“Pa said that I should do something constructive with myself today so I wouldn’t get inta mischief. Ha, I dunt get inta mischief……much! Ya see, it just gets me instead. I’m such a good boy….most of the time… .um some of the time.”
“Fer some reason this sounds like punishment ta me and heck, I ain’t dun nuffin’ wrong so far taday, but here I am in my room just lookin’ ‘round, and I like what I see, but Pa dunt like it none. Nope and he dun told me so too.”
“Now that I’m all grown up at twelve years old, I guess I should get rid of my old toys, cuz when my friends come over and we come up here ta my room I see em glancin’ at my toys and they tease me ‘bout them and I know that I should really get em out of here, but it’s a hard thin’ ta do.”
“Now dunt ever tell this ta anyone, especially ta my family, but there are days when I….when I wish that….that I could go back ta bein’ a little kid again, cuz I got lots of neat toys that I could play with without no one makin’ fun of me.”
My book shelves still look good. I have all my little kid books on horses, and several carved horses, most of which are painted in black and white. Sure do love pintos and have ever since I can remember. I still do have lots of room on my shelves so I dunt gotta worry ‘bout cleaning them off-thank goodness. Oh and I still do love ta read all my books too.”
“I pulled a box out from under my bed, opened it up and there were all my soldiers, Indians their horses. These were my most favorite toys ta play with.”
“As I unwrapped each soldier, Indian, and horse, I started ta remember all the battles I had with em. Sometimes I let the Indians win the battles, but most of the time the soldiers would win. Oh the memories.”
“As I look at each toy in that box, I remembered which ones were my most favorite ones. Ya know, since I’m in here by myself, I think it’s time for another major battle. I got all the soldiers, Indians and their horses ready for the battle now, so here goes.”
“Indians, Indians! You men head over that way and you men hide behind them rocks and when them Indians get in sight, get em!”
“That battle took over an hour ta win. Now that was fun! What a fun memory. As much as I hate ta, I should get em all wrapped back up and put em back in their box, and that way I can put the box up in the attic. Maybe I’ll play with em another day when no one’s ‘round here, but me.”
“That didn’t take long ta find em a good hidin’ place up there and I know that they will all be safe, but at the same time it is kinda sad too. I didn’t think that this would be so hard ta do, but it is.”
“I guess when I’m a Pa, I can let my son’s play with my toys, but only If’n they dunt break em. Me a Pa, I dunt think so come ta think of it. Heck, I dunt even like girls!”
“I also put my old fort, farm buildings, fences, buckboard and tree’s in the attic too. Adam and Hoss made the fort, farm buildings, fences and my buckboard too. They sure dun a great job of makin’ all that stuff, and they all looked so real too. I will always treasure everythin’ they made for me. I’m lucky ta have two big brothers like that, though I do wonder ‘bout Adam sometimes.”
“I still love lookin’ at all my marbles with all their pretty colors. I have most of my marbles and I’m proud ta say that I was a marbles champion. Of course my friends weren’t at all happy that I kept winnin’ their marbles, but hey, that’s what marble shootin’s all ‘bout, winnin’! Yup, I was the best marble player in Virginia City fer sure!”
“I really hate ta pack up my marbles, so I got this here great idea. I get such great ideas, even though my family dunt think so. With my great idea, I won’t have ta put the marbles in the attic.”
“So here’s my great idea. I’m gonna ask Hop Sing if’n I can two old jars with lids on em of course, so I put my marbles in them jars, and that way I can put them jars on my book shelves and see the marbles at all times. Ain’t this a wonderful idea, huh?”
“Ya see, Hop Sing is always complainin’ that he dunt like seeing marbles in all my drawers and on the floor, so with em in jars that should make him happy too. I sure do come up with great ideas. Oh Little Joe, yer so smart!”
“As I look ‘round at what’s left of my toys, ’bout the only ones left are Brownie, my big old teddy bear who is still dressed like me when Pa bought him for me when he was away on business in San Francisco when I was a little kid, and Trooper my big old rockin’ horse that Pa and Adam had made fer me when I was five years old.”
“Boy, Trooper and me sure went on lots of exciting adventures. I sure did love Trooper and I still do. Shhh dunt tell no one, but sometimes I still ride him, but only fer memories ya know.”
“I bet no other boy had such a wonderful huge rockin’ horse like old Trooper. Ya know Trooper, ya gave me so many hours of fun and remember how we, well me practiced ropin’ on that dining room chair? That was so much fun. Heck we even roped Pa’s big chair too.”
“Thank you Trooper for all the wonderful memories. I still love ya Trooper, but I do think ya might be happier up in the attic too, so I’ll get Hoss and Adam ta help me move ya up there.”
“I think Hop Sing would be happy if you were in the attic, but dunt worry boy, cuz I’ll still come up and visit ya, I promise. I’ll keep ya covered so you’ll stay nice and clean. Since ya still in here, how ‘bout I ride ya again? It will be our secret boy.”
“As I’m rockin’ on Trooper I see Brownie who had been sittin’on Trooper till I put him on my bed so I could ride Trooper again. What a wonderful bear he is! Well I have been ridin’ Trooper for a while now so I had better get off before someone comes lookin’ fer me, and ‘sides, all this rockin’ is makin’ me sleepy. Can’t fall asleep on Trooper now can I? What a surprise that would be if’n my family found me sleepin’ on my rockin’ horse. I’d never hear the end of it!”
“Now I’m holdin’ Brownie on my lap. Oh Brownie, I dunt know if’n I can put ya up in the attic yet. You were and are still the bravest bear ever!”
“’Member that day when I came home from school, cuz when I got home, Pa had come back home from San Francisco, and he told me to go over and look on the settee and there you were Brownie.”
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw ya. You were huge and you was dressed just like me too! ‘Member the time when it was just you and me home all alone for all them days?” Ya protected me from all the monsters that come out at night. I dunt think I coulda survived without ya Brownie!”
“Ya helped me do all my chores too, and we went ta visit mama too. Then there was that time when I ran away from home and ya came with me. Oh Brownie I know I can’t put ya in the attic yet!”
“Golly, growin’ up sure is hard, so I think fer now I’ll keep you and Trooper down here in my room. Heck, I dunt care what my friends think either. Nope I sure dunt!”
The End.