Bonanza
~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~
* Day 22 *

Summary:  Not even Christmastime is safe from pranksters.
Rating:  G
Words:  855

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The Shiny Surprise: The Hair-Raising Christmas Plank

 

In the vast expanse of the Ponderosa Ranch, the Cartwright clan of four—no, five including Hop Sing were gearing up for what they hoped would be one of the most memorable Christmas celebrations ever, as they do every year. Under the helm (ship talk) of Ben, the family patriarch (aka bossman), the ranch was undergoing a transformation. Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, and Hop Sing were thrown into a whirlwind of holiday preparations. The Ponderosa Ranch was a picturesque haven, especially during the festive season.

Adam, the eldest son and a stick in the mud, took charge of ensuring the ranch was scrubbed until it shone. Armed with cleaning supplies and determination, he polished every nook and cranny, leaving the ranch gleaming. Humming the song ‘Shine like a diamond”(1856 version -Rihanna). Hoss, the good-natured and jovial middle son, was his usual easygoing self and unconcerned with Adam’s pursuit of perfection. Meanwhile, Little Joe, the mischievous youngest son, grew bored with the chores. And as we know trouble often follows him when he is bored ,and Hoss inevitably gets roped into Little Joe’s schemes.

Thus, Little Joe and Hoss concocted a plan to spice up the holidays with a series of pranks. Their mission, should they choose to accept, which of course they did (are we surprised? nope), was to make Christmas hilariously memorable by initiating a chain of events that would lead to the unexpected loss of hair for Ben, Adam and even Hoss. Ultimately, Little Joe himself would not be spared.

The dynamic duo, akin to Batman and Robin (we know who is who), started innocently with harmless pranks: Whooppee cushions at the dinner table, buckets of confetti above doorways, and fake spiders from Halloween, strategically place around the ranch. However, their mischief took a wild turn when they decided to dabble in a chemistry project- a makeshift hair tonic concocted from what they believed were harmless ingredients from Hop Sing’s kitchen.

 

 

Unbeknownst to the duo, their supposed hair tonic contained a curious mix of questionable substances that promised disastrous results for the shampoo users. Little Joe and Hoss gleefully applied the “TONIC” to the shampoo bottles, convinced they were in for a hilarious surprise. They did not know; the concoction was a potent mixture that would render the users temporarily hairless.

On Christmas Eve, the Cartwrights gathered around the hearth, brimming with holiday cheer, and as the evening progressed the effects of the “hair tonic” began to reveal themselves as they retired to clean up. First, Adam stepped out of the bath to find his hair inexplicably vanished. leaving him sporting a completely bald head. Soon after, Ben discovered that his once-lustrous locks had vanished without a trace.

Little Joe and Hoss watched with a mix of excitement and horror as their prank had taken an unexpected turn. Hoss, initially chuckling at the turn of events, felt a sense of relief at being already half bald, only to realize he wasn’t entirely immune as patches of his remaining hair began to disappear.

In the midst of chaos, Hop Sing, the ever-resourceful cook, came to the rescue. With his concoction of remedies, he managed to reverse the effects of the hair tonic. Slowly but surely, in a matter of hours, hair began to grow back on Adam, Ben and even Hoss’s partially bald head.

“Hey, Hop Sing, how come it didn’t give me more hair?” questioned Hoss.

“It only gives back what was there.” replied Hop Sing.

“Well, that sucks lemons.” mumbled Hoss, disappointedly.

Adam, discreetly gestured toward Little Joe. Ben, catching on, putting down his scotch, stood up and asked Little Joe for some help. As he stood next to him, Ben casually placed his arms around Little Joe’s shoulders. This was the signal for Hoss to grab Little Joe by the legs while Ben held is shoulders. Adam hurried to fetch the shampoo.

“NO,NO!” cried Little Joe.

‘YES,YES!” chanted Ben, Adam and Hoss together.

And so, as the Elf on the Shelf, I end this tale, amidst the “Scrubbed till it Shone” ranch, the unexpected antics of Little Joe and Hoss unfold, leaving behind cherished memories of a imperfect day. Despite the hair-raising plank gone awry, they embraced the spirit of forgiveness. Little Joe had remained bald for a few hours, which he took in good humour .His baldness added an extra layer of amusement to an already eventful evening, making it a story they would fondly recount for years to come. A testament to the importance of laughter and togetherness during this season.

In the aftermath of the chaos, Hop Sing sighed and muttered. “Why always so much craziness in this house?” Shaking his head with mix of exasperation and affection.

 

My prompt:  “Scrubbed till it Shone” from Christmas Eve: My Mother Dressing by Toi Derricotte
(Woke up to commercials about hair tonics.)

My Characters-The 4 Cartwrights.

Guests-Hop Sing, Elf on the Shelf (me)

Note to @faust It is not the comic strip, but I did a few drawings for you.

 

Link to Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar – Day 23 – Deep in December (by JC)