Click title to read story.
Summary: Hoss helps Miss Jones make the annual Christmas pageant “extra special.”
Rating: G Words: 2,850
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
Baby from the Forrest, Baby from the Heart – by mumu74
This story was written for the 2017 Advent Calendar – Day 23
Summary: The start of a new life is a joyous occasion.
Rating: G 1,380 words
Summary: The family has to deal with jealousy as Hoss suffers through the Middle Child Syndrome.
Rating: K+ 11,290 words
Back from Back East – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: An explanation of why only one son when to college.
Rating: T 860 words
Summary: Hoss isn’t sure things will ever get back to normal. WHN for “The Lawmaker”
Rating: K+ 1,785 words
Summary: When Adam takes Joe along on a business trip, things go from bad to worse. After Joe gets bitten by a sidewinder, it is now up to Adam to save not only his baby brother’s life but his own life as well.
Rating: PG 8,800 words
Back to the Beginning – by patina
Summary: An important letter arrives for Adam. The letter contains news that will change his life.
Rating: K Word Count=2472
Synopsis: Following Hoss’s death, Adam returns to run the ranch with Joe and their father. After an ambush goes wrong, the brothers are separated, one severely wounded, the other lost.
Rating: PG (31,225 Words)
Summary: Rich man, poor man, Indian chief–what are they all doing in Sheriff Coffee’s jail during a blizzard?
Rating: : K Word Count: 4483
Summary: After a bad accident, Ben has to cope with a changed Little Joe.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 16500
Summary: Adam’s first trip to Cooperville was at the insistence of Cooperville’s Sheriff; his second trip there he planned. He finds himself facing an outlaw’s gun; then finds something special in someone. His third and final trip results in tragedy.
Rating and Reader Alerts: G
Words: 18,800
Badge Without Honor – A Rewrite – by JennyG
Summary: Never quite satisfied with motivation and outcome in this episode? Try this version.
Rating: T 9,800 words
Summary: The seeds of a memorable friendship are sown during a chance encounter at a Boston bakery.
Rating: G Word Count: 646
Baker Series #1 – Baker’s Brat – by JoanS
Summary: Just how much influence could one seven-year-old have on an Army Post?
Rating: K WC 15,500
Baker Series #2 – Baker’s Dozen – by JoanS
Summary: Ten years after he and Joe first met, Baker visits The Ponderosa while on a mission.
Rating: K WC 15,400
Baker Series #3 – Baker’s Legacy – by JoanS
Summary: Joe feels the loss of his friend Baker.
Rating: K WC 9700
Baker Series #4 – Baker’s Destiny – by JoanS
Summary: Joe and Baker meet again, but this time under difficult circumstances.
Rating: K 17,680 words
Balance of His Mind (The) – by Rona
Summary: Ben encounters a bank robber and the subsequent shoot-out leads to a trail of tragedy and terror for the Cartwrights.
11,915 words Rated: T
Ballad of Ben Cartwright (The) – by ansinico
Summary: l have put my own words to the air of an Irish drinking song, ‘’The Wild Rover’ also called ‘No Nay Never’ I hope you like it.
Rated: K
Ballad of Brothers: Opus – by freyakendra
Summary: A sandstorm leads to a special moment of brotherly bonding between Adam and Little Joe before tragedy strikes—and then that bonding takes on a whole different depth of meaning when they look to the songs that had first given them a night of laughter to help them survive through the day. When Ben, Hoss and Sheriff Coffee go to their aid, they discover Joe is missing and Adam fears the worst.
Rating: T Word Count: 28,400.
Ballad of Tahoe Tessie (The) – by sandspur
Summary: Cattle are being eaten, and their picked-clean skeletons are being deposited near the lake, but when the Cartwrights investigate, they find a lot more than they ever bargained for … and the effects will last forever.
Rating: T 20,000 words
Band of Brothers – by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Adam and Hoss travel to Stockton and find themselves joining forces with Jarrod and Heath to help Nick-who was adversely affected by the Civil War.
Rating: T 22,900 words
Summary: The fury of a woman scorned leaves a deadly trail and there is only one man who can stop her.
Rating: T+, Word Count: 947
Bank Robbers, Belles, and Puppy Dog Eyes – by pjb
Summary: Start with one fifteen-year-old boy with a brand-new sidearm. Add the prettiest twin girls in school, a pair of matching ponies named Floyd and Feather, two inept bank robbers, a worried lawman, several frantic family members, and a best friend who’s game for almost anything. And then, let the chase begin….
Rating: T WC 23,000
Banns Having Been Read (The) – by DJK
Summary: Little Joe is engaged for the first time.
Rating: T Word Count: 8,840
Summary: Here is my story for the July challenge as always I hope you like it. I will also be using this as the first chapter for the mega challenge. I hope I can make it to gold.
Rating: K+ WC 22,000
Summary: A ‘What Happened Next’ for the episode ‘The Last Haircut.’
Rating: T 8,515 words
Summary: Faced with a heartbreaking prognosis after a riding accident, Joe finds unexpected solace with a new friend.
Rated: K+ WC 26,000
Barn Cat (The) #2 – The Most Important Thing – by pjb
Summary: In the sequel to “The Barn Cat,” Ben discovers what is–and isn’t–most important about his youngest son.
Rated: T WC 36,000
Barn Dance (The) – by frasrgrl
Summary: It’s a typical barn dance for the Cartwrights.
Rated: K 2,690 words
Bath Water — a REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: When you don’t have indoor plumbing.
Rating: T 1,030 words
Battle of the Ponderosa — aka Springtime Chaos – by BluewindFarm
Summary: A plea for help turns into an urgent ride home, and a situation no one foresaw.
Rating: K 1,615 words
Battle of Wills (The) – # 1 – Begins – by patina
Summary: Ben brings his new wife, Marie, home to the Ponderosa. Hoss is overjoyed to have a new mother but Adam is not happy.
Rating: K Word Count=4433
Battle of Wills (The) – # 2 – Education is More than 3R’s – by patina
Summary: During a family picnic at the lake, Adam gets in trouble adding poison ivy to Hoss’ bouquet of wildflowers for Marie. After an argument with his father, Adam decides to leave home. A neighbor and old friend, Abe Garvey, shows Marie that there’s more to education than reading, writing, and arithmetic while leading the search for Adam.
Rating: K Word Count=6007
Battle of Wills (The) – # 3 – The Shadow of Jean deMarigny – by patina
Summary: Men break into the house while Marie is home alone with Adam and Hoss. After observing his step-mother’s actions when faced with the robbers, Adam calls Marie a name he once heard Jean de Marigny use. This incident leads to an argument between Ben and Marie about Adam’s upbringing. And Adam finally realizes that Marie had been Jean’s wife.
Rating: K+ Word Count=5268
Battle of Wills (The) – # 4 – A Gift Horse – by patina
Summary: Ben announces at supper that he is going to buy a horse for Marie. Adam becomes unhappy because Ben had promised to buy him a horse before leaving for New Orleans. Will this situation cause another rift between Marie and Adam?
Rated K Word Count=3059
Battle of Wills (The) – # 5 – New Expectations – by patina
Summary: Marie and Adam race their new horses. Luckily, Paul Martin has arrived in Virginia City to practice medicine. Ben has invited Paul out to the Ponderosa for supper. After examining both Marie and Adam, Paul has to relate Marie’s and Adam’s conditions to Ben.
Rating: K WC=4470
Battle of Wills (The) – # 6 – Remembering Childhoods – by patina
Summary: It’s the morning after the events in New Expectations. Ben’s thoughts of the coming baby make him remember Adam’s childhood and Hoss’ early years.
Rating: K+ Word Count=3240
Battle of Wills (The) – # 7 – A Room Full of Memories – by patina
Summary: It’s time to clean out the spare room so it can be turned into a nursery for the coming baby. As Ben, Adam, and Hoss go through the room’s contents, they remember the past.
Rating: K+ Word Count=3622
Battle of Wills (The) – # 8 – A New Pattern – by patina
Summary: The Cartwrights go into town so Marie can order baby furniture and Adam can get a haircut. Hoss goes shopping with Marie and, while in the store, he overhears her conversation with two elderly ladies about food cravings and whether the baby will be a boy or a girl. Which of course leads to questions.
Rated K+ Word Count=4384
Battle of Wills (The) – # 9 – Naming the Newest Cartwright – by patina
Summary: The Cartwrights try to decide on a name for the coming baby.
Rating: K+ Word Count=2542
Battle of Wills (The) – #10 – Presents from the Heart – by patina
Summary: The Cartwrights celebrate Adam’s 12th birthday.
Rating: K Word Count=5313
Battle of Wills (The) – #11 – Love’s Labor – by patina
Summary: The birth of Joseph Cartwright.
Rating: T Word Count=6306
Battle of Wills (The) – #12 – Big Brother Lessons – by patina
Summary: Hoss wants to learn how to be a good older brother to his new sibling.
Rating: K Word Count=2598
Battle of Wills (the) – #13 – No Regrets – by patina
Summary: Marie writes a letter to her favorite aunt in New Orleans, describing her life on the Ponderosa.
Rating: K Word Count=2265
Battle of Wills (The) – #14 – Baby’s Breath – by patina
Summary: Hoss finds a kitten in the barn and decides to bring it in the house. Marie is not happy because of the old wives’ tales of cats stealing the breath from babies. Will this kitten change her mind?
Rating: K Word Count=3937
Battle of Wills (The) – #15 – Ennui – by patina
Summary: Hoss fears that he’s sick and dying while Pa and Adam are out of town.
Rating: K Word Count=3791
Summary: A barren tree and a string of glass beads bring two lonely men together on Christmas Eve.
Rated G Word count: 4121
Every year, on the night before Christmas Eve, Hop Sing would make candles. Now, candles are kind of old fashioned, so I asked him why. This is the tale he told me, a tale of wonder and grace.
Written for day 9 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
Rating: G Word Count: 3915
Be a Friend – by Sierras
Summary: Can a gingerbread man help Little Joe make a new friend? Rating: G Words: 560 Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Be My Valentine? – by Puchi Ann
Summary: For twelve-year-old Joseph Cartwright, things go from bad to worse as he struggles with the most “mushy-gushy” school assignment he’s ever been given. When all his efforts to solve his dilemma fail, there’s only one person who can stand between him and the painful consequences he’s destined to reap—Adam.
Rating: K WC 15,100
Be Prepared – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: Winter supplies are running low. What do the Cartwrights have to have to survive? The Giggly sisters tell all!
Rating: K+ WC 2000
Be Ready for the Thunder – by pbeaking
Summary: Adam and Ben find themselves caught in a storm… a storm that brings back a childhood memory for Adam that they both reflect on and recreate in their minds. Ben certainly left a lasting impression on his boys.
Rating: K+ 1500
Be There a Stranger Among Us – by DebbieB
Summary: When Little Joe returns from a horse sale in Carson City that did not go well for him, his family notices a difference in his personality. Not sure why Joe acts the way he does, his family struggles to understand before Joe winds up destroying himself and his family’s good name.
Rating: PG 20,400 words
Bean-O Was His Name-O – by BettyHT
Summary: This story is a little history of gambling for a good cause in Virginia City with Hoss playing a starring role.
Rating: PG Word count: 1,082
Bear and the Bear Cub (The) – by ViveAdam
Summary: The story of a friendship between Hoss Cartwright and… a bearcub
Rated: K WC 5500
Synopsis: While trying to catch a bear, a young Little Joe and a friend incur Adam’s wrath. Both brothers try to resolve what being a brother means and in the end, come to realize how important they each are to the other.
Rating: T due to language 9,470 words
Summary: There’s bear tracks on the Ponderosa.
Rating: G 865 words
Beating Death’s Game – by DebbieB
Summary: An unfortunate accident, leaves Joe Cartwright wishing he’d never been born.
Rating: PG 8,300 word
Beautiful in My Eyes #1 – by Wrangler
Summary: Francois Balantaire, a spurned suitor of Marie Cartwright’s, travels two thousand miles and twenty years to seek vengeance on her by scarring her son, Little Joe.
Rating T, WC 24,425
Beautiful in My Eyes #2 – No Night So Long – by Wrangler
Summary: The sequel to “Beautiful in My Eyes”, Little Joe struggles with the scar Francois left on his face, the Cartwrights search for the attacker and Hop Sing has a plan.
Rating T, WC 29,525 Links to stories in the series are included within.
Beautiful in My Eyes #3 – Every Storm Runs Out of Rain – by Wrangler
Summary: The “Beautiful in My Eyes” series concludes. Little Joe can no longer cope with his horrendous scar nor his hatred of Marie; the capture of Francois grows imminent.
Rating T, WC 30,508 Links to stories in the series are included within.
Beauty is the Lover’s Gift – by Rona
Summary: When Joe falls sick with a fever after Julia Bulette’s death, Ben remembers his relationship with Julia.
Rating: MA 8,380 words
Beauty of Darkness (The) – by mcfair_58
Summary: Things were far from routine on the Ponderosa. His life – his family – was a shambles. That indefinable ‘thing’ that held them together, what made them ‘the’ Cartwrights, was lost. Ben Cartwright despaired of ever getting it back.
Rated: PG-13 for brutality and Western style violence
Word count: 55,298
Summary: Joe has looked forward to his first cattle drive all year, but now that Adam, newly home from college, has offered to lead the drive instead of Pa, Pa has decided Joe had better stay home. Can anything sooth the injustice of it all?
Rating: G Words: 1,940
Becky’s Bonanza World Challenges Anthology – by BeckyS
Summary: The vignettes contained within were written in response to challenges issued in the long-gone Bonanza World website.
Rating: G
Summary: When the Cartwright brothers have to face their worst nightmare, Little Joe decides to take matters in to his own hands. Will he survive to show his family he really is the man his father raised? Rating G 10,520 words
Becoming Ben Cartwright aka The Ballad of Lorne Greene – by JC
Summary: The day a balding, middle-aged, B-movie actor became a legend in the making. Written in the style of Lorne Greene’s Number One hit recording of “Ringo”
Rating: G Word Count: 203
Summary: In this WHI/WHN for “Emily” and “Salute to Yesterday,” Candy recalls Joe’s experiences with his former fiance and his own encounter with his former wife. This story also refers to “Day of the Dragon,” “Commitment at Angelus,” “The Running Man,” “Riot!” and “Forever.”
Rating: K+ WC 8100
Bed Time #1 – Before Bedtime – by Robin
Summary: It’s bed time on the Ponderosa for three-year old Little Joe.
Rating: K 6,860 words
Bed Time #2 – Before Bedtime too – by Robin
Summary: Another night and another bed time
Rating: T 6,400 words
Bed Time #3 – Bed Time 1848 – by Robin
Summary: It’s bed time in 1848.
Rating: K 4,420 words
Summary: Even a good friend can become one of the “bad guys” when he lets himself get bedeviled.
Rating: T Word Count: 2,500
Summary: Adam, Hoss and Ben try to will Little Joe back to consciousness after an accident.
Rating: K 3,490 words
Before A Rose – by BluewindFarm
Summary: Inspired by The Mother of All Challenges, to write a story featuring one or more of the Cartwrights in any time period prequel, season 1-14, sequel, AU , in which Virginia City is an integral part of the tale. This is my story.
Rating: K 4,030 words
Summary: A fight, a flower, and a little bit of faith. A Bonanza fable for Christmas.
Rating: K+. WC 3600
Before It’s Too Late – by KateP
Summary: A short story told from Adam’s point of view.
Rating: K+ 2,580 words
Before the Hanging – by Sibylle
Summary: Just how much tension can a man go through in a mere four hours? Find out in this look at “Death at Dawn.”
Rating: T Word Count : 3,231
Summary: Ben Cartwright has twice known love and loss. Will the third time be the charm?
Rating: T 1,015 words
Summary: Four vignettes of when Ben’s life began anew.
Rating: K 1,230 words
Beginnings – East Meets West – by swgirl
Summary: Adam meets a young lady from the east and romance blossoms.
Rating: T 46,295 words
Behind the Barn – by VRON
Summary: Just what does Joe see going on behind the barn? A little interlude that was the response to a writing challenge some months back.
Rating: G Words: 1,600
Behind the Picture #1 – by Rona
Summary: Nasty rumours cause trouble and anguish for the Cartwrights. Can Ben, Joe and Hoss save Adam from a lynch mob?
Rating: T 8,430 words
Behind the Picture #2 – My Kingdom for a Horse – by Rona
Summary: Set shortly after ‘Behind the Picture’. Joe is determined to own the bay stallion. Is he willing to pay the price to do so?
Rating: T 10,650 words
Being a Neighbor and a Friend – AC1830
Summary: Young Hoss helps a young stranger without telling his family, but did his heart overrule his wisdom?
Rating: G Word Count: 190
SUMMARY: Lonely and disillusioned, Adam returns after years away, but he doesn’t find what he had hoped would be there. He seeks to change his life but needs to discover a way to do that.
Rating: PG Word Count: 5449
Summary – In a brotherly moment Little Joe receives some wisdom from his middle brother.
Rating – K, Word Count – 1776
SUMMARY: What is kindness? Kindness can get you into a relationship that is toxic not only to you but to others. There can be serious consequences to being kind.
Rating: = T Word count = 3556
Belated Holiday Greeting in a Letter from Joe – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: A holiday letter to Mitch, from Joe.
Rating: T 2,600 words
Summary: Joe and Adam live through a harrowing experience, but Ben and Hoss have doubts about Adam’s recollection of events.
Rating: T Word Count: 25400
Believe in Love – He Rode Back to Her – by BettyHT
Summary: This is both an AU and a WHI for The Search providing an alternate ending for the episode. The first part of the story is directly from the episode and then the story continues with new material.
Rating: PG Word count: 2405
Believe in Love – A Special Love – by AC1830
Summary: Adam Cartwright and Peggy Dayton developed a special relationship that seemed to go beyond friendship. This is a WHN about the strength of that bond after tragedy strikes at Christmas.
Rating: K+ WC = 8882
Summary: Things seem to be happening to Joe. Is he losing his mind, or could there me another explanation?
Word Count: 41,575 Rated: K+
Summary: Ben realizes that he does not have to earn the trust of his son, it was always there to begin with.
Rated: G 9,500 words
Summary: Accused of murder, and found to be innocent, Joe discovers that rumours are difficult to quash.
Rating: K+ 8,705 words
Believe in Me #2 – Faith to Believe – by Rona
Summary: The sequel to Believe in Me. Will the Cartwrights find Joe? Where did he go when he left the Ponderosa?
Rating: T 7,855 words
Belly of the Whale – by McFair
Summary: 14 year old Joe Cartwright was just trying to do something nice for a friend. Older brother Adam didn’t see it that way. An argument between brothers sets off a series of events that turns into an unstoppable torrent of trouble, which leaves one of Ben Cartwright’s sons with a terrible task to perform and another near death, trapped in the Belly of the Whale.
Rating: PG-13 for mild language and implied adult situations, which do not occur. WC 76.500
Summary: It’s 1859, and Joe has received a letter that sends him on a journey to discover where he truly belongs.
Rating: T 9,750 words
Beltane Fires (The) – by Claire
Summary: After a fight with Adam, things start to go very wrong for Joe.
Rated: T 9,750 words
Summary: An accident caused by Little Joe, and a prank by all three brothers leads to an unexpected result for Ben.
Rating: PG WC 4649
Ben and Adam on the Road – by Sibylle
Summary: WHB Inger My Love Even Ben wasn´t always the perfect father.
Rating: K WC 1250
Ben and Elizabeth – A Celebration of Love – by deansgirl
Summary: A very early fanfic attempt that I found on our old computer. I believe it is one of my first fanfic stories. You are hereby invited to the behind the scenes story. How did Elizabeth and Ben meet? This story celebrates their love story. From the day they met to the product of their love.
Rating: K+ 3,280 words
Ben and Miss Barbara – by Robin
Summary: Between the trial and Paiutes, tensions are running high in and around Virginia City.
Rating: T 9,410 words
Summary: Ben struggles with the frustrations of middle age. Disguised as a down-on-his-luck ranch hand, he finds himself in the middle of a range war and possibly new love. Based on season 13 episode “Saddle Stiff”.
Rating: K+ 5,705 words
Ben Brown #2 – More than Enough Love – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Having only been married a short time, Ben and Kate find themselves making a life-changing decision after the death of Kate’s sister. ***Warning – spanking used for disciplining children.***
Rating: T 37,265 words
Ben Brown #3 – More Than Enough Love – Part 2 – by Hart4Ben
Summary: The Cartwright family continues to adjust to the addition Ben’s new wife, Kate and her nieces, Mary and Hannah. Will an unexpected visitor bring tension into the household?
Rating: T Word Count: 115,895
Ben Brown #4 – Ladies Day Out – by Hart4Ben
Summary: A day in the lives of Ben and Hoss Cartwright. Ben decides that his wife, Kate, and his daughter-in-law, Gabrielle, should have a day out away from the children.
Rating: K WC: 5184
Ben Brown #5 – Dog Days – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Joe is sent by his father to help a young widow. He soon has his hands full trying to find homes for the widow and her four-legged family. T
Rating: K+ WC: 17057
Ben Cartwright – R.I.P. – by Krystyna
Summary: Ben Cartwright’s dead … well, some people seem to think so.
Rating: T 19,070 words
Ben Cartwright save me “Valentine’s challenge” – by mumu74
Summary: A Valentine’s Day Challenge
Rating: T 1,220 words
Ben Raised His Boys RIGHT – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: The trials of a Cartwright father.
Rating: T 1,080 words
Synopsis: Ben is alone at the Ponderosa on his birthday, but his special day has not been forgotten by his sons.
Rating: G 1,870 words
Summary: This is a set of four vignettes written in response to various prompts.
Rating: K+ Word count: 2431
Ben’s Boys #2 – Ben’s Boy Adam – by DJK
Summary: This is a collection of four vignettes written to various prompts.
Rating: G 2,920 words
Ben’s Boys #3 – Ben’s Boy Hoss – by DJK
Summary: A collection of seven short vignettes which were written in response to various prompts. Together they paint a picture of Hoss Cartwright, boy and man.
Rating: T word count: 3,600
Ben’s Boys #4 – Ben’s Boy Little Joe – by DJK
Summary: Six vignettes and a poem giving glimpses of Ben Cartwright’s youngest.
Rating: General Word count: 2412
Ben’s Burden of Guilt – by BettyHT
Summary: After hearing Hoss’ reaction to an Easter sermon, Ben is consumed by thoughts of responsibility for past tragedies. It is when his sons finally return home from a trail drive that they are able to ease his burden and help him to let go of the weight of that guilt and find the source of their father’s current turmoil.
Rating: = T WC = 5116
Ben’s Journal – The Hard Trail West – by acspeej
Summary: This story is a blend of fiction and historical fact. Ben keeps a journal of his wagon train trip to the West with Inger and Adam at his side.
Rating: K+ 5,190 words
Summary: An old friend has returned home from school. Is that a good thing?
Rating: PG 10,490 words
Bessie Sue’s Proposal – by BettyHT
Summary: Every leap year, on February 29, traditionally, a woman may ask a man to marry. This is the story of Bessie Sue’s decision to do that and how important family can be.
Rating: — K WC = 1212
Synopsis: A careless act of Little Joe’s puts his life in danger and that of his beloved horse Cochise
Rating: G 19,000 words
Summary: A rift between father and sons is healed in an unexpected way.
Rating: T WC 650
Best Laid Scheme? (The) – by Diana G
Summary: Adam decides that it is time for him to leave the Ponderosa, but things don’t work out quite the way he plans.
Rating: T 46,590 words
Best Little Bed & Breakfast in Nevada (The) – by JC
Summary: The Cartwrights entertain house guests. Again. Joe has a better idea.
Rating: K+, or maybe T- 4512 words
Best Loved Son (The) – by Wrangler
Summary: Written by Wrangler and Karen Fedderly
WC 16,000
Best Medicine (The) – by Diana G
Summary: Adam must take desperate measures to get Joe out of his depression.
Rating: G 8,785 words
Best Medicine (The) #1 – by Wrangler
Summary: Ben struggles with saving Joe’s life having already dealt with an incompetent replacement physician. Followed by Malice A Forethought.
Rated T WC 11,000
Best Medicine (The) #2 – Malice A Forethought – by Wrangler
Summary: Once more Little Joe finds himself desperate for his father’s help to save his life. Sequel to The Best Medicine.
Rated: T WC 28,000
Best Medicine (The) #3 – Coup De Grace – by Wrangler
Summary: Joe pays the ultimate price when he seeks vengeance on evil Dr Hale who maimed his leg and got off scot-free.
Rating T-13, WC 43,800
Best Present (The) – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: A Christmas Tale
Rated: K Word Count: 4970
Best Proof of Love (The) – by McFair
Summary: This piece is a WHN and WHB for season thirteen’s ‘Bushwhacked!’. This is my idea of how and why Joe might have thought his big brother was trying to kill him.
Rated PG-13 for angst, some violence, and vile characters Word count: 13,660
Best-Laid Plans (The) – by pjb
Summary: Laid up for weeks with broken bones, Joe’s getting very, very frustrated. But New Year’s Eve is here, and he’s got big plans . . . if only a certain lady will cooperate.
Rated: MA WC 4100
Summary: A task gone wrong leads to a discussion and a bet among the brothers.
Rating: PG Word count: 1,194
Beth Cartwright, Detective – by CareBear
Summary: While visiting the Ponderosa, Adam’s oldest daughter unearths a treasure trove of detective books in the attic. When the family learns Adam has put a ban on them, the story of what inspired such an un-Adam-like rule is told.
Rating: PG Word Count: 4936
Summary: Joe feels responsible for the death of a friend and with Christmas not far away, it doesn’t look like it will be a happy one.
Rating: T 16,265 words
Summary: Joe is tried and convicted of murder. Is he guilty? Everyone including Joe thinks he is. Adam sets out to prove Joe’s innocence, but will he be in time to save him from the hangman’s noose?
Rating: T WC 22,000
Betrothed, Betrayer and Betrayed – Part 1 – by Rona
Summary: Wedding bells are on the cards for Joe.
Rating: T
Betrothed, Betrayer and Betrayed – Part 2 – by Rona
Summary: What will happen to Joe and Dawn now?
Rating: T
Better After Death – by Cas008
Summary: A ghost from Adam’s past returns with memories of love.
Rating: PG Words: 960
Summary: When Ben is not feeling well, he decides to tell only Adam. But Joe senses something is wrong, and he ends up fighting with Adam. Unable to face going home, he runs into trouble.
Rating: T 8,280 words
Summary: Adam goes undercover to help capture a group of rustlers.
Rating: T 25,800 words
Between #1 – Between the Twelfth of Never and Forever… – by BluewindFarm
Summary: A time of contemplation as a man reflects on what’s happened in the past, and what good could come from any of it. — ‘How am I gonna be an optimist about this?’ —
Rating: K 695 words
Between #2 – Between Forever and Where No One Stands Alone – BluewindFarm
Summary: A benefactor arranges for the modernization of the Ponderosa.
Rating: G 1,625 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Between #3 – So This is Christmas – BluewindFarm
Summary: Plans aren’t going exactly as Ben expected, and with family and friends not as close as he wanted, life doesn’t look quite so happy.
Rating: G 2,490 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Between #4 – Not as Originally Designed – by BluewindFarm
Summary: The past and present merge to tell the story of the Cartwrights and their first winter after the house was built.
Rating: G (1,650 words)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place – by Cheaux
Summary: When the Ponderosa faces financial ruin, only drastic measures can save the day…measures which turn deadly for Joe and Candy as Ben and Hoss watch from a distance.
Rating: K+ WC 7000
Between a Rock and a Hard Place – by DebbieB
Summary : Caught between squealing on a friend or keeping silent, Joe learns that its not always in his best interest to turn a deaf ear.
Rating: G 10,270 words
Summary: After being bushwhacked and left for dead, Adam and Joe find that some things are best kept between brothers.
Rating: T. WC 9200
Between Brothers #1 – by DebbieB
Summary: When Adam finds Joe wounded and near death, he blames no one but himself. Will he be able to find help, not just for his brother, but for himself as well?
Rating: PG for Mild language 10,270 words
Between Brothers #2 – Baring Souls – by DebbieB
Summary: Find out what happens weeks after Adam brings Joe home with life threatening wounds. Will the brothers be able to keep their secret made “Between Brothers” or will they bare their souls to their father…and each other?
Rating: PG 4,900 words
Between First Borns #1 – by DJK
Summary: Adam has a chance meeting with Clay after Clay has left the Ponderosa. Followed by: by Step, By Half, and By Heart.
Rating: K+ Word count: 1445
Between First Borns #2 – By Step, By Half, and By Heart – by DJK
Summary: Clay sends a telegram to Adam asking him for help. This time Clay’s troubles send the entire Cartwright family down a road that could led to the destruction of Ben Cartwright’s dream or finally bring Joe’s other brother home.
Rating: T Word count: 32335
Between Heaven and Earth: The Aftermath by SusanG
Summary: A WHN for the episode, Between Heaven and Earth.
Rating: T 5,480 words
Between Life and Death – by HelenB & JennyD
Summary: A WHN for Between Heaven and Earth
Rating: T 15, 170 words
Between Life and Death – by JennyD & HelenB
Summary: A WHN for Between Heaven and Earth
Rating: T 15, 170 words
Summary: His brothers snickered when Hoss drew the short straw and had to clear a beaver dam – a job every Cartwright brother abhorred. Adam and Joe drew the long straws and had the simple task of delivering a bull to a ranch in California…or so it seemed.
Rating T Word: 7265
Between Two Worlds #1 – by JoanS
Summary: Joe is sold as a slave after it is discovered that his mother was part-coloured.
Rating: T 64,250 words
Between Two Worlds #2 – When Two Worlds Collide – by JoanS
Summary: Joe tries to deal with his feelings after returning home from Alabama.
Rating: T 26,125 words
Synopsis: Adam Cartwright is 17, not a boy anymore, but not yet a man. How he and his father deal with the problems surrounding this transitional period for Adam.
Rating: G (13,750 words)
Beyond Looney – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: We find the need to apologize to Looney Tunes.
Rating: T 4,640 words
SUMMARY: Part of the story is a prequel and part is in the canon era as what happened many years earlier spurs Ben to an action which then has to be explained to his younger sons.
Rating: T Word Count: 2555
Summary: Adam struggles with what it really means to be the ‘big brother’.
Rating: G
Words: 4,970
Summary: Contains some graphic fight scenes. Joe worships his older brother Hoss, more so after being beaten by a gang of bullies who hold a grudge against the older brother. Hoss then deems it his duty to become his younger brother’s protector.
Rating: PG13 22,375 words
Summary: Sometimes a boy’s ears can come in handy.
Rating: K 5,930 words
Summary: Little Joe listens and learns.
Rating: K+ Word count: 1035
Summary: Adam is coming home, but not everyone seems eager to meet him. Joe rather goes fishing.,
Rating: K. 1,100 words
Big Sisters, Little Brothers, and Moving Mountains – by freyakendra
Summary: A lost little girl, a restless Little Joe and a hungry puma converge, sparking a story that explores what it means to have family looking out for you–or counting on you to look out for them.
Rating: K+ word count: 9,300
Dedicated to Debbie B. or Debbie Beshears (because she asked for it!) Eleven-year-old Little Joe Cartwright is on a mission. His friend, Sarah Winnemucca, needs his help and so, he sets out to find her in the woods. Of course, since this is Little Joe Cartwright, he’s bound to find something else as well – BIG trouble!
Rated: PG Word count: 32,644
Big Things Start Small -by ElayneA
Summary: Adam always had a fondness for Peggy, a daughter that he always wanted. It broke his heart when Laura and Will left. Their reunion was filled with joy after many years of lost communication.
Rating: G 2,425 words
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Biggest Miracle of All (The) – by McFair
Summary: Just before Christmas Ben Cartwright makes a choice he will soon regret. He allows his twelve-year-old son, Joseph, to help the young woman who is filling in for Abigail Jones over the holidays find her way home. Little does Ben know that the blue sky of morning will soon become the deep gray of an approaching snow storm, and that his son and his teacher will need a miracle to survive.
Rated: PG-13 Word Count: 12,321
Summary: With Adam’s prompting, Ben decides to give his youngest son a talk on the facts of life.
Rating: T WC 1700
Birth of a Man (The) – by DianaG
Summary: Tired of being told he’s too young, Joe takes off to hunt a cougar on his own, leaving Adam to follow him into danger.
Rating: T 29,075 words
Summary: Adam, away at college, is celebrating his first birthday away from his father and brothers.
Rating: K Word Count=2002
Summary: Celebrating Adam’s birthday was always a somewhat strained affair. But the new addition to the family didn’t know that, and so something new happens that has everyone holding their breaths.,
Rating: K 870 words
Summary: It’s Hoss’ birthday, and afterwards, he reveals his true nature to his family.
Rating: K 1,520 words
Birthday Gift (The) – by Linda Br
Synopsis: This is a story of the aftermath of the episode “The Savage” in which Adam has met and fallen in love with Ruth Halverson who then leaves him to save lhis life from the Shoshoni. It also covers the circumstances of Adam’s illness in “Elizabeth, My Love.”
Rating: R Words: 24,700
Summary: It’s Joe’s birthday, and he’s making a wish. But the Cartwrights don’t realize it’s someone else’s birthday too … and he has a secret wish of his own.
Rated: K WC 3300
Birthdays and Anniversaries – by DJK
Summary: A birthday and an anniversary bring memories.
Rating: T Word count: 541
This is a collection of vignettes written for some pinecone challenges in 2012. Each challenge was generated by the first line of a novel. The quote and source are used to title each piece. They have a broad range of themes, and some are AU.
Summary: It is October, a time of looking back and giving thanks for a harvest of blessings. For Joe Cartwright, this is impossible. The autumn marks one year since he lost his beloved brother, Hoss. Needing to escape, Joe heads out to visit to Carrie Pickett. He never makes it. Instead, Joe finds himself lost and alone and badly injured. Half-dead, he works his way toward a plume of smoke rising in the distance. Little does Joe suspect that what he finds at the end of his journey will change his life forever.
Word count: 22,401 Rated PG
Summary: Rumors and sightings are flying around town about a dark creature roaming the mountains of the Ponderosa. Will the Cartwrights find out what it is? This little story was written for a Tall Tales challenge.
Rating: K WC = 1018
Summary: A strange, unusual, and perhaps a bit weird out-of-this-world tale featuring Adam and explaining some Bonanza events but doing so with a supernatural twist.
Rating: PG 18,319
Black Gloves (The) – by Milesky1
Summary: Answering the burning question, “Why did Joe suddenly start wearing those black gloves?”
Rating: T 850 words
Summary: A Ponderosa fairy tale inspired by a drawing by bahj’s niece.
Word count: 1187 Rated
Black Letter “C” (The) – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Ben’s delirium leaves him haunted.
Word Count: 605 Rating: K+
Summary: Are Black and Adam Cartwright synonymous? In more ways than one might think.
Rating: K, Word count: 871
Summary: An attempted murder and a trial are the settings for a “Who Done It” mystery.
Rating and Reader Alerts: G
Words: 20,300
Summary: Pa’s away, leaving the boys in charge of….what else? Trouble.
Rating: T 36,380 words
Black Stallion (The) – by VickiC.
Summary: A wild horse helps Adam and Joe come to a new understanding
Rating: G (10,275 words)
Black Widow (The) – by Hart4Ben
Summary: A wealthy widow comes to Virginia City seeking investment opportunities. A WHN for the season 11 episode “Long Way to Ogden” where Ben gambles the future of the Ponderosa when a convincing meat packer Emmett J. Whitney from Chicago, sets out to ruin the local cattle industry. Written from the perspective of the villainess.
Rating: T Word Count: 4056
Summary: Joe returns to the Ponderosa after a short trip only to find no one home and a black wreath on the door. What could have happened? Read on.
Rated: T WC 11,300
Summary: An inexplicable attack upon Adam and Joe leaves Joe grappling with fear and blaming himself. Joe sets out to hunt down their attacker, but will he live to tell the tale?
Rating: T 12,325 words
Blame it on the Moon, The Meeting – by Sassybrass
Summary: Adam falls head over heels in love, but it’s Joe who may well have embroiled the Cartwrights in a family feud. Will Adam be able to woo and win his lady before the shooting begins?
Rating: T WC 55,900
Summary: Dieses Gedicht über die Blaue Stunde entstand bereits 2008.
Rating: G 660 words
Summary: After rescuing a stray calf goes awry, Ben Cartwright’s sons need some tender loving care.
Rated: G 9,300 words
Summary: On the anniversary of Marie’s death, Ben discovers how much he did not know, including how blessed he truly is.
Rating: T WC 7700
Blessings in the Balance – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Lost in grief following Marie’s death, Ben is jolted out of his despair.
Rating: K+ WC: 871
Blessings of Friendship – by AC1830
Summary: After a last minute cattle drive that almost drove Hop Sing away, can the Cartwrights hope to have a calm Thanksgiving? Perhaps with a little help from some friends.
Rating: – K WC – 1288
Summary: Ben is reunited with a boyhood friend who’s less than honorable reputation precedes him. Adam does some investigating for his father’s sake and finds himself wishing he’d left well enough alone.
Rating: G 18,000 words
Summary: Returning from a trip with Adam, Joe has an unfortunate accident. Things are then complicated when Joe is kidnapped.
Rating: T 9,220 words
Summary: Missing scene from Season 7’s “The Fighters” written by Robert L. Goodwin
Rating: T Word Count: 792
Summary: A hunting expedition leads to a fight for life with Mother Nature.
Rating: T 18,820 words
Blood and Bread #1 – by McFair
Summary: Twelve-year-old Little Joe is late for supper. Hop Sing is hopping mad and Adam is none too pleased. When he heads for the stable to look for his brother, Adam expects an argument – what he gets is something else entirely. Something that begins in terror and rolls on toward tragedy. Will the Cartwrights ever be the same?
Rating: PG-13 for typical standard episodic TV Western violence and brutality. 92,480 words
Blood and Bread #2 – Keep Your Eyes on the Sun – by McFair
Summary: Nearly a year after Little Joe was kidnapped by Wade Bosh a new threat arises born of an old pain. Can the Cartwrights survive being drawn into the tangled web woven by the choices Rosey O’Rourke made long ago?
Rating: T 69,970 words
Blood and Bread #3 – Thirty-Six Ways to Get Out of Trouble – by McFair
Summary: Continuing the story of Ben and Rosey O’ Rourke.
Rating: PG-13 WC: 83,100
Summary: Is anything stronger than blood ties?
Rating: T WC 15,000
Summary: This story is a “prequel” to the episode entitled “A far, far better thing”; it deals with Little Joe’s friendship with the Indian ‘Sharp Tongue’. It is a story about difficult friendships and prejudice. As usual, I have added a few things just for fun. Please feel free to ignore them or explore them as you prefer.
Rated: PG
Word Count: 48,255
Blood is Thicker than Water – by Starlite
Summary: The Cartwrights’ are again visited by their favorite cousin.
Rated: G 7,500 words
Blood is Thicker than Water – by SusanG
Summary: Little Joe witnesses a murder, committed by a good friend of Adam.
Rating: T 7,170 words
Blood is Thicker Than Water – by Terri
Summary: What if Clay and Will never left the Ponderosa. How will Ben cope with five rambunctious under his roof. Will rough housing, drinking, card playing, womanizing become the norm??
Rating: T WC 24,000
Summary: This is a what-if story for Halloween. Adam’s son loves to read. After reading a forbidden book, he discovers a dark family secret.
Rating: – T Word count – 1949
Bloodlines # 1 – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Paris McKenna, an old friend of the Cartwright family, suddenly falls ill on her way to San Francisco and a new job. She reluctantly accepts Ben’s invitation to rest and regain her strength at the Ponderosa. However, she also carries the burden of a devastating secret that could rip the close-knit Cartwright Family to shreds.
Rating: MA WC 133,000 “Bloodlines” is the first story in a series. Fair warning: this story includes the addition of a non-cannon character.
Bloodlines # 2 – The Lo Mein Affair – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Sequel to Bloodlines. Hop Sing’s relatives are visiting … and Bradley Meredith and the Slade Brothers are in town. It’s shaping up to be a very interesting week for the Cartwrights.
Rating: MA / Word count: 92,780
Bloodlines # 3 – The Wedding – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Sequel to The Lo Mein Affair. Adam Cartwright and his wife, Teresa, come to Virginia City to spend the summer with the family, and so that he might stand up for an old friend as best man in what’s shaping up to be “The Wedding Of The Century.” Meanwhile, Roy Coffee has his hands full trying to put a couple of bootleggers out of business and stop an elusive thief in his tracks.
Rating: T
Bloodlines # 4 – Sacrificial Lamb – by pkmoonshine
Summary: While Adam and his wife, Teresa, are visiting with his family at the Ponderosa, someone from his Adam’s past arrives unexpectedly. She is in deep trouble and desperately needs his help. “Sacrificial Lamb” begins two and a half weeks after “The Wedding,” and includes the addition of two non-cannon characters.
Rating: T
Bloodlines # 5 – Poltergeist II – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Adam’s two children arrive in the company of their maternal grandmother to join their parents for a summer vacation on the Ponderosa. Their arrival sets off a chain of inexplicable, frightening events in the Cartwright household.
Rating: K+ (80,249)
Bloodlines # 6 – Independence Day – by pkmoonshine
Summary: The Independence Day race, which the Cartwrights have been looking forward to all summer, ends in near tragedy. Part of the series begun in Bloodlines.
Rating: K+ (39,720)
Bloodlines # 7 – Virginia City Detour – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Crossover between Bonanza, Touched By An Angel, and Highway To Heaven. A difficult assignment awaits Angel Supervisor Tess and her protégée in Virginia City, and the Cartwrights are in it up to their eyeballs. Tess’ student will eventually strike out along his own Highway to Heaven, becoming as potent a force for good in his own right. He also bears a very strong resemblance to one of Ben Cartwright’s boys.
Rating: T
Bloodlines # 8 – The Guardian – by pkmoonshine
Summary: On his way home from a Christmas shopping trip in Placerville, Joe is thrown from a spooked horse and left stranded at the bottom of a deep ravine in the midst of a severe snowstorm.
Rating: K (6,015)
Bloodlines # 9 -Young Cartwrights in Love – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Sequel to The Guardian. The younger Cartwright children are in head over heels. What are Ben’s thoughts on the matter?
Rating: T
Bloodlines #10 – San Francisco Revisited – by pkmoonshine
Summary: The Cartwrights have come to San Francisco to negotiate a contract and enjoy a relaxing family vacation together. All thoughts of relaxation fly right out the window when two family members and a friend go missing, and the police are infuriatingly indifferent. A WHN for “San Francisco” and “The Mountain Girl.”
Rating: T 58,600 words
Bloodlines #11 – There But for the Grace of God – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Ben and Stacy befriend a young woman returning home after living with the Chinook for four years. Part of the series begun in “Bloodlines” and includes the addition of a non-cannon character.
Rating: T
Bloodlines #12 – Between Life and Death – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Ben Cartwright lies on what may be his deathbed, near comatose from raging fever. What thoughts go through the heads of those who love him most as they try and come to grips with the prospect that his time with them may be at an end?
Rating: K+ (13,255)
Bloodlines #13 – Orenna – by pkmoonshine
Summary: When Hoss and Stacy get caught in a dangerous winter storm on their way home from a hunting trip, help comes from a strange old woman who claims to have known the family for a very long time.
Rating: T 8,370 words
Bloodlines #14 – Clarissa Returns – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Cousin Clarissa Cartwright returns to the Ponderosa to visit her cousin, Benjamin, and “his lovely family,” on the occasion of Stacy’s graduation from school.
Rating: T 40,200 words
Bloodlines #15 – Trial by Fire – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Lady Chadwick returns, seeking to ruin Ben Cartwright and his Ponderosa. This story is part of the Bloodlines series, with the addition of a non-canon character.
Rating: T 123,620 words
Bloodlines #16 – Mark of Kane – by pkmoonshine
Summary: Following the family’s ordeal in Trial by Fire, can they finally bury Adam’s experiences at the hands of Kane?
Rating: T 109,400 words
Bloodlines #17 – Mark of Kane #2 – Mob Rule – pkmoonshine
Summary: Three men, imprisoned in the Virginia City Jail, have been charged with committing murder and other brutal acts of cruelty. According to the scuttlebutt, the attorney representing them is determined to see his clients acquitted, and will stop at nothing to make it so. Gossip, lurid speculation, and rumor stoke the fear, anger and complete bewilderment of Virginia City’s citizens. leading to the unthinkable, catching Ben, Adam, and Hoss up in the midst of the turmoil. Sequel to Mark of Kane.
Rating: T Word Count: 39,168
Bloodlines #18 – Li’l One – by PK Moonshine Early one morning, Ben finds a baby left at the kitchen door of the Cartwrights’ home. In Sacramento, meanwhile, Adam and his family receive devastating news.
MA/R For language, violence, and graphic descriptions of physical abuse of a minor
WC 91,159
Bloomers and Corsets – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The arrival of a female guest stirs the thorny topic of underwear. The Giggly Sisters can’t resist.
Rating: K+ WC 1800
Blows of Sound (The) – by McFair
A WHN and Missing Scene story for ‘The Stillness Within’. While rewatching the episode I realized that, after the first commercial break, while Doc Martin was examining him, Joe says it’s been a month since he was blinded. Say WHAT?? This tale explores what happened between the explosion and Paul’s examination of Joe, as well as what happened during that missing month and ends after Miss Dobbs’ departure.
Word count: 18,320 Rated: PG
Summary: Hoss talks to Adam while taking care of him. Ben faces the unthinkable. And copes.
Rating: K.. 1,300 words
Blue Dress Enchantment – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: Trying to find shelter from a storm, the Cartwright brothers find another type of excitement at Smoky Joe’s Saloon that almost snares one of them forever.
Rating = T Word Count = 2640
Blue Mist Hauntings – by AC1830
Summary – Recovering from a terrifying stagecoach accident, Adam tries to discover why he is haunted by ghostly images. My entry for the October Spooktacular and October Chaps and Spurs double challenge.
Word count – 3980 Rating – K
Summary: This story started out as what I thought would be a touching story between Adam and Ben but this is what it came out as. It has to do with blue ribbons and what they are awarded for and to who.
Rating: MA WC 2800
Blueberry Burglary – by Puchi Ann
Summary: When three pies go missing at the Ponderosa, everyone’s suspicions naturally turn to a particular Cartwright, but who actually ate all the pies?
Rating: K WC 2400
Blundered Seduction – by DebbieB
This story is available via e:mail only. Due to Debbie’s death, we ask reader reach out to the Brandsters to request a copy. Please e:mail: Brandsters2020@gmail.com
Summary: Caught with his pants down and in a compromising situation by the one person he’d least likely want to find him as such, Joe learns three valuable lessons; no one ever died of embarrassment, chose your friends carefully and being 16 and still a virgin is nothing to be ashamed of.
Rating: R Has one scene with sexual content 16,700 words
Summary: Even when you are on your own, brothers can be a source of help.
Rating: K+ 2,605 words
Bonanza #1 – Bonanza for Beginners A Spoof for Stephen – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: A light-hearted, irreverent look at the world of Bonanza, as explained to a new young Bonanza fan.
Rating: K WC 2700
Bonanza #2– A Guide – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: As a follow-up to A Spoof for Stephen – or Bonanza for Beginners – here is the next instalment in Stephen’s Bonanza education.
Rating: K+ WC 2200
Bonanza – a Lost Episode by SydneyFate
Summary: The Cartwright family is forever changed when Adam encounters a wandering stranger in Virginia City.
Rating: T (12,420 words)
Bonanza Carol – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Our apologies to Charles Dickens as Virginia City lives its own version of A Christmas Carol.
Rating: T 28,30 words
Bonanza Christmas Puzzle – by MicheleBE
Summary: Created for the 2016 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Rating: K 35 words
Bonanza Christmas Story – by Anne G
Synopsis: The four Cartwrights, separated just before Christmas, keep running into this family that make it possible for them to once again understand the true meaning of Christmas.
Rating: G 9,160 words
Summary: Ben is late getting back from a business trip to Carson City.
Rated K+ Word count 4,159
Bond (The) – by Janice Sagraves
Summary: It a story of survival during a flashflood.
Rating: T 14535 words
Bonds of Brotherhood – by alyssajoy64
Summary: Adam will do whatever it takes to get his brother back – but will it be enough?
Rating: T WC 13,700
Summary: a mysterious discovery puzzles Hoss. Will he be able to put the pieces together and solve the riddle on his own?
Rating: K Words: 1236
Summary: PR Special Literary Challenge
Rating: K 1.389 words
Summary: Who would have thought that a pair of missing boots would propel the Cartwrights into the nightmare world of a madman? One morning Joe wakes up to find his boots gone and the mystery of how he lost them – and who is wearing them – leads to a series of events that could cost not only Joe’s life, but Adam and Hoss’ as well.
Rating: PG-13 58,335 words
Boots in Hand – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: A Cartwright son says goodbye.
Rating: K Word Count: 990
Borderland # 1 – by idmarryhoss
Summary: A Hoss-starred fairytale, to reward those who always wanted to see the romantic side of Hoss Cartwright written into one story. A bit of a fairy-tale, a portion of Hoss being Hoss, a part of Bonanza and – yes, some other themes combined to that framework.
Rating: K+ 45,220 words
Borderland # 2 – Borderdance – by idmarryhoss
Summary: Continuation to the story of Borderland, though possible to catch as a stand-alone, too. Here, Hoss lives the love and the marriage he has chosen. A love story, but also a story of something more. A romance written by a person not romantic at all. Contains some mature passages and difficult scenes, and old age character death. PG-13 is for implications of intimate relationship, and story is recommended only for mature readers who can cope with mature writing.
Rating: T 47,785 words
Borderland # 3 – Reminiscence of My Special Place – by idmarryhoss
Summary: A thought of how it would feel to marry in the Cartwright Clan; a short story of the eyes that see through more than their lenses.
Rating: K+ 1,350 words
Borderland # 4 – An Ounce of Promise – by idmarryhoss
Summary: Another good reason to fall in love with Hoss? His good marriage qualities? A dialogue of two minds a bit unorthodox, in the hazy night of advancing years and their effects.
Rating: K+ 1,935 words
Borderland # 5 – Fruity Thoughts – by idmarryhoss
Summary: A response to an Apple Pie Writing Challenge, through the eyes and home-spun philosophy of Hoss and his alternate-universe-wife. Spiced accordingly, tasting left for the reader.
Rating: K 1,705 words
Borderland # 6 – Glimmer – by idmarryhoss
Summary: Short light happy summer read. A vignette; a flicker; a moment in time.
Rating: K 1,185 words
Borderland # 7 – The Language that Stuck – by idmarryhoss
Summary: A vignette on a married Hoss, a linguist Hoss, a philosopher Hoss who is contemplating the universe – or tidbits of it, the least. A different view, a key to interpret my longer stories.
Rating: K+ 1,180 words
Borderland # 8 – Tea Party – by idmarryhoss
Summary: Hoss Cartwright is invited to a tea party. Cakes and seasoning on the menu. Few minutes stolen from the ordinary day…
Rating: K 1,575 words
Borderland # 9 – Seeking Shelter – by idmarryhoss
Summary: Inspired by a challenge prompt, ‘Seeking Shelter.’ PG-13: mature situations, adult relationship. A Hoss story, of the desirable and desiring Hoss, the masculine Hoss some don’t see and others forget. Please note: description of passion, containing references to marital intimacy; sexual innuendo. For those who give space and respect to their imagination. 1,775 words
Borderland #10 – Good Night – by idmarryhoss
Summary: A fairy tale. Told to Hoss and his family. Good night, sleep tight.
Rating: K+ 2,305 words
Borderland #11 -Farewell – by idmarryhoss
Summary: A short story situated in a toggled Bonanza-verse where Hoss has a helping wife, this short story is a little journey to ask why Adam left, what urged him to go and why he would have been troubled. It’s a skill to love and respect, but it’s yet another skill to say farewell, to wish a happy voyage.
Rating: K 4,955 words
Borderland #12 – To Shed a Tear – by idmarryhoss
Summary: When is a man at his strongest? When the most comforted?
Rating: K+ 865 words
Born For Adversity – by BettyHT
Summary: There’s lots of shocking trouble for Adam right from the start, but there is also a plan for revenge, subterfuge, false identities, fraud, financial difficulties for Ben and the Ponderosa, stunning developments for the family to absorb, and then a climatic confrontation between two villainous siblings and the Cartwright family.
Rating: = T WC = 40,705
Borrowed Time #1 – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: A What Happened Next to follow the episode ‘Bushwhacked.’
Rating: T Word Count: 8550
Borrowed Time #2 – Paid in Full – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: For Adam and Joe, a lost brother is never far away in time of need.
Rating: T Word Count: 4500
Boss (The) – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: A WHIB for the episode The Boss. Just how did Little Joe make it home after being shot by Gus Hannah?
Rating: K+ Word Count: 910
Boston Correspondence – by JoanS
Summary: Vignettes of life on the Ponderosa as well as Boston during Adam’s college years.
Rating: K 10,835 words
Summary: From disasters to memories, could a warm bed be the piece de’ resistance?
Written for day 10 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
Rating: G Word Count: 1306
Summary – After an eight-year absence, a young woman returns to Virginia City hoping she will be accepted by the families she left behind.
Rating: – T, Word Count – 9751
Synopsis: What more could possibly go wrong for Ben Cartwright? Adam and Little Joe have been involved in an accident and are recovering at home when one of his sons goes missing.
Rating: PG
Word Count 23, 550
Summary: Consequences from an incident on a trip taken by Adam and Joe years earlier embroils the brothers in a tense drama, and kindness shown in that earlier effort is the source of their only hope of survival.
Rating: = T WC = 25,319
Story Summary: Hoss is included in a posse that must track down cattle rustlers, and finds himself at cross purposes with some of his neighbours.
Rating and Reader Alerts: PG, mild curse word and mature theme
Words: 9,700
Boy to Man – Book 1 – Boy to Man to Boy – by Terri
Summary: Joe the boy was anxious to become the man only to find that in many ways he wished to remain the boy.
Rating: K+ WC 20,000
Boy to Man– Book 2 – The Best Days of our Lives – by Terri
Summary: Two years have passed but Little Joe encounters Frank Carter once more.
Rating: T WC 17,000
Boy to Man– Book 3 – To Become A Man – by Terri
Summary: The third and final story.
Rating: T 12,000 words
Boy Who Kept Christmas Alive ( The ) – by Sierra Girl
Summary: It’s up to one of the boys to keep Christmas alive during a dark time on the Ponderosa.
Written for day 15 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
Rating: G Word Count: 2989
Boys Will be Boys – by Michele B
Summary: Seventeen year old Hoss gets entrusted to collect the payroll from the bank and get home. Simple as that, or is it?
Rating: G, Word Count: 11,298
Summary: Adam has been gone for six years and for four of those years, Ben has not heard from him. His last letter said he was coming home and that he had a surprise. Then Candy drops a huge bombshell during a casual conversation that leads to a trip to Texas and the beginning of much turmoil for the family.
Rating: = T WC = 24,969
Summary: A confrontation with horse thieves turns deadly.
Rating: T+ Words: 2,505
Summary: 13 year old Adam Cartwright struggles between being a boy and becoming a man. Time: Spring of 1843
3,570 words Rating and Reader Alerts: PG
Summary: An accident leads to self-doubt for Joe, until a potential disaster restores his faith in himself.
9,350 words Rated: T
Breaking the Bonds of Winter – by BettyHT
Summary: the brothers break through the usual limits to have spring adventures and forget winter doldrums by visiting those they met in Springtime.
Rating: PG Word count: 9,940
Summary: A potentially deadly illness sneaks up on the youngest Cartwright. Follow along as, in a moment of true Joe, the family finds themselves racing against time.
Rating: K 16,720 words
Summary: Sometimes a boy’s ears can come in handy.
Rating: K 5,930 words
Summary: A What happened in between for the episode.
Rating: T WC 4400
Summary: Hot weather and no rain create serious problems for the Ponderosa, but a renegade band on the run brings the worst trouble of all for a member of the family.
rating = T WC = 20,237
Brenda #2 – Second Chances – by BettyHT
Summary: The story follows the Heat Wave story and includes a flashback segment as well as taking the story forward as Adam deals with regrets he has in his life. He goes to meet a woman he had known about ten years earlier, and their first meeting is the subject of that flashback.
Rating = T WC = 21,833
Brenda #3 – Everybody Makes Mistakes
Summary: Joe and Adam have a series of altercations that have significant consequences for them and their families until they work out their differences and both make changes in their lives.
Rating: T WC: 30,906
Brenda #4 – The Lord Is My Judge – by BettyHT
Summary: A kind action by Ben as a young man has unintended consequences for him and his family many years later. The family has to pull together to solve the mystery and prevent any more tragedy.
Rating: T Word count: 17,044
Brenda #5 – Dear Friends and Christmas Gifts – by BettyHT
Summary: The last story in this series starts with some informative letters between Adam’s wife and Joe’s wife but progresses into a Christmas visit in which important changes occur for all the brothers.
Rating: T WC: 18,845
Summary: Can anyone stand up to expectations?
Rating: G 2,620 words
Summary: Adam finds an old miner’s lamp and shares the history with his family.
Rating: G 265 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Bring in the Clones – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: The Cartwrights are watching the news regarding a cloned baby.
Rating: T 2,050 words
Summary: A WHB or prequel to ‘Between Heaven and Earth.’ Have you ever wondered what happened when Little Joe climbed Eagle’s Nest as a five year old boy that could have been so traumatic it resulted, not just in a fear of falling, but in total amnesia that lasted for nearly 20 years? This is my take on what happened when Ben Cartwright was told to ‘Bring Marie’.
Rated PG-13 Word Count: 31,167
Bringing Harmony into the World – by DJK DJK
Summary: Alone at the ranch, Hop Sing and a young Little Joe assist a mare in delivering her foal. Written for the 2026 Hop Sing’s Chinese New Year Challenge.
rating: teen word count: 2633
Bringing Peace – by AC1830
Summary: Christmas is the time for bringing peace and good will. A young woman returns to the Ponderosa hoping to do just that, after her delusional mother left a broken triangle of love in her wake.
Rating: G Words (4,000)
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Summary: Is Kenney just after the Ponderosa or does he have hidden allies? What of Kit Hammond, is the British heir to the Circle H really Ben’s ally or his enemy?
Rating: PG (46,905 words)
Summary: The Broken Ballad episode ends with many unanswered questions. Life would have changed in small and huge ways following Ed’s death. So … what happened to Will Cass, whose grief pushed him to do despicable things? How does Billy explain his reason for shooting Payson in what could be described as legal murder when Ed refused to shoot first? How do Adam and Sally make sense in the loss of their friend who simply wanted a chance at a normal life? And how do Adam and his father find common ground after Ben sided with Will Cass against his own son and continues to think Adam should have expected this outcome all along?” This story takes a realistic view of what they each faced in the hours and days after Ed’s ballad was sung at the cemetery.
There’s a twist in this story connecting Broken Ballad to an earlier episode, Blood on the Land that should prove interesting to the story.
Rating: K Count: 16510
Broken Ballad – The Last Gunfight (by AC1830)
Summary: What if the final gunfight that killed Ed Payson took a different turn and set the main players on different paths? A WHI for Broken Ballad.
Rating: T, Word Count: 2676
SUMMARY: The story is the WHI for She Walks In Beauty to answer the question of what might have happened if Regan stayed and she and Hoss married. That decision would not only affect her and Hoss but Adam and the rest of the family as well. Here is one version of what those effects might be.
Rating = T Word Count = 33,467
Summary: A broken hand and an angry Adam- Hoss isn’t having a very good day.
Rating: K+ Word count: 524
Broken Cord (The) – by McFair_58
Summary: A tie that binds is broken. Can Hop Sing make it – and the Cartwrights – whole again?
Rating: G Words 3,420
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Summary: WHN for Woman of Fire. Hoss learns to play the guitar.
Rating: K Word Count=1896
Summary: Unable to keep a promise he made to his father, Joe must now pay the price. Is it too high? Can Ben forgive and learn to trust his most impetuous son once more?
Rating: G 11, 470 words
Summary: Two brothers face their first Christmas after ‘She Walks in Beauty’.
Rating: G 555 words
Bronco Buster (The) – by Krystyna
Summary: This is a coming of age story for Joe. Determined to become a horse breaker he learns a hard lesson when he faces a challenge ..from the horse itself.
Rating: K+ 6,400 words
Bronwen in Nevada #1 – From This Day Forward – by Deborah
Summary: Adam returns to the Ponderosa with a surprise for his family. An AU version of “My True-Love Hath My Heart”.
Rating: K+ WC 71,400
Bronwen in Nevada #2 – Blessed are the Children – by Deborah
Summary – This short story is a sequel to From This Day Forward, where Adam brings his Australian bride, Bronwen, back to the Ponderosa. It begins in late April 1878; Adam and Bronwen’s oldest daughter, Betsy, is now three and their second daughter, Miranda, is about two and a half. And their little family recently increased with the addition of their third daughter, Gwyneth.
Rating: K WC 4300
Bronwen in Nevada #3 -Angelic Affection – by Deborah
Summary: This story is a sequel to “From This Day Forward” and “Blessed Are the Children”. It’s January 1881 and Adam and Bronwen are awaiting the birth of their fourth child.
Rating: K+ WC 11,400
Bronwen in Nevada #4 – Over the Hill and Through the Wood – by Deborah
Summary: This Thanksgiving story is set in the Bronwen in Nevada universe.
Rating: K WC 5500
Bronwen in Nevada #5 – Precious Ties – by Deborah
Summary: It’s the spring of 1883. There are 12 Cartwrights living on the Ponderosa: Adam and Bronwen and their four daughters, Hoss and Claire and their two sons, plus Ben and Joe, who are both widowers. Joe has been in San Francisco and he’s late returning. What could be the reason?
Rating: K WC 28,600
Summary: Growing up isn’t easy. Two vignettes, two times in Joe’s life when he is forced to mature—and he’s all on his own. Or is he?
Rating: T. 1,250 words
Brother Campaign (The) – by JoanS
Summary: Little Joe advertises for a new Cartwright when he decides that he doesn’t want to be the youngest brother anymore.
Rated: K+ 5,610 words
Summary: Well-meaning monks try to protect amnesiac Joe after he witnesses a bank robbery.
Rating: K+ WC 18,500
Brother to Brother . . . to Brother . . . to Brother – by PSW
Summary: Joe gets a chance to practice his own ‘big brother’ skills. Written for the 2018 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.
Rated: K 6,220 words
Synopsis: What was Adam real feelings when he knew that Clay Stafford was his little brother’s brother.
Rating: G
Words: 2,100
Summary: This was written in answer to the Chaps and Spurs challenge. I really don’t know why the words led me to this. I guess it could have to do with the holiday coming up.
Rating: K+ WC 2650
Summary: Adam has his hands full with a drunk and disorderly Little Joe in this WHN for ‘The Quality of Mercy.’
Rating: PG (1,590 words)
Summary: A missing scene for “Forever.” On the morning of his wedding, Joe reflects on his absent brothers-and the one who remains.
Rating: K WC 4100
Summary: While searching for a missing ranch hand in the snow, Joe and Adam learn what it really means to have a brother to rely on.
Rating: T 8,250 words
Brothers and Mud – by frasrgrl
Summary: A WHIB for Springtime. Have you ever wondered what happened between the brothers making a “Joe sandwich” and the mud fight? Well, here’s my answer to it.
Rating: K Word Count: 708
Brothers and Thanksgiving – by BettyHT
Summary: While Hoss and Joe chase an elusive turkey, Adam remembers an earlier Thanksgiving when Ben was away and there was a storm raging outside and turmoil inside among the brothers until the two intersected.
Rating: = K WC = 3631
Brothers, Above All – by freyakendra
Summary: While the Civil War pits brother against brother, a night on Hell’s battlefield pulls Joe and Adam into a fight that only one can survive.
Rating: T Word Count: 3,000
Brothers, Till the End – by DebbieB
Summary: Hoss and Joe become the victims of revenge, but when Joe sees his brother shot down in cold blood, the tables are turned and it’s Joe who declares that it’s pay back time.
Rating: PG for Mild Violence 8,000 words
Bubbles in Honey, Roses, and a Button – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: For Ben remembrance comes from an unusual source.
Rating: T Word Count: 5500
Synopsis: Ben takes Adam on a hunting trip, hoping for an opportunity for them to discuss the guilt Adam is carrying around about the deaths of Ross and Delphine Marquett
Rating: G (11,520 words)
Buck and Matt – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Shirtless Cartwright ALERT!!! This episode is dedicated to all those who are fans of bare-chested cowboys.
Rating: T 1,730 words
Buck’s Adventure (by KathrynM)
Synopsis: Ben reluctantly leaves 20 year old Adam in charge of his younger brothers and the ranch for the first time. While he’s away, his sons have a few adventures of their own. (Story blends both the old Bonanza and the new Ponderosa shows.)
Rating: PG Words:10,050
Summary: Adam has an embarrassing misadventure he would rather not discuss, and his father has a reason to support him in that decision. The two do share their information with each other however.
Rating: = T WC = 3969
Summary: What would have happened if Ben had told Joe Tessa could see before the wedding?
Rating: T 8,240 words
Summary: Adam meets a shy boy on the stage and then helps guide him when he must face decisions after traumatic events and revelations. The boy has a secret that others want, but even he doesn’t know what that secret is.
Rating: T Word Count: 9907
Summary: It’s a race against time, and to the victor goes the spoils . . . er . . . the calf. A WHB for “The Lawmaker”
Rating: K 1,765 words
Bunnies, Bulls, and Brothers – by ChristyG
Summary: Hoss tells is like it is.
Rating: K 10,353 words
Summary: When Joe is shot by an intruder, Ben blames himself for his son’s injury. Things go from bad to worse, deepening Ben’s burden of guilt.
Rating: PG for Mild language 14,550 words
Burden of Guilt (The) – by CareBear
Summary: Adam carries a self-enforced burden of guilt, haunted by memories of the past that are dredged to the surface by Delphine’s death.
Rating: T (violence) Word Count: 6823
Burden of the Oath (The) – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Hoss struggles with how to help Doc Martin in the aftermath of the epidemic and Julia’s Bulette’s death. A WHN for The Julia Bulette Story.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 1493
Summary: Advice for the Cartwright brothers comes from the most unlikely sources.
Rating: K+
Summary: What do a nutty professor, an ancient Indian legend, and a dusty sea chest from the attic have in common? Come spend Christmas with the Cartwrights and find out what awaits in this zany, action packed adventure.
Rating: K Words 52,169
Burning Bridge (The) – by MissJudy
Summary: Adam has never worried about his father’s faith and trust in him. That changes dramatically after a woman drops an 11-year-old boy at the Ponderosa, telling Ben that the boy is Adam’s son, conceived before he left for college. After repeated attempts to defend himself against the accusation, Adam leaves home, angry and hurt by his father’s seeming refusal to accept that the woman is lying. Once Adam confronts his accuser, he is forced to look further to find out how he and his family became targets for her ploy, and pays a high price for trying to find the truth in her life of lies.
Rated: T WC 60,000
Summary: The Cartwrights become the target for murder when cattle thieves decide they want more than just the herd; they want the entire Ponderosa empire.
Rating: PG; mild curse words, just 3 or 4 14,900 words
Bushwhacked – The Missing Scenes – by SusanG
Summary: A WHN for the episode, Bushwhacked.
Rating: T 6,975 words
But for the Grace of God – by DebbieB
Summary: When mad dogs attack fifteen-year old Joseph Cartwright, the family struggles with their emotions as they watch the boy, whom they love more than life, battle against the deadly effects of hydrophobia, for which there is no cure.
Rating: G 19,700 words
But for the Grace of God – by JoanS
Summary: Events force a son to look back on a traumatic time in his life; acknowledging how thankful his is for his family.
Rating: K+ 11,205 words
Summary: A new foreman at a neighboring ranch causes trouble on the Ponderosa.
Word Count: 29,000 Rated: T
Summary: it may start out looking like a serious story, but it’s a fun brothers’ story using songwriting as the major method of the two-against-one scenario and vice versa.
Rating: T Word count: 2197
By the Fire’s Light – by debpet
Summary: Adam’s pursuit of a wanted man becomes personal when he discovers that his brother has been put in danger.
Rating: K+ WC 5300
Summary: The aftermath of an argument sees Joe and Adam trying to mend fences.
Rating: K+ 730 words
By Wisdom’s Wings and Love’s Own Hand – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: A WHN for Triangle
Rating: T 3,980 words