THE CHRISTMAS TREE
It was a few days before Christmas. In the home of the Cartwrights was
it
very cozy but something was still missing. Ponderosa owner Ben
Cartwright
and his three sons, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe, knew that the tree
still had
to come. The youngest of the family was Mitch of three years old and
he was
nagging about it for days.
One morning the rancher said, "We still must have a tree."
"Indeed. Who will get it?", asked Adam.
"We toss for it. each writes his name on a piece of paper. We do it in
a hat
and Mitch draws a paper", said Ben.
He got up to get everything together. The brothers went to sit a
bit
closer
together.
"We all write down the name of pa on it", whispered Adam.
His brothers agreed. Ben came back and gave each a pencil and paper.
Each
wrote down a name on it and folded it up. In the hat of Adam were four
pieces of paper.
"Mitch, come here for a second", said Adam.
His son came with Cody, the dog of the Cartwrights.
"Pick a piece of paper out of the hat. The person with thath name must
get
the tree, set it up and decorate it alone this year", said Ben.
"May I not help?", Mitch asked amazed.
The four grownups looked at each other. They hadn't counted on this.
"You may supervise. Together with Cody", said Adam.
Mitch nodded and picked a piece of paper. Hereafter the boy gave it to
his
father. Adam folded it open, read the name and started to smile. Hoss
and
Little Joe knew enough and started to smile as well.
"Pa, you have the honour to make sure that we get a decorated tree
into our
home", Adam spoke.
"You make sure that all Christmas stuff are coming from the attic. In
the
meantime I am gonna get the tree", said Ben.
They agreed with it.
"Daddy, may I come along with grandpa to get the tree?", asked Mitch.
"If you promise to stay with grandpa and to listen to him", said
Adam.
Mitch promised that. Adam dressed up his son warmly for departure.
On the way to
little een plan.
"Mitch, we get the tree and decorate him together. But daddy, Uncle
Hoss and
Uncle Joe may not find out. So.... ", said the rancher.
"I say nothing", said Mitch.
At home the boys brought the boxes with Christmas stuff downstairs.
"Pa will be very furiously when he hears what we have done with the
tickets"
said Little Joe.
"If Mitchy doesn't say anything. You know how he is", reacted Hoss.
"He doesn't understand it quite yet. As long as there is a decorated
tree
and we are with him is that enough for Mitch", answered Adam.
After a few hours Ben and Mitch came home with the tree. First the
rancher
lifted his grandson from the wagon and carried then the tree inside.
"Mitch, have fun with watching how grandpa works", Adam said to his
son.
"Pa, enjoy work", the brothers said as a choire to their father.
Quickly the boys went away, leaving Ben and Mitch alone.
"Mitch, now we quickly get to work so that the tree is decorated
tonight.
You do the decorations below and I do them in the middle and on top",
said
the rancher.
"May I put the Christmas angel on top?", asked the boy.
Ben nodded. He got the Christmas angel and gave it then to his grandson.
Hereafter the boy got picked up so that the Christmas angel could get
into
the tree.
By suppertime the Cartwrights had a very nice decorated tree. Ben was
readingt he newspaper and Mitch played near the fire place when the
others
came home. Their mouths fell open from amazing when the brothers saw the
Christmas tree standing.
"Geesh, pa has been working hard this afternoon", Little Joe
remarked.
His brothers laughed.
"I may look old but I still can work hard enough", reacted Ben.
The boys took off their coats and went to sit in the living room.
During supper Mitch said incidentally, "What have we decorated the tree
nicely."
The brothers looke dat each other amazed.
"Pardon me boy. What did you say there?", asked Adam.
Mitch realised that he had said a bit too much. He became shy and
looked at
his plate.
"Mitchy, do you want to say that you have helped grandpa with
decorating
the tree?", asked Hoss.
"Yes, or otherwise he still would have been busy now", his
nephew said
quickly.
The brothers couldn't stop laughing anymore.
"Very funny Mitchell", said Ben.
"Pa, you have said yourself that the drawn person had to decorate the
tree
alóne. What sort of punishment shall we give pa for cheating?", asked
Adam.
"He must do the dishes alone till Christmas", said Little Joe said
right
away.
His brothers thought that was a suitablepunishment. Because the
Chinese cook
Hop Sing just came in and heard the punishment too Ben couldn't escape
it
anymore.
Heidi