His Father’s Son – Little House on the Prairie TV Episode

35. HIS FATHER’S SON
January 7, 1976

John Sanderson, who was adopted by Mr and Mrs Edwards, is more of a poet than a farmer and is always lost in his books. Isaiah would like him to be different. He buys him a Winchester ’73 for his birthday. Unfortunately, John doesn’t like guns or hunting but doesn’t want to hurt Isaiah. He gives him a letter, explaining why he does not want to go hunting. Isaiah “reads” it but doesn’t react, leaving John thinking that he doesn’t love him and does not care about his feelings. While hunting, they run into a bear, but John freezes and doesn’t kill it. He runs home to get help, leaving Mr Edwards in a pool of blood. Afterwards, John feels guilty and is certain that Isaiah doesn’t love him because of his lack of reaction to the letter. But he finds out that Isiah cannot read, and thus did not understand what was written on the letter. He reads it to him, and they finally understand each others intentions, and John realizes he does love him very much.35