Laura Ingalls Wilder had such a vivid way of describing her everyday events that her writings have captured the imaginations of multiple generations. The universal themes of courage, hope and love in her books continue to inspire readers today. As author John E. Miller said, the Little House books “not only tell us what life was like, to a degree, but they also tell us what life could be like if we could only live up to our best ideals.”
Enjoy our pinnable and shareable collection of quotes from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s own writings.
“As you read my stories of long ago I hope you will remember that things truly worthwhile and that will give you happiness are the same now as they were then. It is not the things you have that make you happy. It is love and kindness and helping each other and just plain being good. ”
—Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Suffering passes, while love is eternal. That’s a gift that you have received from God…”
—Laura Ingalls Wilder
“The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes, and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies.”
—Laura Ingalls Wilder
“A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing.”
—Laura Ingalls Wilder
“…and Pa’s fiddle sang merrily to itself.”
—Little House in the Big Woods
“Icicles hung from the eaves of the house….like glass and full of sharp lights.”
—Little House in the Big Woods
“Ma liked everything on her table to be pretty.”
—Little House in the Big Woods
“The grass grew green again and the woods were full of wildflowers.”
—Little House in the Big Woods
“Then all the leaves stopped being green. They were yellow and scarlet and crimson and golden and brown.”
—Little House in the Big Woods
“The pumpkins and the squashes were piled in orange and yellow and green heaps in the attic’s corners.”
—Little House in the Big Woods
“…Laura saw the lake. It was as blue as the sky, and it went to the edge of the world.”
—Little House in the Big Woods
“The attic and the cellar were full of good things once more, and Laura and Mary had started to make patchwork quilts. Everything was beginning to be snug and cosy again.”
—Little House in the Big Woods
“The air was still as ice and the twigs were snapping in the cold.”
—Farmer Boy
“The meadows were rosy-purple with the blossoms that the bees loved best.”
—Farmer Boy
“The life of the earth comes up with a rush in the springtime.”
—Farmer Boy
“Large feathery flakes made a veil over everything, and if you were alone and held your breath and listened, you could hear the soft tiny sound of their falling.”
—Farmer Boy
“They arched their necks and picked up their little feet daintily.”
—Farmer Boy
“For days Mother and the girls made jellies and jams and preserves, and for every meal there was huckleberry pie or blueberry pudding.”
—Farmer Boy
“Good weather never lasts forever on this earth.”
—Little House on the Prairie
“All around them there was nothing but grassy prairie spreading to the edge of the sky.”
—Little House on the Prairie
“One morning the whole world was delicately silvered. Every blade of grass was silvery and the path had a thin sheen…. When the sun came up, the whole prairie sparkled. Millions of tiny, tiny sparks of color blazed on the grasses.”
—On the Banks of Plum Creek
“Often a butterfly stopped to rest there. Then Laura watched the velvety wings…”
—On the Banks of Plum Creek
“They rolled and laughed in the crackling straw. Then they climbed the stack, and slid down it again.”
—On the Banks of Plum Creek
“In the mornings they ran through the dewy chill grass that wet their feet and dabbled the hems of their dresses.”
—On the Banks of Plum Creek
“Rabbits stood up with paws dangling, long ears twitching, and their round eyes staring at Mary and Laura.”
—On the Banks of Plum Creek
“…it isn’t everybody that gets a chance to learn to read and write and cipher.”
—On the Banks of Plum Creek
“… and Laura let her sunbonnet slip down her back so that she could feel the wind on her face and see the whole great prairie.”
—By the Shores of Silver Lake
“Down the slope of the little hill…patches of wild crocus spread yellow and blue in the young grass….”
—By the Shores of Silver Lake
“Tell them we wish they could spend Christmas with us this year like they did in the Big Woods,” said Mary.
—The Long Winter
“That was such a happy supper that Laura never wanted it to end.”
—The Long Winter
“Ma said nothing, but a little flush came up her cheeks and her eyes kept on smiling while they ate that delicious pie.”
—The Long Winter
“The sky was coldly blue and the whole world was white.”
—The Long Winter
See more Little House on the Prairie quotes with these shareable quotes from the Television show.
The editors of the Little House on the Prairie® website are pleased to bring you interesting articles, interviews, fan features, videos, and much more.
So beautiful, especially during these times. Thank you
Thank you.
Are these available for purchase as post cards or any other medium?
We have some items available in the store https://www.cafepress.com/littlehouseontheprairie
This was such a blessing and encouragement to me in these troubled circumstances. It made me long and yearn for those simpler days of long ago. God is surely our only hope, just as He was their hope. He will see us through.
This is wonderful. Thank you for these beautiful quotes and photos.
Very nice.
I’ve read the books many times, and never tire of their history, timeless lessons, family values, and the pioneer spirit. What a treasure trove of first -hand American experiences. The detail in which they are written, explaining step-by-step how Pa built the cabin, made bullets, fashioned a door latch, etc. How Ma made butter, maple syrup, baked a pie….all in detail. How these methods would be lost if it weren’t for Laura Ingalls Wilder’s writings!!! I cherish them, and so should every American. I think her books should be read by all . She was also very witty and had common sense. I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to visit her home in Mansfield, MO and her and Almonzo’s gravesite. It moved me as much as when I visited the homes of Washington, Lincoln, and other American founders. The Ingalls were just like the pilgrims….only heading west rather than across the ocean.
From what source did you find the quote:
“Suffering passes, while love is eternal. That’s a gift that you have received from God. Don’t waste it”? I’ve not been able to locate those exact words in Wilder’s books or Bill Anderson’s biographies or “Pioneer Girl” or her “Missouri Ruralist” articles. Thank you for documenting the quotes from the LH books.
I didn’t discover the Little House books until I was a teacher, but then I read some of them to my class every year. My favorite for teaching was Farmer Boy because the boys in my classes really listened to that one. The books caused me to have an antique shop now that I’m retired. I had collected a lot of primitive tools – like yarn winders, harness benches, looms, etc, and had the children learn what they were and how they were used, then they would invite their parents to view our “museum” and guess what the artifacts were. I now have those primitive artifacts on display in my shop and often have customers guess what they are. I moved to a farm shortly after finding the Little House books and have lived there almost 50 years now – so Laura Ingalls Wilder had a huge influence on my life.
there was a poem that read {remember me with smiles and laughter for i will remember you} don’t remember the rest can you please send it to me i loved it
So many great quotes.
If wisdom’s ways you wisely seek, five things observe with care; of whom you speak, to whom you speak, and how, and when, and where.
There was another one about time and using it wisely.
My family and I take a trip every year over to the Wilder Farm in NY. We enjoy it so much. We have read Farmer Boy many times.
Nice to see them showing the episodes on True Entertainment. Just watched a great episode where Nellie gave birth to twins. They’d been differences in religion between the grandparents ie. the grandad was jewish and demanded a son be raised jewish but Mrs Oleson disagreed. Anyway they’d already discussed if a boy raise him jewish if a girl raised christian. Then it turned out she had twins boy & girl argument over.
I found some Little House on the Prarie books years ago at yard sale. Great books! Learned a few things too. Love the show! Been watching it since it first came on air. Makes you wish life was still simple like back then. I had a little taste of it spending summers at my Grandma’s house in KY. Everything was so clean and the vegetables were superb! And the canned foods from the cellar, including jam, YUMMY!
Back then, the country (and world) wasn’t so over-populated like now.
I cherish my memories and I know I was a lucky girl. ☺
I love all the books
I loved reading her books and when they did the tv series of her books it was so nice to see what your mental vision of the books to real life. We raised our children with her life story. In today’s throw it away world. I as a mother wanted my children to learn that you as a person with hard work can obtain what you want in life. Yes..there will be falls…but we all fall..remember learning to walk or ride a bike. Also..it taught my children money doesn’t buy happiness. I will be forever thankful for her never giving up on her children books. Mrs. Wilder books has in our family set our family values.
IT IS MY FAVERITE SHOW IN THE WORLD
I’ll be 70 in August, and my daughter gave me a couple of her “Little House” books to read awhile back. Well, my husband and I got hooked on them. Now we have all the books from Laura’s Grandmother Martha, down to Laura’s daughter Rose. It’s been fun finding and collecting and reading these books. We absolutely love them, and learned a lot too. I am from KS, and remember all about feeding the chickens and the ducks, and planting a big garden so we’d have fresh vegetables all summer and fall.
-Cathie P.
When my niece’s were young..7+3 years old (approximately))we took a day trip to Burr Oak..I grew up in NE IA ..that was close to.30yrs ago loved it then +love it now..hope to get back again..thanks for your Web site
Laura made so much of so simple a life – her gratitude apparent in her appreciation of things commonly taken for granted.
Funnily enough, one of her quotes was:
“I am beginning to see that it is the sweet, simple things in life which are the real ones after all”
????????????
Everything she wrote about made it come alive with detail. So much fun to read!
Laura Ingalls Wilder has been so much apart of my life. I look back at my childhood farm life, and wish her life was mine. The beautiful country. The beautiful peace of the farmland, corn, soybean, cattle, pigs, chickens, geese,, ducks, and beautiful family artifacts that no one wanted became mine. A household of history.