Once again Pa’s fiddle playing is the star of the music from On the Banks of Plum Creek. But now, Laura is also introduced to songs that the children sing during play at school. And Laura and her family are once again able to attend church in Walnut Grove, where the congregation often sings.
Then he took his fiddle out of its box. He played for a long time in the twilight, while Laura and Mary sat close to him and Ma rocked Carrie near by.
He played “Dixie Land,” and “We’ll Rally Round the Flag, Boys!” He played “All the Blue Bonnets Are Over the Border,” and
“Oh, Susanna, don’t you cry for me! I’m going to California With my washpan on my knee!”
He played “The Campbells Are Coming, Hurrah! Hurrah!” Then he played “Life Let Us Cherish.” And he put away the fiddle. He must go to bed early, to get an early start in the morning.
“Take good care of the old fiddle, Caroline,” he said. “It puts heart into a man.”
Chapter 26 Grasshopper Eggs, On the Banks of Plum Creek
On the Banks of Plum Creek features more songs than any of the earlier Little House books, with the increased social activity introducing the readers to many of the songs from Walnut Grove.
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