A schoolyard escapade involving Albert brands 15-year-old girl Sylvia a tease. The two fall in love, but Albert is unaware of a number of circumstances which have thrown Sylvia's life into a frightening tailspin - getting raped by an unknown assailant and the girl's domineering father.

Eliza Jane falls in love with Harv, but is afraid to tell him how she feels. Eliza Jane is devastated when she finds out Harv has somebody else in his life. Since Eliza Jane doesn't want to see Almanzo and Laura break up, she decides to leave and tells Almanzo to chase after Laura to tell her that she could teach in Walnut Grove. Laura and Almanzo then get married at the blind school.

A pregnant Sylvia finds Albert is the only one she can turn to for solace, since her father blames her for her situation. Albert and Sylvia decide they want to elope so she doesn't have to move with her father, over both their parents' objections.

Almanzo purchases some land and hires Harv, a friend of his, to help him in the field. Almanzo soon learns that he was tricked into buying the land. He is unable to get any justice. This causes Almanzo to call off the wedding until he gets back on his feet. Laura gets a teaching position, but Almanzo doesn't want her to work. Laura decides to take the position anyway.

Reverend Alden eventually finds someone to take in the kids. However, this family just wants them to work. When Cassandra and James run away, their adoptive father doesn't even go to look for them. When Charles finds the kids, he tells them that he will adopt them if they could stand the house being more crowded. They happily agree to stay with the Ingalls.

Charles and Albert travel with the Cooper family while on a delivery. A serious accident occurs while the Coopers are going down a steep hill. The Cooper parents are killed. Charles tries to find Cassandra and James a new home. When he can't find anyone to take them both in, he feels he has to send them to an orphanage. After thinking about this idea some more, Charles decides to take care of the kids himself for a short period.

A story of fear (for the brothers), heartache and love. Houston, an old man, takes care of two runaway orphans. The orphans were running away because the orphanage wants to separate them. Houston talks to the adopting parents and convinces them to take both of the kids.

Adam makes a decision when his sight returns, after an accident at Jonathan's freight warehouse. Mary feels that Adam may be slipping away from her.

A friend of Laura begins liking Almanzo. Laura begins suspecting the worse. She goes so far as leaving him when she suspects he is having an affair. Laura later learns that Almanzo can love no one but her.

Almanzo and Mr. Ingalls expand their business by delivery goods to Sleepy Eye. Both of them believe they know the quickest way to get there. They even place a bet...Whoever got to Sleepy Eye first before 1 o'clock had to cook the other family dinner. Both of them experience problems almost right from the start. Both of them end up making it there after the designated time. The husbands are forced to cook their wives dinner, but that doesn't go so well either.

Adam goes for his test and hopes to get a scholarship. But far away from home, he is robbed and beaten and after racing to continue his test (2nd part), he catches a fever.

The Garveys move to Sleepy Eye to run a business. After being robbed several times, Jonathan decides to become a deputy sheriff to clean up the town of crime. When Jonathan catches a teen gang leader, Andy gets beaten up.

Mrs. Oleson wants Laura to add several courses to her school curriculum, including art appreciation and French. Since Laura believes that the kids don't need to know these subjects, she quits. Mrs. Oleson is the person who takes over as teacher.

Caroline is crushed when she learns she is no longer able to carry a baby, and fabricates a pregnancy to deal with the pain.

A blind person has a talent for painting. Her work is so good, it soon gets publicized. The person's biological mother comes and tries to make up for what happened in the past. Only after the blind person learns that her mother abandoned her so that she could have a better life did she agree to see her mother.

Percival's parents decide to pay a visit. Mrs. Oleson and Mr. Percival don't hit it off so well. Mrs. Oleson is strongly against Mr. Percival's idea of raising Nellie's child as a Jew. An agreement is finally reached between the two. A girl would be Christian and a boy would be Jewish. Nellie ends up having twins, a boy and a girl.

Joe Hagen moves to Sleepy Eye to help at the blind school. He begins to fall in love with Hester Sue. However, she is planning to marry someone that has a more promising future. One day Hester Sue hears Joe comforting one of the blind students. Hearing this makes her decide not to marry the other person.

Adam and Mary move back to Walnut Grove so that Adam can start a law practice there. Adam's first case involves a person who has been swindling people in Walnut Grove. Adam believes the person is innocent until he finds out the truth. Adam convinces the jury to have pity on this man who was just trying to help out his family before he dies.

Albert begins writing more frequently to a pen pal of his. He tries to impress the girl he is writing to. The girl also does the same thing. Albert falls in love with her and goes to see her one time. This girl is very reluctant. Albert thinks that she doesn't like him until he sees her in a wheelchair. Both of them promise to continue writing to each other, but this time they would only tell the truth in their writings.

Caroline Ingalls joins in protest with the rest of the Walnut Grove women to try to convince Charles and the other men to sign a petition addressing the injustice of a law that transfers a woman's property rights to her husband after marriage.

A former football star moves back to Walnut Grove. He agrees to become coach of the football team. His goal is to win at all costs. This kind of thinking puts Albert in great danger. Towards the end of the show the football coach starts to realize that winning isn't everything.

Almanzo's brother, Royal, leaves his two kids with the Wilders while he and his wife are on vacation. Laura and Almanzo have their hands full taking care of these boys.