Summary: Hop Sing enters an art contest to benefit a family in  need.

Rated: K+

Word Count: 1940

Hop Sing sat down at his desk in his room and started to draw a picture. He was drawing a picture of a raging river. He and the Cartwright family almost went through, but at the last second, they made it through with no harm.

A knock came on the door. ” Come in,” he said. As he put his pencil down on the paper, he was drawing on it.

“Hop Sing, we are heading to town. Do you want anything?” Adam asked, as he looked at what Hop Sing was drawing.

“I will come with you guys, Mister Adam.” Hop Sing replied, standing up. “I want to visit my cousin, Hop Ling.”

Adam nodded as he looked at the drawing Hop Sing had started. “What are you drawing?”

“Remember that raging river that we almost got caught in a while back?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“I am drawing a picture of it.”

“Can I see it”?

Hop Sing nodded and stepped away from the desk, so Adam could take a close look at his drawing.

“Hop Sing, this is amazing. Have you thought about entering Virginia City’s first annual art contest?”

“You think that I am talented enough?” Hop was taken aback. He didn’t think he was talented enough.

“Of course, I can almost hear the waves of the raging river.”

“Thank you,” a shocked but happy Hop Sing replied.

“You are very welcome. Let’s get going. ”

Hops Sing nodded and followed Adam out of his bedroom.

**********

“Joe, how did you do on your math test?” Ben asked as he stopped the wagon in front of Roy Coffee’s jail.

“I got a B+,” Joe replied as he handed his father his math test.

“Joe, since you passed your math test and got a B+, I am going to give you some money to spend while we are in town,” Ben said, as he handed ten-year-old Joe a fifty-cent piece.

“Thank you very much, Pa,” Joe said as he took the fifty-cent piece.

“You are welcome. Don’t spend it all in one place.”

“Can I visit my friend Mitch?”

“Yes, as long as you are back at the wagon within four hours.”

“I will be.”

” I hear that Mitch got a new puppy,” Hoss said, as he counted his money.

“I hope not, because if Mitch gets a new puppy, Joe will want one too,” Ben replied as he stood up from the wagon seat.

“I agree, because we will be the ones who will take care of it. ” Adam commented, as he looked down the street.

Hop Sing was walking to his cousin’s when he spotted a poster advertising an art contest. “I think I will enter the contest,” Hop Sing thought to himself aloud.

“Hi, Hop  Sing, What brought you here?  Are you on your own?” his cousin Hop Ling asked, opening the door for him.

“I am in town with the Cartwright family. I am thinking about entering the art contest that I saw a poster for on my way here,” Hop Sing replied, “I am drawing a picture of a raging river that the Cartwright family and I almost got caught in, which could have been a disaster, but at the last minute we avoided it.”

“Yes, I remember that,” his cousin replied, as he took a sip of his tea.

“Actually, I heard about the contest from Mister Adam Cartwright. He told me about it and talked me into entering.”

“I have seen some of your drawings ,and I am glad he did.”

“Thank you.”

“When is the contest?”

“It’s next Saturday at the Opera House.”

“Good luck”

“Thank you,” Hop Sing replied, as he took a drink of his tea.

**********

“Can I get you three anything to drink?” Roy Coffee asked, as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

“A cup of coffee sounds nice.” Ben replied, as he took out his pocket watch to check the time ,before putting it back into his pocket.

Both Adam and Hoss feel the same way.

“Three cups of coffee are coming soon. It will just be a few minutes.” Roy replied as he started a new pot.

“How do you take your coffee? He asked the three of them

“Cream, no sugar,” Ben replied.

“Same,” Adam answered.

“Cream and sugar,” Hoss told him.

“Three cups of coffee, two with cream, no sugar, and one with cream and sugar, coming right up.”

During their visit with each other, Sheriff Roy Coffee, Ben, Adam, and Hoss Cartwright talked about the first annual Virginia City Art Contest, which will benefit the Greenfield family, among other things, and they played a game or two of cards.

**********

Joe and his best friend Mitch were making a lot of noise, so Sara, Mitch’s mother, said, “Go outside to play.” I am trying to get Mitch’s baby sister to sleep.

“Ok, Joe, I will show you my new puppy. Here she is,” Mitch said, as he pointed to a brown puppy.

“She is cute. What is her name?” asked Joe.

“Her name is Molly,” Mitch replied.

“Mitch, let’s play fetch with Molly. Do you have an old ball?”

Mitch nodded and went to grab his old ball that he hardly plays with anymore.

Joe and Mitch were playing fetch with Molly when suddenly she started barking viciously at something behind a bush.

“What is it, girl?” Mitch asked, as Joe started, to walk towards the bush to get a closer look.

“A Rattlesnake!” Joe yelled as he stepped from harm’s way.

“I think we should leave the ball there and tell my pa about the rattlesnake.” Mitch said, as he hugged Molly.

Joe nodded in agreement, and the two of them went to find Mitch’s father, Frank, who was working in the fields.

After telling Mitch’s pa about the rattlesnake, Mitch and Joe continued to play with Molly.

“Joe, do you want to go down to the river for a bit?”

“Yes, but only for a few minutes.” I promised my pa that I would be back at our wagon within four hours.”

Mitch nodded and replied, “only for a few minutes.”

Mitch and Joe walked down to the river, and started to skip stones in the raging river for a few minutes before “Mitch turned to Joe, wanted to try skipping on the rocks?”

“My pa, two older brothers, and Hop Sing almost got caught in a raging river just like this one.”

“I think I remember hearing about it. I don’t blame you for not wanting to try to skip rocks.”

“You can, though. I will watch along with Molly, who came down with them.”

Mitch nodded and started to jump from one rock to another rock when he slipped and almost lost his balance on the slippery rock. But he was saved by Molly when she grabbed his arm with her mouth and pulled him to safety.

“Are you OK?” asked Joe.

“Yes, I think so,” a shaken Mitch replied.

“That was close, too close,” Joe replied.

Mitch nodded and hugged Molly, “Thank you, Molly. You most likely saved my life, not just now, but earlier today as well.”

“Let’s head back,” Joe suggested.

“Nice idea,” Mitch replied, as he started to head back to his house, followed closely by Joe and Molly. His heart was still pounding.

“I better get going. I want to stop at Smith’s Candy Shop before I meet my brothers, Pa and Hop Sing, back at our wagon.” Joe told his friend.

Mitch nodded and replied, “See you in school tomorrow.”

“See you,” Joe replied, as he put his jacket on.

**********

Hop Sing walked into where the art contest was being held and walked up to the registration and said, “My name is Hop Sing, and I am here to register for the upcoming art contest,” Hop Sing told the young lady sitting at the desk.

The young lady nodded and handed Hop Sing a registration form and a list of rules, including everyone must start fresh, no starting projects allowed.

“Thank you, Miss.”

“The cost to enter the contest is 50 cents. That will go towards helping the Greenfield family after they lost everything in a devastating fire last month. You can pay now or on the day of the contest.”

“I’ll pay now,” Hop Sing said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out two quarters, which he handed to the young lady sitting at the desk.

“Thank you, Hop Sing. I will mark it down as paid. ”

“You are welcome.”

After he registered for the art contest, Hop Sing headed back to the Cartwright family wagon.

“I am glad that everyone is here, “Hop Sing said.

“I got here a few minutes before everyone else did,” Joe replied, as he took out a piece of candy from the bag of candy that he was holding.

Turning to Joe, Hop Sing said, “I am glad that you kept your word.”

“Hop Sing, what did you do while we were in town?” Joe asked.

“I visited my cousin Luke Sing,” Hop Sing replied, as he took out the rules for the upcoming contest that he had entered.

Seeing the piece of paper in Hop Sing’s hand, Ben asked, “What is in your hand?”

“I entered an art contest, which will benefit the Greenfield family, Mister Ben,” Hop replied.

Ben nodded in approval and said, “It’s a great cause.”

**********

The day of the contest Hop Sing got up even earlier than usual. He wanted to be sure that he had gotten everything in order. Satisfied that everything was in order, he walked to where the Cartwright family was waiting.

“Are you ready?” Ben asked.

“Yes, I am.”

**********

“Welcome to Virginia City’s first annual art contest. This year’s contest will benefit the Greenfield family, who lost their home in a devastating fire, in which they escaped with their lives. The rules of the contest are on your piece of paper that you got when you signed up. Please go over them one final time.” Roy Coffee said.

Hops Sing sat down and went over the rules before setting down the supplies he would need.

Before starting his drawing, he said a silent prayer.

Roy Coffee walked around the room, stopping at each participant, nodding in approval. “You are all doing well. It will be hard to choose a winner. But no matter who wins you are all winners.”

After much deliberation, a winner was announced.

Hop Sing was shocked when he was announced as the winner.

“Congrats Hop Sing on your win.  What do you plan on doing with your winnings?” Roy Coffee asked, as he handed Hop Sing a check for a thousand dollars.

“Thank you, Mister Roy Coffee,” Hop Sing replied, as he took the check from Roy’s hand. I plan on spending some and saving some. I also plan on donating some to help those in need.

“That’s very kind of you to donate part of your winnings.”

**********

On the way home, Hop Sing turned to Adam and said, “Thank you, Mister Adam.”

“For what?” a confused Adam asked.

“For telling me about the art contest.” I was not sure if I was going to enter, until I learned it was for a great cause.”

“Pa, let’s cook for Hop Sing,” Joe suggested.

” Please no,” Hop Sing whispered, remembering the last time Joe tried to cook.

The End

Author’s Note:

Written for the 2022 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament. The game was Five Card Draw and the words and/or phrases I was dealt were:

math
drawing
raging river
rattlesnake
JOKER (free pass)