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Albert (Matthew Laborteaux), the Ingalls' foster son, is frustrated by his efforts to trace his family tree as part of a school project. Equally frustrated is Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon), who, in attempting to legally adopt Albert, is stymied by the sudden arrival of the boy's natural father (Michael Pataki). In the climactic scene, Albert pulls off a cruel but necessary deception to rid himself of the father who had long before deserted him.