At first, the Ingallses lived in a sod house in Minnesota. Then Pa built a clean new house beside Plum Creek, buying the materials for it on credit, and intending to pay for them with the fall wheat harvest. But just before harvest time, a strange glittering cloud suddenly blocked out the sun. Plunk! Something dropped on Laura's head, and fell to the ground. It was the biggest grasshopper she had ever seen. Soon millions of them had landed on the fields — and then there was no wheat crop at all.