CURRICULUM FOR CHAPTER BOOK: The Muskrats are building thick walls for their houses and Laura's Pa says it is a sure sign of a long, hard winter. The fact is confirmed when a wise, old Indian warns the settlers that there would be very bad weather that will last seven months. The Ingalls move into town hoping that it will be a safer place to weather out the storm. Laura and her family learn about the courage and perseverance it takes to beat the howling blizzards and freezing temperatures, even when they are tired of the cold and they are weak from lacking food, somehow they manage to survive. Inspired by songs on the fiddle or homemade surprises, they never lose hope that spring will come!