THE
FIRST SCHOOLDAYS OF MITCH
Mitch was
six when he went to school for the first time. Of course that was a great
happening for him, but not only for him. For Adam, his father
and brothers too. Mitch had seen the school often enough when he rode
from and to the ranch with someone. He asked then always if he could go too.
The answer was then yes.
When the
day was nearly there Adam went with him to get to know the teacher. It was Mrs
Patricia Baker who invited him on a Fridayafternoon for a
aquaintancetalk. She knew the Cartwright family well but wasn’t charmed from
them.
During the
aquaintancetalk Mitch didn’t sit still for a single moment. The strict teacher
noticed that and drawn her conclusion very quickly.
“Mr
Cartwright, I do know that every child of six officially has to go to school
but to my opinion is your son still very playful and that’s why it is better
that he stays at home for a while. He is also too little to be able to follow
my lessons”, she said.
Adam looked
at her and reacted stupefied, “I hope that Mitch can go to school one day! Come
on Mitch.”
They walked
straight out of the schoolbuilding.
“May I not
go to school?”, the boy asked amazed.
“No, she
thinks you are still too playful and too little. I will teach you how to read
and write at home”, Adam replied while they got into the carriage.
He happen to meet Mr Andrew Larson of the schoolboard.
“Mr Larson,
I want to ask something”, Adam said directly.
“Fire away”, said Andrew.
“This is my
son Mitch. He became six in December and has to go to school soon but now Mrs
Baker refuses to let him in because in her eyes he is still too playful and too
little. What do you think of it?”, Adam asked right
away.
Andrew
looked at the young Cartwright and said, “I will tell her right away that Mitch
too shall get her lessons. I know how she thinks about you Cartwrights but
every child of six must be able to go to school and so Mitch too.”
Adam knew
enough and he went home satisfied.
Andrew went
straight to the school where Patricia was still busy.
“Mr Larson,
what are you doing here? There are no complaints about me, are they?”, she asked friendly.
“There are there, Mrs Baker. Why do you refuse to let Mitch
Cartwright go to this school? He has become six years old in December so he has
to go to school”, said Andrew.
“He is a Cartwright and I dislike them. They always cause trouble where they
come and that will be the case with Mitch as well. That’s why I don’t want to
have him in my school”, said Patricia said suddenly very snappy.
“Pity for you but Mitch will just go to school and you will teach him just like
the other children. Maybe it is just you that you can’t get along with the
Cartwright family. I have no problem with them. Good day”, said Andrew.
On the
first schoolday of Mitch everybody was very excited.
“Mitch, if
you get trouble with the teacher, say it right away. Then we can do something
about it”, Ben said before Adam and Mitch left.
The boy
nodded.
“Give
Grandpa another goodbye kiss and then we really are going”, said Adam.
Mitch ran
to Ben, gave him a little kiss and went then along with his father. He looked
for a moment with laughing eyes at his Grandpa and Uncles before he went to
school with Adam.
Adam got
the carriage and rode in a quiet pace to the school.
“You are
not gonna start to fight. If I hear that you have started you get punishment
from me automatically”, Adam reacted directly.
“Yes
father”, the boy said at once.
“Children,
we have a new pupil today. This is Mitch Cartwright. Mitch, you are gonna sit
in the front so that I can keep a good eye on you”, the teacher said extremely
friendly
Mitch went
to sit at an empty place and looked around the class. He knew most of the
children and he could get along with them but not with Jason Harris.
Patricia saw what he was doing and said strict, “Cartwright, look this way!”
“Good Mrs
Baker”, Mitch said careless.
He reallly
couldn’t understand why his father and Uncles were so eager to go to school so
much.
During the
lunchbreak Jason came to Mitch and he said, “I am in charge here at school and
you must do what I say. Because you have a rich Grandpa you must pay me a
dollar each day to go to school. Or else I am gonna pester you away.”
“Get out of here. You ain’t in charge here and neither is Mrs Baker. My father
said that to me”, Mitch reacted.
“Then you
are wrong informed.Every new child at this school must pay money per day. for the others it is a quarter but because you are a rich
man’s child it is a bit more expensive”, said Jason.
Matthew
Walker came near them and said, “Get out of here Jason. I now understand why
you are the teacher’s favourite. You are just as sneaky as she is.”
Jason kepyt silent and walked away.
“What is
that a pain inthe neck eh”, said Mitch.
“Indeed.
Nobody knows who his parents are. Are you coming to play baseball withthe
others?
We need
another pitcher”, Matthew reacted.
Mitch got
up and walked along.
“Do you
need another pitcher for your team?”, Mitch asked
without shyness.
“Do you
think you are good?”, second baseman Terry Smith
asked.
“I don’t think it, I know it for sure”,
replied Mitch.
“Let’s see what you can
do. I will hit, Matthew catches and you pitch”, said Terry.
The boys
took their position and Mitch threw a clear and hard fastball at his best
friend.
Suddenly
Jason came to
stand near them and he said scornful, “I throw much harder than that rich man’s
child.”
“Prove that
then”, Mitch said directly.
He left the
mount and went to stand ready with the bat. Jason threw an easy ball which
ended halfway the homeplate and the mount.
“Mitch, you
are our pitcher”, said Kevin Smith, the older brother of Terry.
Mitch didn’t
get it very easy at school. Patricia treated him differently from the other
children.
She had the
opinion that the boy didn’t belong at her school and made no secret of that.
Hereby
Mitch began to change very much. He argued with everyone and caused a lot of
tension in the house.
On an
afternoon Mitch asked Adam, “Daddy, are we going fishing together on Saturday?”
“I would
like to but I have no time. I have to go to
“I thought
that the weekend was meant for me. But just go away. I can entertain myself”, the boy reacted
hurt.
He walked
away to play near the oak. Adam watched him and sighted deep.
He walked
after him and said, “I am sorry. I f you want you can come.”
“I do have
to stay here, don’t I? I don’t even want to come along with you!”, Mitch said angry.
“I stay
Saturdaynight in
“Why don’t
you stay away for good? Is Cody coming too?”, the
young Cartwright asked.
“Cody stays
at home, just like you. Tonight you go to bed without supper!”,
Adam said whereafter he mounted on Sport and rode away.
Mitch
watched him go and thought ‘I just won’t do what you want.’
Mitch
didn’t understand anythingof the fact that there was almost nobody at home when
he was at home too. Cody was away a lot with Adam and the others also didn’t
have much time for him.
It was
always very busy at the ranch and thereby time and attention for Mitch was
often very short or not at all.
He went to
sit against the tree to think. Suddenly the dog came up to him and began to
lick him on his face.
“Cody, stop
with that licking. you know that I don’t like it”,
said Mitch said while he pushed the dog away.
Cody thought that it was a game and went to play rough with his little boss.
Mitch didn’t like it at all and gave the dog a smart hit.
“Get lost!”,Mitch said angry to Cody.
The
shepherd bit at Mitch for a second and went then to lie at the porch but he
looked at Mitch groaning. What Mitch didn’t know was that Ben had seen
evrerything from behind the window.
He came
outside and said pretty strict, “Mitchell Cartwright, come here at once!”
Mitch came
at his very ease sauntering and asked, “What is it this time?”
“Inside
you”, the rancher said curt.
Mitch came
along worried and in the living room Ben asked, “Mitchell, why did you hit
Cody? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
The boy
looked at his Grandpa but said nothing for a long time.
“I will go
to my room”, the boy finally said.
He pulled
himself loose and walked to his bedroom. Ben watched him go and sighted deeply.
The last few weeks Mitch had very changing moods.
Around
suppertime the Cartwrights were together in the living room.
“Adam, short
after you had left I caught Mitch that he was hitting Cody. He didn’t want to
tell me why he did that. Since then he has been into his room”, Ben said
suddenly.
“He flew
out to me when he heard that he couldn’t come along with me to
He got up
and walked to the bedroom of his son. Like always Mitch sat in a corner of his
room when Adam came in. He sat there always when they were angry with him.
‘Now he
will probably give me a sermon or two!’, the boy
thought when he saw his father.
“Why for
heaven’s sake did you hit Cody?”, asked Adam asked at
once.
“Because he
was licking me”, Mitch said angry.
“He did
that because he was giving you a kiss, You may count
on it now that he may not forget it very quickly. If he bites you I don’t feel
sorry for you. It is your own fault. Now off to bed!”,
Adam said strict.
Mitch got
undressed and put on his nightshirt. Then Adam saw the lashes on the back of
his son.
“Kid, who
had knocked you out at your back?”, Adam asked now a
bit calmer.
“Mrs Baker. She makes sure that my whole life is a hell
now. She says that I ain’t good enough for her school because I am left handed
and not can get along fast enough with therest of the class. Matthew has been
taken from school already by his parents. All lefthanded are clumpsy and
retarded she says”, Mitch replied with tears in his throat.
He began to
cry very and got taken into his father’s arms.
“Get
dressed and I want that you apology to Cody. Someone else must go to
Mitch got
dressed and went downstairs with Adam. Ben, Hoss and Little Joe looked up
amazed when they saw Mitch anyway.
“Now that
Mrs Baker is really playing with fire. She says that Mitch is retarded because
he is lefthanded and cannot come along fast enough the the others. That woman
says that all lefthanded people are clumpsy and retarded”, Adam raved.
“Then I
should be that too”, Little Joe reacted.
Adam and
Hoss looked at each other smiling but they said nothing.
“Mitch has just more difficulty with reading
and writing but on the other hand he is very intelligent”, said Adam.
Meanwhile
Mitch and Cody sat together again like nothing had happened that afternoon.
“After
supper I go and talk to that woman. Joe, would you like to go in my place to
Little Joe
agreed.
At the table the subject of conversation was clearl.
“She gives
me on purpose an extra turn for to rread so that she can say again that I can’t
read. And when I make a mistake on the blackboard I get hit with the whip and
Jason never when he does the same thing. He is clearly her favourite””, Mitch
said hesitating.
“You are
not going to that school again. I won’t let my child get mistreated by s uch a
pigheaded schoolteacher”, Adam reacted.
After the
meal Adam first brought his son to bed like each evening and then he went away.
He mounted on Sport and rode to the house of Patricia Baker. The light was on
in the livingroom so that Adam knew that she was at home. He dismounted and
hitched his loyal quadrupped. Hereafter he knocked hard and fineat the door.
Patrica was shocked when she answered.
“Mrs Baker,
I want to talk
to you about one of your pupils”, Adam said coming straight to the point.
“Come in”,
she said snappy.
Adam came
in and took off his hat.
“Why are you mistreating Mitch with a whip and
tell him that he is clumpsy and retarded and only because he is lefthanded?”, asked Adam.
“I don’t do that at all. Where do you get those false accusations from? Maybe
he gets mistreated at the ranch”, Patricia said angry.
“Nobody
mistreats Mitch at the ranch he says by himself that you do it when he does
something wrong so….”, Adam said fierce.
Then a door
went open and Jason came in.
“Gran, I
can’t sleep” the boy said.
Adam looked from Patricia at Jason and back.
“I know
more than enough”, he groaned whereafter he went away.
Underway he
ran into Clem.
“Clem, I
want to file a complaint against Mrs Baker for child abuse”, Adam said
directly.
“Come along
then”, said the deputy.
In the office of the sheriff Clem went to sit behind the desk and asked, “What
must be written in the record?”
Adam went
to sit as well and said, “she forbids him to write
with his left hand. She also mistreats him with the whip. Besides
that she tells him that he is clumpsy and retarded and only because he is
lefthanded. She says that all lefthanded are retarded and clumpsy.”
“She must
say that straight into my face. That will be an insult of a deputy in
function”, Clem reacted.
Adam smiled
for a moment and remarked then teasing, “You are also lefthanded of course.”
“Very funny Adam. Anything else?”, the deputy asked teasing.
“Not for now but I do keep Mitch at home from school until thids is solved.
Matthew Walker has been taken from school by his parents as well”, said Adam.
“I spoke
his mother this afternoon and she said the same thing. If that woman goes on
like that she isn’t very populair anymore. Do you want coffee?”, asked Clem.
Adam nodded. The deputy got up and poured in two coffee. He gave Adam one and gave himslef the second one.
“She
doesn’t even want that Mitch goes to school because he is a Cartwright”, Adam
told while he took a sip of the coffee.
Meanwhile
Clem wrote everything down.
“The
children will have to do it without her because these are enough reasons to
fire her”, said the deputy.
“She lives
with her daughter Juliet and grandson Jason Harris. I spoke with Mrs Baker and
Jason came to the living room and he addressed her with gran”, said Adam.
He drunk up
the coffee and went then first to Andrew and then back home.
Arrived at
home Adam told everything that had happened.
“Adam,
tomorrow we are gonna talk to Andrew about this situation. I do want that my
grandson can go to school like always. Even though he is a Cartwright”, said
Ben.
“He already
knows it”, said Adam.
After the flying visit of Adam Andrew went to the teacher. Clem was there as witness.
“Mrs Baker,
hereby you are fired as teacher of the school in
“One or
more Cartwrights must heve been complaining about me like usual? They don’t
even live in this town but because they are rich the rule over everyone”, Patricia
said snappy.
Both men
didn’t go into the remark because they knew better. Not much later they went
away.
The following morning Ben and Adam spoke to Andrew Larson.
“It is unbelieveable that no one can teach the children of
“My son would kill me if I would stand before the class”, Adam reacted.
“Maybe it is just good if you do it. Then you see right away how Mitch
works”, said Ben.
“Excuse me but are you joking now?”, asked Adam
verbaasd.
“Do you see me laughing?”, asked Ben.
Adam shook of no.
Andrew looked at Adam and said, “Maybe it will succeed you to teach them
something.”
“Good, I
give in. But don’t say anything for now to Mitch. You know how he reacts then”,
the eldest Cartwright boy replied.
The next morning during breakfast at the Ponderosa Mitch was the first
one to hear that he had to look at his father the whole day.
“We get a
new teacher again. I am sure that he or she will be gone very soon”,
Mitch said between two bites of oatmeal.
“Do you think that?”, asked Adam.
Selfassured the boy nodded of yes.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that if I was you because I am that new
teacher. and I am gonna treat you as strict as the
other children”, said Adam.
“You don’t know the biggest bully of the class”, Mitch reacted and
quickly he ate his bowl empty.
He left right away for not to arrive at school at the same time as his
father. Mitch didn’t feel like that for now.
“That can be very cozy today. Mitch has gone all long to school to bring
the others up to date”, Adam sighted.
“I wish you a lot of success but most of all luck”, said Ben.
Adam sighted again and got up to go to school.
At the schoolyard Mitch said, “I happen to know who tries to teach us
from today on.”
All of a sudden all children were standing around him. Mitch enjoyed all
the attention.
“Who then? Who is so
stupid to try that out?”, Frank Wilson asked.
“Adam Cartwright”, Mitch said smiling.
“You are lying”, said Jason Baker.
“Not. He told me himself this morning during breakfast”, Mitch reacted.
“Well, then you will become the favourite of the teacher”, Jason said
scornful.
“You must keep your face”, the young Cartwright groaned.
Jason hit him against the ground, kicked hard against his left ankle and
said laughing, “Get up then lameleggy!”
Mitch remained lying but threw some sand at his earthenemy.
Adam came riding towards them and called at a strict tone, “Everybody get
up and stand next to each other!”
The children did that at once but Mitch just stayed lying on the ground
Adam dismounted and hitched Sport.
“Everybody inside and read some for yourself”, the children heard then.
Adam walked to his son and checked the left underleg of Mitch.
“It hurts so much”, the young Cartwright said.
“Come on get up. You are alright. The lessons are gonna start”, Adam said
strict.
Mitch got up and walked inside.
“Boys and girls, I am gonna teach you from today on. You may only speak
if I give you a turn or if you raise your finger. Who opens his mouth unasked
can count on a lot of punishment. I hope that I have been clear. Get out your
mathsbooks and contuiinue where you were stayed on Monday”, said Adam.
The children got their mathsbook and went to work.
When the children were doing their maths Adam kept an extra close watch
on Mitch. He sat on an empty table and watched how Mitch tried to work.
The young Cartwright was looking too much around him so that Adam asked
him on a quiet tone, “Mitch, shouldn’t you be working?”
“I do that”, he reacted amazed.
According to me not. You are
looking more around you than that you do something. Now I understand why you
come with those bad marks”, replied Adam.
‘Just forget it’, Mitch thought and quickly he went to work ahead. He
didn’t like the idea at all that he had to get lessons from his father.
At the next subject was it the turn to read.
“Kids, put away your maths and get your readingbook. Everyone reads half
a page. Marsha, you start at page 21”, said Adam.
not noiseless the
readigbooks got out and the requested page looked up. Each child had to read
half a page and so Mitch had to do that as well of course.
It went completely wrong and Jason said mocking, “You cannot even read.”
Mitch looked up and hit him down to the ground. Herafter Mitch hit him another few times. Adam
seperated the two boys and said strict, “Jason, you apologise to Mitch and
Mitch, you to Jason.”
“I am sorry that I said it”, said Jason.
But Mitch kept silent and looked dat his father furiously.
“You go and play outside for a while. Then I can talk to Mitch praten”,
Adam said to the class.
The pupils were in no time outside.
Adam let his son loose and said, “I haven’t raised you like that, have I?
To start fighting in class.”
“Why do you have to teach us actually?”, asked
Mitch asked fierce.
“Because I have done it before. You will
have to behave much better or I will take drastic measures with you”, his
father said.
“Now I know why you must do it. Then you can keep a great eye on me
because you don’t trust me anyway, do you?”, asked
Mitch woest.
“I really do trust you”, said Adam.
“Believe what you self want because I don’t want to get o more lessons
from you and I don’t want to see you never again”, Mitch said angry.
He stood up and wanted to leave the schoolbuilding but Adam was ahead of
him.
“You just stay right here. Now I am in charge. Go sit on your place and start copying
everything form the blackboard”, Adam said strict.
Mitch knew that he now had to say nothing anymore and did what he was
told to do. While he was copying it his father observed him. Every now and then
he looked how Mitch wrote and noticed that his son was very slow with writing.
“Mitch, I am gonna do it different with you. I write down the
exercisesfor the blackboard on a seperate paper for you so you don’t have to
copy them again. That way you have more time to make them. What do you think of
that?”, asked Adam asked before the other children
came inside again.
“Good. But will Jason not
say then that you favour me?”, Mitch asked on his
turn.
“He will do that anyway but as he is allowed everything of his mother he
will have to listen to me”, his father replied.
“At least he has a mother and I don’t”, said Mitch said with tears in his
throat.
“You still have me anyway”, Adam said somewhat calmer.
They didn’t have much time left to talk because the other children came
in again.
“You are gonna copy the sentences and put them in the past time”, said
Adam.
“Then we should have done it yesterday because then they are now in the
past time”, Mitch remarked dry.
Everyboduy laughed but one look form the teachermade Mitch silent.
“Now you must give Mitch punishment because he spoke before his turn”,
said Jason.
“Mitch has been punished already because he had to stay inside during the
break. You do it now so tomorrow I get from you one hundered lines “I MAY NOT OPEN MY MOUTH UNASKED”, said Adam.
“I say it to Mommie anyway”, Jason reacted.
“Twohundred”, Adam said strict.
Mitch knew right away that Adam meant it. Jason kept ilent but knew now
already thathe didn’t and wouldn’t like the upcoming lessons
Adam noticed that and played it in very handy. When everybody was ready
each child got a turn to write down the made sentence on the blackboard.
“Mitch, you write down the sentence “I read a book” in the present time”,
said Adam.
Mitch did that which led again to a comment of Jason.
“He gets a short sentence and I get a longer one again”, said hij.
“Jason, do you see that corner here?”, Adam asked
pointing at the righthandend corner.
The boy nodded.
“Go and keep him company then”, the teacher said sarcastic.
Jason got up and went to stand in the corner.
Adam saw that Mitch was smiling and said teasing, “Don’t laugh you.”
During the lunchbreak Jason challenged Mitch again like usual.
“You don’t dare to get into trouble now your father is teaching us”, said
Jason.
“We do have you for that, don’t we?”, Mitch
asked quick-witted.
“You must keep your mouth shut or I will hit it shut lameleggy”, Jason
reacted.
Mitch became now so angry that he stopped eating and wnet to fight with
his earthenemy. The boys
hit each other through the sand. Matthew ran inside to warn Adam.
“Mitch and Jason are fighting”, the young
Quickly Adam chewed away a piece of bread and went with Matthew outside
where he put an end to the fight.
“I could have known it. Mitch, you must have been started the fight,
haven’t you?”, Adam asked strict.
“Not true. Jason started with challenging me and then he called me lameleggy.
I don’t have to take that”, Mitch told angry.
“You are it though”, Jason said mocking and laughing.
Mitch almost started to fight again.
“Shut your mouth Baker. You go now
inside and ther you hear what the punishment is”, the teacher said.
They went inside but they really wouldn’t smoke the pipe of peace.
“Soon there is a baseballmatch between this school and the one in
Jason got up and went outside.
“You do that on purpose to nag
me”, Mitch said angry.
“What?”, Adam asked amazed.
“By letting that match go ahead and shutting
me out. But what do I care about that stupid match
actually? You hate me and I hate you”, said Mitch said now a bit calmer with
more nonchalance.
“I don’t hate you at all. What gave you that idea?”,
asked Adam asked amazed.
“Why are you teaching anyway then?”, asked the
boy.
Adam sighted and said nothing. He looked at his boy.
“Sit down and start at your maths. I happen to see that you weren’t ready
with it yet and the rest is”, said Adam said after a
long silence.
“I don’t understand a thing about it. I quit school and go working to become
a rancher. Just like grandpa”, Mitch said complaining.
Adam bursted out laughing.
Hij said, “You just go to school. I help you as much as possible and you
really can make it. Uncle Hoss wasn’t a bright light at school either, just
like you.”
“Still not always”, the boy remarked laughing.
Adam couldn’t stop laughing anymore.
“You don’t talk that way about your beloved Uncle”, he said semi-strict.
“It happens
to be so”, said Mitch.
Adam
noticed that his son liked it that he was teaching though. Hereby Mitch could
concentrate better at his schoolwork and he got more support than the others.
After a
while Mitch became himself again. The bond between father and son Cartwright
became better than ever.
THE
END