" Little Joe In Charge ? Say It
Ain't So !"
By: Lynne G.
All week
Ben and Adam had been very busy getting all the papers and business contracts
in order that they would need when they went to
Hoss and Little Joe had been out most of that week riding fence and checking out the line shacks to see what repairs might be needed.
The two brothers enjoyed working together and they were also best friends.
Hoss knew about the up coming business trip for Ben and Adam and he remembered the times when he was in charge of the ranch and his little brother. Hoss seemed to have a way to keep the boy under control which made Hoss's job easier then when Adam was left in charge.
It was now the morning when Ben and Adam needed to leave on their trip. As they were ready to leave, Hoss and Little Joe stood there waiting for Ben's instructions.
Hoss knew that he would be in charge, so he felt at ease, while on the other hand, Little Joe felt sad because he just figured out that once again, he wouldn't be left in charge, plus he would miss Ben.
Ben stood there looking at his two youngest sons, and he spoke, " Hoss, Little Joe, as you know Adam and myself will be gone for three weeks, and if any problems show up and you need to get in touch with us, you know the name of the hotel we will be staying, so just send us a telegram, alright ?" Both boys nodded.
" Don't worry Pa, everything will be just fine here," Hoss replied. Ben smiled back at him, and said, " Yes, I'm sure it will, but just in case." Hoss smiled back since he just figured that he would be in charge.
Ben looked at Little Joe, smiled and said, " Little Joe, I am leaving you in charge this time." Little Joe just stood there with his mouth open in total disbelief at what he thought he heard.
" Joseph, son, did you hear what I just said?" Ben repeated.
Hoss looked shocked and he also thought that he had heard wrong too. Adam couldn't believe what Ben had just said either.
" Huh? I dun't think I heard ya right. Could ya say it again please," Little Joe mumbled as he looked at Ben.
Ben hid his smile, took a deep breath and said, " Little Joe, I'm leaving you in charge this time." " Me ? Are ya sure Pa? Me in charge?" the boy questioned, still not sure if Ben was teasing him or not.
Ben again smiled at his youngest son and he replied, " Yes, I'm sure ." " WOW !!!" Little Joe squealed in delight.
" Now son, I am going to trust you to make adult decisions even though you are only fifteen years old. Hoss will be here to help you out in any way. I also want you to stay out of mischief. There is enough work to do, so you will both be busy. I don't except any problems to come up, but as I said a few minutes ago, if you need to send us a telegram, you know where we will be ," Ben explained.
Little Joe
puffed out his chest, smiled and said, " You can count on me
" Hoss, I want you to drive Adam and me into town so we can get the stage, and then you can pick up that case of nails and the case of horseshoes as well," Ben suggested.
" Yes sir," Hoss answered back softly. He couldn't believe that his little brother was going to be left in charge of the ranch, and he wondered if Ben had just said that to make the youngster feel better.
" Hey, can I come too ?" Little Joe asked. " No son. I need you to stay here and get finished with your barn chores. Don't worry, Hoss will be back home soon," Ben replied.
Little Joe smiled at Ben and he said, " Ok Pa. You and Adam have a safe trip now !" " Thank you son, and remember, no mischief," Ben reminded the boy.
" Oh Pa, I don't get in ta mischief ya know," Little Joe said as he gave Ben one of his best smiles. Ben thought to himself, and he said out loud " Sure you don't !"
As Hoss drove Adam and Ben to town, he questioned Ben's decision on Little Joe being in charge. " Pa, ya can't be serious 'bout little brother bein' in charge? Please say that ya only told him that to make him feel grown up," Hoss asked with worry in his voice.
" Hoss, I meant it. I know he's very young, but I have to be able to trust him. Remember back to all the times when we have all been ill at the same time, and your little brother ran the ranch without any problems ? Yes, I know all the ranch hands were here to help him out, but he did manage to handle things just fine," Ben reminded Hoss.
" Yes, but Pa, we were all here with him then, remember?" Hoss pleaded. Ben took a deep breath and replied back, " I know that Hoss, but please just give the boy a chance ."
" Pa,
I think you're making a big mistake. Have you given it any thought as to
what that little mischief maker could do to the ranch while we are gone?"
Adam asked Ben. " Yeah
" Boys, I have made up my mind and that's final !? Ben declared. Adam turned to Hoss and whispered into his ear, " Good luck Hoss." Hoss a gave a small smile back.
Hoss took his time getting back to the ranch as he was very nervous as to what his little brother might be planning that would mean ' big trouble ' for him.
As Hoss drove into the yard he saw Little Joe chopping wood. " Hi ya Hoss. Did Pa and Adam get off alright?" the boy asked as he looked up at Hoss. " Yup, they did," Hoss replied as he jumped down from the buckboard.
" Ya need any help there unloadin' the supplies?" Little Joe asked. " Nope !" Hoss replied, as he began to unload the buckboard. Little Joe went back to chopping wood.
Things seemed to be going fine at the ranch, and so far Little Joe was behaving himself much to Hoss's delight. " So far so good," Hoss thought to himself.
A couple of days later after all the barn chores had been finished, Hoss went looking for his little brother. " LITTLE JOE, WHERE ARE YA BOY ?" Hoss shouted. " I'm here !" the youngster answered as he was coming back from around the back of the house.
" Where ya been anyway?" Hoss asked. " Oh just out back makin' some plans," the boy calmly replied. Hoss swallowed and asked nervously, " Plans, plans fer what?" He was almost afraid to hear the answer.
" Oh, just plans. Just plans big brother," Little Joe said with ' that ' look on his face.
By now, Hoss knew his young brother was up to no good, and he just knew that he would get caught up in what ever his brother had on his young mind. " Oh Pa, I wish ya was here !" Hoss said to himself, as he watched his brother walked towards the house.
" Hop Sing, I need ta talk ta ya 'bout somethin' real important, but before ya say anythin' ya need ta hear me out first," Little Joe suggested. Hop Sing didn't know what number three son had planned now. So he nervously nodded to the boy.
" Ok, let's sit down first," the boy suggested. After they were both sitting down, Hop Sing noticed the serious look on Little Joe's face, and he became even more nervous. Hop Sing knew that mischief couldn't be far away with ' that look ' on the boy's young face.
" Hop Sing, ya know how much we all love your truely wonderful fried chicken, chicken and dumplin's, and roasted chicken, and smoked chicken right?" Hop Sing nodded. " But we dun't get it all that offen cuz we ain't got that many chickens," Little Joe said, putting thoughts into Hop Sing's mind. Hop Sing just sat there listening carfefully to every word Little Joe was saying.
" Well, I got this here idea that will take care of that. I'm gonna get ya lots and lots of chickens from the Wagner's chicken ranch," Little Joe suggested. Hop Sing was even more nervous now.
" We can have hens just fer havin' more chickens fer us ta eat, and some fer layin' more eggs too. That way ya can have more eggs fer bakin'. Of course, we will need more roosters too. What do ya think 'bout this brillant plan Hop Sing? Good ain't it?" Huh?" Little Joe finished saying as he looked at Hop Sing, who looked to be in some kind of shock.
Hop Sing shook his head, stared at Little Joe, and said, " Little Joe not think ! Hop Sing not need more chickens !"
" Yes, yes, yes Hop Sing ! We need more chickens cuz we want more chicken ta eat ! Don't worry Hop Sing, I know what I'm doin'. Trust me. I'll help ya take care of all them chickens, and Hoss and me will build another chicken coop, and another chicken pen too.
" What will father say?" Hop Sing asked. " Oh, he won't mind cuz I'm in charge and he loves chicken too. He said I could run the ranch, so I say ya need all them extra chickens," Little Joe explained.
" Hop Sing not know if good idea !" Hop Sing nervously expressed. " Not ta worry Hop Sing. I'll take care of everythin'," Little Joe said with a lot of confidence.
" YA WANNA DO WHAT ???? ARE YA CRAZY LITTLE BROTHER ? WE HAVE A CATTLE RANCH, NOT A CHICKEN RANCH !" Hoss shouted in disbelief at what his little brother had just explained to him.
Little Joe looked up at Hoss, put his smaller hands on Hoss's shoulders, smiled and said, " Hoss, Hoss, Hoss...I ain't crazy. I'm just thinkin' at how much we all love ta eat fried chicken, but we dun't get it that offen cuz Hop Sing ain't got that many chickens. So with lots and lots of extra chickens, we can have chicken every week !"
" Just think of it big brother, yummy juicy fried chicken, roasted chicken, smoked chicken, chicken sandwiches, chicken vegetable soup, chicken stew, and chicken and dumplin's. Mmmmm. Now, wouldn't ya love ta have more of all that wonderful yummy chicken?" Little Joe suggested to Hoss, trying with all of his charm to convince Hoss on his wonderful idea.
Hoss stood there with his mouth watering at the thought of all the wonderful ways Hop Sing cooked chicken. " Ok Punkin. We need ta get started on buildin' another chicken coop, and chicken pen," Hoss suggested as he couldn't get that thought of all the extra chicken that they would be having, out of his mind.
Hoss picked up his little brother and gave him a big old bear hug. Little Joe smiled as he knew he had poor Hoss under his spell again. " Oh I'm so good," Little Joe thought to himself, but in the back of his mind, he wondered what Ben would say when he got back home and found out about all the extra chickens they would have.
Little Joe also thought back to one of the things that Hop Sing had told him. " Hop Sing go to Wagner's to buy chickens to eat. No need for more chickens here !" Then the boy remembered his answer to that. " But Hop Sing, if'n we had more chickens here, ya wouldn't need ta keep goin' ta the Wagner's. Just think ' bout that Hop Sing."
He hoped that Hop Sing could see what a wonderful idea he had, and now he still hoped that Hop Sing was still thinking about his idea.
For the next couple of days, Little Joe and Hoss built the new hen house and chicken pen. They had also built an extra chicken feed storage area too. After all the building was finished, both boys were tired, plus they had also been keeping up with their other chores as well.
One evening as Hop Sing brought in dinner for Hoss and Little Joe, he still couldn't believe that he let Little Joe talk him into his latest scheme.
" Eat dinner then go do chores," Hop Sing told the boys. " We will, but I'm in charge Hop Sing," Little Joe reminded Hop Sing.
" Hop Sing not forget. Only make suggestion," Hop Sing replied knowing that Little Joe would like that answer. He then went back to the kitchen. " Hop Sing really in charge !" Hop Sing said to himself, as he smiled.
Hop Sing was very impressed at how well the new chicken coop, chicken pen and food storage building had turned out, and he told Hoss and Little Joe what he thought of everything.
" Thanks Hop Sing. Tamorrow we'll go and get the chickens. We put chicken feed in the storage building already," Little Joe replied. All Hoss could think of was, what would Ben and Adam think about Little Joe's idea.
" Tell me little brother, just how many chickens are we gonna buy?" Hoss asked, not sure if his little brother had that part figured out yet. Hoss stood there enjoying the look on the boy's face that read, " Uh oh, didn't think of that !"
" Hum, let's see," the boy thought out loud as he sat down at Ben's desk, where he took out a sheet of paper and a pencil.
" Ok, Hop Sing uses four chickens at a time, so if'n we want, say chicken once a week and there's 52 weeks a year...that's four chickens a week. Hummmm, that would be...." the boy mumbled as he tried to figure out how many chickens they would need.
" Ok, that's 208 chickens a year," Little Joe proudly said. " What if'n we want chicken twice a week sometimes? Ya know like fer picnics," Hoss suggested, trying to confuse his brother.
Little Joe got a sick look on his face as he looked up at Hoss. " Oh Hoss, why'd ya gotta say that fer? Geez, this is hard enough as it is," Little Joe mumbled as he tried to come up with another answer.
Hoss was thoroughly enjoying confusing his brother, and watching him trying to figure out a new number for how many chickens they needed now.
" Ok, how does this sound, say we have chicken twice a week fer 28 weeks ? That would mean 56 extra chickens. Hummm....That means we would now need 264 chickens total if'n I dun figured that right. Please dun't go addin' more chickens, ok Hoss?" Little Joe begged.
" That many chickens ?? Hoss almost shouted as he looked at Little Joe who gave him a sour look back. " Yup, that many. Ya know Hoss, that's a lotta chickens, but if'n need that many, then we do, I guess," the youngster replied as he was getting rather confused.
Hoss looked at his nervous looking brother and suggested, " What if'n we buy only half of how many chickens ya said, and let them chickens make the rest of them chickens we need?" Hoss wasn't sure if that made any sense or not.
Little Joe looked up at Hoss still with a sour look on his face, and he then stared into the air, thinking.
" Ya know big brother, that just might work. Ok, let's go and get 132 chickens," Little Joe suggested. " One question little brother, what do we bring them chickens home in?" Hoss asked, knowing that his little brother most likely hadn't given that any thought at all.
" We could herd em back here," Little Joe suggested. " Can ya herd chickens?" Hoss asked. Little Joe just shrugged his shoulders, and mumbled, " dunno."
" I know, lets make some large cages and put em in the buckboard. That way we could just drive em home," Hoss proudly suggested. " Great idea big brother. Lets get busy," the boy excitedly replied.
Hoss and Little Joe spent the next few hours building several large cages for the chickens. Hoss thought about making a an extra large cage to put Little Joe in to keep him out of mischief.
" Hey Hop Sing, we're off ta get ya 132 chickens," Little Joe told Hop Sing. Poor Hop Sing was totally shocked at the number of chickens Little Joe said they were going to get.
" That too many chickens. How you come up with that number?" Hop Sing nervously asked. " Oh Hop Sing, it's just too complicated ta explain. Just trust me," the boy replied as he was walking out the door.
Hop Sing grabbed Little Joe's arm to stop him. " You sit down and tell Hop Sing why need 132 chickens !" Hop Sing told the youngster.
Little Joe did as he was told and he explained his reason for 132 chickens. Hop Sing sat there shaking his head at Little Joe's answers. " It just easier for Hop Sing to go to Wagner's to buy chickens when we need them," Hop Sing tried telling the boy.
" No, no, no Hop Sing. Just think of the time you'll save not havin' ta go and buy them chickens when ya wanna cook em. All ya gotta do is just go out ta the chicken pen and pick out the ones ya wanna cook that day," Little Joe tried to explain to Hop Sing.
Hop Sing began to mumble in Chinese before Little Joe interrupted him. " Trust me Hop Sing. This will work. Just wait and see," Little Joe declared as he got up and left.
As Hop Sing still sat there, and he said out loud, " Hop Sing can see it all now. Ponderosa over run by chickens. Little Joe not think again. Boy make much msichief as usual. Boy need to be put in cage for own good !"
A couple of hours later, Hoss and Little Joe returned home with 132 chickens in the cages that they had made. Hop Sing could hear the chickens loudly before they had arrived home. " Trouble has arrived home !" Hop Sing declared.
" Hey Hop Sing, we're back with the chickens !" Little Joe yelled. Hop Sing came out in the yard and he replied. " Hop Sing know you home. Could hear clucking before you come in yard. Put chickens in pen. Did you get rooster too?"
" Oh geez Hoss, we fergot ta get that dadburn rooster !" Little Joe gasped. " Huh?" Hoss replied. " The rooster, we fergot ta get him," Little Joe mumbled.
" Hop Sing, maybe we could just use the rooster we already have? Little Joe suggested, hoping that Hop Sing would say ' yes'.
" No ! You wear rooster out. Go get another rooster !" Hop Sing declared. Little Joe smiled at Hop Sing, and took a deep breath. " I guess yer right. Dun't wanna wear out yer rooster," the boy replied sheepishly as he was giggling on the inside.
It took a while to get all the chickens into their new pen. Of course several chickens made their great escape, and they stampeded all over the yard, but Hoss and Little Joe managed to round them all up and now all the chickens were safely in their pen.
As Hop Sing watched Hoss and Little Joe being chased by the stampeding chickens, he had to laugh. " Yes, trouble has arrived !" Hop Sing declared as he continued to laugh.
" Man, I'm tired !" Little Joe said as he sat down on the rocking chair on the front porch. " Well, dun't go and get yerself comfortable get yet little brother, cuz we gotta go and get that rooster we fergot.
" Dadburnit ! I plum fer 'bout that rooster. Ok, lets go and get him," Little Joe said as he got up and walked towards the buckboard. Soon they were off to get the rooster.
Little Joe couldn't believe all the extra work the new chickens needed. To him, it seemed to take forever to clean out the hen house and pen, and to feed that many chickens. He didn't dare complain to Hop Sing, because he knew that Hop Sing would tell him , " I told you so."
The day
Little Joe dreaded soon arrived...the day Ben and Adam were due home.
Hoss had gone to
" Hi Pa, Adam. How was yer trip ?" Hoss asked. " Hi son. It's good to see you again. The trip went very well. Thank you for asking. How are things at the ranch?" Ben asked.
Before Hoss could answer Ben's question, Adam asked, " Is the ranch still there Hoss?" " It sure is big brother," Hoss proudly replied, then he got a worried look on his face.
Ben looked at Hoss and he asked again if everything was alright. " Everythin's ok Pa," Hoss answered. " That's good to know. Where's Little Joe ?" Ben asked as he looked for his youngest son, and he added, " I thought he would be here with you."
" Oh, he's busy taking care of Hop Sing's chickens," Hoss nervously said. Ben nodded back. Adam had a feeling that Hoss wasn't telling them everything.
" I can't believe that our little brother hasn't been into some kind of mischief while we were gone," Adam commented as he knew that his baby brother couldn't stay out of mischief for three weeks or for one day for that matter. Hoss just smiled at Adam.
Little Joe had been very busy feeding all the chickens and the two roosters. It took him a while, but he was very happy when he was finished with them, but he was extremely nervous about what would happen when Ben and Adam got home, and found out about the chickens.
The youngster was so nervous, that he forgot to fasten the gate to the chicken pen. It didn't take long before for all the chickens and the rooster to wander all over the yard and they were clucking very loudly.
As soon as Ben, Adam and Hoss got closer to the barn they could hear loud clucking. " Boy, Hop Sing's chickens are sure clucking loud today," Ben said as he listened to the clucking. Hoss felt sick.
When they entered the yard, all they could see were chickens everywhere. Lots of chickens.
" WHAT IN THE WORLD ? WHERE'D ALL THOSE CHICKENS COME FROM ? HOSS !!!!!!!!" Ben shouted, as he couldn't believe at what he was seeing. Adam just sat there with a big smile on his face, while poor Hoss looked rather sick.
" I knew that boy couldn't keep out of mischief while we were gone !" Adam said as he continued to grin.
" HOSS ! " Ben shouted again. Without thinking, Hoss replied, " What chickens Pa?" " JOSEPH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ben shouted even louder.
Little Joe didn't know that the chickens were running all over the yard, so when he came out of the house as soon as he heard Ben shout his name very loudly, he swallowed and very nervously looked at the ground as he almost tripped over chickens.
Little Joe was in shock when he saw chickens everywhere and clucking extremely loud as well.
" Uh oh. Hi ya Pa, Adam. Welcome home. I hope yer trip went well," the boy softly mumbled as he had a very sick look on his rather pale looking face.
" JOSEPH, WHERE DID ALL THOSE CHICKENS COME FROM ?" Ben very loudly asked, as he was almost afraid to hear what his youngest son would say this time. The boy was known for some very strange answers at times, and Ben knew that this was time for one of them.
" What chickens ? Ummm...ummmm...oh them chickens...well ya see Pa..." the boy mumbled. " YES, THOSE CHICKENS !" Ben declared.
Little
Joe was so nervous that he thought that he would pass out. " Ummm....well
" Me ? Just a dadburn minute here little brother. You can explain it, since it was yer idea in the first place !" Hoss scolded.
Ben looked from Hoss to Little Joe, and he loudly suggested, " WILL SOMEONE ROUND UP THOSE CHICKENS, THEN PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THERE ARE CHICKENS RUNNING ALL OVER THE YARD !"
Ben turned and started to walk towards the house mumbling while also carefully avoiding chickens underfoot, and he was slowly shaking his head in disbelief by all the chickens running in every direction. " I need a good strong drink !" he said to himself.
Adam stood there smiling at his baby brother, and he asked, " Oh Little Joe what have you done now?" Little Joe looked very nervously up at Adam and he replied softly, " Oh be quiet Adam."
Adam continued to stand there and watch his two younger brothers trying to round up the chickens and put them back in the pen, as he laughed.
Finally a very tired Hoss and Little Joe managed to get all the chickens and the rooster back in the pen.
Hoss glared down at his little brother and asked, " Why did ya have ta let all them dadburn chickens out of the pen fer ?" Little Joe sheepishly looked up at Hoss and he could tell that his big brother wasn't very happy with him at that moment.
" Ummm....I guess I sorta fergot ta close the gate. I'm sorry Hoss, but I'm just so nervous at what Pa might do ta me," the boy softly said.
As Hoss and Little Joe began to walk towards the house, Little Joe suddenly turned around and started off back towards the barn, but Hoss grabbed hold of the boy's arm and pulled him towards the house with him.
" Oh no ya dun't. Ya ain't gettin' away from me you little trouble maker. You are gonna tell Pa this whole thing was yer stupid idea. Got That?" Hoss angrily suggested.
" But Hoss, I thought ya liked my idea for more chickens ta eat?" Little Joe replied. Hoss just glared back down at the boy.
Little Joe explained to Ben and Adam about his idea for all the extra chickens. After all, it made perfect sense to him, but Ben wasn't that convinced.
" Joseph, I think I can understand why you wanted to have that many chickens, but this is a cattle ranch, not a chicken ranch. Hop Sing likes to buy chickens when he wants to cook them and he enjoys a visit with the Wagners, so I really think we need to return the chickens," Ben suggested.
Ben hated to see the sad look on his youngest son's face, for he knew that his son had thought that his idea was a good one.
Little Joe looked up at Ben with pleading eyes and suggested, " But Pa, can't we keep some of em? After all me and Hoss made a new coop, a pen and an extra feed storage building. Please Pa?" " I'll think about it son," Ben replied as he smiled at his boy.
" Well little brother, you certainly didn't handle this big idea of yours very well. Poor Hoss being the innocent victim again," Adam said as he laughed.
" Well, let me tell ya big brother, yeah just might change yer mind when ya get ta eat lots more chicken, and you'll thank me for my great idea then !" Little Joe declared, as he grinned at Adam. " Sure I will, little brother," Adam replied as he messed up Little Joe's soft thick curly hair.
Little Joe looked up at the ceiling, feeling very proud of all the great ideas that he could come up with, and he announced, " I think I'll start up a new business in Virginia City. I will be the person with all kinds of great ideas that will improve the town. Yup, I think I will !"
As Little Joe's family looked nervously at him, Hoss got up and motioned for Adam and Ben to follow him. They did. Hoss suddenly without any warning, picked up his baby brother and he carried the now struggling boy out to the yard and over towards the barn.
" PUT ME DOWN YA BIG OLD OX !!! PUT ME DOWN !" the boy shouted. " Open that cage door Adam," Hoss said, as Little Joe was still struggling with everything he had, but he couldn't get out of Hoss's very strong arms.
Once the cage door was open, Hoss put his little brother in the cage and locked the cage door.
" Good idea son. That should keep our little mischief maker out of mischief for a while," Ben said as he laughed.
" Hey, let me outta here ! This ain't no way ta treat a genius !" Little Joe declared. " Genius ? More like trouble maker !" Adam suggested. " I ain't no trouble maker !" Little Joe replied. " Oh yes you are !" Ben, Adam, Hoss, and Hop Sing said. Little Joe just sat there with his arms folded across his chest as he glared at his family.
" Good place for boy," Hop Sing said. " Hey Pa, how long should we keep him caged up?" Hoss asked. " Yeah, how long do I gotta stay in here? Ya know, this ain't fair. Golly, I thought ya all loved me," Little Joe said trying to turn on all his charm and trying to look as innocent as possible too.
Trying not to laugh out loud, Ben said, " I think I will keep you in that cage until you are thirty years old." " Hey, thats ferever Pa," Little Joe said as he still had his arms folded across his chest looking like he was going to cry at any moment.
" See ya later Little Joe," they all said as they left the barn and closed the door. " HEY LET ME OUT OF HERE !!! DADBURNIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Little Joe shouted.
Back in the house, Hoss asked Ben, " Pa, how long are we gonna keep Little Joe in that cage?" " How long do you think?" Ben asked. " Forever !" Adam declared as he laughed. " Sounds good to me," Ben teased, as he laughed too.
" I'll let him out in an hour. Hopefully that boy will get those crazy ideas out of that head of his," Ben replied. " But then he wouldn't be our Little Joe if he didn't get into mischief with his crazy ideas," Ben added. They all agreed to that statement.
The End.