Dick Armstrong

A heavy rain has been falling in Walnut Grove for two months, and shows no signs of stopping. Charles fears that his crops will suffer and his family will go hungry. He takes them on a 400-mile journey for a temporary new life in Gold Country. Caroline opens and teaches a school in a tent, right in the middle of town, but it proves to be a less-than-ideal learning environment for everyone.

The Ingalls and Oleson families spend a fun-filled and exciting day at a county fair. Sparks fly between Mary and a smooth-talking balloonist, Caroline and Harriet face off in a pie-baking contest, and Charles and Nels enter a gritty competition of their own. Laura wastes all her spending money in a surprising way, and Carrie faces serious danger when Laura fails to supervise her.

Hoping to strike it rich after their crops are destroyed by a devastating rain storm, the Ingalls leave Walnut Grove and go to the Dakota gold fields. But, after a while, the Ingalls realize that greed may have been poisoning their minds.