week198

POW Challenge 311
By
Robin

When he was just a small boy, Little Joe Cartwright hated using the
outhouse. It was hot in the summer and freezing in the winter... and there were
spiders inside and it was scary for him to make a trip there in the middle of the
night…plus it stank all the time.
"Pa, we really do need a new outhouse," Little Joe complained to his father
one morning. Ben was hard at work trying to work on the ranch ledgers at his
desk.

"Son, I'm far to busy to be building a new outhouse. We have round up next
week and with all the rain we are having, the creek is running high and we
have to move all that cattle to high ground."

Joe went outside into the muddy yard. It looked like it would rain again
that day.

"Adam, we really do need a new outhouse. Can't you do something about it?"
Little Joe complained to his oldest brother, Adam as he was saddling his horse
to ride out and move the cattle before more rain came.

Adam looked up from his work and said "I don't know what you are
complaining about, Little Joe. When I was your age, we didn't have a nice out house on
the Ponderosa. Pa and I were still trying to make our way west in a covered
wagon. We would have been glad to have such a nice out house. Besides, we have
much to much work here to do."

Little Joe trudged over to the barn.

Hoss was fixing the latch on the barn door and Little Joe went over to him.
Hoss was a soft touch and hated to see him unhappy. Little Joe put on his
saddest face and said "Hoss, my favorite brother, we need a new outhouse."

"Well, Little Joe. There is lots of work here. Pa sure won't take time to
build a new out house as long as we got one standing. Besides…shoulldn't you be
going off to school? You are gonna be late." Hoss swatted Joe's bottom.

" Get moving, small fry."

Joe climbed onto his horse and headed for town. As he rode, Little Joe got a
good idea. If there was no old stinky out house, Pa and Adam and Hoss would
have to build a new one. The Ponderosa outhouse was situated on the bank of a
creek behind the house and the boy determined that he would push that
outhouse into the creek that afternoon on his way home from school.

With all the recent rain the creek was swollen so the little boy decided
today was the day to push the outhouse into the creek. He got a large stick and
started pushing. Finally, the outhouse toppled into the creek and floated
away.

Little Joe grinned as headed for the house. Now Pa would have to build a new
outhouse.

That night his father told him they were going to the woodshed after supper.
"Joseph, we are going to have a necessary talk, son."
Knowing this meant a spanking, the little boy asked why.

Pa replied, "Someone pushed the outhouse into the creek today. It was you,
wasn't it, son?"

The boy hesitated, then answered "Yes, sir." Then he thought a moment and
said, "Pa, I read in school today that George Washington chopped down a cherry
tree and didn't get into trouble because he told the truth."

Ben Cartwright replied, "Well, son, George Washington's father wasn't in
that cherry tree."

Robin


 

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