" A DAY IN THE LIFE OF LITTLE
JOE "
By:
Lynne G.
Ben Cartwright sat back down at the diningroom table after he had seen his two older sons, Adam off to work and Hoss off to school. As he sat there drinking his coffee, he was enjoying the peace and quiet that he knew would end as soon as his youngest son, five year old Little Joe was awake.
He wondered how much mischief his little boy would get into that day, since everyday was an adventure with the child.
There wasn't a day that went by where the little curly haired boy wasn't into some kind of mischief, and that kept his family on their toes at all times when the child was awake.
As Ben sat there drinking the last of his coffee and thinking about Little Joe, Hop Sing came into the diningroom to clear off the breakfast dishes.
" You wake up Little Joe now ?" Hop Sing asked. Ben looked up at Hop Sing smiled and replied, " Yes, I was just about to get up and go and wake him up for breakfast. Are you ready for another day of mischief Hop Sing?"
" Yes, Hop Sing ready for little boy," Hop Sing answered as he too smiled. Hop Sing loved Little Joe as if he were his own son. Ben got up from the table and headed towards the stairs and up to Little Joe's room.
As Ben entered his baby son's room, he stood there and smiled at his precious little boy. Little Joe was still sleeping with his thumb practically in his mouth, and he was all tangled up in his blankets.
" Oh my little angel, what kind of mischief are you going to get into today?" Ben thought to himself as he continued to smile. " Thank you so much Marie for this precious little boy. We miss you so much," Ben softly said outloud. Marie had been Ben's wife and Little Joe's mother, who had recently died in a riding accident at the ranch, and she was dearly missed by everyone.
Ben gently shook the youngster's shoulder. " Little Joe baby. It's time to wake up now sweetheart," Ben said as he ran his fingers through the boy's soft thick curly hair.
Little Joe slowly opened his big bright green eyes as he yawned several times, and he rubbed his eyes. " Good morning sweetheart. Time to get up for breakfast now," Ben told him. " Mornin' Papa," Little Joe mumbled back as he yawned again. He sat up, rubbed his eyes again, and he started to get out of his nice warm bed.
Ben had to smile at his baby as the child's hair was totally dishevelled. " Let's get you washed and dressed, so you can have your breakfast," Ben suggested as he hugged his little son and gave the child a big kiss. " Kay, Papa. Imma hungry!" Little Joe said as he smiled back at his Papa.
After Ben had Little Joe's face washed, dressed and hair combed, he picked up his little son and gave him a piggy back ride down to the diningroom. Hop Sing smiled as soon as he heard the child giggling, and he went into the kitchen to get the child's breakfast that he had just made.
Ben put Little Joe in his chair while Hop Sing brought some small pancakes, syrup, two small sausages, and an egg for the youngster. Then he went back to the kitchen to get a glass of milk for the child and more coffee for Ben.
" Fank ya Hop Sing. Imma a hungry taday," Little Joe said as he smiled at Hop Sing. " You eat all your breakfast like a good boy," Hop Sing told him. " I's try," the boy mumbled with a mouth full of pancakes.
Little Joe ate most of his breakfast, but he did drink all of his milk. HopSing then brought in a wet wash cloth so Ben could wash the little boy's face and sticky fingers.
" You
do your chores now son, then when you are finished, we will ride into
" Little boy very excited to go to town with Papa," Hop Sing said as he grinned at Ben. " He sure is Hop Sing. So far so good, no mischief yet," Ben replied with a big smile on his face. Hop Sing just grinned as he walked back to the kitchen with Little Joe's plate and glass.
" Papa, Imma done wiv my chores and I used the outhouse too!" Little Joe announced as soon as he ran into the house.
" Good boy ! Ready to go to town now?" Ben asked. "
Yup ! Just gotta gets my deputy badge, holster and handcuffs !" Little Joe shouted as he ran up to his room. Ben just shook his head and smiled and said to himself, " My little deputy indeed."
As soon as Little Joe ran back down the stairs, Ben took a look at him to make sure he was clean. Then they went out to the barn so they could saddle their horses. Of course Ben always let Little Joe help him saddle the horses. Infact, all the Cartwrights let the child help them with the horses. Little Joe was very good around horses and an excellent rider already as well. His family knew that this little boy was a natural horseman already at age five.
They were
enjoying their ride to
After they had picked up the mail, they walked over to the store for some candy, and the copy of the Territorial News. Both Ben and Little Joe knew what Adam and Hoss's favorite candy was, so that would make the choice easier, but if some new types of candy had come into the store, they would get some of that too, just to try.
" Hi Ben, Little Joe," greeted Tom Cass as soon as he had seen the two Cartwrights walk into the store. Tom had owned the store for many years.
" Hi Tom," Ben replied. " Hi ya Mr. Cass. How is ya?" Little Joe asked. " I'm just fine son. How are you?" Tom asked as he grinned at the ' little deputy '.
" Imma just dandy. I was a good boy, cuz I ated most of my breakfast, and I dun all my chores too," Little Joe answered as he gave Tom one of his big prize winning smiles. " My my, you have been a good boy, haven't you?" Tom said. " Yup. Imma always good," the boy replied.
Ben looked at Tom, smiled and shook his head. Tom couldn't help it, but he couldn't hide his smile, because he knew that this little boy was a mischief maker, and to make matters worse, the little boy was just too cute for his own good.
After Little Joe had picked out some candy for Adam, Hoss and himself, Tom put each boy's candy in it's own sack and he wrote each boy's name on each sack. Tom then handed the sacks to Little Joe. " Fank you, Mr. Cass !" the excited little boy said. Ben gave Tom the money for the candy and his newspaper, and then they all said their ' good byes ', then Ben and Little Joe left.
Ben put the candy and newspaper into his saddlebags and then they decided to go and have a short visit with Sheriff Roy Coffee, who was also a dear friend of the Cartwrights.
"
Howdy Ben, Little Joe,"
"
Howdy Sheriff Coffee. How's ya doin' taday?" Little Joe
asked. " I'm fine, and how is my favorite little deputy doin'?"
" I's dun ated most of my
breakfast, drunked all my milk, dided
all my chores, and looked out fer bad mens on the way ta town. Imma a good boy, and Papa let me gets some candy too.
We's gotts some fer Hoss and Adam too. Ya
can take it easy taday cuz
the town is nice and safe, cuz there ain't no bad mens around,"
Little Joe told
" Now,
that's what I like to hear. Yup, you sure are my best deputy,"
Once back at home, Little Joe went outside to play on his swing for a while. Ben went to check over his list of things that would need doing over the next several weeks, while Hop Sing was busy in the garden doing some weeding and watering.
Little Joe decided that he wanted to surprise Hop Sing by making him some cake batter, and also because cake sounded very good to him at that moment.
The little boy quietly snuck into the kitchen looking for an old bowl and he soon found the one he was looking for. He then got a large spoon and he walked over to where Hop Sing kept flour, sugar and other cooking and baking supplies.
He very carefully took the lid off the flour container and he spooned in some flour. Then he put the lid back on the container. He did the some thing with the sugar. From the kitchen, the little boy took the bowl that had the flour and sugar in it, and he went outside, where he sat down on the ground, and he carefully spooned in some dirt into the bowl and he mixed that up. He got up and walked over to the water trough, and spooned in some water from the trough. Then he carefully stirred up his ' cake batter '.
" Little Joe, son, it's time to come in and get washed up for lunch !" Ben shouted from the porch. " Kay, Papa !" the child shouted back, as he looked for somewhere to hide his bowl of ' cake batter'.
During lunch, Ben asked Little Joe what he was doing outside all this time. " I's was a playin' and a swingin' Papa," Little Joe told Ben. " Good boy," Ben said.
After lunch, Little Joe had to take his nap. He really was sleepy, but he didn't want Ben to know that. The little boy had had a very busy and fun morning with his Papa.
A couple of hours later, Little Joe woke up from his nap, full of energy. He put his boots on and went down stairs. Once he was in the livingroom, he noticed that Ben had fallen asleep. He smiled at Ben and very softly said, " Papa needs a nap too."
He walked over to the stairs and took the blanket that usually hangs on the railing and he walked back over to Ben and he gently covered up Ben. Once he had the blanket over Ben, he leaned down and gave Ben a kiss, and then he went back outside to check on the bowl of 'cake batter'.
He got the bowl out of it's hidding place and gave it a good stirring. He then stuck his tiny finger in the mixture and he tasted his finger. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not. He picked up the bowl and quietly took it into the kitchen where he set it down on the kitchen table, then he went back outside to play.
In the mean time, Hop Sing had gone back out to his garden to pick some beans and corn for dinner that night to go along with the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy that he was making for the family dinner that night..
While Little Joe was swinging, Adam and Hoss rode into the yard, and as soon as Little Joe saw them, he leaped off his swing and he ran over to his big brothers.
" Hi little brother !" they both said as soon as the little boy had reached them. " Hi ya Adam, Hoss !" the youngster excitedly replied. He was so happy to have his brothers home for the rest of the day. Hoss picked up his little brother and put him on Laddie, his horse, and the three brothers continued on into the barn to take care of the their horses.
Little Joe helped them the best he could. This little boy loved horses and he couldn't wait to a have a ' big boy's ' horse of his own, instead of the pony he now rode.
When they finished in the barn, Little Joe told them that Ben was having his nap too, as he ran back towards his swing again.
Adam and Hoss went into the house where they noticed Ben was waking up.
" Hi boys. How was school Hoss?" Ben asked. " Ok," Hoss replied. He didn't like school at all. He want to stay home and work full time on the ranch, but Ben insisted that he still needed to go to school for a couple of more years.
" How was your nap Pa?" Adam asked as he smiled at Ben. " It was very nice. Thank you. Hop Sing must have covered me up," Ben said.
" Nope, it was Little Joe who covered ya up Pa," Hoss explained. " Looks like he took good care of you Pa," Adam said as he laughed.
" I guess he did. Where is he now?" Ben asked. " He's swinging," Adam replied. " Yup," Hoss agreed as he went out to the kitchen.
As Hoss looked around for some cookies, he noticed the bowl with something that looked like cake batter. " Oh goodie, Hop Sing's gonna bake somethin'," Hoss softly said as he stuck his finger in the bowl with the 'cake batter' in it. He then put his finger in his mouth and he made a face. " This stuff tastes kinda funny," he thought. " Hop Sing probably ain't done making it yet," he said as he left the kitchen, still making funny faces.
" Hey Pa, I think Hop Sing made a mistake with what ever he has sittin' in that old bowl in the kitchen. It tastes kinda funny," Hoss explained. " He's probably not finished making it yet son," Ben suggested. " Yeah, that's it. Thanks Pa," Hoss replied.
Little Joe decided to go back into the kitchen to give his 'cake batter' another stir. As he was nearing the back door, he noticed Hop Sing carrying some corn and beans from the garden that he had put in his gathering basket. Little Joe ran ahead of Hop Sing so he could open the door for Hop Sing.
" Thank you Little Joe," Hop Sing said. " Ya welcome Hop Sing," the boy replied as he smiled up at Hop Sing.
Once they were in the kitchen, Hop Sing laid the vegetables in the sink so he could wash them, as Little Joe headed over to the bowl of 'cake batter'.
" Looky, Hop Sing, I's dun maded ya some 'cake batter'," the child said. Hop Sing looked nervously at the youngster and then at the bowl of batter.
" What you do? What in bowl ?" Hop Sing asked as he looked at the funny looking batter.
" I's puts flour, sugar, dirt and water from the water trough in the bowl," the child told Hop Sing as he put his tiny finger in the bowl to get some batter on finger so he could taste it, which he hoped it would taste better this time.
As his finger got closer to his mouth, Hop Sing gently pushed the tiny finger away from the little boy's mouth. " You NO eat this. It make little boy very sick tummy. You leave cooking to Hop Sing. Go outside and play. Go now ! Hop Sing clean up mess !" Hop Sing declared.
Little Joe looked up sadly at Hop Sing and softly said, " Ya dun't want it?" " NO, it has dirt in it," Hop Sing repsonded.
Little Joe ran out the kitchen door and back outside to play. Hop Sing looked at the mess in the bowl and he smiled and he thought to himself, " Little boy into mischief again." He took the bowl and he went to show Ben what Little Joe had made.
" Mr. Cartlight, Little Joe try to make cake batter. He use flour, sugar, dirt and water from water trough," Hop Sing told Ben as he showed Ben the mess in the bowl. " Sorry Hop Sing. I had no idea he did that," Ben replied as he tried not to laugh. Hop Sing was laughing about it.
" Is that what was in that bowl ??? EWWW !! I dun stuck my finger in that stuff and I thought it tasted kinda funny !!" Hoss cried as he made several funny faces.
Ben, Adam and Hop Sing began to laugh at all of Hoss's facial expressions. Hop Sing returned to the kitchen with the bowl in hand and he went out the back door to dump out the bowl. Once he was back in the kitchen, he washed out the bowl and put it away. Then he started to make dinner, as he had to chuckle at what Little Joe had done.
Little Joe came running into the house and straight over to his rocking horse. He leaped up onto the saddle and he was rocking away having a fun time.
" Hey little brother, ya know I ate some of your cake batter !" Hoss declared. Little Joe looked at Hoss with a sick look on his sweet little face, and said, " Ya dun did? Hop Sing saided it will give ya a tummy ache. Ya better go ta the outhouse Hoss. Come on, and I'll help ya !" Little Joe said as he was very worried about Hoss, thinking that his big brother was going to be sick, and that scared him.
Little Joe jumped off his rocking horse and he ran over to Hoss, and he tried to pull him out of his chair. " Come on Hoss, we gotts ta hurry !" the child pleaded.
" Nah, I ain't got no tummy ache, Punkin," Hoss replied as he looked at the worried child who stood in front of him with tears in his eyes. " Are ya sure bout that Hoss? I dunt want ya ta get sick," the child stated. " Ya, I'm sure," Hoss said, as he picked up his little brother and gave him a big hug.
After dinner as the family was relaxing in the livingroom, Little Joe suddenly said outloud, " I wonder what I should make Hop Sing tamorrow?" " Oh no you don't. You leave the cooking to Hop Sing and no more food surprises !" Ben declared as he started to laugh at his baby son.
"
Thanks
Little Joe looked at his family with his big bright green eyes and he said, " Dunt ya like my cookin'? Huh?" Then he continued to giggle, which made his family laugh even more.
Little Joe got up from the floor where he had been playing with his soldiers, indians and horses, and he headed into the kitchen to talk to Hop Sing.
The child looked up at Hop Sing nervously and he said, " I's really sorry Hop Sing that I maded a big mess in yer bowl. Does ya still wuv me?"
Hop Sing looked down at the sad looking little boy, smiled then he leaned over and he picked up the child and he held him. " Hop Sing not upset at little boy. You leave cooking to Hop Sing. Hop Sing still love little boy very, very much," Hop Sing told the little boy as he hugged him tightly.
" Fank ya Hop Sing. I wuv ya too Hop Sing. I's be good boy," the child responded. Hop Sing thought to himself," That will be the day !"
As soon as Ben looked down at his sleeping little boy, he made sure the child was warmly covered. He leaned down and kissed his baby boy's face. " He's to the end of another day in the life of my Little Joe. I love you precious. Sweet dreams baby !" Ben said very softly.
The End