On the Banks of Plum Creek

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Grades 4-7; Genre-Historical Fiction; GRL Q; AR pts. 8.0

After moving to Minnesota, the Ingalls family encounters a terrible blizzard and a grasshopper plague. The plot contains racial prejudice within historical context.

Comprehension Questions

The Door in the Ground

1. How does this story begin? Laura’s family has traveled to Minnesota; they traded their horses, mule and wagon cover for a dugout and wheat fields p.1

The House in the Ground

1. Describe the dugout. A little house dug out of the side of a hill; clean and small; whitewashed; willow branches and sod used for walls and roof p.10

Rushes and Flags

1. Why does Ma say the girls will turn into “water bugs”? They are always playing in the water and come into the house all wet p.20

Deep Water

1. Why don’t Ma and Pa want the girls to go upstream to the hole full of deep, dark water? They don’t want the girls to go by themselves in case they drown or get hurt p.23
2. How did Pa teach Laura a lesson? When she continued to go out into the deep water after being told not to, Pa swam under and grabbed her foot, pulling her under the water p.24

Strange Animal

1. What helped Laura stay safe and not go to the swimming hole? A badger p.30
2. Why did Laura tell her Pa that she disobeyed him? She felt guilty and she knew she needed to p.33
3. Have you been in a situation where you haven’t been honest and knew you needed to tell the truth? Explain. Listen to your child’s answer

Wreath of Roses

1. Why is it exciting for Laura’s family to have a milk cow? They have been without milk and butter since they left Indian Territory p.40

Ox on the Roof

1. How did the ox get on the roof? An ox got away from Laura and Jack as they tried to take him to the stable and he ran on their roof. One of his legs went through but out didn’t seem to do any harm; however, the next morning, the roof collapsed p.47

Straw Stack

1. Why did the girls get in trouble for playing on the straw stack? As they jumped, slid and rolled down it, it spread the straw out; Pa needed the straw to be in a stack so he could feed it to the animals throughout the winter p.60

Grasshopper Weather

1. Define grasshopper weather. Warm weather around Thanksgiving; nights are chilly, days are warm p.63

Cattle in the Hay

1. Summarize this chapter. Ma, Pa, and Carrie went to town. Mary and Laura stayed home. Laura saw the cattle trampling and eating the hay. Jack helped them run at the cattle and finally got them to leave to the prairie. The cattle were there because Johnny had fallen asleep p.67

Runaway

1. What scary event happened in this chapter? When the Ma and Pa were coming back from town, Bright couldn’t wait to eat at the stable and ran home without listening to Pa. Ma and Carrie almost fell to the riverbed in the wagon p.74

The Christmas Horses

1. What is Ma’s explanation of Santa Claus? He is more than one person; he is everywhere and he is all the time. Whenever anyone was unselfish, that was Santa Claus p.85
2. Do you agree or disagree with Ma? Listen to your child’s answer

A Merry Christmas

1. What special gifts were given and received on Christmas? Mary and Laura made Carrie a beautiful button string and they all received candy in their stockings. They also received two beautiful horses and got to ride them down to the water p.93

Spring Freshet

1. Laura was excited about the roaring creek. How would you have felt seeing and hearing so much water so close to your home? Listen to your child’s answer p.98

The Footbridge

1. What sticky situation did Laura get herself into? She snuck outside and got into the roaring creek holding onto the footbridge. She could have drowned since the water was so strong, but she pulled herself out and was ok p.101

The Wonderful House

1. If you previously read the book, Little House on the Prairie, compare the home Pa built in that story to the home he built in this book. In Indian territory, Pa built a home from logs he cut and stacked himself. This home is made from boards that were cut from a machine, there were lots of windows and a lean to attached. Pa also purchased a black stove p.107

Moving In

1. List two things Laura found exciting as they moved into their new house. The new stove for Ma; there was so much light coming in from the windows; the curtains Ma had sewn; Laura and Mary’s new room with their own boxes; that she could hear the rain on the roof p.118

The Old Crab and the Bloodsuckers

1. What did Mary and Laura find along the path Pa told them to take? Shallow water with minnows, a crawdad and leeches or bloodsuckers p.128
2. Have you ever had leeches stuck to your skin? Explain. Listen to your child’s answer

The Fish-Trap

1. Summarize how Pa helped Laura understand the importance of going to school. Not every child gets a chance to go; he promised her Ma their girls would go; that’s why they moved so close to a town with a school; her Ma used to be a teacher and understands the importance of book learning p.138

School

1. Summarize Laura and Mary’s first day of school. They arrived and met a few other kids; the teacher rang the bell and they went inside; the teacher found out their names, ages, and their reading level; the teacher let them borrow her slate; at lunch, everyone else went home while Laura and Mary ate their lunch in the shade p.152

Nellie Olson

1. Choose two words that describe Nellie Oleson. Give an example of each from this chapter. Example: Spoiled - Father gave her directions, but she didn’t listen and didn’t get in trouble when she should have; selfish - She has to have her way, playing Ring-around-a-rosy p.155&157

Town Party

1. Did Laura enjoy the party? Why, or why not? Yes and no; yes because she got to play with new toys and beautiful books; no because Nellie yelled at her for almost touching her doll’s silky dress p.160

Country Party

1. How did Laura get Nellie back? Guided her into the muddy water with the blood suckers p.174

Going to Church

1. Pa is very kind and selfless. Give an example of a way he showed these characteristics in this chapter. Giving his hard-earned money to the church to put a bell in the belfry instead of buying himself new boots p.190

The Glittering Cloud

1. Describe the devastation in this chapter. A giant grasshopper cloud came through the area and ate everything in sight. Because the wheat crop is eaten by the grasshoppers, Pa didn’t have wheat to sell and couldn’t pay off the house. Their friends had to move out east. p.192

Grasshopper Eggs

1. Why did Pa leave? To go find work since the crop was eaten and the grasshoppers have laid eggs throughout the prairie. There won’t be a crop next year since there will be many more grasshoppers p.208

Rain

1. Why was the rain such a blessing? It had been so dry that nothing new had grown since the grasshopper cloud ate everything. The cattle were starving and the water in the creek and spring was drying up p.213

The Letter

1. What good news did Laura’s family receive? Pa was ok and found work. He walked 300 miles to find work and is getting paid a dollar a day and can buy new shoes. He also sent $5 home to them. P.226

The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn

1. What does the title of this chapter mean? Things were bleak and difficult on the prairie without Pa. When things became the most difficult, Pa came home. The symbolism of this title is that at night, just before down, it feels so dark outside, but then morning comes and everything is a little better p.228

Going to Town

1. Did Ma and Pa purchase the chalice and overcoat? No
2. Why not? They both felt they needed to save that money since they aren’t sure what will happen next year p.243

Surprise

1. For Christmas, everyone in town received gifts from Brother Alden’s Church members in the East. Have you ever given gifts to people you don’t know at Christmas time? How did it feel? Listen to your child’s answer

Grasshoppers Walking

1. What strange behavior did the grasshoppers have? For three days, they started walking westward. By the fourth day, they spread their wings and flew west in the same type of cloud they arrived in. 262
2. With your parent’s permission, do an internet search to find out if the grasshoppers’ behavior was common or was a phenomenon.

Wheels of Fire

1. How did Mr. Nelson act like a good neighbor in this chapter? He saw the smoke and took the initiative to help put out the fire before it got to the Ingall’s home p.271

Marks on the Slate

1. List two positives and two negatives of living on the prairie during the time Laura and her family lived. Positives: different type of freedom, simplistic life, learn to work hard, learn to be self-sufficient; negatives: Blizzards are scary; fire is a threat without fire stations; crops can be ruined due to drought and grasshoppers p.281

Keeping House

1. Why did the girls bring in the entire wood pile? A blizzard hit and Ma and Pa were in town. The girls didn’t want to have to burn up the furniture or die from the cold p.286

Prairie Winter

1. How did Laura’s family make it through these winter storms? There was a sunny day between each storm, so they learned to take advantage of the sunny weather and play outside, do laundry, check the traps, cut firewood, etc. p.296

The Long Blizzard

1. What feeling do you think Ma has at the beginning of this chapter? Listen to your child’s answer
2. What was the consequence for not listening to it? Pa is away from home when the storm comes in and they don’t know if he’s safe
3. Have you ever had a feeling like that before? Listen to your child’s answer

The Day of Games

1. Why did Ma play games instead of have the girls study? They were sad and worried about Pa, so she wanted to distract them p.316
2. Why do the girls feel like they can’t cry? Back during this time in history, it isn’t appropriate for them to p.320

The Third Day

1. Summarize this chapter. The storm went on fiercely; Ma did the chores and the girls tried to study but couldn’t; the day took a very long time to pass p.321

The Fourth Day

1. Summarize Pa’s experience in the snow. He got lost in the storm on the way back from town and decided to keep walking since he would freeze to death if he didn’t. He fell into a hole and was protected from the storm. He fell asleep and woke up with snow over him, but he could breathe. He slept as much as he could, waiting for the storm to end. He had some crackers and Christmas candy that he ate. When he couldn’t hear the storm anymore, he crawled out of his den and saw the house not far away. It was a blessing he purchased the buffalo skin coat and wore two pairs of socks. p.326

Christmas Eve

1. Why were Laura’s eyes shining? She was so happy she had tears in her eyes p.338