" LITTLE JOE'S SURPRISES "
Part two
By:
Lynne G.
Finally the
big day arrived, Tuesday morning, as Ben and Adam left in the buckboard for
their trip to
" Hi Ben, Adam," greeted Will. " Good morning Will How are you?" Ben asked. " Just fine. I must tell you that your rocking horse looks wonderful !"Will proudly said. Ben and Adam didn't notice it, until Will pointed to it. " WOW ! It looks so real," both Ben and Adam said as they walked over to it. " This is incredible-just incredible !" Ben said as he and Adam stood there carefully looking at this true masterpiece. " I don't know what to say," Adam said as he was at a loss for words. " Do you like it?" asked Will, as Jim walked into the sales room. " Like it, we love it. It's unbelievable ! It looks real," stated Ben.
" I love the way you painted it, and the way the white and black blend into each other ! I don't know what to say !" Adam said. " Look at the mane, forelocks and tail. WOW !" Ben excitedly said. " Pa, look at the saddle, saddle bags, bridle and reins. It's perfect," Adam said as he looked at the saddle.
" Will, Jim, we can't thank you enough. This is totally incredible ! My little son is going to be so thrilled with this rocking horse," Ben told Will and Jim. " We hope he will get lots of enjoyment from it, and that he will love it. We love to make children happy with rocking horses, and we love to make them too," Will told them.
Ben and Adam loaded the very heavy rocking horse into the buckboard and again they thanked Will and Jim for making it, then they headed for home.
On their way home all they talked about was the rocking horse. They couldn't believe how beautiful it was and they couldn't wait to see what Little Joe would say or do.
As they drove into the yard, Hoss and Hop Sing came out to meet them. " Little boy still having nap," Hop Sing said. " That's good. Hoss, Hop Sing, you won't believe at how incredible the rocking horse turned out. It's breath taking and it looks so real !" Ben told Hoss and Hop Sing as he had a big smile on his face.
Ben and Adam jumped off the buckboard, then they uncoverd the rocking horse. Both Hoss and Hop Sing gasped when they saw the beautifully made rocking horse. "WOW !!! It's beautiful, and it sure does look real," both Hoss and Hop Sing said at the same time. Hop Sing went to open the front door while Ben, Adam and Hoss carried Little Joe's big surprise into the livingroom. It's really heavy isn't it?" Hoss remarked. " Yes it is, and that's good too. At least it won't fall over when Little Joe jumps on it, and that also makes it very sturdy too," Ben said.
Once they had set the large rocking horse on the floor, they all stood there looking at this masterpiece of workmanship. " Oh Pa, Little Joe is going to love it !" Hoss said as he very carefully looked over the rocking horse. Ben and Adam just smiled.
They put a large quilt over the rocking horse until a certain little boy came down from his nap. In the meantime, Hoss and Adam took care of the horses and buckboard.
About ten
minutes after Hoss and Adam had come back in the house from taking care of the
horses and buckboard, Little Joe came walking down the stairs, yawning and
rubbing his eyes. " Papa, Adam, Hoss !" greeted the little
boy. " Hi sweetheart. How was your nap?" Ben asked. It
was fine. I's was a good boy fer Hop Sing taday Papa.
How was
Ben, Adam, Hoss and Hop Sing looked at each other, then at Little Joe. " Little Joe, since you have been such a good little boy lately, which makes Papa very happy, Adam and I bought you a little gift," Ben said as he was watching his child's eyes get even bigger than they already were. Little Joe got a very excited look on his face and he said, " Ya gots me sompfing ??" " Yes we did, and we hope you will like it," Ben said as he was now standing in front of quilt covered rocking horse with Adam, Hoss and Hop Sing. They all got out of the way. " Now, sweetheart, close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to, Ben told the little boy who was so excited that he was almost jumping up and down with excitement. " I's keepin' em closed Papa !" the little boy said. Ben took the quilt off the large rocking horse, and they all were looking at Little Joe, when Ben said," Open your eyes."
Little Joe opened his eyes, gasped and he had his mouth open, and his eyes were almost popping out of his head. He was so surprised at what he saw that he couldn't move. He just stood there with his mouth still open and his eyes as wide open as possible. By now he had tears running down his face.
" P.P.P. Papa, fer me ? I wuv it ," he softly said as he still stood there. " Go ahead sweetheart, it's all yours. You can get on it if you want to," Ben said as he had tears in his eyes too, as did Adam, Hoss and Hop Sing.
Little Joe walked over to his rocking horse, touched it and he walked all around it, very carefully looking at the horse, saddle, saddle bags, bridle and reins. He again turned to look at his family, and he still had a surprised look on his face. " It looks so real. Oh Papa, Adam, I's wuv it !" he said as he gave Ben and Adam a big hug and kiss.
" Hey Punkin, why dunt ya get on it !" Hoss suggested. Little Joe got a big smile on his sweet little face, and he walked over to his rocking horse and got onto it. He was still smiling. The Cartwrights and Hop Sing were really getting a big kick out of watching all the expressions that Little Joe had on his face. Little Joe was having a wonderful time rocking on his big surprise. Ben checked the stirrup length and it was perfect. They could be made to be shorter or longer if need be, but for now, they were just perfect where they were.
Little Joe stayed on his rocking horse until dinner was ready. He ate all of his dinner, but he kept looking at his rocking horse as he ate, and that made his family smile. As soon as he finished his dinner, Adam and Hoss told him that they would do his chores for him so he could ride his rocking horse. He thanked them and he ran over to his trusty steed and he leaped up onto the saddle. " Will ya look at that, the way he leaped into the saddle. Just like he does on Ginger," Hoss softly said, as he smiled.
Little Joe played on his rocking horse all evening. As it got quieter in the room, Ben looked up from his newspaper at his little son, who had fallen sound to sleep on his rocking horse. Ben smiled, then he told Adam and Hoss to look at their baby brother. " Oh, isn't that cute. He fell asleep on his rocking horse," Adam said as he too was smiling. " I bet he'd sleep all night right here in the saddle," Hoss said as he softly laughed. " I guess I had better get our little cowboy up to bed," Ben said as he walked over to his sleeping son. " Adam, Hoss, come here and look, he's got his thumb in his mouth," Ben said as his heart was melting at the sight of his baby boy. Adam and Hoss walked over to get a look at their little brother. " Ah, ain't that just the sweetest sight?" Hoss said. Adam just stood there looking at his baby brother, and he had a tear in his eyes, and he softly said, " I'm so happy that you love your rocking horse little buddy."
Ben gently took his deeply sleeping little boy off the rocking horse and he carried him up to his room. Adam and Hoss went along to help Ben get the youngster undressed and into his nightshirt. Adam pulled down the blankets and quilts, while Hoss got out a nightshirt for the youngest Cartwright. Ben gently got the child undressed and into his nightshirt. Then he covered up the little boy, and kissed him. " Good night my precious little cowboy. I'm so happy that you love your rocking horse. Sweet dreams baby," Ben said. " Good night little brother," both Adam and Hoss said.
Little Joe woke very, very early the next morning while it was barely starting to get light outside. He got out of his nice warm bed and he very quietly left his room and he headed downstairs to his new rocking horse. He put his hat on his head, the he jumped onto the rocking horse. In his young mind, he was riding fast in the wide open meadow. " Giddy up boy, lets go fast ! "Yahoo" he kept saying over and over.
Ben woke up at hearing shouting coming from downstairs, so he jumped out of bed, grabbed his robe and headed out towards the hall where he met up with Adam and Hoss, who had also heard the shouting. " Pa, someone's in the house !" Hoss softly said. Ben nodded. Adam had his spare gun out that he kept in his room, and the three Cartwrights slowly walked towards the stairs. As they very quietly walked down the stairs, they stopped and stared at the sight they saw in the livingroom. " I don't believe it," Ben quietly said.
What they saw was Little Joe in his nightshirt and cowboy hat riding on his rocking horse. " I wonder how long he's been down here riding?" wondered Adam out loud. " I don't know," Ben answered as he continued to watch his little son on the large rocking horse. Hoss was laughing as quietly as he could.
Little Joe had no idea his family was watching him, as was Hop Sing who was standing in the diningroom, slowly shaking his head, and smiling.
" Joseph, what are you doing up so early?" asked Ben. Little Joe stopped rocking and he turned to look at his family, who were now standing in the room looking at him. " Imma chasin' da bad mens. They's dun robbed da bank, and I's a deputy, so I's gotta go after em," explained a very serious Little Joe.
Adam, Hoss, and Hop Sing were now laughing as Ben said," Sweetheart, I think you better call off the search for the bad men now and get some more sleep. The bad men are now sleeping." " Little boy need to sleep, not ride after bad men," Hop Sing said. " Oh please lets me ride some more," begged the little boy. Ben started to laugh when he got a good look at his little imp in his nightshirt that he had pinned on his deputy's badge on and his hat on his head with his hair sticking out from under the hat.
Ben was trying to think of something clever to say. " Tell you what son, if you want to stay down here and ride your horse, then you will have to take an extra nap this morning. Then another one later this afternoon. It's your choice," Ben told the child, hoping the little boy would go back to bed. Little Joe sat there in deep thought for a couple of seconds then he said," I's gonna go back ta bed now please. Dunt wants no two naps taday." " Good boy. Everyone back to bed for a couple more hours of sleep," Ben said.
Ben told his little boy to put his hat back on the hat rack, and then they headed back upstairs to bed. Ben took the deputy badge off Little Joe's nightshirt, and then the child jumped back into bed. He put his thumb in his mouth and Ben covered him up. " Now, I want you to go back to sleep for a few more hours," Ben told the little boy as he kissed his little son goodnight again. " Night Papa, wuv ya," a sleepy Little Joe said, with his thumb still in his mouth. " Goodnight sweetheart. I love you too," Ben said as he turned down the lamp and he left the room and went back to his room. As he laid down he laughed to himself about his little boy. " What an imp," he said out loud softly.
During the day, Little Joe played outside on his swing, but as soon as it was time to come indoors for the day, Little Joe headed straight for his rocking horse, that he named Trooper. He always wore his hat, deputy badge, and his holster and wooden gun while he rode Trooper. With this little boy's very active imagination, he and Trooper went on many exciting adventures. Adam had given his baby brother a rope that he could attach to the saddle on Trooper, incase the little cowboy needed it while on one of his adventures.
Very late one night, Little Joe had waken up, and he decided to get dressed, including his boots, but he didn't tuck his shirt into his pants. He very quietly snuck out of his room and headed towards the stairs. Luckly there was a full moon that night so at least this little imp could see where he was going, and what he was doing.
Once he had made it down the stairs, he put his hat on and went into the diningroom and he drug one of the chairs from the table out to the livingroom, where he put it in front of Trooper, just a little bit away from the horse. Once the chair was in place, the little cowboy jumped on his trusty steed, and he got hold of his rope to start his new adventure.
The noise from the chair being drug had awaken Ben, and he sat up in his bed and listened to the noise, that had now stopped. He thought maybe he had just dreamed up the noise, so he laid down again and went back to sleep.
Back downstairs, Little Joe was having a a great time roping the chair over and over. A couple of times the chair fell over, so he jumped off Trooper to get his rope and to stand the chair up again. Ben woke up again to the sounds of something falling, so he got out of bed, put his robe on and he opened his bedroom door and almost ran into Adam and Hoss. They all heard the falling sound again. " Pa someones downstairs," Hoss said. " I know, I kept hearing the sounds too. Then they would stop, but there they are again," Ben softly said.
Adam had a lamp with him and his gun and slowly the three Cartwright walked towards the stairs. They heard the nosie again. They slowly started down the stairs, and when they were half way, they stopped and just stood there looking at the sight in the room. There before their eyes was Little Joe roping a chair. They didn't say anything, but they continued to watch the little boy, who didn't noticed he was being watched. Hop Sing was standing in the diningroom with a pot in his hand thinking that he could get the robber and hit him over the head. He was very surprised to see number three son roping the chair too.
Finally Ben said, " What are you doing down here at this time of night young man?" Little Joe stopped rocking and looked at his family who were now standing in the livingroom. " Joseph," Ben said again. Adam and Hoss stood there smiling at their baby brother who was trying his best to look as innocent as possible.
" Hi ya Papa, Adam, Hoss, whats ya doin' up?" asked Little Joe as if nothing was going on. " I might ask you the same thing little boy," Ben told this little imp as he stood there looking at his youngest, and he had his hands on his hips. " What go on? Why family not sleeping?" asked HopSing who was still standing there holding a pot in his hand. " Sorry if Little Joe woke you up Hop Sing, but hopefully we will hear an answer very soon," Ben said. " Oh this should be good," Adam said as he was laughing softly. " Well Joseph, I'm waiting for an answer," Ben stated.
Little Joe looked at everyone in the room and he finally said, " Imma just a practicin' my ropin' is all. You dunt have ta watch me. Ya should be in bed Papa," Little Joe said very seriously. By now everyone was laughing at the little boy's answer. " Sweetheart, you can practice your roping anytime, but not in the middle of the night. You are suppose to be sleeping as we all are. How about we all go back to bed, and get some more sleep? You can practice your roping tomorrow, OK?" Ben suggested. " Kay. I's sorry I woked everyones up," said the child with a sad look on his face as he got off of Trooper.
Hop Sing headed back to bed while mumbling away. Hoss took the chair back to the diningroom table, while Adam took Little Joe's hat and put it back o the hat rack. Then he put the rope back on Trooper's saddle. Ben ushered his little cowboy back up to his room, got him undressed again, into his nightshirt that was laying on the bed, and he tucked his baby son back into his bed. Little Joe had put his thumb in his mouth. " Now, you stay in bed until morning," Ben said. " Kay," the child said with his thumb still in his mouth. " Sweet dreams baby. I love you," Ben said. " I's wuv ya too Papa," Little Joe said as he closed his eyes. Ben turned down the lamp and headed back to bed.
Adam and Hoss were in the hall as Ben stepped out of Little Joe's room. " Is he going back to sleep Pa?" asked Adam. " Yes and I hope he stays there until morning," Ben said. " He sure loves that rocking horse, doesn't he?" Hoss said. " Yes, he sure does," Ben told them. " Goodnight," they all said.
A few days later, Ben sent a letter he had written to Wilber and Jim Nelson, where he and Adam had bought Little Joe's rocking horse. Ben told them how much Little Joe loved his rocking horse, and about him getting up in the middle of the night so he could ride the horse. Ben also thanked them again for making the rocking horse for Little Joe
When Will and Jim read the letter from Ben they had to laugh at the things Ben had written about his youngest son. It also made them very happy to hear how much the little boy loved his rocking horse.
About two
weeks later, Will and Jim had to make a trip to
Little Joe had been playing on his swing for most of the morning after he had finished up his chores. Then he decided to go into the house to ride Trooper again. Once he was inside the house, he put his hat on, his deputy badge, and his holster with it's wooden gun, then he jumped on Trooper and he headed off on another big adventure.
As Ben was coming out of the barn, he heard a buckboard coming in the yard, and he saw it was Will and Jim. " Hi Ben," they both said. " Well, what a lovely surprise to see you both again. Welcome to the Ponderosa, " Ben told them. " We had a delivery to make at the general store, so we thought we would stop by to say hi and we would really love to meet Little Joe. We got a kick out of everything you told us about him, and his rocking horse," Will said. " He sure loves Trooper, that's what he has named the rocking horse," Ben told them.
As Will, Jim and Ben walked into the livingroom, there was Little Joe rocking on Trooper. The three men stood there watching the little boy. " Come on Trooper, we's gotta go and gets them bad mens. Theys dun robbed da bank again. That their hideout over there. We's gots ta be quiet boy. We's dunt wanna let em know we's here ta gets em," Little Joe told Trooper.
" Little Joe, come here son. I want you to meet the men who made Trooper for you," Ben told his little son. Little Joe turned around to see Ben standing there with Will and Jim. " Kay, Papa," the child said as he stopped rocking jumped off Trooper and he walked over to Ben.
" Little Joe, this is Will and Jim Nelson," Ben said. Little Joe looked up at the men, took his hat off, smiled at them and he put out his hand to shake hands with Will and Jim. " Hi. Ya's really maded my rockin' horse? I wuv him so much," the child said. " We are so happy that you like him," Jim said as he looked down at the little boy with a big smile on his sweet little face.
Hop Sing
came out of the kitchen and said that lunch was ready. " Please join
us for lunch," Ben told Will and Jim. " Thank you, we would
love too," Will said. They all headed for the diningroom.
Jim and Will told Little Joe about their shop in
After lunch, Little Joe went back over to Trooper and he leaped onto the saddle and started to rock again. Ben, Jim and Will sat in the livingroom and drank more coffee. " Ben your house is beautiful. I love it," both Jim and Will said. " Thank you," Ben said. Ben then went on to tell Jim and Will about how he and Adam had come West, and about Inger and Hoss. Then he told them about how he and Adam built the house and all about the Ponderosa. Jim and Will were very impressed at everything Ben was telling them. They were also having fun watching Little Joe on Trooper.
Ben told them if they needed more pine for making rocking horses, just to let him know and he would give them all the pine they needed. They thanked Ben for his offer, and they told him that they would let him know.
" Ben, it looks like your little cowboy is in dream land," Jim said as he looked at the sleeping little boy with his thumb safely tucked in his mouth. " Thank you Jim. That little imp can be full of energy one minute and in deep sleep the next minute. I'm just going to take him up to his room and I'll be right back," Ben told them as he walked over to Little Joe and he picked up the sleeping child and carried him up to his room. Ben laid the little boy on his bed, took off his boots, deputy badge, holster, and then he covered up his little son. He kissed the top of the boy's head and headed back downstairs.
After a few
more minutes, Jim and Will said that they needed to get on their way back to
Ben walked back into the house, and he took the coffee cups into the kitchen for Hop Sing and he told Hop Sing how much Jim and Will had enjoyed their lunch. That made Hop Sing very happy. " They very nice men," Hop Sing told Ben and Ben totally agreed with him.
When Adam
came home later that afternoon, Ben told him that Jim and Will had stopped for
a visit and to meet Little Joe. " They are really nice men
Little Joe spent most of the evening riding Trooper, when he stopped riding and he just sat there on Trooper with his thumb in his mouth as his eyes slowly closed. Adam looked up from his book at his little brother, smiled and he said, " Pa, look at Little Joe." Ben looked up from his newspaper, and he smiled at his little boy who was falling alseep.
Ben got up and walked over to his little son and took the boy's hat off and handed it to Adam. Ben picked up up his baby and carried him up to his room. He got Little Joe undressed and into his nightshirt. The little boy didn't move at all. Ben laid the child in his bed and covered him up. He and Adam looked down at the sleeping child as Ben turned down the lamp. " Goodnight little buddy," Adam said as he leaned down and gave the boy a kiss on top of his head. Hoss had just come into the room and he also wished his baby brother goodnight and he too gave the child a kiss.
Ben stayed in his little boys' room after Adam and Hoss had left the room. As he stood there looking at his sleeping son, he again thanked Marie for this precious little boy, who was the heart of the Ponderosa. He leaned down and kissed his baby. " Sweet dreams sweetheart. I love you so much Little Joe," Ben said as he had tears in his eyes. Then he left the room.
THE END