On the Other Side of the Hill: The Fourth Book About the Spirited Daughter of Little House for Children (Ages 8-12) (Little House Sequel) - Softcover

MacBride, Roger Lea

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0064405753 ISBN 13: 9780064405751

Verlag: HarperCollins, 1995

Inhaltsangabe

The fourth book in the Rose Year series, the story of the spirited daughter of the author of the beloved Little House series. 

On The Other Side of the Hill continues the story of Rose, Laura, and Almanzo as the young Wilder family struggles to overcome a series of natural disasters that beset their little farm.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Roger Lea MacBride, a close friend of Rose Wilder Lane's, was the author of the Rose Years novels.

The late Roger Lea MacBride, Rose Wilder Lane’s adopted grandson, was the author of Little House on Rocky Ridge, Little Farm in the Ozarks, In the Land of the Big Red Apple, and On the Other Side of the Hill, and the editor of West From Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder, San Francisco 1915, and Rose Wilder Lane: Her Story. He was also an active participant in the creation of the television shows Little House on the Prairie and Young Pioneers.

David Gilleece is the illustrator of all of the Rocky Ridge series titles. He lives in Point Pleasant, PA.

Von der hinteren Coverseite

The Little House books have captivated generations of readers with theirstory of the little pioneer girt Laura Ingalls growing up on the American frontier. Now the Little House story continues with The Rocky Ridge Years, books that tell the story of Laura and Almanzo Wilder's daughter, Rose.

The first three books in the series, Little House On Rocky Ridge, Little Farm In the Ozarks, and In the Land of the Big Red Apple, describe the Wilders' covered-wagon journey to Missouri and their first two years in their new farmhouse. On The Other Side of the Hill continues their story as the young Wilder family struggles to overcome a series of natural disasters that beset their little farm.

On The Other Side of the Hill continues the story that Laura Ingalls Wilder began more than sixty years ago -- a story whose wonder and adventure have charmed millions of readers.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Excerpt

Shivaree

In the inky blackness just behind Rose Wilder, a foot stepped on a twig with aloud crack. She jammed her fingers in her ears, and her whole body cringed asshe waited for the shotgun to bark and spit its tongue of fire. All around her,in the soft glow of turneddown lanterns, stirred the ghostly shadows ofwell-wishers from Abe and Effie's wedding.

But the explosion did not come. Rose heard only the faint whispers of thepeople, the soft endless chirping of crickets, and the fluttering of a birdstartled from its sleep. A cool latesummer breeze sighed through the leaves, anda limb groaned a small complaint.

A little way off in a clearing, Rose could just make out the small log house,Its dark windows looked blankly out on the forest. No smoke curled from itschimney, Curing raccoon and rabbit pelts covered the walls, their legs spread asif hugging the logs.

That was the house where Abe and Effie were beginning their now life together.Tonight their friends and kinfolk were going to give them a proper housewarming.

Abe Baird was the hired hand who helped Papa with his chores. Effie Stubbins wasa big sister of Rose's best friend, Alva. The Stubbinses lived just a little wayup Pry Creek from Rocky Ridge Farm, where Rose. and her Mama And Papa had cometo live two years ago from South Dakota. They had come here to Missouri to starta new life In the Ozark Mountains.

Abe and Effie had been married this very night. After the wedding, and after awonderful feast and hours of dancing in one of Mr. Stubbins' barns, Abe andEffie had ridden off to the little log house in the new wagon Mr. Stubbins hadgiven them for a present. He had even given them their own team of matched baymules to pull it.

Now the crowd of Abe and Effie's friends and family waited in the darkenedforest to shivaree the new couple. Papa was there, too. Mama had gone home torest after dancing almost every tune with Papa. I can scarcely keep my eyesopen," she'd said through a big yawn. "You go on without me."

"What's shivaree?" Rose had asked Alva as they helped Mrs. Stubbins dry thefeast dishes in the kitchen.

I ain't sure," Alva had said, brushing a strand of red hair from her face withthe back of a wet hand. Her red ribbons had gotten lost in the dancing, and herbraids had come undone. Rose and Alva had danced all night, too, although it wasmore jumping and stomping than dancing.

"I ain't never done no shivareeing," said Alva. "My papa says it's kindly aruckus-making in the dark of night, like they do on Christmas.

It's to wake up and serenade them that's just got married, to bring 'em goodluck."

"It's a plain passel of noise and fun," Mrs. Stubbins had said with a chuckle."Mind that platter, Alva, or you'll chip it. I recollect the night me and Mr.Stubbins was shivareed. You never heared such a carrying-on as that."

When all the dishes had beendried and put away in the china safe, Mr. Stubbinshad gathered the wedding party in his stock barn. As the curious horses peeredwith shining eyes through the stall rails, he handed out old pots and pans, sometin horns, and cowbells. Two men put a big stick through the hole in the middleof a round saw-blade to carry it.

Swiney, Abe's little brother, who was eight years old, picked a cowbell; andAlva, who was nine, the same age as Rose, took two rusty railroad spikes toclink together.

Last, Mr. Stubbins brought out a drum. At least Rose thought it looked like adrum. It was an empty molasses keg with a groundhog skin stretched over one end,and the other end open. But in the middle of the skin was a holewith a longstring through it, and a button on the end of that string.

"What is it?" Rose wanted to know.

"This here's a dumb bull," Mr. Stubbins said, "and it makes a racket that'll putthe hair up on top of your head."

Rose laughed and touched the top of her head. She couldn't wait to hear it.Would her hair really stand up? Would it look like a rooster's crown?

When everyone had picked a noisemaker, they set out, some in wagons and othersfollowing on foot, down the dark road under the setting moon. Abe's littlesharecropper's cabin sat on twenty acres of land that Rose's papa and mama hadjust bought from another family. That family had given up farming in the Ozarksbecause it was too hard. They had moved away.

Now Abe and Effie were going to live on Rocky Ridge Farm, not very far from thelittle house where Rose lived with Papa and Mama.

Rose had loved Abe almost from the moment she met him, after he had come toapologize when Papa caught his little brother Swiney stealing eggs from Mama'shenhouse. Abe played the fiddle and told wonderful stories about olden days inthe Ozarks.

Abe was just a young man, and Swiney was a wild little boy in shabby clothes.Their mother and father had died, and they were alone in the world with hardlyenough to eat.

But now Abe worked with Papa on the farm, helping with the crops, timberingtrees into fence rails and railroad cross-ties. Mama had gentled Swiney somewith proper clothes, good food, and even teaching him his lessons.

Now that Abe and Effie were married, they would all live and work and playtogether on Rocky Ridge, just like family. It was a wonderful cozy feeling forRose. She was an only child, and all her other family, Grandma and GrandpaIngalls and all her aunts, still lived in South Dakota. Before Abe and Swineyhad come to Rocky Ridge, Rose had used to get so lonesome.

Excerpted from On the Other Side of the Hill by Roger Lea MacBride. Copyright © 1995 by Roger Lea MacBride. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Copyright © 1995 Roger Lea MacBride. All rights reserved.
ISBN: 0-06-440575-3

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: HarperCollins
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1995
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0064405753
• ISBN 13: 9780064405751
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Zeichner: Gilleece David
• Anzahl der Seiten: 368
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Product Safety Manager; enquiries@harpercollins.ie; ; HarperCollins, Macken House, 39/40 Mayor Street Upper; Dublin 1; D01 C9W8; Irland