A big surprise greeted Ben Cartwright, his beautiful wife, Marie, and their two oldest sons, seventeen year old Adam and ten year old Hoss that morning. It had been unusually cold for this early in fall, but not unheard of.
The baby of the family four year old Little Joe was still deeply asleep upstairs in his snug and cozy bed. That meant that the little boy was unaware of the early morning surprise.
The surprise was an early snowfall during the night which left just under a foot of powdery snow covering the ground. It had snowed this early in fall before but it was still a shock to see it this early.
Marie and Hoss were thrilled by snow while Ben and Adam weren’t that excited. It meant a cold ride into Virginia City for Adam and Hoss while for Ben it was a cold day in the saddle rounding up the last of the cattle herds and moving them to their winter pastures.
The other large cattle herds had already been moved to their winter pastures over the last several weeks. Ben was glad this last group of around thirty head was the last to be moved that day. If all went well, they would be all moved by noon.
As the family ate their breakfast of hot oatmeal they were grateful that there wasn’t more snow on the ground and too that they had on their long wooly underwear and warmest clothes.
The bitter cold was a dry cold that morning, rather than a damp cold that made the cold feel even colder. It was harder to keep warm in a damp cold that seemed to chill a person down to the bone.
The freshly fallen snow wasn’t deep enough for the school to be closed yet but at anytime if more snow came down then school would be closed as it would be too dangerous for the students who lived a long distance from school to ride in those conditions. Of course all the students wished for more snow so they could stay home and play in the snow.
“Boys you to be sure to ride slowly on your way to school and if it starts
to snow during the day, I want both of you to please ask Miss Jones to let
you go home early. I’m sure she will understand,” Ben suggested to his sons.
“We will Pa, so you don’t need to worry about us. You be careful too,” Adam
replied. That made Ben and Marie smile “I’ll be careful too son,” Ben replied
as he thought that was nice of Adam to be concerned about him.
After Ben, Adam and Hoss had all left for the day, Marie helped Hop Sing
do the dishes and clean up the kitchen and she couldn’t wait for Little
Joe to wake up so he could see the snow. That little boy loved the snow
and it was very hard to get the child to come in the house to get warmed
up and into dry clothes.
Marie was almost as bad as her baby son when it came to snow. She had been born and raised in New Orleans where it never snowed, so when she married Ben and came to live on the Ponderosa and she saw snow for the very first time she stayed out in it until she was almost frozen. She loved it!
“Missy Cartlight very excited by snow today. Little Joe be excited too when he see snow,” Hop Sing said as he and Marie did the dishes.
“I love the snow so much Hop Sing! As soon as Little Joe is up and has had his breakfast, he and I are going to play in the snow! I think I’ll get the sled out and both of us can slide down the big hill in the lower pasture. I can’t wait!” Marie giggled as her big green eyes danced in excitement.
“You and Little Joe need to dress warm. Don’t want you and little boy get sick,” Hop Sing suggested as he was getting a kick out of Marie. Looking up at Hop Sing, Marie smiled and said, “Yes we will Hop Sing. We will be as snug as a bug in a rug!” Hop Sing smiled back at Marie.
“I better go and get my warm clothes on then I will wake up my little lover boy. It will take longer getting him dressed in his warm wooly long underwear and warm clothes then it takes me to get dressed. I’ll be back down in a few minutes Hop Sing,” Marie told Hop Sing as she headed up the stairs humming a little song.
Hop Sing watched Marie as she went up the stairs and he smiled. “Yes, Missy Cartlight like little girl with snow!” he said to himself as he started to make Little Joe’s breakfast.
Once Marie had put on a pair of Adam’s older smaller wooly long underwear that he had given her, and her warm clothes, she headed to Little Joe’s room.
She stood there next to the little boy’s bed, smiled then she sat down on the edge of the bed very gently. She loved to look at her baby son when he slept, as he looked so young and innocent. “You are so beautiful my precious little angel,” she softly said out loud.
She gently kissed the boy’s forehead and ran her hands through the thick mass of curls that covered the boy’s head.
“Little Joe, baby, it’s time to wake up now precious,” she softly said as she gently shook him. The child didn’t move or make any sound. “There’s a big surprise waiting for you sweetheart, but you have to wake up to see it. Open your eyes baby,” Marie pleaded.
As she continued to try to wake up the little boy, she couldn’t help but smile at him and she then got a big grin on her face as the child slowly began to try to open his eyes and he started to yawn several times.
“It’s time to wake up now precious so I can get you washed, dressed and downstairs for a nice hot breakfast. Little Joe was more asleep than awake which made Marie giggle softly as she sat the boy up and she turned him towards her.
“Mornin’ mama. I’s wuv ya,” Little Joe mumbled as he was trying very hard to fully wake up. “I love you too sweetheart,” Marie replied as she gave her son a big hug and kiss, then she began to tickle the boy’s bare feet. Soon Little Joe was giggling loudly as was Marie.
“Baby come and look out your window for a big surprise!” Marie excitedly suggested. Little Joe mumbled back as he rubbed his sleepy eyes,”Kay.”
Marie picked up her son and carried him over to the window and she opened the curtain so he could look outside. With a big gasp, Little Joe’s big green eyes opened all the way and he started to giggle. “It snowed, it snowed! Little Joe wanna play in snow mama!” the child squealed. Marie loved all the expressions her little boy was getting on his excited face. His eyes were dancing brightly with excitement too.
“We sure can baby, but first we need to get you dressed warmly and you have to eat your breakfast before we can play in the snow. If you are a good boy and eat all of your breakfast then we can go sliding down the big hill in the lower pasture,” Marie suggested.
“I be good fer ya mama, and me eat all my breakfast!” the little boy happily announced as he was now bouncing up and down in his mama’s loving arms. Marie then began to swing him in a circle which made them both giggle loudly.
Now it was time to get Little Joe dressed which went very easy that morning because of the snow.
Once he was dressed for the morning, Little Joe ran ahead of Marie and ran down the stairs shouting, “Hop Sing, it snowed, it snowed!” Hop Sing smiled and said to himself, “Look like little boy see snow. He so excited!”
Little Joe ran out to the kitchen and over to Hop Sing and he started to jump up and down and squealing with excitement. “Hi ya Hop Sing, didja knowed that it dun snowed outside?” the little boy exclaimed as he looked up at Hop Sing who was smiling back at the child. “Yes Hop Sing see snow. It cold outside and you need to dress warm so you don’t get cold. Hop Sing see little boy dressed nice and warm. That good and now you need hot breakfast too,” Hop Sing explained.
“I be good boy and eat my breakfast cuz mama saided that we can play in the snow and go slidin’ too. Ain’t that sompfin’? Little Joe told Hop Sing as he continued to jump up and down. “That sound like fun for you and mama,” Hop Sing replied as he loved the look on the child’s face.
Once Marie was down the stairs she called out to Little Joe to please come and sit down so he could have his breakfast. “Comin’ mama. I’s talkin’ ta Hop Sing ‘bout snow!” the little boy said as he walked over to his place at the table and he sat down and he gave Marie one of his smiles that melted everyone’s hearts.
No sooner had he sat down when Hop Sing brought him a bowl of hot oatmeal, a glass of milk and a cup of hot coffee for Marie. “Thank you Hop Sing,” Marie said as he took a sip of coffee. “Fank ya Hop Sing,” Little Joe mumbled as he had a mouth full of oatmeal. Hop Sing smiled at them and he went back out to the kitchen.
After breakfast, Little Joe told Hop Sing that he had finished his breakfast and now he and his mama were going outside to play in the snow. “Hop Sing, I dun ated all my breakfast. Imma a good boy! Mama and me is gonna go play now!
“That make Hop Sing very happy that you ate all your breakfast. You good boy for mama and Hop Sing. Hop Sing very proud of little boy,” Hop Sing announced as he winked at Marie and she returned the wink.
As soon as Marie had washed Little Joe’s face, she told him to be sure to use the chamber pot in the washroom before going outside. Then she would finish getting him dressed.
As Little Joe ran back from the washroom, Marie captured him which made him giggle. “Ok my little prince charming, let’s finish getting you dressed so we can go outside,” Marie suggested.
Marie had put their heavy winter coats, knitted caps, neck scarves and heavy mittens in front of the fire so they would be nice and warm when they were ready to go out.
Little Joe was so excited that it was hard for him to stand still. First Marie had put his neck scarf around his neck, and then she put his coat on him, then his cap and finally his mittens.
She stood there looking at her warmly dressed little son and her heart was melting at the site of him. “You look so cute my little one!” she said as she gave him a big kiss on his nose since most of his little face was covered up with scarf, and cap. As soon as she had herself dressed, she told Hop Sing that they were going outside.
“Hop Sing, Little Joe and I are going outside now!” Marie shouted. Hop Sing had to laugh at the site of the two very bundled up Cartwright’s. “You two have fun and be careful. Not want you get hurt,” Hop Sing told them.
Marie was surprised at just how cold it was outside, but she and Little Joe were nice and toasty warm in their heavy winter coats, scarves, caps and mittens.
Little Joe suddenly bent over and grabbed up some snow in his tiny mitten covered hands and he made a snowball, which he threw at Marie. “Gottcha mama!” the little boy squealed in total delight as he was giggling loudly.
“I’m going to get you too little boy!” Marie laughed as she too made a big snowball and she threw it at Little Joe, hitting him in the back. They were both giggling loudly as they continued on with their snowball fight.
Hop Sing stood at the window watching Marie and Little Joe and that made him laugh too. Missy Cartlight and little boy very funny in snow. They have good time!” Hop Sing said out loud.
After the snowball fight had ended in a tie, they decided to race each other through out the yard with both of them giggling loudly. They even made snow angels which they both loved to do too. They decided to wait until the family was all home together so they could make a family of snowmen and one snow woman.
Marie went over to the barn and got out the sled. “Ok sweetheart you get on the sled and I’ll pull you over to the hill in the pasture then we can go sliding down the hill,” Marie suggested. “Ok mama!” the child squealed back.
Little Joe sat down on the sled and he giggled all the way to the pasture, which made Marie giggle too. “Go mama go!” he shouted.
Once they were at the top of the hill, Marie made sure that she had Little Joe sitting in front of her on the sled, and soon they were sliding down the hill, giggling all the way. Their laughter could be heard all over the yard and Hop Sing could even hear them when he went out to get some more wood for the fireplace and cook stove. That made him smile.
When they reached the bottom of the hill and the sled came to a full stop, they both got off so they could pull the sled back up the hill. “That was so much fun mama!” Little Joe shouted as he looked up towards the top of thee hill. “It sure was precious “, Marie replied as she hugged her baby son.
Several hours later both Marie and Little Joe were wet and very tired as they pulled the sled back up the hill. When they reached the top of the hill they were both breathless, Marie told Little Joe to sit down on the sled and she would pull him and the sled back to the barn. Once at the barn Marie got the snow off the runners of the sled and she put the sled back in the barn.
“Mama, Papa’s home!” Little Joe shouted when they were in the barn and he noticed and pointed to Dusty, Ben’s horse his stall munching on some hay. “Yes he sure is and I bet he can’t wait to hear all about our fun morning in the snow!” Marie said as she noticed that her son was really looking sleepy and he was yawning quite a bit too. She took hold of Little Joe’s hand and they walked towards the house.
While they stood on the porch, Marie was able to get the snow off of her and Little Joe before they headed in the warm cozy house.
Ben could hear Marie and Little Joe on the porch as he waited for them to come in. “Well, it’s about time my two snow angels came in! I bet you are both freezing cold!” Ben teased as he was very happy to see them standing there smiling with bright rosy cheeks. Their rosy cheeks made their big green eyes even brighter green.
“Hi ya Papa! Me and mama had so much fun. We dun had a big snowball fight, maded snow angels, and we wented slidin’ down the big old hill in the pasture!” Little Joe excitedly told Ben as he pointed towards the pasture. Ben and Marie were getting a big kick out of all the expressions on the child excited rosy face.
“I guess you two had a fun morning, but right now you both need to get into some dry clothes and get warmed up,” Ben suggested. Marie gave him a big kiss as she hung up her and Little Joe’s wet mittens, caps, scarves and coats in front of the fire in the fireplace.
Ben had put some towels ands dry clothes for Little Joe in the living room so he could get the child into dry clothes while Marie went up to their room so she could get changed too. Ben quickly got Little Joe out of his wet clothes and dried off before getting him into his dry clothes.
Ben then wrapped Little Joe up in a warm heavy quilt as Marie was coming back down the stairs with her wet clothes in hand, which she put in front of the fire too. Ben also put a quilt around Marie too just as Hop Sing entered the room with some hot chocolate for them.
“Thank you Hop Sing, this is just what we needed,” Marie said as she began to sip her hot chocolate. “Ummm, this tastes good mama!” the child mumbled as he felt really cold at that moment. “It will help warm you up fast sweetheart,” both Ben and Marie said.
“Hop Sing, mama and me sure dun had a fun time in the snow!” Little Joe told Hop Sing. “That good. Hop Sing watch little boy and missy Cartlight in yard. Hop Sing enjoy watching the fun,” Hop Sing told them as he went back out to the kitchen.
As Ben, Marie and Little Joe drank their hot chocolate, Ben told them that all the cattle were now in their winter pastures. He was very relieved that that big chore was finally over for the year.
After a hot lunch of vegetable beef soup and roast beef sandwiches, Little Joe fell asleep at table. “Looks like our little snow boy is in dreamland,” Marie said as she and Ben looked at their little boy who had his tiny thumb safely in his mouth. They both took the sleeping boy up to his room and laid him down on his bed and covered him up with several warm quilts. “Sweet dreams baby,” they both said. “Oh Ben, he is just so precious,” Marie told him as he had his arms around her. As he kissed her, he softly replied, “Yes he is precious.”
Ben and Marie enjoyed their afternoon being together.
After dinner that evening, the Cartwright family made a family of snowmen and one snowwoman. Hop Sing joined in on the fun of making the snow family too. Once back inside the warm cozy log home, everyone enjoyed hot chocolate and freshly baked sugar cookies. During the night another snowstorm hit and that storm did close down the school, which made Hoss very happy. That meant a fun time for the Cartwright family playing in the snow and doing a lot of sledding too.
The End.