Locked in a Cage. Fed With a Stick

Even as I write these words, I am watching a segment of “Little House on the Prairie;” which features a few days in the lives of the middle-aged shopkeepers, “Mr. and Mrs. Oleson” of Walnut Grove.

As the broadcast begins, “Caroline Ingalls” can be seen walking into the general store with a basket of eggs. She summarily surrenders the basket to the store counter, and Mrs. Oleson proceeds to give each one of the eggs “the once over.”

“Mrs. Ingalls, these eggs are not your usual. What have you been doing? Keeping the largest eggs out for your family, and bringing me your left overs? I can’t give you the regular price this time.”

And with that, Mr. Oleson has endured all he can for one day, and he “steps up to the plate.”

“Harriet, you are a mean, nasty old woman, and you deserve to be locked in a cage, and fed with a stick!”

And not being able to contain her rage, Mrs. Oleson picks up the basket of eggs and slams it down on Nells’ head; the broken eggs cascading down his face, and shoulders.

But in spite of his sticky dilemma, Mr. Oleson remains the master of civility and fairness. His next words are priceless.

“Mrs. Ingalls, please tell me what my wife would have normally paid you for your eggs.”

As I have alluded in the past, I experienced the privilege of a short term pen pal relationship with Kathryn MacGregor, (Harriet Oleson) during which time we exchanged a total of perhaps eight or ten letters. (And as I recall, Kathryn a.k.a. Mrs. Oleson admitted some similarities in her own personality, and that of her television character).

As I lounge in my late mother’s oversized recliner, it is impossible for me to view the recurring antics of the younger “Mrs. Harriet Oleson” without reflecting on my own admittedly brief relationship with the much older version of herself.

For my money, the scene which I have described at the onset of this story is among the best and funniest of all her performances.
*************
 By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from (Mc)Donald's Daily Diary, Vol. 38. Copyright pending

If you would like to copy, save or share this blog, please include the credit line, above  
************** 
If you would like to see the titles and access hundreds of my blogs from 2015, do the following: Click on 2015 in the index to the right of this blog. 

When my December 31st blog, "The Shot Must Choose You" appears, click on the title. All of my 2015 blog titles will come up in the index.