Itty Bitty Joe and How He Grows
By Debbie Beshears
“HEY PA!” shouted Hoss, causing Hop Sing to jump with fright.
“Why you shout? You scare Itty Bitty Joe nearly to death. He lost another year off life. You shout so much, boy never grow…just look see at him. Him nearly twenty years old and still little boy!”
Hoss looks down at his Itty Bitty Joe and sighs, remorsefully.
“I’m sorry, Shorty Shanks, I guess I have a big mouth.”
“Aw…it’s alright Big Brother, I don’t mind being so small, ‘cepting for this gun and holster. I gotta tie it down to my ankle, stead of my hip, and when I go to the Silver Dollar, I get sorta tired of having to be set up on the bar when I order a beer.”
Joe sighs and then grins at Hoss. “All the ladies think I’m cute though,” Joe giggles.
“I’m sure they do, Shorty Shanks, but ya better not let Pa catch ya peekin’ up their dresses again, he’s liable to pound ya into the ground,” Hoss snickered, but he didn’t mean too. “And ya can’t afford to get no shorter.”
“Short ain’t so bad, Hoss…ain’t so good either, but what am I going to do? Pa expects me to break them mustangs by the end of the week, and shoot, I can’t even get up on a horse.”
“I know what do for Itty Bitty Joe,” Hop Sing said.
Hoss and Itty Bitty Joe stop talking and turn to the cook.
“What’cha got in mine, Hop Sing?” inquired Hoss.
“You just wait, I show.”
Hop Sing turned his back to the boys and the brothers could hear Hop Sing stirring something around in a glass. Hoss picked up Itty Bitty Joe and set him on the table so that his little brother could see over Hop Sing’s shoulder.
Itty Bitty Joe looked up at Hoss, cause he was still shorter than his older brother.
“He’s mixing something up, Hoss,” whispered Joe.
Hop Sing turned around, smiling and held the glass out to Itty Bitty Joe.
“Drink this,” Hop Sing ordered.
Itty Bitty Joe took the glass and looked at it.
“What is it?” inquired Itty Bitty Joe.
“Drink it, and this time next week, you be big boy, just wait and see,” grinned Hop Sing.
Joe sniffed the contents and then downed the drink.
“Yuk,” he snarled, “What did you say this was?”
Hop Sing smiled proudly. “It Miracle Grow!”