Summary: 12th story in The Battle of Wills series.  Hoss wants to learn how to be a good older brother to his new sibling.

Rating: K     Word Count=2598

Disclaimer: I don’t own the Cartwrights or Bonanza. No copyright infringement is intended. Original plot and characters are property of the author. This story is for entertainment and no money was made from it.

Reviews from the Old Library are on the last page.

The Battle of Wills Series:

Begins
Education is More than 3R’s
The Shadow of Jean deMarigny
A Gift Horse
New Expectations
Remembering Childhoods
A Room Full of Memories
A New Pattern
Naming the Newest Cartwright
Presents from the Heart
Love’s Labor
Big Brother Lessons
No Regrets
Baby’s Breath
Ennui

Big Brother Lessons

Fastening the diaper pin, Adam pulled the second pin from his mouth and handed it to Hoss. “Just gather it up and pin it like I did.”

Hoss pulled the ends of the diaper together and pushed the pin through. Little Joe screamed in pain and Hoss let go of the diaper. He jumped back at the volume of his little brother’s screams.

Adam gently took the pin from Hoss, quickly fastened the diaper, and cuddled his newest sibling to him. “Hush now. It’s okay, Little Joe. Everything’s okay.”

Little Joe’s screams subsided to sobs and finally whimpers. He still gripped Adam’s shirt tightly in his little fist.

“It’s okay, Hoss. I pinned you bunches of times. It’ll get easier the more you practice.”

“Ah don’t wanna hurt him no more,” answered Hoss, hands jammed in his pockets.

“Little Joe’s okay, Hoss. He’s not bleeding. You just startled him.”

“Ah hurt him.”

“But you didn’t mean it. Accidents happen with babies.”

Marie headed for the stairs still looking tired, but she was grateful for the 45 minutes of uninterrupted sleep. Ben had been right about Adam—he was very happy tending to Little Joe. Pausing at the top of the staircase, a smile spread across her face as she watched Adam lift his little brother over his head and then bring him to face level. A huge, toothless grin was plastered on Little Joe’s face.

“Kin Ah try?” asked Hoss.

Adam handed Little Joe over; Hoss raised his little brother over his head several times very quickly.

“Not so fast. Do it slower.”

Hoss lifted the baby up again and held him up so Little Joe was looking down at him. Without warning, the baby spit up on Hoss’ face. Marie clapped a hand to her mouth; she didn’t want the boys to realize that she had been watching or for Hoss to be embarrassed.

Adam took Little Joe and used the towel on his shoulder to clean up the baby’s face. He then handed it over to Hoss, who glumly cleaned the warm mess from himself.

“Ah don’t think he likes me,” said Hoss sadly.

“That’s not true, Hoss. He’s too little to know who or what he doesn’t like. Besides, you spit up on me lots of times. You even spit up on Pa.”

“Ah did?”

“Yeah. Babies just do that. They don’t mean anything by it.”

Marie decided to come downstairs and relieve Adam of baby duty. When he wasn’t doing chores, helping with the books, or working, he was holding or playing with her Petit Joseph. Ben had told her that Adam would happily look after his littlest brother, but she had never expected such devotion from a twelve year old.

Hearing footsteps, Adam held Little Joe so he could see his mother. He stretched out a little arm towards her. In a high-pitched voice, Adam said, “Mama,” and waved one of the baby’s arms.

Marie took her baby from her oldest son with a smile. “How’s Mama’s petit chou?” she murmured as she held the baby to her shoulder.

“He’s been really good, Marie. Can I rock him for a while?”

“Maybe later, mon fils. Why don’t you boys go see what your pere is doing?”

“Come on, Hoss, he’s probably still in the barn.”

Quickly going to the fruit bowl, Hoss picked up three apples and caught up to his brother. “You’re not gonna eat all those are you?” asked Adam.

Putting two into his pocket, Hoss said, “They ain’t all fer me.” He then began munching on the third one as they walked. Hoss was trying hard to learn how to be a big brother, but it was harder to do than he had thought. A little baby seemed to be a whole lot of wor instead of a bundle of joy like everyone said. Little Joe was a bundle of smelly diapers most of the time. How Adam could stand to wash those was something he couldn’t understand. Hop Sing sure seemed pleased that Adam didn’t mind doing that chore. “No way,” thought Hoss, “am Ah gonna do that!”

Going inside the barn, Hoss immediately went to his pony and pulled an apple from his pocket. Buttermilk gently took the offered treat and Hoss watched the juice dribble out of her mouth as she happily crunched. Adam went to his horse, Beauty, and scratched the animal’s neck under the mane. Beauty let out a contented snort at his human’s touch.

“Bonnie will be foaling soon,” said Ben stepping from the horse’s stall.

“Kin Ah help, Papa?” asked Hoss. “Ah helped before when you was gone.”

Ruffling the boy’s hair, Ben said, “We’ll see.”

A piercing wail from the house got their attention and made the horses stamp. “Little Joe must need a changing,” said Adam. He then trotted off for the house.

“Papa?”

“Yes?”

“Who teached Adam how ta be a big brother?”

“I showed him how to change your diapers, bathe you, and feed you.”

“Ya mean Ah gotta change Lil Joe’s diapers ta be a good big brother?”

With a chuckle, Ben answered, “No, Son. Adam did those things for you because your mother was…gone. I couldn’t tend to you all of the time, but he did those things for you with love.”

“There ain’t no way Ah’m gonna love changin’ diapers!”

Ben had to work hard at not laughing. “Adam helped take care of you and showed you how to fish, buckle your belt, and ride your pony because he loves you. A big brother does those things because he wants to see his younger brother succeed and be happy.”

“So I gotta do those things fer Lil Joe?”

Ben took Hoss over to a bale of hay and sat down so he could look in his son’s eyes. Placing his hands on the boy’s shoulders, he said, “You know how Adam always lets you have the last cookie on the plate and splits the last biscuit in half so you can each enjoy it?” Hoss nodded his head. “Adam does those things because he loves you. People who love each other do things like that to show that love. He changes Little Joe’s diapers and bathes him out of love for him and your mother.”

“How’s that show he loves Mama?”

“By doing those things, he gives Mama a chance to relax a little bit.”

“I ain’t done much fer Lil Joe; how’s he gonna know Ah love him?”

Ben had to stop and think for a moment. Little Joe couldn’t tell Hoss with words and, as a fussy baby, he was more likely to cry than smile. “Babies can tell when someone loves them. In a couple of years, he’ll need someone to show him how to catch worms for fishing, pick up frogs, and hide in piles of hay.”

Hoss thought about that for a few moments. Adam didn’t do a lot of frog catching now and he didn’t like playing hide-and-seek too much anymore. If Little Joe was going to learn to do those things, he was going to have to teach him. The boy’s face scrunched up in thought and then he asked, “Are ya shore Ah gotta wait a couple a years?”

With a chuckle, Ben hugged Hoss to him. Realizing how quiet everything was, he said, “Let’s go check on everyone.”

Hoss helped his father secure the barn before heading for the house. Going inside, Ben saw Marie sitting near the fireplace, working on a needlepoint. She looked up and smiled. They could hear Adam talking nonsense in a high-pitched voice. Walking around the settee, they saw Adam slumped down on the settee with his boots up on the coffee table and Little Joe supported against his knees. He was gently being bounced by his oldest brother and the baby had a smile plastered on his face. 

“What are you doing, Son?” asked Ben.

“I’m teaching Little Joe how to ride a pony.”

“There ain’t no pony,” stated Hoss matter-of-factly.

“I know that. I’m teaching him what riding a pony’ll feel like for when he’s big enough to really ride one.”

Ben lowered himself to one knee and asked Little Joe, “You wanna come to Papa?”

Little Joe turned his smiling face to Ben and let out a hiccup. “Let me have him, Son.” Reluctantly, Adam handed his youngest brother over.

Ben hugged his infant son to himself and stood up. Placing the baby against his shoulder, he walked slowly around the room. Little Joe suckled on his father’s collar as his eyelids began to droop. Marie took in this scene with a pleased smile.

Hoss plucked another apple from the fruit bowl and sat down next to Adam. “Haven’t you eaten enough apples, mon fils?”

“Ah only had one, Mama.”

“But you took three earlier.”

“He fed two of those to Bonnie and Buttermilk,” said Adam.

“All right. You may have that one, Hoss, but no more snacks before supper.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he answered before biting into the juicy piece of fruit.

The clang of a pot in the kitchen followed by yelling in Cantonese awoke Little Joe with a start and he began screaming shrilly. Marie leapt from her chair and rushed to take him from her husband. Ben and the boys went into the kitchen after Marie took the baby upstairs.

“What happened, Hop Sing?”

“Which boy put pin with potatoes?”

Adam turned red with embarrassment. “I was teaching Hoss how to fasten a diaper pin using a potato and a towel. I guess we forgot to take the pin out of the potato pot.”

Hop Sing rubbed the fleshy part of his thumb where the pin had pricked him and glared at the boys. “You no practice in kitchen.” With that, he retrieved the pin, handed it to Adam, and went back to preparing supper. The cook muttered to himself as Ben and the boys left the kitchen.

Upstairs, Little Joe was still wailing. Ben couldn’t remember Adam crying so loud and Hoss had mostly whimpered as an infant. Marie’s footsteps could be heard as she paced back and forth in the master bedroom.

“May I go help?” asked Adam. Thinking it might make a difference, Ben nodded his head. 

“Kin Ah go, too, Papa?”

“Let’s both go.”

They reached the second floor as Adam was coming out of Hoss’ room with the carved animals. Entering the master bedroom, they saw that Marie was close to tears as she tried to calm the baby.

“Sit in the rocker and hold Little Joe so he can see me,” requested Adam. Marie did as he asked and held her fidgety, crying son so he could see his oldest brother.

Holding up the cow, Adam moved it back and forth for Little Joe to see. In a high voice, he said, “I want to go to the barn but I don’t know the way. I’ve been looking for hours but it’s not where I remember. Maybe someone could help me.”

The baby was still crying and Ben was getting ready to tell Adam to stop when Hoss reached for the sheep. He said, “Hello, Miss Moo-Moo. Ah heard you was lookin’ fer the barn. Ah know how ta git there. Ya wanna come with me?”

The volume of Little Joe’s cries began to decrease and his eyes weren’t shut tight anymore. Marie was amazed by her sons’ performance so far. Maybe they could calm they baby after all.

“Are you sure you know the way, Miss Fleece?”

“Ah’m pretty shore ‘cause Ah found it on mah own once before.”

“Let’s go together then.”

Both boys moved their animals in front of Little Joe in hopping motions. The baby was sniffling now more than crying and the tears had stopped flowing. Ben sat down on the edge of the bed, amazed by the boys’ efforts to quiet their little brother.

Picking up the pig, Adam hopped it over to the cow and sheep. “Hello, Miss Moo-Moo and Miss Fleece. Where are you going?”

“We’re goin’ ta the barn if we kin find it.”

“I’m passing by the barn on my way to town. Would you like to come with me?”

“We sure would. Come on, Miss Fleece, Mr. Oink knows the way.”

All three animals began moving in little hopping motions. Little Joe smiled and gurgled at the show. Marie looked around to his face and a grin appeared on hers. Ben couldn’t help but smile, too.

“What are ya gonna buy in town, Mr. Oink?”

“I’m going to buy some new boots, a new hat, and a comb for my bristly hair.”

“Maybe we should go to town, too, Miss Fleece. What do you think?”

“Ah dunno, Miss Moo-Moo. It’s awful close ta dinner. Ah shore would hate ta miss Hop Sing’s cookin’.”

Ben and Marie had to stifle laughs. Looking at Little Joe, Ben noticed that the baby’s eyelids were drooping on the verge of closing. Marie noticed how even her son’s breathing had become.

“I’ll take you two by the barn and go to town as I planned.”

“Thank you, Mr. Oink. We appreciate your helping us to find the barn.”

“Me an’ Miss Moo-Moo shore do, Mr. Oink.”

A whispered, “Boys” got Adam’s attention. He turned to look at his father, who then pointed at the baby. Little Joe had finally fallen asleep. Ben whispered, “Let Mama put the baby in his crib and we’ll go downstairs.”

Marie stood slowly and gently placed Little Joe in the crib Adam had made. The infant snuggled up to the soft stuffed bear that Marie had ordered from New Orleans. 

Adam nudged Hoss and they crept from the room with the animals. “Thanks for helping me. You did really good.”

“Ya think so?”

“Yeah. You’re already getting the hang of being a big brother.”

“Yer a good teacher, Adam.”

Ben and Marie admired their sleeping son. He put an arm around her waist and she laid her head against his chest. They were blessed parents with three fine sons.

The End
December 2007

Next Story in The Battle of Wills Series:

No Regrets
Baby’s Breath
Ennui