"See, I Do Know How To Have Fun Too "

By: Lynne G.

It had been one of those days on the Ponderosa for the Cartwright brothers, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe. The day was very warm to start with, and tempers were getting short, especially between Adam and Little Joe.

The brothers had been busy getting the fencing ready to build a new branding corral that they had brought to the site a couple of days before.

When the brothers worked together Adam, the oldest was in charge of his two younger brothers. Adam was a usually very serious in everything he did and at times, he could be hard to work with.

Hoss, the middle brother was the peace keeper between the oldest and the youngest Cartwrights. Hoss was easy going and a pleasure to work with.

Little Joe was the youngest brother, who at twelve years old was the mischief maker of the family. He loved to pull pranks on his two brothers or anyone who happened to be around at prank time.

This boy was a hard worker when he needed to be, but he also had a very quick temper that could cause problems at the wrong times. Little Joe was also a natural horseman as well, and the best rider in the family from an early age.

One thing Little Joe always thought, was that a person should mix some fun in while they worked, for it made the day go by better. Hoss agreeded with his little brother on that, but not Adam. He thought that fun and work didn't belong together.

As the day continued on, Little Joe kept trying to figure out some way to have a little fun while they worked on the new corral. He and Hoss had kidded around from time to time while they worked, which in turn made Adam even more upset with his two brothers.

" Will you two STOP playing and GET back to work NOW !" Adam shouted at them.

" Ah, come on Adam lightin up a bit. Don't take life so serious all the time, " Hoss suggested. " We are WORKING, not PLAYING !" Adam replied loudly.

As Little Joe watched and listened to his brothers, he decided to add his two cents worth in too. " Ya gotta learn ta have fun too big brother !" the youngster giggled. Adam glared at the boy and shook his head.

Little Joe went back to work, but before he did, he stuck out his tongue at Adam who didn't see what his baby brother had just done, but Hoss did, and he started to laugh, which caused Little Joe to giggle even more.

Little Joe walked over to Hoss and he whispered into Hoss's ear, " What a stubborn old Yankee granite head. He wouldn't know fun if it struck him." Hoss agreeded, and they both laughed again as they went back to work.

As they worked , the day began to get cooler which the brothers were thankful for.

Finally the corral was finished and the brothers stood back to admire their hard work. " Now, thats what I call a great lookin' corral brothers," Little Joe proudly said. " Yup, sure does Short Shanks," Hoss replied as he stood there looking at the corral. " I agree. Come on and lets head over to the creek and get washed up before heading home," Adam suggested, and soon they were on their way to the creek.

As they washed up in the creek, the cold water felt good on their skin. Little Joe looked up at Adam and he decided to ask his brother a question.

" Hey big brother, why dun't ya like ta mix a little fun while ya work? It really helps make a job go better," Little Joe asked as he felt proud and brave for asking Adam that question.

Adam looked at his little brother who was looking a little nervous at that instant, and he said, " Oh, it does, does it?" With that said, Adam calmly pushed Little Joe into the creek.

Hoss stood there watching and he started to laugh at his baby brother who had just resurfaced and spit water out of his mouth.

" Hey little brother, I thought that you had already finished washing up, but I see you decided to take a bath too!" Hoss teased as he continued to laugh.

Adam stood there with a big grin on his face as he watched Little Joe sitting in the water. " Ya know Hoss, I thought that our baby brother knew that when you take a bath you have to take your clothes off," Adam joked.

" Yeah, but we all know that baby brother doesn't always think before he does stuff," Hoss continued to tease.

" I'm gonna get you guys fer this, 'specially you oldest brother !" Little Joe declared as he got out of the water. Adam pushed him back int the creek.

" Now this is fun, right Hoss?" Adam said as he watched Little Joe attemping to get out of the creek, only to be pushed right back in the water by Hoss or himself. This went on for several minutes.

" Please stop ! I'm tired and cold. Please let me out of this water P L E A S E !" Little Joe begged.

Adam and Hoss looked at each other. " What do you think Hoss, should we let the poor boy come out of the water?" Adam asked, as he was trying not to laugh too hard.

" I suppose we should before he turns into a prune," Hoss teased. They both pulled their little brother out of the water.

As Little Joe laid on the grass, he looked up at his two so called loving brothers and said, " You two are nasty !" With big smiles on their faces, both Adam and Hoss replied, " Yes we are little brother. Yes we are. "

They soon were tickling their little brother, and loud giggling could be heard along with several shouts of " HELP !"

" Come on brothers, we need to get back home. It's getting late and little brother needs to get out of his wet clothes, plus its getting rather cold too," Adam suggested as they were now on their way home.

" I'm plumb starvin' to death !" Hoss announced as they rode home. " Your always starving Hoss," Adam teased. " Yeah !" Little Joe added as he sneezed. " BLESS YOU !"

As soon as they reached home, they quickly took their horses into the barn to rub them down, feed and water them, before they headed for the warmth of the house.

When they reached the front door and opened it, Ben could hear several loud sneezes before he saw his sons. " BLESS YOU !"

Ben was shocked to see his youngest son soaking wet. " Why is Little Joe all wet?" Ben asked as he looked at the unhappy boy in front of him.

" Oh, well ya see Pa, he decided to take a bath in the creek, but he left all his clothes on, the silly boy," Adam explained to Ben.

" Oh, I see. Well Little Joe you had better go and get out of those wet clothes and into some dry clothes before you end up getting sick young man. You are already sneezing a lot," Ben suggested. SNEEZE, SNEEZE, SNEEZE ! " BLESS YOU !"

Little Joe glared at his brothers and he said, " Pa, Adam pushed me in the creek. Then he and Hoss [ SNEEZE SNEEZE SNEEZE] kept pushing me back in the water. They're mean !"

Ben looked at his sons, and slowly shook his head, and said, " Boys, boys, boys !" They watched Little Joe sneeze his way up to his room.

" Any particular reason why you two kept pushing your little brother in the water?" Ben asked as he looked at his two oldest sons. " Just having some fun with him is all Pa. Just having a little fun," Adam replied.

About one week later, Little Joe came down with a nasty head cold, which made Adam and Hoss feel bad.

A couple of weeks later, Adam and Little Joe had gone into Virginia City to do some banking for Ben and to also get the mail.

After they had finished doing all that, they were walking towards their horses, when they heard a fight going on in the saloon.

" Oh boy a fight ! Come on Adam, lets go and watch that fight," an excited Little Joe declared as he was to run over to the saloon. " Oh no you don't. Sorry little buddy !" Adam said as he had to grab hold of the boy's arm to stop him from running off.

" Ah come on big brother. I wanna see what's goin' on !" Little Joe begged. " NO WAY ! You aren't going anywhere near a saloon yet. Now come and lets' head for home !" Adam suggested as he again had to grab hold of the boy's arm.

" Adam PLEASE ! the boy again begged.

" I said NO !" Adam angrily replied. An upset Little Joe looked at Adam who still had hold of his arm. " Ya know what Adam, ya dun't know how ta have fun !" the youngster declared loudly.

Adam looked down at the boy struggling next to him and he said," So I don't know how to have fun ! Is that what you think little buddy? Well, for your information, I DO know how to have some fun baby brother, so I guess I will just have to show you !"

With that said, Adam suddenly picked up his startled brother and he dropped him in the water trough that was next to the sidewalk. Adam stood there waiting to see what his brother's reaction would be.

As the boy resurfaced, Adam smiled at him and stated, " See, I do know how to have a little fun." He was laughing as well. Little Joe wasn't one bit happy about being dropped in the water trough.

" Dadburn ya Adam, now I gotta ride home in wet clothes. Ya ain't gonna feel so proud of yerself when I get sick again, ya know !" Little Joe angrily said as he sat there with his arms folded across his chest and he glared at Adam, which made Adam laugh even more.

" Oh, are you planning on getting sick again?" Adam asked as he smiled at the angry boy in the trough. " Nope, but ya never know. In case ya haven't noticed, its COLD out here and this dadburn water is freezin' !" Little Joe mumbled as he began to sneeze again. " BLESS YOU !"

About that time, Sheriff Roy Coffee was walking towards the saloon to break up the fight when he noticed an angry Little Joe sitting in the water trough and Adam standing there laughing.

" Hi boys. What's Little Joe doing in the trough? Roy asked as he continued to look at one very unhappy little boy in the trough who looked like a drowned rat.

" Hi Roy. I was just showing little brother that I know how to have a little fun," Adam explained as he chuckled. " Yeah, some fun !" Little Joe declared as he sneezed several times. " BLESS YOU !"

" Oh, I see. Well you boys have a good time, and be sure to tell your Pa " Hi " from me," Roy said as he continued on to the saloon to break up the fight.

" Thanks Roy, we will. Come on little brother, we need to get home," Adam suggested as he pulled his soaking little brother out of the trough.

" Thanks so much !" the youngster mumbled as he started to sneeze again. " BLESS YOU !"

It was a long cold ride home for Little Joe who was sneezing most of the way, which made Adam feel bad that he had put his brother in the trough, but at the time, he couldn't help it.

" A..A...Adam, I...I...I'm f....f...freezin'," Little Joe stuttered as he was shivering badly. " I'm really sorry little buddy. I really am, but we'll be home in a couple of minutes, then you can get into some dry clothes," Adam suggested. He hoped that the boy wouldn't get sick again. SNEEZE SNEEZE SNEEZE ! " BLESS YOU !"

As soon as they got home Adam helped his brother off his horse and he told him to go in the house and get out of his wet clothes.

Ben was surprised to see his son soaking wet again and shivering. " What in the world happened to you Little Joe?" Ben asked. " Adam happened !" the boy mumbled.

" What do you mean, Adam happened?" Ben asked again.
" A...A..ask Adam. I..I..I'm so c..c..cold," the boy stuttered as he shivered.

Ben ushered the boy into the washroom and told him to get out of his wet clothes while he went to get some dry clothes. In the meantime, Hop Sing had made some hot chocolate for Little Joe.

When Adam came into the house, he told Ben what had happened to Little Joe and Ben just slowly shook his head and he was ready to go and check on Little Joe, just as the boy walked into the room and over to the coffee table, sat down to face the fireplace as he was still shivering.

Ben went to get a quilt for his son, and he wrapped it around the boy. " Here son, this should help you feel warmer," Ben said. " Thanks Pa," the boy replied as he watched the fire burning.

" Little Joe drink hot chocolate. Help warm boy from inside too," Hop Sing said as he handed the youngster a mug of steamy hot chocolate.

" Thanks Hop Sing. Just what I need," Little Joe told Hop Sing with much appreciation. Finally after several minutes, Little Joe felt warmer, but he was now getting sleepy.

Little Joe did indeed come down with another cold, and he had to stay indoors for another week.

About a week later, Little Joe watched as Adam was feeding the pigs, when he suddenly got an idea in his stuffy head and he started to giggle, which made him cough a little.

Very quitely, Little Joe snuck outside and over towards the pig pen where Adam stood watching the pigs. The boy snuck through the rails of the fence and up behind Adam who continued to watch the pigs. Little Joe hoped and prayed that he would have to cough or sneeze at that moment.

Suddenly without any warning, Adam found himself falling face down and he landed in the muddy mess and water of the pig pen. The pigs ran off to one end of their pen and watched what was happening.

" What the heck?" Adam shouted as he began to stand up, but only to be pushed back in the mud with his baby brother now laying on top of him and giggling like crazy.

" What is wrong with you boy?" Adam angrily shouted as he managed to roll his giggling brother off of him.

" Ya should see yerself big brother. I didn't know that ya liked ta roll in the mud," Little Joe teased as he was still giggling.

Adam glared at the mud covered boy and he began to roll him in the mud. All too soon, the oldest and the youngest Cartwright brothers were having a big mud fight with wet drippy mud flying in all directions.

Adam had the upper hand since he was much bigger and much stronger than his baby brother, who was now yelling for help as he couldn't get a good grip on Adam as he was slippery from all the wet mud on him.

About that time, Ben and Hoss were riding up towards the barn, when they heard Little Joe shouting for help, so they urged their horses horse run faster.

As soon as they reached the yard they noticed a frantically waving Hop Sing, who was yelling in Chinese.

" Hop Sing-English please !" Ben suggested. " Boys go crazy! Play in mud ! Little Joe sick ! Boy need to be in bed, not mud ! Hop Sing go back to China ! Family crazy !" Hop Sing shouted as he mumbled his way back to the house.

" HELP, HELP !" Little Joe kept shouting out. Adam was laughing as he continued to roll his helpless little brother in the mud as the boy continued to yell and giggle in between cries for help.

Dodging flying mud, Ben and Hoss managed to get near the pig pen and what they saw was a shocking sight indeed, for there were Adam and Little Joe totally covered in wet mud and in the middle of a big mud fight.

Hoss stood there laughing and he almost felt like joining in on the fun. Ben didn't know whether to laugh or be upset.

" What in tarnation is going on here? Joseph, are you trying to get pneumonia ?" Ben shouted.

Both Adam and Little Joe stopped and they both looked up at Ben and a laughing Hoss.

" Hi ya Pa, Hoss. Wanna join us? We sure are havin' fun !" Little Joe declared as he had a silly little grin on his wet muddy face. Then he got a very sour look on his face when he noticed that Ben wasn't smiling back at him.

" No thank you, and you had better get out of those, those wet muddy clothes this instant !" Ben suggested as he glared at the boy. " In fact, you too Adam, both of you ' little boys ' , do you hear me?" Ben added.

" Adam, I'm surprised ta see ya playing in the mud, but not our baby brother though," Hoss laughed.

" Lets just say that I didn't plan to play in the mud, but I just happened to find myself being pushed into it by our baby brother. I am proud to say that I did manage to get even with him as you can see," Adam explained as he stood up and walked towards Hoss, but not before he pushed Little Joe back in the mud.

" Boys, I have a suggestion on a good way to get all that mud off of you, before you get out of those muddy clothes. Why don't you both go down to the creek, get into the water to wash the mud off of you before you you come back to the washroom. That way you won't make a big mess in the washroom. We don't want to make Hop Sing upset now, so off with you two," Ben suggested.

" That's a good idea Pa, and thanks for that suggestion," Adam replied. " Pa, that creek water is freezing cold !" Little Joe declared.

" Yes I know it is Joseph, but it's the only way to get all that mud off of you two," Ben explained.

" Come on mud boy and let's get this over with," Adam suggested as they headed off towards the creek.

When they reached the creek, Adam looked at Little Joe and said, " The best way to do this, is when we get in the water, rub your clothes fast and that will help get the mud off our clothes." With that said Adam pushed Little Joe in the water then he jumped in too.

As they were rubbing their clothes in the swiftly running water, Adam finished first, so he helped his brother along.

When Little Joe landed in the water the coldness of it took his breath away at first and he gasped.

" Stick your head under the water so we can get the mud off your face and hair," Adam suggested. They were now mud free. " Ah, clean again," Adam announced as he climbed out of the creek.

" I...I..I c...c...c..a..n..'t m..o..v...e.!" Little Joe tried to say through his chattering teeth. Adam noticed that the boy's lips had started to get a blue look to them, so he knew that he needed to get his brother out of the water and back to the house and warmed up quickly.

Little Joe was so cold that he could hardly walk, so Adam picked him up and carried him to the house as fast as he could. Once in the washroom, he called out to Hoss to help him with Little Joe.

While Adam quickly got changed, Hoss helped Little Joe get dried off and into dry clothes. The youngster had sneezed several times while Hoss was helping him.

Little Joe had sat on the coffee table in front of the large burning fire and he was wrapped up in a warm quilt as he continued to shiver. He was also coughing and sneezing too.

Ben decided to give his young son a few sips of brandy to help warm him up. " Here son, this will help you feel warmer. Just small sips now," Ben explained. The boy nodded back.

Little Joe swallowed several smile sips of brandy and he made a funny face at the taste of the strong brandy. He closed his eyes and shook his head back and forth from the brandy. That made his family chuckle at him.

Adam was also having a glass of brandy, even though he didn't feel that cold.

After he had had his few sips of brandy, Little Joe looked at Adam and said, " Ya know Adam, I sure did have fun taday. How 'bout you ?" Little Joe felt a little warmer now and he was happy to have Hop Sing hand him a mug of hot chocolate.

" Well to answer your question little buddy, yes I did enjoy our little adventure in the mud, but we should have waited for a warmer day, and you should have waited until you were over that cold of yours," Adam started to say.

" So, I guess you can say that I do know how to have fun too little brother," Adam finished saying as he gave his brother a big hug.

" Yup, I guess ya do big brother," Little Joe replied as he smiled at Adam, and he finally did have to admit that to Adam. SNEEZE, SNEEZE, SNEEZE ! " BLESS YOU !"

A copule of weeks later, Little Joe snuck up behind Hoss, and he pushed Hoss into the water trough. He stood there giggling loudly as Hoss resurfaced and spit water out of his mouth.

" I'm gonna pound ya little brother. You just wait till I get my hands on you !" Hoss shouted

A giggling Little Joe answered right back, " Sure ya are big brother !" Hoss stood up and got out of the trough as his baby brother slowly backed up and was ready to run away from Hoss.

As Hoss stood there, he had a plan in mind so he walked over to the corral and he stood there looking at the horses in there.

Little Joe wondered what Hoss was thinking about, so he walked over towards Hoss and he stood next to his big brother.

" What's ya thinkin' 'bout Hoss?" the youngster asked. " Oh, I was just thinkin' ' bout them horses in the corral is all, " Hoss said as he acted as if nothing had happened.

Little Joe watched Hoss for a few seconds before he finally felt at ease and he too was watching the horses.

Suddenly without any warning, Hoss grabbed his brother, picked him up and dropped him in the water trough. " Ha, ha, ha !" Hoss shouted as he was now laughing loudly.

Little Joe sat there with his arms folded across his chest and he glared at Hoss, then he started to giggle along with Hoss.

Ben could hear loud giggling and laughing coming from the yard, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what was going on or not. Finally he decided that he had better take a look to make sure everything was alright.

When he walked out the door and onto the porch and saw his two younger sons having a water fight, he let out a big sigh and went back into the house slowly shaking is head and mumbling, " My little boys !"

The End.

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