A PRACTICAL JOKE
Little Joe
Cartwright and Candy Canaday were in a very rotten boring mood. There was
nothing to do at the ranch so they decided to experiment a bit with shoe
polish.
“Joe, you
can do a whole lot with shoe polish”, said Candy.
“Indeed. You can put it onto your boots but also on
yourself. Do you what we will do? We smear oursleves in with this stuff and
scare the others when they come home”, said Little Joe.
Candy
smiled while he grabbed a jar of black shoe polish and smeared himself. His
friend did the same thing. A bit later they went to sit into the bushes just
outside the yard.
Ponderosa
owner Ben Cartwright had been in Virginia City for some business and had
thereby company of his two eldest sons Adam and Hoss Cartwright and his
grandson on Mitch of four. They were in a jolly mood.
Suddenly
Little Joe and Candy jumped out of the bushes and they yelled very loud, “Boo!”
Mitch sat
on his pony Whitey and the animal pranced whereby the young cowboy fell upon
the ground. Adam jumped right away from his horse Sport af and cared for his
son. Ben and Hoss also dismounted and grabbed the culprits very tight.
“Dadburnit,
this is not funny anymore”, Hoss said groaning.
“Right away
to home and wait in my office!”, the rancher said strict.
Hoss let
them go. Little Joe and Candy didn’t know how fast they had to run home.
Ben and
Hoss kneeleden down near Adam and Mitch.
“Lad, where
do you got pain?”, Ben asked worried.
Mitch
pointed at his left arm.
Ben
examnied the body part and said, “I think it is bruised. You remain in bed
until your arm is cured.”
Adam lifted
his son and carried him to the ranch house. Hoss took the horses along.
Arrived at
home Adam brought his son to bed where the Chinese cook Hop Sing took care of
the boy. In the meantime Ben gave his youngest son and foreman a harangue.
“It was
meant to scare you as a pracitcal joke”, Little Joe said aback.
“A joke? Your nephew could have broken his neck just
like mother died”, Ben said strict.
Just now Little
Joe and Candy realised that their practical joke wasn’t funny.
“It will
never happen again”, said Candy.
“It better
not too. Because Mitch fell by your practical joke you take care of him as long
as he in injured”, said the de rancher.
Adam came
downstairs and said, “Mitch is finally asleep but he still has a lot of pain.”
“Your
youngest brother and this young man here take care of him as punishment until
he is better”, said Ben.
“I may hope
that my sweet boy may be very demanding against you”, reacted Adam.
Because
Little Joe and Candy had to look after Mitch as punishment they resolved
themselves to do never such a thing ever again.