" THE DAY THE INDIANS
CAME "
By:
Lynne G.
Five year old Little Joe Cartwright loved to play like he was an indian. He also loved to play with his toy soldiers and indians, making them have major battles. This little boy had never seen an indian in person and he wasn't sure if he ever wanted too, as he was afraid of them, especially after hearing his Papa, Ben Cartwright and Adam, his oldest brother talk about all the recent indian attacks in the other parts of the country.
The Paiutes were friendly most of the time and those were the indians that were in the area of the Ponderosa, the largest
ranch in the
A week ago Ben ran into Chief Winnemucca and he told Ben that they really needed meat badly because hunting had been so bad lately. Ben told the chief to come to the ranch with some of his braves and he would give them some cattle. The chief was very grateful for the kindness of Ben.
On Tuesday afternoon after lunch, Ben and his sons Adam and Hoss were relaxing after eating while Little Joe was playing on the floor with his soldiers and indians, when there was a knock at the door. " I's gets it," Little Joe shouted as he jumped up off the floor and ran to the door and he opened it.
There stood several indians at the front door and as soon as Little Joe saw them, he screamed and ran over to the stairs and he raced up the stairs still screaming. Ben jumped straight from his chair as soon as he heard his little boy scream and he went over to the door.
" Hi Ben Cartwright. Sorry, we not mean to scare little boy. Only came to get the cattle like you tell us," Chief Winnemucca said. " I'm sorry that Little Joe got so scared. He's never seen an indian before. Don't worry, he will be just fine. Come on and I will show you the cattle that I picked out for you," Ben said as he and the indians went to the corral where the eight head of cattle were.
In the meantime, Adam and Hoss had gone after their little brother to try to calm him down. " Little Joe, where are you little buddy?" Adam shouted as he and Hoss looked in every room and under each bed for their little brother. They even looked in the closets too, but no trace of the little boy could be found.
After Little Joe had reached the second floor of the house, he kept running until he got to the attic stairs, which he ran up to and he hid in the darkened area under the rafters of the roof. He was breathing very hard as he had been running so fast. His little body was trembling badly and he had tears running down his sweet little face. He just figured that the indians were probably searching the house looking for him. He was so traumatized, that he didn't hear his brothers calling his name. He finally passed out from fright.
" Thank you Ben Cartwright for the cattle. They will help my people from starving. Sorry we scare little boy. Tell him we wouldn't hurt him. You bring him to our camp and we make him our blood brother," Chief Winnemucca suggested to Ben. " Thank you. We will bring him sometime and I'll explain to him that you wouldn't hurt him. If you need more cattle just let let me know and I will give you more," Ben told the chief. The chief again thanked Ben as Ben opened the gate of the corral so the braves could round up the cattle. Ben watched until the indians and cattle were out of sight, then he ran towards th house to check on Little Joe.
" Pa, we can't find Little Joe anywhere. We've looked in every room, under every bed and in every closet, and he's just not there," Adam told Ben. " Have you looked in the attic?" Ben asked. " No, but it's dark up there and you know that Little Joe is afraid of the dark," Hoss explained. " Yes I know, but he just might have thought that he would be safe up there. Bring a couple of lamps and lets go and check up there," Ben suggested.
They opened the door to the attic and walked in, but they noticed how quiet it was in there. " Joseph, please Little Joe, you can come out now sweetheart, the indians have gone back to their village. Little Joe, where are you sweetheart?" Ben kept asking as he was hoping his scared little son would come out from his hiding place. There was no response at all.
Ben, Adam
and Hoss began to search carefully for the little boy. Finally Hoss said,
" Here he is
" Papa, da injuns was here," the little boy said as tears ran down his face. " I know son. That was Chief Winnemucca and some of his braves who came to get some cattle I had for them. They feel really bad that they scared you son. Do you know what the chief told me?" Ben said. Little Joe just shook his head. " He told us to bring you up to their village to meet them and they want to make you their blood brother. Wouldn't that be nice?" Ben asked. " I...I..guess so. They want me ta be their blood brother? Really?" the little boy questioned. " Yes they do sweetheart. That is a very big honor to be their blood brother," Ben explained. " Kay Papa. Maybe in a few days er so," Little Joe said softly. " That's my brave little boy," Ben said as he hugged his baby boy.
A month later, Little Joe said that he wanted to go to the Paiute camp to meet Chief Winnemucca. " Are you sure you really want to son?" Ben asked. " Yes Papa, I'll be brave," Little Joe told Ben.
The next day the Cartwright family rode off to the Paiute camp. Little Joe was very nervous as they got closer to the camp. A couple of braves came out to escort the Cartwrights into the camp. As word spread through the camp that the Cartwrights had come to see them, Chief Winnemucca came out of his tepee to greet his friends.
" Welcome Ben Cartwright and sons," Cheif Winnemucca greeted as he held up his arm. " It is good to see you again Chief Winnemucca. I bring you my youngest son, Little Joe, to meet you," Ben told the chief. Ben nudged Little Joe on the arm. The nervous little boy swallowed hard and he softly said, " Nice to meet you sir Mr. Chief Winnemucca." " It nice to meet youngest son of Ben Cartwright. I know your two older brother already. Come, get off horses and we talk, Winnemucca said. Ben and his sons got off their horses and followed the chief into his tepee, where they all sat down. Little Joe was busy looking around at the inside of the tepee and he liked it very much.
" We not mean to scare you Little Joe. We came to Ponderosa to get cattle from your father. We will not hurt you little brave," Winnemucca told Little Joe as he smiled at the wide eyed little boy. " Imma sorry I gots so scareded and screamed," Little Joe said. " You better now, and you very brave too. I would like you to be my little blood brother. Do you want to be?" the chief asked. " Y.. Yes please," the child responed. The chief explained to Little Joe what would take place to become a blood brother, and that scared the little boy very much, but he agreed to become the chief's blood brother.
As the chief cut his wrist, then Little Joe's wrist, the little boy was trembling and his eyes were as wide open as they could be. The chief said something in Paiute as he tied their wrists together and he continued to talk, but the Cartwrights didn't know what the chief was saying, as they kept their eyes trained on Little Joe.
" We now blood brothers, Little Green Eyes. I call you Little Green Eyes now," Chief Winnemucca told the very pale child. " T...Thank you Chief Winnemucca," Little Joe very softly said. The chief put a clean cloth on Little Joe's wrist and he told his Little Green Eyes to hold it there for a few mnutes to stop the bleeding.
The chief gave Little Joe a couple of pair of moccasins, and he said, " You wear those in your house. One pair fit you now. One pair for when Little Green Eyes get bigger." He also had made a beaded headband with an eagle feather in it. " Fank you Chief Winnemucca. I wuv da moccasins, and da headband with the feather in it. It's pretty," the child told the chief. The chief was getting a kick out of the little boy, and he thought that this child was extremely good looking too.
The Cartwrights had lunch with Chief Winnemucca outside his tepee. They had strips of beef and potatoes. Little Joe thought that it was fun to eat with his fingers. He thought that he just might have to try that at home. Little Joe got to meet all of the Paiutes in the village, and he thought that they were all very nice, and they all loved the little boy. After they had finished their lunch and talked for a few more minutes, they Cartwrights needed to head back home.
" Thank you Chief Winnemucca for lunch and for letting us bring Little Joe up here for you to meet. You have made his day very special for him," Ben told the chief. " You are good friend to Paiutes Ben Cartwright. You and your sons are welcome here anytime," the chief said. Then he looked down at Little Joe and said, " Good bye my Little Green Eyes. You come to visit again. You be good boy for father." " Fank you Chief Winnemucca. I will. Fank you fer my moccasins, headband, feather and lunch." Little Joe said.
Soon the Cartwrights were on their way home. " That was fun. I ain't scared of injuns no more. I's a blood brother now," Little Joe proudly said as he giggled. " You sure are son. You are a very lucky little boy to be a blood brother to Chief Winnemucca. It's a real honor for you, Little Green Eyes," Ben told his youngest son. " Hey little buddy, does that mean we have to call you, Little Green Eyes now?" Adam asked as he winked at Ben and Hoss. " Um, nope, but ya gots ta be nice ta me though," the child said. " Why's that Punkin?" Hoss asked. " Cuz my big blood brother might just have ta have a little discussion wiv ya," Little Joe seriously said. " Oh no, no that !" both Adam and Hoss said as they smiled at their baby brother.
That night at dinner, Little Joe started to eat with his fingers. " Joseph, use your fork please son," Ben said. " But Papa, I can't cuz Imma blood brother !" explained the little boy. " Fork please Little Joe," Ben said as he looked at the serious look on Little Joe's face. Ben, Adam and Hoss were all having a hard time not laughing at what Little Joe had just said. " Little Joe, sweetheart, you can eat with your hands and fingers when you are at the Pauite camp, and when you eat sandwiches, cookies and fried chicken, but the rest of the time, you need to use your fork and spoon," Ben told his youngest son. " Kay, Papa.
Little Joe loved wearing his moccasins in the house, especially since it was easier to sneak up on his family. He would ride his stick horse in the house to play indian when he couldn't go outside to play. Now that he was a blood brother and had moccasines, headband and feather, he felt more like an indian. Everyday a lot of " Oooh Wooh Wooh's could be heard along with a lot of giggling too.
One day Ben, Little Joe and Hop Sing were the only ones home, when Little Joe decided to play indian again, so he put on his moccasins, headband with feather, but this time he added his holster, toy gun, and his deputy badge. He quietly snuck up on Ben as he was dozing in his chair with a book laying across his lap. The child stood there looking at his Papa as he got a big grin on his face, and he said softly, " UGH, Papa. You Chief Brown Eyes, Me Little Green Eyes, UGH ! Chief Brown Eyes open yer eyes, Little Green Eyes wants ta talk wiv ya." Ben heard everything his little imp had said, but he was pretending that he was still asleep.
" Please Chief Brown Eyes, Little Green Eyes needs ta talk wiv ya," the boy begged again. " UGH ! What Little Green Eyes want?" Ben asked as he started to tickle his little son. Little Joe was giggling so hard that he had tears running down his face. Ben picked up his baby boy and sat the boy on his lap. " Now sweetheart, what do you want to talk about?" Ben asked as he was trying not to laugh at the sight of the little boy who had his moccasins on, plus his Paiute headband and feather, while having on his holster, gun and deputy badge.
" Well Papa, I's needs a p-tee," the child announced. Ben looked at the boy trying to figure out what the little boy had just said. " You need a what?" Ben questioned as he looked at the very serious look on the youngster's face. " Ya know, one of them fings, a p-tee, that injuns live in," Little Joe stated. " Oh, you mean a tepee," Ben said as he had to chuckle at his little son. " Yup, that's it alright. I wants ta put one in da house, and one in da yard too," the child said.
" Sweetheart, tepee's don't go in houses, but we could make you one. Come on and we'll see what we can find to make you one," Ben suggested as he and Little Joe headed for the front door. " Let's put your boots on you first," Ben suggested. Soon father and son went outside to find some poles for a tepee.
Little Joe helped Ben carry the poles into the house. Once in the house, Ben made a frame for the tepee that he put to the right of his desk. Hop Sing had found some old blankets that he had put togther, and he gave them to Ben so he could attach them to the tepee frame. Soon Little Joe had his tepee. He was so excited that he was jumping up and down. He took off his boots and put his moccasins back on and he walked into his tepee. " Papa, Hop Sing, ya just gots ta come in my tepee !" the excited child yelled. Ben and Hop Sing looked at each other, smiled and walked into the tepee.
" This very nice tepee," Hop Sing said a he looked around the inside of the tepee. " Fank ya Papa, Hop Sing. I wuv my tepee," Little Joe said as he gave both Ben and Hop Sing a big hug. " I am very happy that you like it sweetheart," Ben said as he was loving the looks on the child's face.
An hour later, Little Joe had fallen asleep in his tepee, so Ben went inside to get his little boy and take him up to his room. He took off the boy's moccasins, headband and feather, holster, and deputy badge, and he then covered up the sleeping boy, and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
When Adam and
Hoss walked into the livingroom, they were surprised
to see the tepee standing tall to the right of Ben's desk. " Looks
like Little Green Eyes has a tepee," Adam said as he laughed.
" This looks really good
About
thirty minutes later, Little Joe came running down the stairs wearing his
moccasins, headband with feather, holster and his deputy badge. As
soon as Adam and Hoss looked at their little brother, they both started to
laugh. " Hey little brother, are you an indian
or a deputy?" Adam asked as he kept looking at the little boy who
looked really funny. " Imma Little Green
Eyes-deputy," Little Joe announced. " That' really interesting
little brother. I ain't never heard of one of
them before. Must be somethin' new,
" Hoss said with a big grin on his face. " Ser is Hoss. Wanna come in my tepee and play checkers wiv me? You too Adam. Ya
just gots ta come inside
and see my tepee," Little Joe told his brothers. " Sure, we can
play until dinner is ready," Hoss told his baby brother. " Oh
goodie !" the little boy squealed.
" Hey Adam, did ya look inside my tepee yet ?" the child asked. " I sure did little buddy. That's a mighty fine looking tepee you have there," Adam replied as he looked at the excited child. Hoss and Little Joe played checkers until dinner was ready.
The Cartwrights were getting a big kick out of Little Joe during dinner as the child was talking about his tepee, and that he thought that Chief Winnemucca should come to visit him in his tepee. " Papa, do ya fink Chief Winnemucca will come ta see my tepee?"asked a very serious Little Joe. " Son, I don't think so. He is a very busy chief and he has to take care of his people," Ben explained to his young son. " Oh that's too bad. Maybe I's can go see him and tell him all about my tepee," the child suggested. " Son, I don't know. As I already told you, he's very busy," Ben replied. " Kay, Papa."
After playing indian for several days, Little Joe decided he liked being a deputy better, as it was lots more fun, but from time to time he would play indian too. What ever this little boy decided to be, he always had a lot of fun playing and giggling too.
The End