
everything we need.

Of course,
if I could wish for anything...

Jonah'.

If you don't
want to know,

why did you ask me
in the first place?

Did you tell anybody?

I almost had to.

My ma kept at me
and at me.

You fibbed'.

We don't dare fib.

Otherwise, it's too hard
to remember what we say.

We got to do something that
we can tell them about.

About the gold?

Shh'. No. Like
we're looking for

some buried treasure
or something.

Here comes big ears.

What's so secretive?

Don't you wish
you knew?

Whispering's rude.

So is listening in on the
people who are doing it.

I just wanted to show you the
apple I'm bringing miss beadle.

Isn't it the most beautiful
one you've ever seen?

I bet you're not
giving her anything.

Oh, Nellie,
let me look.

Tastes as good
as it looks'.

Laura Ingalls'.

Nellie oleson'.

Miss beadle'.

Miss beadle'. Miss beadle'.

Jonah: 16 grams... 1 ounce.
16 ounces... 1 pound.

100 pounds...
1 hundredweight.

2,000 pounds... 1 ton.

That's very good, Jonah.

Now...

Who would like to recite
dry measure for me?

Jonah, you just recited.

I just wanted to
ask a question.

Miss beadle: Yes?

How much is an ounce
of gold worth?

Miss beadle: I don't think
I know the answer to that one.

I can look it up for you.

But I seem to recall someone said
once it was worth $20 an ounce.

Miss beadle: Why do you ask?

My uncle has a gold tooth.
I wondered how much it was worth.

All right, who would like
to recite long measure?

Nellie.

Nellie: 12 inches
equal 1 foot.

3 feet equal 1 yard.

Mary: Laura, wait'.

Can't'.

Chores are all done.
Can I go now, ma?

What about your homework?

We did it at school
recess. Honest.

What's your rush?

I promised Jonah I'd
meet him at the creek.

We're going to try and catch
that big one if it's all right.

- Please, ma.
- I suppose so.

Thanks.

Caroline: Close the door'.

Caroline: Laura'.

Don't you want
your fishing pole?

Oh, yeah.

Thanks, ma'.

You're welcome.

How'd you get here
ahead of me?

Skipped my chores and put off
my homework till after supper.

You shouldn't
have done that.

We should do everything just the
same, only faster.

Then it takes twice as long
to make up for everything.

Anyway, if'd you'd done
your homework,

you'd know how
to pan for gold.

How?

I'll show you.

Got to get my pan.

Come on.

You're supposed to
swirl it around like this.

Then all the sand goes out,
and all the gold stays.

Maybe you did it
too swirly.

Let me try it.

Doesn't work.

What are we
going to do?

It's supposed to work.

Maybe there's
a trick to it.

Maybe it's because it's
gold dust and not nuggets.

We could pick it out.

No. Gold dust
is too tiny.

That would take
forever and ever.

There's got to be
another way.

Let's think.

We could tell
our parents.

Maybe they'll know.

No. We aren't supposed
to tell anybody.

We got to think
of something.

It's for the good
of our families.

Hey'. If we had
some kind of screen,

we could strain
it out.

Yeah'.

But where are we
going to get a screen?

Yeah. Yeah'.

Where are you going?

I think I know where I can get a screen.
See you tomorrow'.

Get away from the candy.

Ma said we could.

I don't care
what she said.

I said get away
from that candy'.

You tell ma that.

Have a nice day.

Have a nice day.

Don't slam
the screen door'.

Willie: I can't.
It's not here.

Nels'.

What's the matter?

Nothing, I hope.

I'll give you a whole bag of
licorice if you'll tell me.

Tell what?

None of your beeswax.

Don't tell her
a thing.

I didn't,
honest.

2 bags, 3, 4.

Not for
a million.

We'll find out.
You'll see.

Then we won't
give you anything.

♪ Nyah, nyah ♪

They're trying to find
out what we've been doing.

Did you tell her
anything?

No.

Do you know how dangerous it
would be if she found out?

You could be murdered.

By Nellie?

Mm-hmm.

We'll find out.
We'll follow them wherever they go.

Why? They're just going
into the schoolhouse.

After school, stupid.

Where did you get it?

Found it.
Look'. It works'.

Anybody follow you?

Willie tried. He thought
I didn't see him.

I led him
into the swamp.

I guess he's still there.

Nellie tried to
follow me, too.

Listen. Whatever we
find, we're halfsies,

even if I find
a big gold nugget.

Half's yours.

Share and share alike,
and no fighting over it.

Willie, faintly:
Over here, Nellie'.

Nellie:
All right, Willie'.

Hurry up'.

I am.

Get my shoes and stuff.

I got them.

Good. Let's go.

There they are'.

Thought you could
lose us, didn't you?

Why, it's Nellie
and Willie, Jonah.

Hello'.

How did you get
so muddy, Willie?

You know how.

Sure is a nice day
for fishing.

This is the big secret?
Fishing?

What did you think?

Well, if you ask me,
fishing's a plain waste of time.

Come on, Willie.

Don't move.

They may be spying.

I know.

It just shows you.

It's getting dangerouser
and dangerouser.

We're gonna have to come here
every time a different way.

We're gonna have to
bury everything

and bury it in a different
place every time.

And cover our tracks.

You know something,
Laura?

What?

It ain't easy being rich.

I know.

Ooh'.

Oh, when is somebody going
to do something around here

about that screen door?

That's what
I'd like to know.

I've asked everybody
that's come in.

Ha'. I suppose
you expect the thief

to come in here
and own up, huh?

"Yes, sir,
Mr. Oleson, sir.

"I'm sorry, sir,
but I stole your screen door, sir.

I'll bring it
right back, sir."

What do you
want me to do?

You want me to order another
one from the catalog?

No. That will
take 4 weeks.

All right. What do you
want me to do?

I want our screen door back
where it belongs, and don't move.

Got it.

Uhh'. Oh'.

Mary, you coming down?

Can't, pa. I got to
finish my homework.

All right.

Well, half-pint,
I guess it's your turn to pick a tune.

Can I ask you
a question, pa?

Sure. Ask away.

If you could have anything
in the whole world,

what would you
wish for?

Well, I don't know.
I've got everything I want right here.

But if you could
have anything else,

what would you
wish for?

Anything else.

Well, I think I'd like
a bigger house,

separate room for each
one of my girls,

maybe an extra room for ma
to put her sewing and things.

What would you
wish for, ma?

Well, why do you ask?

I just want to know.

Well, I'd wish that
just once

I could go into
oleson's mercantile

and buy everything
I wanted.

I wish pa could
play the fiddle'.

Well, that's a wish
I think we can Grant.

Charles: Half-pint?

When did you start
eating pencils?

Half-pint?

Huh?

I said when did you
start eating pencils?

I... I was just
listening.

Well, I should hope so.
How did you like it?

It was beautiful.

It's gone.

What you doing?

Jonah, it's gone'.
Somebody stole it.

It must have been
Nellie oleson.

No, it wasn't.
Look.

It didn't seem safe where
we left it last night,

so I hid it here.

You shouldn't do that without
telling a person first.

I'd have told you.

But you didn't.

You had me scared half
to death just now.

I did it for us.

From now on,

both of us have to know
everything about everything,

and no one should keep
a secret from anybody.

I wasn't keeping
any secret.

Yes, you were'.

Boy'. Sutter's mill
all over again.

Bang bang, you're dead,
and all this gold is mine.

I'm sorry.

Wonder how much
it weighs.

I don't know, but
it's pretty heavy.

We're going to need
more sacks.

If gold is worth
$20 an ounce,

and there's 16 ounces
in a pound,

and 100 pounds
in a hundredweight...

Well, we haven't got
100 pounds.

But we will.
We'll have more... lots more.

16...

Times 20...

Times 100.

200? 1,000?

We better
get back to work.

You know, when
we're all finished,

I'm going to give you
my fishing pole.

And the float, too?

Float, too.

Ohh. This bed is
gonna feel good.

I am so tired
tonight.

Did you notice
Laura this evening?

Mm-hmm. I had to tap her on
the head twice during supper

just to wake her up.

I don't know what's gotten
into that child lately.

Well, maybe just a little
touch of spring fever.

In August?

Whatever it is,
she'll get over it.

I'm sure.

Hey. At least it's not
affecting her schoolwork.

You should have seen the problem
she was working on tonight.

It was multiplication
in the thousands.

I've never seen that
child so excited

about getting an answer.

That's what I mean.
I don't know what's gotten into her.

Well, she just takes after
her mom... very smart.

Good night.

Good night.

You're sure in a hurry to get
your chores done, half-pint.

Promised Jonah
I'd go fishing.

You and Jonah have been doing
a lot of fishing lately,

but you haven't been
catching anything.

Just unlucky,
I guess.

Pa, is it right,
if a person is doing something

for the good
of her family,

if she doesn't come right
out and say what it is?

You mean
like a surprise?

Yeah.

You and I wouldn't know who
this person is, would we?

No fair asking.

All right. I won't ask.

I imagine it's all right, long as this
person isn't doing anything wrong.

Oh, this person isn't
doing anything wrong.

It's kind of like hunting
for buried treasure.

I don't think there's
anything wrong with that.

I must say, I do think
it's a waste of time.

I suppose.

Charles: What
do you think of it?

Half-pint?

You were
a million miles away.

I was just asking you,
what do you think of the sign?

Oh, it's beautiful.

Got to go.

Hope you find
some buried treasure.

Ow'.

Uhh'.

Do you realize
how much we have here?

All's I know, it's
more than I can figure.

I don't think
it's safe here anymore.

Neither do I.
What'll we do?

Guess we're just going to
have to take it to the bank.

Then Mr. Sprague will know.
Everyone will know.

They won't know
where we got it.

When we give it
to Mr. Sprague,

we'll ask him
to pay us with money.

If he doesn't have
enough money in the bank,

then we're just going to have
to trust him for the rest.

You think he won't have enough
money in the whole bank?

I doubt it.

Wow'.

We're going to have to
try not to leave any traces.

You're going to have to
take that screen back.

I'll put it back where I...
Found it, tonight.

Good. So tomorrow morning, meet me
here, and you bring your cart.

Tomorrow's school day.

I know that.
That way nobody can follow us here.

They'll all be in school.

You mean play hooky?

No. It's not like
playing hooky.

It's more like...

A business appointment.

You know something?
We're rich'.

Yeah. Come on'.

We're rich'.

We're rich'. Yay'.

We're rich'.

Yay'.

Oh'. I forgot something.
I got to go back.

But you'll be late
for school.

Can't help it. You go ahead.
I'll try and catch up.

All right.

Get away from the candy.

Ma said we could.

That's it.
When you get home from school today,

that candy is
going to be gone'.

You tell ma that.

Harriet: Ahh'.

Have a nice day.

Have a nice day.

Nellie: Aah'.

Screen's back.

Wait here while
I get Mr. Sprague.

Don't talk to anybody
and keep an eye out.

For what?

Robbers.

Well, you better
hurry up.

It's in those sacks'.

Those?

You got to promise not to
tell anybody about anything.

Otherwise, it will be
sutter's mill all over again.

Do you promise?

Of course I promise, young lady.

Let's have a look
at it first.

Show him, Jonah.

If you don't have
enough money in the bank,

we'll trust you
for the rest.

You, uh, must have worked a
long time digging this all up.

Pretty near two weeks.

And you stayed out of school
today to bring it here?

Of course we did. You're
not open on Saturdays.

Don't you think we better take
this stuff in so you can weigh it?

I don't think that's
going to be necessary.

You worked mighty hard, and you
deserve better than this,

but you have one consolation:

There's a lot of grownups
made the same mistake.

What mistake?

I'm afraid this isn't gold.

It's, uh... Iron pyrite.

What's that?

Well, uh... Some people
call it fool's gold.

I guess the worst kind
of disappointment

is the kind
you work so hard at,

and you're almost scared
to dream of it.

If it isn't gold,
iron's worth something, isn't it?

Not this kind.

I'm sorry.
I'm truly sorry.

Come on, Jonah.
We better go.

That's
the last of it.

Look at that
old stuff shine.

What were you planning on
doing with your share, Laura?

I don't even want
to think about it.

I bet I'll have
an awful dream tonight.

Does this mean I don't get
your fishing rod and float?

A promise
is a promise.

It's yours.

Honest?

Thanks'. See you
tomorrow'.

Sprague: Ingalls,
you got a minute?

Hi.

Hi.

Sure would fool
a person, wouldn't it?

Mr. Sprague told me.

I bet he thinks
it's a big joke.

Just the opposite,
half-pint.

Well, I bet
everybody else does.

We're the only ones
that know about it,

and I don't think
it's very funny

when somebody works
as hard as you did

trying to surprise
their loved ones.

Oh, pa'. I was going
to give you so much.

I was going to buy ma all
she wanted at oleson's,

and I was going to buy you
a big house and everything,

and now look at it.

Half-pint,
you listen to me.

You give us
everything we want

every single day
of our lives.

You give us love,
respect, and joy.

There isn't enough gold in the
whole world to buy those things.

Kind of nice
dreaming about it.

Well, sure it is.
That's what dreams are for.

I don't know about you,
but I'm getting kind of an appetite.

Me, too.

Come on.

You know, pa,

it's a pretty good thing I didn't
buy that house for you anyhow.

Ma would have an awful time
cleaning all those rooms.

Ha ha'. You're right,
half-pint.

You're absolutely
right.