Click title to read story.
I Beg Your Pardon – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: Why does Hoss speak so differently from all the rest of the family?
Rated: K+ WC 1650
Summary: On Christmas Eve, Hop Sing shares with the Cartwrights the meaning of the Christmas bells in his own life.
Rating: G Words: 2,440
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
I Like Dreamin’ – by Heather-Chrysalis
Summary: A special and personal poem about what Bonanza means to me.
Rated G Wordcount: 478
I Loved Rachel, But Benjamin I Hated – by ahdavis
Summary: Ben is anything but delighted when his mother and two sisters arrive at the Ponderosa for an unannounced visit. But as his mother and sisters stay on at the ranch, he must confront the past and try to make sense of a very bitter feud between them. But when he faces total ruin by a member of his only family, he just might find the healing he’s been searching for and finally make peace with the past and with his family at the same time.
Rating: T/PG-13 Word Count: 18, 298
I Met a Friend of Yours Today – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: When Joe Cartwright drags Candy over to the doctor’s office after a bar fight, he bumps into one of Hoss’ old friends.
Rated: K+ for brief mentions of violence Word Count: 1,189
I Saw Her Again – by AnnieKCowgirl
Summary: Of love, loss, and hope for the future. A poem from Ben’s point of view.
Rating: K Word Count: 202
I Shall Cherish You Forever – by Krystyna
Summary: News that Adam has died reaches the Ponderosa … but how well founded is the rumour? Is there a happy ever after ending for Ben and all his sons?
Rated: K+ 10,620 words
I Think of You – by SJRCartwright
Summary: Remembering the family gathering together to open their gifts on Christmas morning.
Rating: G 600 Words
Note: This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.
Summary: Little Joe is consumed with guilt when his best friend is accidently shot and killed. Unable to forgive himself, Joe heads down a dangerous self-destructive path.
Rating T, WC 21,861
I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes – by Claire
Summary: An interlude by Lake Tahoe.
Rated: K 670 words
I Will Remember You – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: “…if anyone in the wide world had a reason to be angry it was me.” A WHB (what happened before) for the episode “The Stranger”. Leduque’s POV.
Rating: T (for language) Word Count: 600
I Won’t Be Spoiled No More – by patina
Summary: Adam is injured when he and Joe are working on fence repairs. It’s up to Joe to get the doctor while Hoss takes Adam home.
Rating: K+ Word Count=8753
I Wonder as I Wander – by sklamb
Summary: On a cold Christmas Eve near Harvard Square, Adam comes to receive a sort of epiphany.
Rated: K WC:1000
Summary: Adam doesn’t keep Little Joe out of trouble. A short slice of brotherly life.
Rated: K+ Word count: 1257
I’ll Always Remember – by MelissaR1992
Summary: A prequel to the Salute to Yesterday episode. Eighteen-year-old Candy Canaday is in love with seventeen-year-old, Ann Purcell, but her disapproving father, Colonel John Purcell, feels Candy is not suitable enough for his young daughter.
Rating: PG Word Count: 21,799
I’ll See You Outside – by McFair
Summary: A What Happens Next for ‘The Magnificent Adah’. As Hoss finishes one last beer, Little Joe heads outside to saddle Cochise and wait for him – little knowing the deadly danger that lurks in the dark.
Rated: PG-13 for brutality, violence, and graphic images
Word count: 14770
I’m Already There… – by BluewindFarm
Summary: For those who believe… After an accident, Little Joe asks one very important question that only one person can answer. Is it any surprise at the response he receives?
Rating: K 2,215 words
I’m Already There – by Wrangler
Summary: Little Joe doesn’t know what to do with himself when Pa is delayed and can’t make his seventeenth birthday. A simple sweet tale. Rating T, WC 3326
SUMMARY: Adam’s heart is set on attending a performance by actor Edwin Booth at a production of Hamlet at San Francisco’s Adelphi Theatre. As his departure date nears, he can feel himself coming down with a cold. He knows the moment he sneezes, Ben and Hop Sing will have him confined to bed. Can he manage to hold his illness at bay long enough to not miss something he wants so very, very badly to experience? And how much is he willing to risk in order to do so?
WORD COUNT: 17,156 Rating: K+
I’ve Been Waiting for Christmas – by Tsti
Summary: Created for the 2016 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar.
Rating: K 39 words
Summary: Little Joe knows a secret Adam would rather he did not tell.
Rated: K+ Word count: 1084
I’ve got to ride, ride like the wind, to be free again. – by mumu74
Summary: Something special…. that was for a challenge. Not really on Bonanza, but with the Bonanza’s actors.
Rating: K 890 words
Icicle of Doom (The) – by faust
Summary: Those often ridiculed have vulnerable souls, too. Who better than a Cartwright to acknowledge that? Rating: G Words 1,860 Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar A continuation of The Art-Universe, links to all stories included within
Identity Crisis (The) – by MaryS
Summary: When Hoss is mistaken for Adam, who is out of town, he decides that a little harmless confusion won’t be a problem. After all, how hard can it be to pose as Adam?
Rating: G (13,860 words)
Summary: A young man is stricken with Amnesia.
Rated: K WC 5600
Idiots, Plenty Idiots Rascals – by mumu74
Summary: Written for the 2018 Missing Man Challenge. Allow me to post here a very short story. If it’s ok, I’ll take it back after and I’ll work on it better. With school, I had not enough time to do what I wanted to do.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 854
Summary: A Cartwright’s musings as he awaits his fate.
Rated K Word Count: 2613
If at First You Don’t Succeed; or, A Lesson in the Cartwright Way – by JC
Summary: There are a few simple rules for growing up Cartwright: 1. Never underestimate your father. 2. Don’t forget the first rule.
Rating: K Word Count: 1195
If Horses Could Talk – by BettyHT
Summary: It’s almost Christmas Eve, and the horses on the Ponderosa have something important to tell the Cartwrights.
Rating: G Word count: 1,356
If I Could Turn Back Time – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: Foolishly, I had thought I’d have more time; there were places I wanted to see, things I wanted to do. Now, due to my stupidity, I’d never get to.
Rated: T (only for mentions of death) Word Count: 1,167
If I’m Dreaming #1 – If I’m Dreaming, Don’t Wake Me – by DebbieB
Summary: Ever have trouble deciding what is real and what is not?
Rated: G 2,000 words
If I’m Dreaming #2 – Are You or Aren’t You? – by DebbieB
Summary: After waking from a head injury, Joe struggles with what was real and what was a dream.
Rated: G 5,975 words
If Marie Had Lived… – by Krystyna
Summary: If Marie Had Lived… and Ben had died…
Rating: T 225,640 words
If Not for Aura Lee – by BluewindFarm
Summary: What happened after Jean was taken into custody, and Julia’s window went dark.
Rating: T for mild cursing and references to adult themes 11,940 words
Summary: Joe’s private thoughts as he sits in Church for a special service.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 7106
If Silence Keeps You – by Wrangler
Summary: With word of Ben Cartwright’s death, the three Cartwright brothers must decide if they’ll keep the Ponderosa going in order to preserve their father’s legacy. Meanwhile, it’s Little Joe whose nightly dreams propel him to search for the truth about how his father perished and if he’s really dead.
Rating – T, WC 28,200, Family/Drama/Hurt/Comfort
If These Walls Could Talk – by JoanS
Summary: The task of reroofing the barn brings back various memories for each of the Cartwrights.
Rating: K 9,000 words
If You Lie Down with Dogs – by DJK
Summary: Adam tells a story of teenage rebellion. warning: mention of corporeal punishment.
Rated: T Word count: 4067
If You Want to Get Ahead – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The Giggly Sisters tackle the thorny problem of what hat to wear.
Rated: K+ WC 1700
If Your Heart Cries Out Tonight – by Wrangler Summary: Little Joe reflects back to when he challenged an important decision that his father made. Now, at seventeen, he discovers why Pa was right.
Rating T, WC 10,225,
I’ll Protect You – by Cwright Girl
Summary: A WHIB for “My Brother’s Keeper”. Adam’s POV.
This is a rewrite of the scene where Joe is deliriously calling out to Adam when Joe has a fever. In this version, Adam tries to calm Joe down. There is no Shelia in the version. A look at brotherly love.
Rating K+ 1055 words
I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen – by SusanG
Summary: Traveling alone late at night, Joe encounters a young girl lost.
Rating: T 4,830 words
Summary: The Cartwrights discover dangerous and unwanted company hiding out on the Ponderosa.
Rating: PG Word Count: 7,031
Imagine My Surprise – by Cwright Girl
Summary: Griff King’s inner-thoughts on what made him change his mind about Hoss Cartwright’s true character. 1st Person POV
Rating: K Word-Count: 2,685
Summary: My entry for the Ancestry Challenge. Ben has had three wives and they all had relatives, many of whom he never knew. One shows up with a selfish ulterior motive focused on one son.
Rating = T Word count = 8308
Impasse #2 – A Necessary Sham – by BettyHT
Summary: The fate of the Paiute in Nevada hangs on the testimony of Adam Cartwright and what he remembers and is willing to tell about the attack on Egan Station.
rating = T word count = 17044
Impasse #3 – An Unnecessary Deception – by BettyHT
Summary: This story brings together Everett/Rett Stoddard from the Impasse story and Sophie/Sierra from the A Necessary Sham story into a drama of settling old problems and dealing with new intrigue as well as dealing with Adam’s dissatisfaction with his life on the Ponderosa. It’s a lot to do in six chapters so the story is fast paced.
rating = T word count = 14949
Impasse #4 – Lessons – by BettyHT
Summary: A lighthearted story which follows An Unnecessary Deception, this is set almost seven years later and Adam has left the Sandwich Islands with his family and moved back to America. First stop is the Ponderosa where Ben and his younger brothers are getting acquainted with the newest members of the family, and as usual, things don’t go smoothly.
Rating = K+ Word count = 2366
Impatient Patient (The) – by JoanS
Summary: Joe is forced to stay in bed after an accident and causes trouble for everyone as a result.
Rated: K 14,980 words
In a Manner of Speaking – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The Giggly Sisters turn their inimitable eye on the patterns of speech found at the Ponderosa. Why does Hoss talk like that?
Rated: K+ WC 1400
In a Spirit of Enterprise – by Tavia42
Summary: Little Joe should have known he couldn’t get anything past Hop Sing.
Rating: G Word Count: 889 words
Summary: The boys have been forced to accept heartrending loss. Is it time to move on?
K+ 15,750 words
In Absentia #2 – Restitution – by Belle
Summary: Ezra Grady, is dead; but that doesn’t mean the Cartwrights’ troubles are over. Ezra Grady’s silent partner-in-crime has yet another scheme in mind.
Warning: Referenced mistreatment of a child.
Rating: T 22,190
In Absentia #3 – All Through the Night – by Belle
Summary: Written for the 2016 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar.
Rating: K 1,580 words
In Absentia #4 – Significance – by Belle
Summary: After seven years apart, Ben and the boys are about to spend their first Christmas together. Too bad that buying gifts is harder than it seems.
Written for day 8 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
Rating: G Word Count: 2479
In Absentia #5 – Homesick – by Belle
Summary: Hop Sing’s choice to stay with the Cartwrights is challenged by his first winter at the Ponderosa
Written for day 12of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
Rating: G Word Count: 1326
In Absentia #6 – Heart’s Desire – by Belle
Summary: Adam receives news that his heart’s desire is within his reach. Will he grasp the opportunity?
Rating: G Words 1415
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Summary: Joseph Francis Cartwright awaits sentencing. The judge is quick to blame the adults in his life for the boy’s actions. What can Joe say in defense?
Rating: K+ 1500
In Defense of Innocence – by MissJudy
Summary: Adam’s life begins to fall apart after a lie told by another student at Harvard results in him being expelled. He struggles to understand how he could have done everything right and still lose everything he worked so hard to accomplish. He must listen to the wisdom of those who love him, look deep into his own heart and find the truths and lessons that forged his character into the man he became.
Rating: T Word Count: 30021
In for a Penny, In for a Pound – by Pulitzer2016
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Adam and his best friend Ross find a bottle of whiskey in the Marquettes’ hayloft and decide to recreate Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machine. What could possibly go wrong?
Rating: T Word Count: 10,554
Summary: In honor of Father’s Day… Ben Cartwright is the perfect model of a father, but even he can make mistakes with his children. This story is about how he acted in haste. He now must rekindle the relationship with his son, Hoss.
Rating: K+ WC 3400
Summary: It’s complicated, and that’s what the villains are counting on: they hope that no one would believe anyone would concoct something so complex. It’s up to the Cartwrights to prove them wrong or they are going to pay a heavy price.
Rating: T Word count: 9,230
Summary: The Cartwrights reflect on the impact Marie had on their lives.
3,155 words Rated: T
Summary: The longing of Christmas past memories.
Rating: G (100 words)
In Loving Remembrance – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Adam’s post canon tribute to Hoss, based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Love Changes Everything.”
Rating: K+ Word Count: 503
In Memoriam to Borelli — a REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: A WHN for The Deadliest Game. They’ve come from all over to pay their respects, and we find that really nothing is sacred to this group.
Rating: T 2,940 words
In My Father’s Image – by JennieA
Summary: Unhappiness befalls the Cartwright family when Ben’s personality suddenly spirals downward. Features the entire family.
Rated: PG-13
In Sickness and in Health – by Rona
Summary: As the best man at his friends’ wedding, Joe is unable to foresee the tragedy ahead.
Rated: T 8,970 words
In Silence and in Tears – by Rona
Summary: Joe’s depression after Clay leaves is worrying the whole family. What can they do to help him recover?
9,940 words Rated: T
Summary: Little Joe and Mitch are in a hurry to grow up.
Rated: K+ Word count: 1152
In the Bleak Midwinter – by KateP
Summary: A Christmas Fantasy
Rated: K+ 2,885 words
In the Child’s Best Interest – by MissJudy
Summary: In this early prequel, Ben Cartwright and 4-year-old Adam stop in Cleveland where pay was good at the docks. Ben hopes to earn enough to start the final leg of their journey to Missouri, and a wagon train west. But a couple at their boarding house have plans for Adam that don’t include Ben. The story ends 26 years later as Ben helps Adam recall the ordeal and the outcome.
Rating: K 27,135 words
In the Face of Fear – by MaryS
Summary: After being injured in an accident Little Joe is forced to battle a demon he can’t even see.
Rated: G 16,000 words
In the Middle of the Dark – by Calim11
Summary: Adam Cartwright is caught in a cave-in and gets some unexpected company.
Rated: K+ 4,380 words
In the Mind’s Eye – by Hart4Ben
Summary: A farce on Bonanza FanFic with a twist.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 1099
In the Name of Love – by DebbieB
Summary: After taking a beating, Joe wakes up to find that his favorite girl has been murdered and he’s being held accountable.
Rated: PG: For murder and rape. No details 10,900 words
Summary: Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence? It all depends on one’s perspective.
Rating: K+ 4,440 words
In the Shadow of Love – by bahj
Summary – Told in jigsaw puzzle fashion, follow Adam Cartwright as pieces from the past eventually come together to form his future in this story of love, courage, and sacrifice.
Rated PG-13 Violent and Thematic Elements Word Count – 30,501
In The Springtime – by Bonanzagirl
Summary: Joe is a regular at the Silver Dollar Saloon, so let’s look at some of these moments from the view of Sam, the bartender.
Written for the “Just Joe Library” spring challenge 2024
Rating: PG Word Count: 7400
Summary: When Joe arrived in Savannah to be Clay’s best man he never knew he’d be running for his life after contracting yellow fever. Now home, he recounts the terrifying details to his family.
Rating T, WC 47,230
Summary: Knights in shining armor to the rescue or owners after a trespasser? The brothers have never met anyone like Martha and Paul Jackson’s niece
Rating: T 29,950 words
Summary: Nine year old Hoss Cartwright wants so very much to excel in school like his older brother, particularly when it comes to math. The pressure he puts on himself to achieve leads him to an act of indiscretion. Can he ever make things right again?
Rating: K+ WC 4900
Indian Painting (The) – by JoanS
Summary: Ever wondered about the Cartwright’s Indian painting and why it moves around so much? This story should answer your questions if you have.
Rated: K+ 10,345 words
Indignity of it All (The) – by Terina
Summary: A routine day of rounding up stays turns into a comedy of error for Adam.
Rated: T WC 1800
Inevitable Betrayal – by DebbieB
Summary: With Ben hidden away in his ‘safe haven,’ his youngest son becomes the victim of heartless, wicked men who are determined to find the elder Cartwright and stop him from testifying at a murder trial. Joe suffers insurmountable pain and is left for dead….after his inevitable betrayal….
Rated: PG13 for violence and cruel treatment. May not be suited for all readers…proceed accordingly. by clicking to continue you are adhering to the warning that has been posted. 15,400 words
Infinite Curse of a Lonely Heart (The) – by PatD in PA
Summary: Unrequited affection, if not actually love, permeates this prequel tale of the Cartwrights as a church social becomes an unexpected source of disappointment and frustration for some, and wonder for others.
Rating: K+/T Word Count: 13,275
Summary: This story covers the adventures of Ben, Inger and Adam Cartwright on the wagon train journey that was the dream that turned into a nightmare. The episode Journey Remembered was a very sanitized version of the hardships these pioneers would have encountered so this story is about bringing a touch of dramatic reality to the episode.
Rating: T 12, 580 words
Inger #2 – After Ash Hollow – by Krystyna
Summary: This is a continuation of the story Inger, although each story can stand on its own merits. Life chasing Ben’s dream holds many dangers as Adam discovers …
Rating T 17,300 words
Inger #3 – Searching for Elizabeth – by Krystyna
Summary: Set 18 months after Inger…a little boy longing for his mother, a beautiful lady who looks just as mother should, a father facing a murder charge …
Rating: T 19,930 words
Inger #4 – Journey’s End – by Krystyna
Summary: Ben Cartwright finally finds where he wants to be – and picks up a passenger along the way.
Rating: T 8,830 words
Inheritance (The) – by ChristyG
Summary: After learning the contents of his father’s will, Hoss’ behavior changes radically.
Rating: K 3,313 words
Summary: Joe meets Billy the Kid.
Rated: PG
Word Count: 20,500
Inner Strength – Part I – by pbeaking
Summary: Joe and Ben head out on a father and son journey to town, but a stop along the way causes unforeseen problems. Can the two rely on their inner strength to see them through?
Rating: K+ 3300
Inner Strength – Part II – by pbeaking
Summary: Sequel to Inner Strength. Ben and Joe try to put the memories of their trip to town behind them. They must now rely on their inner strength to help them see past the guilt, anger, and pain. Can Joe forgive himself for what happened and allow the healing to begin?
Rating: K+ 4450
Summary: Adam and Joe cope with trouble.
Rating: T Word Count: 6,198
Summary: A short story that is set between scenes at the end of “The Far, Far Better Thing”
2,220 words Rated: T
Summary: Adam and Joe find themselves in the middle of the Civil War.
Rated: T 13,640 words
Interlude #2 – When We All Die – by Nanuk
Summary and Explanation: I never thought I would write a WHN story for “Interlude”, and I haven’t. Not really. What happened is that I could not not write, and I guess this is what came out of it. These are vignettes that give little glimpses into Adam’s life during the war, some are scenes that may have taken place during “Interlude”, as well as some that happen “after”. I’m not sure I ever find the time to write enough scenes to make this into “a real story” at one time, yet here they are, in no particular chronological order, just so I have them all in one place. One never knows what may happen.
Rating: K+ Words: 13562
Summary: On the way to their new home, six year old Adam asks his Pa some questions. One long, drawn out Pa-Adam-Moment.
Rated: K+ 1,245 words
Summary: When a stranger arrives in town with a business proposition for Ben, he won’t take no for an answer.
10,825 words Rated: T
Into the Line of Fire #1 – by debpet
Summary: A single gunshot has devastating consequences for the Cartwrights.
Rated: K+ WC 2700
Into the Line of Fire #2 – A Single Shot – by debpet
Summary: A single shot has devastating consequences for the Cartwrights. This is an expanded version of my story “Into The Line Of Fire”.
WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH
Rated: MA WC 8200
Summary: A WHN for The Gift. Ever wondered what happened after Ben found Joe in the desert? Well, here’s my idea of what happened next.
7,920 words Rated: T
Summary: An intruder finds his way to the Ponderosa.
Rating: K 572 words
Intruders (The) – by Camera Chic
Summary: While Ben is away on a trip, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe are taken hostage at the ranch.
Rating: PG for violence 4,710 words
Invincible #1 – by southplains
Summary: An Adam/Joe story. Thrown together for the day to work out a disagreement between themselves, Joe and Adam suddenly find themselves struggling to survive.
Rated: T WC 13,800
Invincible #2 – Worry – by southplains
Summary: Joe and Adam are injured and in danger. Hoss and Ben struggle to bring them back.
Rated: T WC 10,500
Invisible Mending – by ansinico
Summary: One day in the life of Joseph Francis Cartwright, or is it just a moment, or a week, or a year, who knows he doesn’t…the day started well and then rapidly tumbled downhill…there will be trouble, a gal and of course some SJS…
Rated: MA
Summary: Pa is away and …. A little comedy about fights, the mail, and an old friend. Typically?
Rated: K+ WC 1900
Irae Series #1 – Garden Party – by BettyHT
Summary: Inspired by some Ricky Nelson songs, this story begins with Adam arriving home disillusioned and cynical after many years away. At a party thrown by his father to celebrate his return, he meets someone who begins to change his attitude and will change his future as soon as he allows it. Adam changes her life too although there are some who do their best to try to prevent the two from being together.
rating = T WC = 35,173
Irae Series #2 – Wearing a Frown – by BettyHT
Summary: The story continues with the characters of the Garden Party and begins with Adam and Joe at odds, but that doesn’t last as they adjust to the needs of each other and then have to rely on each other to survive in a difficult situation. They will need their family and others to escape their predicament and return home. rating = T WC = 24,120
Irae Series #3 – Hi Ya, Sweetheart – by BettyHT
Summary: This is a continuation of the Garden Party and Wearing a Frown stories with the same characters, but this is a much lighter story with humor especially with Adam’s son Lake and with romances for Ben and Hoss too although there are complications of course.
rating = T WC = 31,583
Summary: After a period of adjustment with Adam’s return from school, life has settled nicely for the Cartwrights … until a new storm cloud seems to be threatening Hoss’ usually good mood and ability to work.
Rating: G Word Count: 12553
Summary: Ben is left to ponder that question after a violent attack on his family.
Rated: PG 7,325 words
Is this a Fireplace I see Before Me? – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: Ever wondered about the fireplaces in the bedrooms at the ranch? the Giggly Sisters turn their unique eye on them.
Rated: K+ WC 1900
Summary: Joe is hurt in an accident in the lumber camp.
Rated: K 13,520 words
It All Started with a Haircut – by Robin
Summary: I have been fascinated by the characters of Cora and Enos Milford, the affectionate, bickering couple in “The Hayburner”. Clearly they are old friends of the Cartwrights, have great affection for them and knew Adam, Hoss and Joe as boys. I wondered how the Milfords and the Cartwrights might have first met and came up with this story, “It all Started with a Haircut” .
Rating: K 6,835 words
It Almost Seems Like Yesterday – by BluewindFarm
Summary: Twenty years etched into the memory of a man who stands at the crossroads of his life. My submission for the 2014 Camp in the Pines.
Rating: K 10,815 words
It Happened Before 1860 – by ViveAdam
Summary: The Cartwright family before the starting of the series
Rated: K+ WC 4300
It Isn’t Easy to be the Youngest – by Heike
Summary: It isn’t easy for Jamie, to find his place in his new family. And for Joe the role of an older brother is new, too.
WC 2700
It Was Just One Second – by AC1830
Summary: How long does it take to change a life forever? Joe Cartwright finds out it only takes a second. Written for the 2025 Michael Landon’s Birthday Challenge – pick a period of time, from a second up to a year, that changed Joe Cartwright’s life forever.
Rating: T, Word Count: 1101
It Was Like This Pa – by slaine89
Summary: How exactly do the boys end up in jail during a trip to San Francisco? Ben isn’t sure whether he wants to find out or not in this short comedic fic that includes a pickpocket, saloon girls, one crazily jealous fiance, and naked Cartwrights in a brothel.
Rated: T 2,655 words
It Was New Year’s Eve – by VickieB
Summary: What happens on New Year’s Eve when a Cartwright is sick.
Rating: G (2,805 words)
It’s a Bad Day, or Not #1 – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: Adam has had some difficulties with women, and it doesn’t seem to stop. When there are more incidents, he’s ready to give up on romance, but sometimes the darkest days can turn out to have unintended consequences that a man can learn to appreciate. Added the second Adam and Monica story, Not Always, to this one. Adam makes some serious mistakes in trying to extricate himself from trouble until he turns to his family for help.
Rating = T Word count = 22,989
It’s a Bad Day, or Not #2 – Cheryl – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: A romance that starts out rocky for Adam and Monica. Soon though those issues are resolved, but events take the romance in an entirely unexpected direction.
Rating = T Word count = 15262
It’s a Bonanza-ful Life – by Puchi Ann
Summary: In this Bonanza adaptation of the Frank Capra holiday classic, Ben Cartwright is facing a Christmas so bleak that he finds himself wishing he’d never been born. Enter one slightly unusual guardian angel with the offer to let him see what the world would have been like without him.
Rated: K+ WC 20,000
It’s a Serious Business Being Funny – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: A fond look at some classic comedy moments from life on the Ponderosa.
Rated: K+ WC 1500
Summary: a prequel story with Adam at 26, Hoss at 20, and Joe at 14 on a trip to capture some wild horses when wind, earth, and water elements create havoc with their plans.
Rating: PG Word count: 10,815
Summary: After some problems at home, Adam sets off on what his father expects to be a one or two year absence, but circumstances take Adam to many countries and eventually to refuge far from home for years before it is safe for him to return. However there’s danger at home as well.
Rating = T WC = 102,217
It’s Only a Year #1 – He Said What? – Lessons in Understanding – by MissJudy
Summary: This first story of a series called It’s Just a Year didn’t come through from the old library. This episode tells of how Adam received and education that allowed him to enter a prestigious Eastern university while living in the wilds of the west where there wasn’t a school or people with a formal college education. Adam has studied hard with a Harvard professor he found on the Ponderosa and is ready to leave for Boston when Ben asks him to remain home another year. Marie’s death has left him reeling and in need of his son’s help while he finds men to work the growing ranch.
Rating: K Word Count: 10,321
It’s Only a Year #2 – The Castor Oil Caper – Lessons in Humility – by MissJudy
Summary: 17-year-old Adam is learning some hard life lessons. He returns home from a cattle drive where he’s been forced to subsist on beans and endure hazing by the hired hands intent on making him prove his worth, to find his father away, Hoss ill and Little Joe in a state of panic. The results involves some very bad decisions, a dose of castor oil given in an all-out battle of wills, and hurt feelings. This story takes a serious turn when Hoss’ attempt to give his brother a “taste of his own medicine” goes horribly wrong.
Rated: K+ WC 11,300
It’s Only a Year #3 – The Worst of Consequences – A Lesson in Choice – by MissJudy
Summary: 17 year old Adam has proven himself to the Ponderosa ranch hands after a summer of hazing, and is finally enjoying his last year home before leaving for school. But his life takes a dramatic turn when he is menaced by a new addition to the crew, and must decide whether the man is serious in his sinister intent, or it’s just another attempt to test his mettle. Once Adam decides which it is, he makes choices that bring him into conflict with his father and lead to the worst of consequences.
Rated: K+ WC 16,000
It’s Only a Year #4 – The Quiet of Uncertainty – A Lesson in Hope – by MissJudy
Summary: 17 year-old Adam has been in his first gunfight and although his wound seemed minor, it worsened as he continued to work, until he lost so much blood that he was near death. We now find out what happened that night and who helps to heal a family wrought with sadness, guilt and decisions. There is no need to read the previous stories to enjoy this one. A young Abigail Jones makes her first appearance and Hop Sing makes a friend.
Rated: K+ 15,000
It’s Only a Year #5 – The Final Trial – A Lesson in Mettle – by MissJudy
Summary: The final episode of the prequel series, It’s Just a Year. Adam has remained home for a year longer than he’d planned before heading for college. In that time, he’s been hazed, poisoned, almost killed and now we find him healthy and camping with Hoss for a final brother’s weekend before leaving for Boston. The idyllic time takes an ominous turn when Adam realizes that someone’s been watching their camp and must soon face his worst fears again and save his brother from the same fate. As with all these stories, this can be read without reading the others first. This concluding episode brings the two oldest Cartwright boys together for some defining moments.
Rated: K+ WC 17,000
Summary: Ben stops by to visit with an old friend on the occasion of a big change mmarin the family. It’s a combination of some Pinecone challenges on Bonanza Brand and an April Fool’s challenge on another site with a story line to pull them all together.
rating = T word count = 3298