List of Little House On The Prairie Episodes - Season 3 (1976–1977)

Reverend Alden gets sick while collecting donations, and Caleb Hodgekiss, an ex-convict, helps by giving him a place to stay and volunteering to get the donations from Walnut Grove. Initially, Caleb has every intention of disappearing with the towns-people's donations, but has a change of heart when he discovers their kindness.

Nellie falls off of Laura's horse, Bunny, and pretends to be paralyzed. Mrs. Oleson blames Laura for this and believes Bunny should be destroyed. Nellie is found out by Laura who becomes so angry that she pushes her wheelchair down a hill, pitching Nellie headfirst into the pond.

Laura and her horse Bunny are favored to win the upcoming race in Walnut Grove. However, Mrs. Oleson believes the victory should go to Nellie, and to guarantee her success, she purchases a thoroughbred and even provides the trophy.

Charles' mother passes away after a long illness, and he travels back to Wisconsin to handle the funeral arrangements. His father, Landsford Ingalls becomes very despondent and, after an argument with Charles, tries to kill himself by setting his house on fire. Charles saves Landsford and talks him into coming to Walnut Grove to sort out his emotions. While staying with his son's family, Landsford begins to form a special relationship with Laura. It is also revealed that Laura was named after her grandmother, Charles' mother.

Note: This is the first appearances of Matthew Laborteaux and Hersha Paraday. Here (through flashbacks), Laborteaux plays young Charles Ingalls, and Paraday plays Eliza Anne Ingalls, Charles' sister-in-law. Ms. Paraday will join the cast in season four, playing Alice Garvey.

Charles is seriously injured while on a hunting trip with Laura. The only person she can find to help her is Sam, who is blind, but still able to find his way in the forest. Together, they bring Charles to Sam's cabin and search for Mr. Edwards.

Note: 90-minute episode

Joseph Strokes, the son of a Sioux Indian, moves to Walnut Grove with his widowed mother to live with his grandfather, Jeremy. The old man rejects Joseph because he is ashamed that his daughter married an Indian. Josephs' encounter with school bullies causes his grandfather to have a change of heart.

Mary is severely injured when a horse kicks her in the stomach while she is putting him away in the barn. When her condition deteriorates, it becomes clear she needs an expensive surgery to save her life. Charles and Mr. Edwards are forced to take dynamiting jobs for the railroad to fund the surgery.

Mary needs more surgery, something that weighs heavily on Charles' mind as he feverishly works to earn enough money for his daughter's surgery. Eventually, a fatigued Charles causes an accident that traps him and a co-worker inside. Mr. Edwards leads a harried but courageous effort to save the two men's lives.

Solomon Henry, an eleven-year-old black boy, runs away from his family because he is tired of being treated differently. He lives with the Ingallses for awhile and during his stay, is fortunate enough to attend school.

Note: This episode is seldom seen on television today due to "political correctness".

Nellie discovers that Laura has "borrowed" a music box from her room and decides to blackmail her. In order to stay quiet about Laura's crime, Nellie demands that Laura abandon her new friend Anna, who has a stutter, and join her new club. Eventually, Charles discovers what happens and teaches Laura a lesson about lying. In the end, Nellie gets her comeuppance, too.

The school holds an election for school president. Mary, Nellie and Elmer, an unpopular boy amongst the children, are in the running. Mary drops out of the race when she realizes Elmer is the best person for the job.

When heavy rains make it impossible to plant their crops, the Ingalls and Edwards families head west to pan for gold. However, the temptations of being rich soon turns everyone against each other. Laura and Carl visit with an ex-miner who has seen the ill effects of gold mining. In the end, Charles and Mr. Edwards realize each of them is already rich (because they have their families) and decide to go home.