39 Quotes & Sayings By Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mary was bigger than Laura, and she had a rag doll named Nettie. Laura had only a corncob wrapped in a handkerchief, but it was a good doll. It was named Susan. It wasn't Susan's fault that she was only a corncob. Sometimes Mary let Laura hold Nettie, but she only did it when Susan couldn't see. Laura Ingalls Wilder

There was no time to lose, no time to waste in rest or play. The life of the earth comes up with a rush in the springtime. Laura Ingalls Wilder

So they all went away from the little log house. The shutters were over the windows, so the little house could not see them go. It stayed there inside the log fence, behind the two big oak trees that in the summertime had made green roofs for Mary and Laura to play under. And that was the last of the little house. Laura Ingalls Wilder

The snug log house looked just as it always had. It did not seem to know they were going away. Laura Ingalls Wilder

So they all went away from the little log house. The shutters were over the windows, so the little house could not see them go. It stayed there inside the log fence, behind the two big oak trees that in the summertime had made green roofs for Mary and Laura to play under. And that was the last of the little house Laura Ingalls Wilder

One day in the woods he met an Indian. They stood in the wet, cold woods and looked at each other, and they could not talk because they did not know each other's words Laura Ingalls Wilder

You can fill a glass full to the brim with milk, and fill another glass of the same size brim full of popcorn, and then you can put all the popcorn kernel by kernel into the milk, and the milk will not run over. You cannot do this with bread. Popcorn and milk are the only two things that will go into the same place. Laura Ingalls Wilder

One day in the woods he met an Indian. They stood in the wet, cold woods and looked at each other, and they could not talk because they did not know each other's words. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Cattle did not have to be led to water. They came eagerly to the trough and drank while Almanzo pumped, then they hurried back to the warm barns, and each went to its own place. Each cow turned into her own stall and put her head between her own stanchions. They never made a mistake. Whether this was because they had more sense than horses, or because they had so little sense that they did everything by habit, Father did not know. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Persons appear to us according to the light we throw upon them from our own minds. -Laura Ingalls Wilder, author (1867-1957) Laura Ingalls Wilder

We had no choice. Sadness was a dangerous as panthers and bears. the wilderness needs your whole attention. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura knew then that she was not a little girl any more. Now she was alone; she must take care of herself. When you must do that, then you do it and you are grown up. Laura was not very big, but she was almost thirteen years old, and no one was there to depend on. Pa and Jack had gone, and Ma needed help to take care of Mary and the little girls, and somehow to get them all safely to the west on a train. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Ma had been very fashionable, before she married Pa, and a dressmaker had made her clothes. Laura Ingalls Wilder

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Home is the nicest word there is. Laura Ingalls Wilder

There is no comfort anywhere for anyone who dreads to go home. Laura Ingalls Wilder

It was muskets that won the Revolution. And don't forget it was axes, and plows that made this country.- Father Wilder Laura Ingalls Wilder

These times are too progressive. Everything has changed too fast. Railroads and telegraphs and kerosene and coal stoves -- they're good to have but the trouble is, folks get to depend on 'em. Laura Ingalls Wilder

She could not think what it would be to teach school twelve miles away from home, along among strangers. The less she thought of it the better, for she must go, and she must meet whatever happened as it came. "Now Mary can have everting she needs, and she can come home this next summer, " she said. "Oh, Pa, do you think I - I can teach school?" "I do, Laura, " said Pa. "I am sure of it. Laura Ingalls Wilder

If only I had some grease I could fix some kind of a light, " Ma considered. "We didn't lack for light when I was a girl before this newfangled kerosene was ever heard of."" That's so, " said Pa. "These times are too progressive. Everything has changed too fast. Railroads and telegraph and kerosene and coal stoves--they're good things to have, but the trouble is, folks get to depend on 'em. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat. In our mad rush for progress and modern improvements let's be sure we take along with us all the old-fashioned things worth while. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Ma! " she cried. "There is a Santa Claus, isn't there?"" Of course there's a Santa Claus, " said Ma. "The older you are, the more you know about Santa Claus, " she said. "You are so big now, you know he can't be just one man, don't you? You know he is everywhere on Christmas Eve. He is in the Big Woods, and in Indian Territory, and far away in York State, and here. He comes down all the chimneys at the same time. You know that, don't you?"" Yes, Ma, " said Mary and Laura."Well, " said Ma. "Then you see--"" I guess he is like angels, " Mary said, slowly. And Laura could see that, just as well as Mary could. Then Ma told them something else about Santa Claus. He was everywhere, and besides that, he was all the time. Whenever anyone was unselfish, that was Santa Claus.Christmas Eve was the time when everybody was unselfish. On that one night, Santa Claus was everywhere, because everybody, all together, stopped being selfish and wanted other people to be happy. And in the morning you saw what that had done." If everybody wanted everybody else to be happy all the time, then would it be Christmas all the time?" Laura asked, and Ma said, "Yes, Laura. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Never bet your money on another man's game. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mr. Edwards admired the well-built, pleasant house and heartily enjoyed the good dinner. But he said he was going on West with the train when it pulled out. Pa could not persuade him to stay longer." I'm aiming to go far West in the spring, " he said. "This here, country, it's too settled up for me. The politicians are a-swarming in already, and ma'am if'n there's any worse pest than grasshoppers it surely is politicians. Why, they'll tax the lining out'n a man's pockets to keep up these here county-seat towns.."" Feller come along and taxed me last summer. Told me I got to put in every last thing I had. So I put in Tom and Jerry, my horses, at fifty dollars apiece, and my oxen yoke, Buck and Bright, I put in at fifty, and my cow at thirty five.' Is that all you got?' he says. Well I told him I'd put in five children I reckoned was worth a dollar apiece.' Is that all?' he says. 'How about your wife?' he says.' By Mighty! ' I says to him. 'She says I don't own her and I don't aim to pay no taxes on her, ' I says. And I didn't. . Laura Ingalls Wilder

You could buy a suckling pig with it, if you want to. You could raise it, and it would raise a litter of pigs, worth four, five dollars apiece. Or you can trade that half-dollar for lemonade, and drink it up. You do as you want, it's your money. Laura Ingalls Wilder

As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness -- just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breath it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Vices are simply overworked virtues, anyway. Economy and frugality are to be commended but follow them on in an increasing ratio and what do we find at the other end? A miser! If we overdo the using of spare moments we may find an invalid at the end, while perhaps if we allowed ourselves more idle time we would conserve our nervous strength and health to more than the value the work we could accomplish by emulating at all times the little busy bee. I once knew a woman, not very strong, who to the wonder of her friends went through a time of extraordinary hard work without any ill effects. I asked her for her secret and she told me that she was able to keep her health, under the strain, because she took 20 minutes, of each day in which to absolutely relax both mind and body. She did not even “set and think.” She lay at full length, every muscle and nerve relaxed and her mind as quiet as her body. This always relieved the strain and renewed her strength. Laura Ingalls Wilder

All day the storm lasted. The windows were white and the wind never stopped howling and screaming. It was pleasant in the warm house. Laura and Mary did their lessons, then Pa played the fiddle while Ma rocked and knitted, and bean soup simmered on the stove. All night the storm lasted, and all the next day. Fire-light danced out of the stove's draught, and Pa told stories and played the fiddle. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura said faintly, 'I thought God takes care of us.'' He does, ' Pa said, 'so far as we do what's right. And He gives us a conscience and brains to know what's right. But He leaves it to us to do as we please. That's the difference between us and everything else in creation. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Politicians, they take pleasure a-prying into a man's affairs and I aimed to please 'em. Laura Ingalls Wilder

I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet simple things of life which are the real ones after all. Laura Ingalls Wilder

If enough people think of a thing and work hard enough at it I guess it's pretty nearly bound to happen wind and weather permitting. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Suffering passes, while love is eternal. That's a gift that you have received from God. Don't waste it. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Every job is good if you do your best and work hard. A man who works hard stinks only to the ones that have nothing to do but smell. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Remember me with smiles and laughter, for that is how I will remember you all. If you can only remember me with tears, then don't remember me at all. Laura Ingalls Wilder

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. Laura Ingalls Wilder