Summary: There’s a broken window on the Ponderosa but who’s guilty?

Rated: Family Friendly / Word count: 1025

 

Who Did It?

Three brothers sat forlornly in the barn, there had been very little conversation going on for the past thirty minutes or so.

Finally, Adam decided to break the silence. Clearing his throat he started, “One of us is just going to have to confess, that’s all there is to it.”

Hoss who was lounging on a bed of straw picking at his fingernails looked up with a frown.

“And just which one of us did you have in mind, big brother?” he questioned.

“Well,” Adam answered, “the most obvious choice would be the one of us that is going to be in the least amount of trouble.”

Hoss and Adam quickly glanced over at Little Joe.

“Don’t look at me!” He squeaked, “You two will just get extra chores or something, I’m only ten, Pa’d probably wallop me.”

Hoss sighed dejectedly, “He’s right you know. Adam I’ve been thinkin’ seein’ as how you’re the oldest don’t you think you should be the one to confess?”

“Oh no, you don’t,” came Adam’s firm response. “I got stuck with posthole digging for three weeks the last time I covered for you two, my arms were so tired at night I couldn’t even lift my fork to eat.

“Ya,” Hoss snickered, “you were lookin’ a might skinny at that.”

Little Joe tried hard to suppress a giggle; failing miserably he ended up in heap on the floor rolling with laughter.

“Ha, ha” came Adam’s mirthless response.

“Hoss,” Little Joe started in his most pathetic voice after he‘d caught his breath, “Please, won’t you confess? You hardly ever do anything wrong and Pa doesn’t punish you anymore.”

Hoss looked at Little Joe as if he had suddenly grown two heads. “I’d still have to pay for it, and you know I’ve been savin’ for those new stirrups to put on my saddle, besides Pa would never believe it was me anyway. He’d know I was coverin’ up for one of you two and then we’d be in even more trouble. And don’t think for one minute that just because I’m too old for a tanning that means Pa won’t punish me. I don’t want to end up with blistered hands like older brother over there.”

Three loud sighs echoed throughout the barn. The boys again grew silent each one caught up in their own thoughts. Supper had been a very silent affair; all three boys had seen the shards of glass lying all over their father’s desk and the surrounding area. None of them had the foggiest idea how the window had been broken, each one of them had assumed that it was one or the other and not wanting to get each other in trouble they had kept silent. What was Pa waiting for anyway? After supper they had swiftly retreated to the barn and questioned one another. They were surprised to learn that none of them had been responsible for the mishap.

“Okay look,” Adam spoke up after a few more moments of heavy silence. “Why don’t we all three just go in there and tell him we didn’t do it, you know the safety in numbers sort of thing?”

Hoss’s answer came quickly, “It won’t matter if it’s three against one when the one is Pa, he’s still gonna think one of us did it. We could just say we all did it, make up some story about it bein’ an accident, and then split the cost of a new one.”

“Well that would be just fine,” Adam retorted. “Except I’m not about to dig anymore post holes!”

“And I’ve only got twelve cents.” piped in Little Joe. “Sides if whoever did break the window confesses later then Pa would find out we lied and then we’d really get it.”

No more had to be said about that particular subject. They all three knew that about the worst mistake any of Ben Cartwright’s sons could make would be to tell him a lie. The consequences for such an act were always swift and terrible.

“I know,” snapped Little Joe, “why don’t we take the glass out of the window pane in the spare room and when pa goes to sleep tonight we’ll fix up his office window, then when he wakes up….” Little Joe’s voice trailed off as watched his brothers faces change from mild disinterest to full blown amusement. “Well you two haven’t come up with anything that’ll work yet,” he huffed. Grumpily he crossed his arms and turned his back to them.

“Ah, we’re sorry Little Joe” Hoss said soothingly. “We’re just in such a pickle we don’t know what we’re doin’, aint that right, Adam?”

“Sure Joe,” Adam replied “Now let’s really put our heads together and see if we can’t come up with something that won’t get any of us in trouble, won’t cost any money, and won’t be a lie.”

Hoss and Joe traded a skeptical look before turning back to Adam.

“May as well get comfortable, Hoss.” said Little Joe, “It’s gonna be a long night.”

Inside the house Hop Sing grumbled as he worked to clean up the last of the broken glass.

“Hop Sing have no time for foolishment, have much work. Cook, do laundry, wash a dish, no time for cleaning up after clumsy people.”

Across the room basking in the warmth coming from the large stone fireplace Ben Cartwright sat with his legs stretched out, the weekly paper spread in front of him, and the wonderful smell of Virginia Tobacco floating upward from the pipe in his hand. He breathed in deeply enjoying the solitude when he was suddenly interrupted as Hop Sing trotted over waving the broom in his face.

“How long boys stay out in barn, not good for them be out so long, not eat much dinner, not good. Boys worry.” Hop Sing challenged his boss.

“Now calm down Hop Sing,” Ben responded easily, “I just want to enjoy a few more minutes of peace and quiet and then I’ll go tell them I’m the one who broke the window.”

 

The end