Little Duck
by
Heidi
Saturday was washing day for the Cartwright family. Ponderosa ranch owner
Ben Cartwright and his two eldest sons Adam en Hoss were always very quickly
but the youngest Cartwright, Little Joe, need the whole afternoon.
On a Saturday afternoon it was again that time. At half past twelve Little
Joe had gone upstairs to have a bath. The Chinese cook Hop Sing had taken
care of plenty of warm and cold water. But Little Joe didn’t go alone into
the bath. This time he had gotten company of..........his rubber little
duck
He had found the toy back again but kept this hidden from his two elder
brothers. If Adam and Hoss would discover the little duck they would tease
him very much for sure. And little Joe didn’t feel much for that. Little
duck had much pleasure to make his owner wet but the toy itself got wet
too.
Halfway the afternoon Ben said to his sons, “You go and see if that little
brother of yours is clean already. He sits there all afternoon.”
Adam and Hoss went without making a sound upstairs where the bathroom was.
Walking om the hallway the brothers heard a very strange and unknown sound
coming from out of the bathroom. Adam and Hoss looked at each other amazed
and worried. Adam poointed at the bathroom door and Hoss understood what
the
meaning was.
Not knowing that his brothers were also upstairs Little Joe sang an ode
to
his little duck.
He sang, “Rubber duck, you are the one.”
It got sung out loud and outside on the hallway two brothers had vbery much
trouble not to start laughing. With a look of steel Adam opened the door
and
that way Little Joe got caught red-handed at playing wiht his little duck.
The youngest Cartwright brother shook so badly that the little duck flew
through the air and fell outside through the window.
“Adam, look our little brother playing nicely with his rubber little duck”,
said Hoss.
“That was a flying little duck. Perhaps Hop Sing can catch it and we eat
Peking Duck tonight”, reacted Adam.
Hoss liked it but Little Joe of course didn’t.
“What are you doing here?”, he asked insulted.
“Pa is worried because you are in the bath for so long. Did we know that
you
were playing with your little duck. Had much fun playing?”, Adam asked
sarcastic.
“What are we funny again. Is it very cozy with little duck and me, you come
to spoil it again”, groaned Little Joe.
“Little duck has flown so you can come out”, Hoss said laughing.
“Would the gentlemen like to remove themselves so I can dry myself and get
dressed?”, asked Little Joe.
“Don’t forget to dry your little duck”, Adam said before he and Hoss left
the bathroom.
Little Joe groaned something inaudiable but his brothers didn’t hear that
at
all anymore.
Downstairs Adam asked, “Pa, did you know that Little Joe still plays with
his rubber little duck in the bath?”
“That worn out yellow little duck? Well, that is good that he is called
Little Joe because when he is grown up that is not possible anymore of
course”, reacted Ben.
That evening Hop Sing put the food on the table.
When he took off the lit of the meat dish the cook said, “Especially for
Peking Duck.”
“Look Joe, there is now your rubber little duck”, said Hoss.
Ben and Adam couldn’t stop laughing but Little Joe couldn’t appreciate the
joke.
Since that afternoon he locked the door of the bathroom so that his elder
brothers couldn’t come in just like that.