The Ingalls bundle up in warm clothes and load up the wagon to head into town. First, Pa pays his debts, and then purchases new shoes for Mary and flannel to make a new dress for Laura.

While buying fabric, Nellie taunts Laura that her father is too poor to buy her a fur cape like the one Nellie has. Laura wants to slap her but doesn’t do it in front of her parents. They load up on supplies, but Pa and Ma don’t buy anything for themselves to save what little they have left. That night, Pa plays the fiddle again.

That winter, Pa traps muskrat, otter, and mink while the girls stay inside and study with Ma. They attend church every Sunday, and Laura struggles with feelings of anger toward Nellie. When Reverend Alden returns, she is so taken by his soft blue eyes and gentle compliments that she almost finds forgiveness for Nellie.

One evening in the middle of the week, Ma says they are going into town for a surprise and has Mary and Laura take baths to prepare. As they are in the wagon headed to town, they hear two clear notes sound, and Pa tells Laura it’s the new churchbell.