Category: Prequel
Any time before the episode, A Rose for Lotta
A Little Lesson in Engineering And Physics (by CareBear)
Prequel. Adam and Little Joe bond over a simple engineering and physics concept. When Joe later tries to apply the concept on a large scale, he reaps chaos for all three brothers. Written for the Chaps & Spurs 2025 Third Quarter Challenge.
Rating PG Word Count 7438
The Surprise (by DJK)
Summary: Little Joe should have known pranking his father was a bad idea.
word count: 1,220 rating: PG/teen
Fourth of July Fun (by AH83)
Summary: Adam gets a Fourth of July surprise.
Rating: K, Word Count: 720
The Old Man (by DJK)
Summary: Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright started calling their elder brother “the old man” shortly after their father died and Adam took over the running of the Ponderosa as well as helping his stepmother raise his brothers. Marie decides that Adam has lost too much of his youth and decides he needs a little romance in his life to make him feel young again.
rating: T/PG13 word count: 46,771
Fools and Wisemen (by AH83)
Summary: Young Hoss and Adam learn some lessons about wisdom.
Rating: K, Word Count: 1016
Adam’s Lady: A Romance in Ten Glimpses (by DJK)
Summary: During his last year at college, Adam falls in love with the sister of a classmate and friend. Can he convince her that she would make him a “good wife”?
rating: T/PG13 word count: 5049
Mother’s Day (by mo1427)
Summary: Mother’s Day is hard when you’re missing your mama.
Rating: G, Word Count: 643
A Lesson in Art Appreciation (by DJK)
Summary: Little Joe and his friends just wanted to see the new painting in The Red Dog saloon before the ladies of the town could have it destroyed, and all they needed was a watertight plan.
Rating: T/PG 13 Word count: 4,414
Bake Shop Girl (by JC)
Summary: The seeds of a memorable friendship are sown during a chance encounter at a Boston bakery.
Rating: G Word Count: 646
The Hero of the Charles (by Pat D in PA)
Summary: When Adam finds himself short of cash, fate and his college buddy come up with an ingenious way to fatten his wallet. Written for the Second Quarter 2025 Chaps and Spurs Challenge.
Wordcount: 3,533
In a Spirit of Enterprise (by Tavia42)
Summary: Little Joe should have known he couldn’t get anything past Hop Sing. This story was written for the 2025 2nd Quarter Chaps and Spurs Challenge.
Rating: G | Word Count: 889
The Loft – #3 (by Pat D in PA)
Summary: In the final entry of three short stories, can the Cartwright hayloft provide poor Hoss with the comfort and understanding he needs to deal with the humiliation and shame he feels after being teased by unkind classmates?
Rating: K/G (3,401 words)
Just a Prank (by DJK)
It was just a boy’s prank, so why did it cause such a rift between brothers. This story was written for the Chaps and Spurs 2025 First Quater challenge.
Rating: K+ word count: 5279
The Family Conference (by Glenandme)
Summary: When Joe gets into big trouble he expects a punishment, but a family conference? That’s worse than any punishment.
Rating: G, Word Count: 1365
Soldier Boy (by Puchi Ann)
Summary: When Adam Cartwright left college to join the Union Army, he had no idea he would be involved in three of the most significant battles of the Civil War. Nor did he know that the experience would mark his life forever and influence the man he would become.
Rating: MA for battlefield violence
Word Count: 94,855
Links to stories of A Separate Dream Series are included within.
