In the summer, everyone visits one another. Laura and Mary visit Mrs. Peterson, a Swedish woman without children who shows them her pretty things and gives them cookies. Each girl eats half, then gives half to baby Carrie, which doesn’t seem quite fair, but they can’t figure out another way.

Among the visitors who spend the day with the Ingallses, spurring extra cooking and cleaning on Ma’s part, are Mr. and Mrs. Huleatt and their children, Eva and Clarence. Eva and Mary, who are both neat, walk and talk while Laura and Clarence run and play. Another visitor is Aunt Lotty. In getting ready for the visit, Laura puts on a red dress and see people admire Mary’s golden hair. However, when asked, Aunt Lotty says she likes both brown and gold hair. That night, after their visitor leaves and the girls are getting woodchips for the next morning’s fire, Mary says golden hair is prettier, and Laura slaps her. Pa whips her with a strap.

Later, he hugs her, and when she asks him what color hair he likes better, he points out that his hair is brown, too. There are no songs in the summer evenings because Pa is too tired, but they start talking about killing a calf to make cheese.