Title: " What The

Title: " What The....? "

Rated: " G "

Storyline: One of Little Joe's big ideas.

" What The.... ?"

It had been a long tiring day for Hoss and Little Joe as they rode home from repairing a large section of fencing in the lower pasture.

" I don't know 'bout you little brother, but I'm dead tired," Hoss mumbled as they rode along. Little Joe looked over at Hoss and he replied back, " Me too."

Suddenly Little Joe pulled up his pinto, Cochise and he excitedly said, " Hey Hoss, I just got a great idea and it can make us lots of money !"

Hoss stopped his large gelding, Chubb and he nervously looked over at his little brother with a very worried look.

" Oh no you don't ! Dadburnit, everytime you get an idea in that head of yours, it means nothin' but big trouble for us !" Hoss declared.

" But... Hoss, this is really great and we won't have ta work so hard and we can make more money than Pa pays us now ! Oh boy, I sure have great ideas !" Little Joe proudly said as he looked up at the sky, and then back to Hoss..

Hoss suddenly took off and galloped towards home leaving his mischief making little brother behind.

Little Joe quickly caught up to Hoss and the boy quickly grabbed Chubb's reins, and both horses stopped. " What do ya think you are doing Joseph ?" Hoss angrily asked.

" Hoss, at least hear what my brilliant idea is. Please Hoss? Please?" the youngster begged as he batted his long thick eye lashes at Hoss.

Hoss took a deep breath and looked at Little Joe and said, " Oh alright, but it better be good or else!" Hoss felt like gagging his brother at that moment.

" Thanks big brother. Ok, now just picture this," Little Joe started to say as he held up his arms and hands as he made a jester at the scenery.

" Say yer comin' ta Virginia City on yer way ta San Francisco or other places in California. You are tired and you don't wanna stay at the hotel cuz it gets so noisy 'round town at night, right?" the boy began.

" Ya wanna stay somewhere where it's nice and quiet, where the air is fresh and sweet with the smell of pine trees, plus incredibly great food, really comfortable beds, and a very loving family to make ya feel right at home !" Little Joe explained excitedly.

" Yeah, I'd like that alright, but where is there a place like that?" Hoss inquired as he thought about what his brother had just said.

" Think Hoss, just think," Little Joe replied as he looked at Hoss with his big bright green eyes, who was trying to think of a place like that.

" Don't know Short Shanks. You tell me where," Hoss suggested. Little Joe took a deep breath and proudly replied, " why, the Ponderosa of course. That's where."

Little Joe waited for Hoss's reply as he sat still on Cochise.

" WHAT ? Tell me little brother, what do you think Pa will say about this when we, I mean ' you ' tell him 'bout your so called brilliant idea. HUH?" Hoss responded.

" I thought 'bout that and I ain't gonna tell him," Little Joe declared. " Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, and what do you tell Pa when people start showin' up at the house thinkin' that they are gonna stay there ? HUH?" Hoss asked, as he couldn't believe what his baby brother had just said to him.

" Well, I sorta ain't thought ' bout that yet, but not ta worry big brother. I can handle it. Just trust me," Little Joe replied with a very sour and sickish look on his dirty face.

" Trust you ? Ya gotta be kiddin'? I think ya gotts a screw loose in that pretty little head of yours," Hoss declared as he urged Chubb back into a gallop for home.

Later that evening, Little Joe made up his final plans for the Ponderosa Bed and Breakfast. He then went to talk to Hop Sing about his idea and Hop Sing seemed to like the idea.

Hop Sing was proud of his cooking and he loved to have people come to the ranch and eat his cooking, and he loved all the wonderful comments made about his cooking too.

" What does father say about your idea Little Joe?" Hop Sing asked. " Well ya see Hop Sing, I sorta ain't told him 'bout it yet. I wanna surprise him. Yeah that's it, I wanna surprise him," the youngster admitted.

" Oh, father be surprised alright. I think it good if you tie small pillow to backside when father find out about your idea," Hop Sing suggested as he looked at a very nervous and sick looking Little Joe.

Little Joe had made up a couple of posters about the Ponderosa Bed and Breakfast, which he took into Virginia City that next day.

He nailed one poster near the hotel and one poster he nailed to the wall at the stage depot. As he stood there looking at the poster, Sheriff Roy Coffee walked by and he read the poster.

" The Ponderosa Bed and Breakfast ? Little Joe, I'm surprised your Pa would do something like this," Roy questioned as he continued to look at the poster, then down at Little Joe.

" Um...he sorta dunt know 'bout this yet," the boy explained as he looked up at Roy. " Oh Little Joe, don't tell me this is another one of your brilliant ideas is it?" Roy asked, as he had already figured out the answer, and that Ben wouldn't be very happy with the idea or his youngest son for that matter.

Little Joe gave a big sigh, and spoke up, " Yup, it's my idea. Ya see Roy, it's a good way and an easy way to make money !"

" I sure wouldn't want to be in your boots when your Pa finds out about this son," Roy said as he looked the boy who had a very sick look on his face.

After Little Joe had left town, Roy decided to take down the two posters that Little Joe had put up. " I hate to spoil that boy's big idea, but it just might save his backside," Roy softly told himself as he laughed.

The next day as Ben walking towards the barn, Roy came riding in the yard. " Hi Ben," Roy greeted. " Hi yourself Roy. What brings you out this way so early in the morning?" Ben asked as he smiled at Roy.

" I just wanted to see the famous Ponderosa Bed and Breakfast before all the crowds show up," Roy said.

A shocked Ben stood there with his mouth open and his eyes just about popping out of his head, and he was speechless at first as he looked at Roy, who had a big smile on his face.

" What's the joke Roy ? There isn't any Ponderosa Bed and Breakfast !" Ben declared as he continued to look at Roy. " Well, 'ccordin' to this here poster there is," Roy replied as he continued to smile at Ben as he handed him the poster.

" What the.....? Where'd this come from, and who put it there?" Ben asked as he couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at the poster again.

Before Roy could answer Ben's question, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe walked out of the house to greet Roy.

" Hi Roy. What's up?" Adam asked as he noticed the very strange look on Ben's face and the big smile on Roy's face. " I just came out to see the famous Ponderosa Bed and Breakfast," Roy replied.

Little Joe suddenly put his fingers up to his mouth as his eyes opened as wide as they could.

" The what?" Adam asked as he looked over at Hoss then down to his little brother, who was slowly backing up. Hoss grabbed hold of the boy's arm and held him so he couldn't get away.

" Speak right up little brother. Please tell us all 'bout the Ponderosa Bed and Breakfast," Hoss suggested as he looked at his extremely nervous little brother who had suddenly turned very pale.

By now all eyes were on Little Joe, and they were all waiting for some kind of answer, Little Joe style.

" Um...Um...Um...Uh...Pa, ya see, I sorta....." the boy stuttered. " JOSEPH FRANCIS CARTWRIGHT, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE NOW ?" Ben shouted as he glared at his youngest son.

" ...Nothin' yet...sir..." was all Little Joe could say before Ben sopke up again. " THERE IS NO PONDEROSA BED AND BREAKFAST ! JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU YOUNG MAN !" Ben shouted.

With that said, Little Joe broke free of Hoss's hold on him and he took off running around the yard with Ben running right after him.

Adam, Hoss and Roy stood there watching Ben chasing Little Joe all over the yard, with Little Joe yelling, " I CAN EXPLAIN PA !" and Ben yelling, " YOU JUST WAIT !"

" Poor little brother. Him and his big ideas !" Hoss declared as he, Adam and Roy stood there laughing at the sight of Ben and Little Joe running around in the yard yelling at each other.

The End.

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