By Helen B
It
was just after
"Shh,
Joseph, it's all right," Ben held the little boy and kept repeating the soothing
words until Joe calmed down. Adam lit the lamp as Ben lifted Joe from the bed
and carried him over to a rocking chair by the window.
Turning
to his older sons, Ben said, "Go back to bed, boys, it's late. I'll
sit here for a while."
Adam
and Hoss nodded, both reaching out to touch their little brother and wish him a
good night before going to their own rooms.
**********
Early
the next morning when Adam got up, he went into Joe's room to check on him,
finding the bed empty, he knew his father had taken Joe to sleep with him.
Ben
came downstairs a few minutes later and sat down with Adam and Hoss for
breakfast.
"How's
Little Joe?" Hoss asked.
"Still
asleep," Ben replied, "He didn't have another nightmare after I took
him in with me."
"Poor
little kid, he hasn't slept the night through since...." Adam broke off
and looked away.
Joe's
mother, Marie, had been killed in a riding accident a month ago. Joe had been
plagued by nightmares since that day.
Ben
nodded solemnly. "I know. I don't know what to do."
"I
think he's scared about me leaving for college, too. I've tried to explain to
him that I won't be going for a while yet and that I will come back but he's
too little to really understand. To him, he just knows I'm leaving him."
"He'll
accept it, son," Ben replied, "He just needs time."
"I
have to go into town today for some supplies," Adam said, "Is it all
right if I take Little Joe with me?"
"That's
fine," Ben nodded, "He should wake up soon. You two finish breakfast
and do your chores, I'll get Joe ready." As if on cue, he looked up
to see five year old Little Joe walking down the stairs in his nightshirt. Ben
stood up and went over to his son, picking him up. "Come on, son. You need
to get dressed if you're going to town with Adam."
Joe
clapped his hands excitedly and smiled. "Going to town with Adam?" he
asked.
"That's
what I just said didn't I?" Ben joked as he tickled Joe's side, delighting
in the sound of his baby son’s giggle.
**********
By
the time Adam and Hoss were ready to leave, Ben had Joe dressed and had
gotten him to eat his breakfast.
Adam
lifted the little boy up onto the wagon seat and Joe turned and nodded at
his father as Ben called, "Be good, Little Joe." Joe waved at his
father until they rounded the barn and he was out of sight. Hoss rode alongside
the wagon on his horse and the boys talked until they reached the road to the
schoolhouse and Hoss turned off.
When
they reached town, Adam helped Joe down and kept a hold of his brother’s hand
as they went into the general store. The first thing Joe saw when they went in
was a black and white puppy curled up in a box. "A puppy!" he yelled
with delight, pulling his hand free from Adam's, he rushed to kneel beside the
box, reaching out his hand to stroke the dog. The puppy was almost all
black, the only bit of white was on his face and his two front paws.
"Our
dog had pups," Mr Williams the store owner said, as they watched Joe pat
the pup. "Had four of them, that's the last one. He's the runt of the
litter, should have gotten rid of it when it was born. Probably won't amount to
much, that's why no one wants it. You can have it if you want. I either give it
away or drown it."
Joe's
eyes widened in shock, he looked down at the pup and then up at Mr Williams
again. "Drown him," he shook his head, "but you can't."
Joe's eyes filled with tears and he looked at his big brother.
Adam
knelt down beside Joe and put his arm around him. “Don’t worry, Little Joe,
we'll take him home with us."
Standing
up, Adam looked at Mr Williams. "We'll take the dog."
Mr
Williams nodded. "That'll make my wife Rose happy. She wanted to
keep it when it looked like no one would take it but I told her we have
one dog and that's enough, we don't need another.”
Joe
picked the puppy up and held him tightly in his arms as he walked to the
door.
Adam
was disgusted at the man’s cruelty and quickly bought and loaded the supplies,
wanting to leave as soon as he could. Joe went back into the store to wait for
Adam and he heard Mr Williams say, "Just get rid of it if your Pa
says you can't keep it, drown it," Joe’s lip trembled as he turned away
and walked back to the door.
**********
Adam
had thought Joe would talk excitedly all the way home and he was surprised and
worried about how quiet his little brother was.
Ben
came outside when he heard the buckboard. Joe climbed down and saw his father
coming towards them, before anyone had a chance to say anything, Joe took off
and ran into the barn.
"What
in the world," Ben said, turning to Adam, he asked, "What's wrong? Is
Joe all right? Was that a dog he had?"
Adam
nodded and told his father how they had come to have the dog.
When
he'd finished explaining, Adam asked, "It is all right isn't it? I mean I
know how you feel about an animal earning it's keep but...."
Ben
held up his hand and smiled. "Of course it's all right. The pup will be
good for Joe. Why did Joe run off though?"
"I
don't know," Adam replied, "I thought he'd be happy but he didn't say
a word all the way home. He was pretty upset about Mr Williams saying he was
going to drown the pup."
Ben
shook his head in anger. "That man! Why would he say such things in front
of a child."
Ben
and Adam walked over to the barn and pushed the door open. They saw Joe sitting
in a corner with his knees drawn up, his head resting on his knees, he was
crying, the pup on his lap.
Ben
and Adam sat down on either side of Joe and Ben put his arm around the little
boy's shoulders, feeling him tremble, Ben said, "What's wrong, son?"
Joe
looked up and Ben gently wiped the tears away with his hand as he
asked softly, "Little Joe, what is it? Tell me why you are so
upset?"
"We
brought a puppy home," Joe said.
Ben
smiled and nodded. "So I see. He's very nice. Has he got a name yet?"
Joe
shook his head. "He don't have a name. Pa," Joe clutched his father’s
arm, "I want to keep him. Please don't drown him,
Ben
lifted Joe onto his lap, pup and all and said gently, "Shh, Joe. Of course
you can keep the dog." Ben rubbed Joe's back as his small son
snuggled against him and waited until the boy calmed down before asking,
"Why did you think I'd drown the pup, Little Joe?" Ben was
shocked that the child thought he would do something like that.
Adam
put his hand on Joe's leg as he recalled the conversation he'd had
with the store owner. "Did you hear Mr Williams tell me that Pa could
do that, little buddy?"
Joe
nodded and looked up at his father. "He said you could if you didn't want
him," Joe sniffed.
"Well,
you don't have to worry about that Little Joe. I'd never do something like
that. The dog is yours to keep."
Joe
smiled happily and said, "Pa, can I ask you something?"
Ben
returned the smile and nodded, ruffling Joe's hair he said, "You can ask
me anything."
"Mr
Williams said the puppy was the runt of the litter. What's that mean, Pa?"
"Runt
means small, Joe. It means the puppy was the smallest of all the pups that
were born."
Joe
played with the tassels on Ben's vest. "He said no one wanted the
pup. Why wouldn't anyone want him just 'cause he's small? What's wrong
with being small?"
Ben
gently hugged Joe and said, "There's nothing wrong with being small, son.
Nothing wrong with that at all. And as for no one wanting the pup, well, Mr
Williams was wrong about that, wasn't he?" When Joe looked up at him with
questioning eyes, Ben continued, "We want him."
Joe
grinned and nodded but he had one more question he wanted to ask. "If runt
means smallest. Am I your runt?"
Ben
and Adam had to fight their laughter. Joe had asked the question so seriously,
they knew he'd be hurt if they laughed. Both of them shook their
heads amazed at the things Joe could come up with.
"It's
different with people, Joseph. You are only the littlest because you are
my youngest son. That doesn't make you a runt. You won't always be so
little," Ben put his hand under Joe's chin and tilted the boy's head up so
he could look him in the eyes. "And don't you ever think you are not
wanted because there is no one in the world wanted more than you. I love you,
Joseph, no matter how big or small you are."
"That
goes for me, too, kid," Adam squeezed Joe's leg as he gently
shook it.
"Now,"
Ben said, raising his eyebrows and looking at Joe, "I want you to put any
nonsense Mr Williams told you, out of your head. You’re not to worry about it.
Do you understand me, young man," he said jokingly.
It
got the desired effect and Joe laughed as he nodded and then asked, "What
will we call him?"
"He's
your dog, Little Joe," Adam said, "You have to choose his
name."
"I
can name him whatever I want?" Ben and Adam nodded and watched as Joe
happily patted the dog.
**********
That
night, Hoss and Joe sat on the floor in the great room, playing with the dog.
Suddenly Joe said, "I know what I want to name him. Adam."
"What's
that Little Joe?" Adam asked, looking up from the book he was
reading, thinking Joe was talking to him. "What are you going to name
him?"
"Adam,"
Joe repeated, "I want to name him Adam."
In
the process of drinking a cup of coffee, Ben nearly choked. After he had
finished coughing, he asked, "Why are you naming him Adam, son?"
"Because his
body's all black like Adam in his clothes," Joe replied
and Ben and Hoss looked over at Adam, noting that he was wearing all back
as he often had a tendency to do, obviously Joe had noticed that, "And his
face is white but he has a black spot on the top of his head, like Adam's hair.
They look the same."
Ben
and Hoss were trying very hard not to laugh at the look on Adam's face at being
told he and the dog looked alike.
Adam
was about to protest but Joe continued, "And when Adam goes away, it will
be like he's still here.”
The
elder Cartwright's smiled at the logic of the five year olds thinking. Adam
wasn't too keen on a dog being named after him but if it made his going easier
for Joe to accept, that was the important thing.
**********
Two
days later, Adam was doing some work outside in the yard when Mrs Ada Plunket
came to visit with her daughter Ann.
Looking
up from the wood he was cutting, Adam smiled, "Good morning, Mrs Plunket.
Ann."
"Hello,
Adam," Ann smiled shyly.
"Good
morning, Adam," Mrs Plunket said, "Is your father home? I've come to
talk to him about the fund raising for the church."
"Yes,
Ma'am, come in. I'll let him know you're here."
"Hello,
Little Joe," Ann called to Joe who was running around the yard with the
dog. Joe waved happily, he liked Ann, she was always very nice to him.
After
showing the Plunket's inside, Adam went into the kitchen to wash up. He wanted
to visit with Ann while she was there as he was quite keen on her and hoped to
ask her to the next church social. Joe came in while Adam was washing.
In
the great room where Ben and Mrs Plunket were talking, Mrs Plunket said,
"What do you think of a raffle, Mr Cartwright?"
"I
think...." Ben started but was interrupted by a string of Chinese from the
kitchen.
Joe
came running in, the puppy at his heels. He ran over to Ben who picked him up
and sat Joe on his lap. The little boy didn't look too worried about
whatever Hop Sing was shouting about, he was used to the
man's ways. "What happened, Little Joe?" Ben asked.
"Adam
peed all over the floor in the kitchen. Hop Sing said to make sure he goes
outside next time before he comes in."
"Joe!"
Adam shouted sharply, and everyone looked across to see Adam standing
at the entrance to the room, his face flushed a deep shade
of red with embarrassment.
Mrs
Plunket took her daughter's arm. "How disgusting. I thought you raised
your sons better than that, Mr Cartwright," she huffed, "Come on Ann
we're leaving."
Ben
put Joe down on the floor and stood up. "Please Mrs Plunket, wait a
moment, you don't understand."
Ann
looked across at Adam, who was too embarrassed to even stay in the room,
he turned swiftly and walked outside.
"Little
Joe named his puppy Adam," Ben said, trying to placate the woman,
"That's who he was talking about Mrs Plunket, the puppy."
"The
pups name is Adam?" Mrs Plunket frowned, looking at the dog and then at
Joe.
Joe
nodded, his lip started to tremble as he stood there, not understanding why
everyone seemed angry with him.
Ann
laughed and knelt down next to Joe, patting the puppy as she did so. "Why
did you name him Adam, Little Joe?"
Joe
shrugged, looking down at the floor. "Don'tcha like his name?"
he asked.
"I
think it's a fine name," Ann replied, "Isn't it, mother?"
Mrs
Plunket nodded and sat down, suddenly finding the situation amusing
she laughed. "An unusual name for a dog but a fine name none the
less."
Ben
and Ann laughed as well. Ben knew he would never forget the look on Adam's
face when he'd heard what Joe had said in front of their visitors.
Turning
to his father, Joe asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
Ben
smiled and ran his fingers through the boy’s hair. "Don't worry, we'll
talk about it later."
"Am
I in trouble?"
Ben
laughed and shook his head, "No, son. It's just a misunderstanding, that's
all."
"Mother,"
Ann said, "Is it all right if I go outside and talk to Adam?"
Mrs Plunket nodded her agreement.
**********
Later
that day when Hoss got home from school and was told about what had happened,
he roared with laughter.
"It's
no laughing matter," Adam said. Everything had been sorted out with the
Plunket's and he was going to the social with Ann but Adam still hadn't been
able to bring himself to laugh about it.
"Oh
come on Adam, you gotta admit it is funny," Hoss laughed louder, as he
pictured the scene. Ben and Joe joined in his laughter. Ben had
explained to Joe what the Plunket’s had thought and Joe now found it extremely
amusing that they had thought it was his older brother who had peed on the
floor.
Finally,
Adam's eyes twinkled, his lips twitched and he started to laugh. When the
laughter finally stopped he said, "All right, I admit it, it is funny. It
wasn’t at the time, though. And you, you little troublemaker," he said as
he walked towards Joe who got up from the floor where he was sitting and
started to run towards Ben, laughing for he knew Adam was playing with him.
Adam caught the little boy in a gentle tackle and then proceeded to tickle him
as he said, "I really think we need to think of a new name for your dog
before he gets used to mine. I don't want something like that happening
again."
When
Adam stopped tickling him and Joe caught his breath, he said, "But what
can I name him?"
"How
about Hoss?" Adam couldn't resist joking.
"Or
Pa?" Hoss joked back and once again everyone was in fits of laughter
at the thoughts of the misunderstandings that could occur. Hop Sing came out of
the kitchen and stood watching them, wondering if the whole family had gone
mad.
When
he stopped laughing, Joe picked up the dog and put it on his lap. "I
want to name him something that will remind me of you but I can't think of
anything."
"I'm
sure we'll think of something, little buddy," Adam replied.
Joe's
eyes sparkled. "How about that? Can I name him buddy?"
"I
think that's a great name," Adam said and everyone nodded in agreement.
**********
Six
months later, Adam left for college. While he was there he received a
letter from his father that said;
Dear
Adam
I
posted you a letter with all our news just this morning but I must tell you
what happened this afternoon. We had quite a scare. I took the boys fishing and
a snake came out of nowhere and struck out at Joe. It happened so fast. I'm
sure my heart nearly stopped. Joe was between the snake and myself and I
couldn't shoot for fear of hitting him. Buddy attacked the snake before it
could bite Joe. I was then able to get a shot off and kill it. Little Joe was
so upset, he was afraid Buddy had been bitten, I feared the same thing but by
some miracle, he wasn't. I recalled the day you and Joe first brought that dog
home and you reminded me how I always said that any animal on the Ponderosa had
to pull it's weight. That dog earned his keep for the rest of his life today,
Adam, and then some. I think the runt turned out to be the pick of the litter.
The
End
August
2004