The Gift (Part 1): A Small Dream with Big Hearts
The little white church in Walnut Grove was always filled with warmth on Sunday mornings.
The sound of hymns echoed through the wooden walls as families gathered to worship together.
Reverend Alden stood at the front with his well-worn Bible, its leather cover faded, its pages loose from years of faithful use.
After one Sunday service, Miss Beadle gathered the children in the Sunday School room.
“Next week is Reverend Alden’s birthday,” she announced with a smile.
“I thought it would be wonderful if we gave him a special gift to thank him for everything he does for our community.”
The children immediately began offering ideas.
“A new hat!”
“A rocking chair!”
“A watch!”
Nellie Oleson proudly raised her hand.
“My mother says only something expensive is worth giving.”
Laura rolled her eyes while Mary quietly listened.
Finally, one boy noticed Reverend Alden’s old Bible.
“His Bible is falling apart.”
Everyone looked toward the pulpit where Reverend Alden had left it.
The cover was cracked, and several pages had been carefully repaired with strips of cloth.
Miss Beadle smiled.
“I think a new Bible would be a beautiful gift.”
The children agreed.
Each student contributed what they could. Pennies, nickels, and dimes slowly filled a small wooden box.
When the counting was finished, Mary carefully totaled everything.
“We have one dollar and sixty-seven cents.”
The children became quiet.
Miss Beadle opened a catalog.
The least expensive Bible they could find cost exactly three dollars.
“It isn’t enough,” one child whispered.
Everyone looked disappointed.
That evening, Mary and Laura sat at the kitchen table studying the catalog.
“I wish we had more money,” Mary sighed.
Laura flipped through another page and suddenly stopped.
“Mary!”
“What?”
“Look!”
Mary leaned closer.
It was an advertisement offering miracle herbal medicines.
The company promised that children could order bottles at wholesale prices and sell them around town for twenty-five cents each.
“If we buy these medicines,” Laura explained excitedly, “we can sell them and make enough profit to buy the nicer Bible!”
Mary frowned.
“But we’d have to spend all the church money.”
“We won’t lose it,” Laura insisted. “We’ll double it!”
Mary wasn’t convinced.
“What if nobody buys any?”
“They will! Everybody gets sick sometime.”
Laura’s confidence slowly wore down Mary’s hesitation.
After a long silence, Mary finally nodded.
“I hope you’re right.”
They mailed the order.
Two weeks later a large wooden crate arrived.
The girls rushed to open it.
Inside were dozens of tiny bottles with colorful labels.
“Cough Cure.”
“Stomach Relief.”
“Headache Tonic.”
“General Family Remedy.”
Laura’s eyes sparkled.
“We’re going to be rich!”
The next morning they began knocking on doors.
Mrs. Foster answered first.
“Good morning,” Laura said cheerfully.
“We’re selling wonderful medicines.”
Mrs. Foster smiled kindly.
“That’s sweet, girls, but nobody here is sick.”
“No headaches?”
“No.”
“Stomach aches?”
“No.”
“Cough?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”
Door closed.
“No problem,” Laura said.
“There are plenty more houses.”
At the next home they met the same answer.
“We already have medicine.”
At another house…
“I don’t believe in miracle cures.”
Another…
“I’m saving every penny.”
Another…
“Maybe another time.”
Hour after hour they walked through Walnut Grove carrying the heavy wooden box.
Nobody bought a single bottle.
Even Doc Baker laughed gently when Laura tried selling him one.
“I appreciate the offer,” he smiled, “but I think I’ll continue making my own medicines.”
Laura sighed.
“So close.”
Mary looked worried.
“We’ve already spent all the money.”
“We just need one customer.”
Days became weeks.
The box felt heavier every day.
Each evening they returned home with every bottle still inside.
Their hope slowly disappeared.
One afternoon Laura came up with another idea.
“If people won’t buy medicine from us…”
She disappeared behind the barn.
A few minutes later she returned wearing old patched clothes, dirt smeared across her face, and carrying the box.
Mary stared.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m pretending to be a poor orphan.”
Mary gasped.
“Laura!”
“They’ll feel sorry for me.”
Laura walked through town looking as pitiful as she could.
“Please buy my medicine…”
Several people looked sympathetically.
Then Mrs. Oleson narrowed her eyes.
“Laura Ingalls?”
Laura froze.
Mrs. Oleson crossed her arms.
“That dress belongs to Caroline.”
The disguise was over.
Laura hurried away in embarrassment while Mary struggled not to laugh.
“I told you it wouldn’t work.”
Laura groaned.
“It almost did.”
By the end of the week, not one bottle had been sold.
The money was gone.
The Bible could not be bought.
And Reverend Alden’s birthday was only two days away.
Mary sat quietly on the porch holding the empty collection envelope.
“What are we going to tell everyone?”
Laura looked at the unopened medicine bottles.
For the first time since starting the plan…
…she had no answer.
End of Part 1
The Gift (Part 2): The Greatest Present
The closer Reverend Alden’s birthday came, the heavier Mary’s heart became.
Every time she looked at the wooden box filled with unsold medicine bottles, she remembered the Sunday School money that had been entrusted to her.
One dollar and sixty-seven cents.
Every penny had belonged to the children.
Now it was gone.
Saturday evening was unusually quiet inside the Ingalls home.
Laura barely touched her supper.
Mary pushed food around her plate without eating.
Charles noticed immediately.
“You girls are mighty quiet tonight.”
“We’re just tired,” Mary answered.
Caroline exchanged a glance with Charles.
Neither parent believed it.
Sunday morning arrived.
Instead of getting dressed for church, Mary remained in bed.
Laura pulled the blanket over her head.
“I don’t feel well.”
Mary quickly agreed.
“I think I’m getting sick too.”
Caroline gently touched each girl’s forehead.
“No fever.”
Charles folded his arms.
“I think your sickness has something to do with Reverend Alden’s birthday.”
The girls looked at each other.
Neither spoke.
Charles sat beside them.
“You’ve never been afraid to go to church before.”
Silence.
Finally he spoke softly.
“You’ll feel a lot better if you tell the truth.”
Mary’s eyes filled with tears.
Laura stared at the floor.
At last Mary whispered,
“We lost the Sunday School money.”
Charles listened patiently as the girls explained everything.
The catalog.
The medicines.
Their plan.
Weeks of trying to sell them.
Laura pretending to be a poor girl.
Everything.
When they finished, neither girl dared look up.
Charles sighed.
“You made a mistake.”
Both nodded.
“But mistakes aren’t made worse by telling the truth.”
He stood.
“Get your coats.”
Instead of going straight into church, Charles led them to Reverend Alden’s study.
Mary knocked softly.
“Come in.”
Reverend Alden smiled warmly.
“Good morning.”
Mary’s voice trembled.
“We…we don’t have your birthday present.”
Laura stepped forward.
“We spent the money trying to make more.”
She handed him the wooden medicine box.
“We’re sorry.”
The Reverend quietly listened.
When they finished, he looked at the frightened sisters for a long moment.
Finally he smiled.
“I imagine you’ve learned something.”
Both girls nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
“I believe you have.”
He gently accepted the wooden box.
“Thank you.”
The girls looked confused.
He wasn’t angry.
He wasn’t disappointed.
He simply thanked them.
Church soon began.
Every pew was filled.
The children sat nervously.
Mary and Laura couldn’t stop wondering what Reverend Alden would say.
After the opening hymn, he stepped behind the pulpit carrying the small wooden box.
Everyone watched curiously.
“I understand today is my birthday.”
The congregation smiled.
“I’ve received many wonderful gifts over the years.”
He carefully lifted his old Bible.
Its cover was worn.
The pages were stained from countless sermons.
“This Bible has been with me since I was a young man.”
He gently turned the pages.
“It has traveled with me through happiness and sorrow.”
“I’ve been given newer Bibles.”
“Fancier Bibles.”
“More expensive Bibles.”
“But none means as much to me as this one.”
The church became completely silent.
Reverend Alden placed the old Bible inside the wooden medicine box.
“It seems the children have given me something I truly needed.”
He smiled warmly.
“A beautiful box to protect my oldest and most treasured possession.”
Mary looked at Laura in surprise.
Laura blinked back tears.
The Reverend continued.
“Sometimes we believe a gift is measured by its price.”
“It isn’t.”
“It is measured by the love behind it.”
“The children wanted to honor me.”
“They worked hard.”
“They hoped to give something better.”
“Though their plan failed, their hearts were full of kindness.”
“And that makes this gift priceless.”
Many adults quietly wiped away tears.
Charles smiled proudly at his daughters.
Caroline squeezed their hands.
Across the aisle, Nellie Oleson shifted uneasily.
She leaned toward Harriet.
“Mother…”
Harriet slowly nodded.
Hidden beneath the pew sat a beautifully wrapped package.
Inside was a brand-new leather Bible.
Originally priced at twelve dollars.
Purchased on sale for three.
After hearing Reverend Alden’s words, Harriet quietly placed the package back beneath the bench.
There would be another day for such a gift.
Today wasn’t about expensive presents.
After church, Reverend Alden stopped Mary and Laura outside.
“You know,” he said gently, “every person makes mistakes.”
Laura looked down.
“I won’t forget this one.”
“I hope not.”
He smiled kindly.
“But I hope you also remember something else.”
“What’s that?”
“The courage it took to tell the truth.”
Mary smiled.
“We almost stayed home.”
“I’m very glad you didn’t.”
He tipped his hat and walked away.
As the Ingalls family headed home across the prairie, Laura looked at Mary.
“I guess Reverend Alden didn’t need a new Bible after all.”
Mary smiled.
“No.”
“He needed to remind all of us what makes a gift valuable.”
Laura nodded thoughtfully.
“It isn’t what’s in your hands.”
“It’s what’s in your heart.”
And that was a lesson both sisters would remember for the rest of their lives.
The End
