Click title to read story.
Facade (The) – by SJRCartwright
Summary: She walks in beauty – and in sorrow?
Rating: G Word Count: 501
Summary: Adam has found a new past-time. Will there be consequences for his actions?
Rating: K+ 8,500 words
Fairness of Life (The) – by Terri
Summary: Joe falls passionately in love and his behaviour causes concern for Ben. Adam is the only one to suspect all is not what it seems.
Rated: T WC 10,100
Summary: Adam finally meets his wife to be, but before the wedding a tragedy occurs that almost tears the Cartwrights apart for good.
Rated: T 5,885 words
Faith, Hope, and Family – by Heidi
Summary: What holds a man like Adam Cartwright up when his confidence wavers?
Rating: G Words: 1,825
Faith, Hope, and Love – by BettyHT
Summary: At the center of the story is a tragedy (based on a historical event) that leads Adam into a romance and into an adventure. The results of both will determine his future on the Ponderosa.
Rating: T Word count: 13,614
Fall Leaf aka The Greatest Gift – by Questfan
Summary: The distance of time through a child’s eyes, and a dilemma of epic proportions.
Rating: G 2,725 words
Summary: Little Joe’s escapade at Jack Wolf’s Place leads Adam into a serious situation.
Rated Strong T warning: mature ideas and references but no explicit content, mention of corporal punishment Word count: 8068
Falling Out (The) – by MissJudy
Summary: The Cartwright family should have returned to normal after Señor and Delores Tenino left for Mexico, but it hasn’t. Hoss, Adam and Joe have been surly and avoiding one another since the lovely young woman left, and Ben can’t understand what’s driving it. He senses that what had started as a competition to win the young lady’s heart, had left some unexpected wounds behind. When circumstances and harsh words fracture his family even more, Ben decides he must force his sons to take stock of what they’re about to lose, in the one way he thinks will work. A What Happened Later story, for Ponderosa Matador.
Rating: K Word Count: 22,960
False Witness – by Jules / J7339
Summary: Somebody wants Ben Cartwright to withdraw from a lumber contract he had placed a bid on but uses his youngest son as the pawn to do so. Afterwards it becomes much more of a personal vendetta against the boy and his family rather than over the contract.
Rated: K+ 83,480 words
Summary: Created for the 2016 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar.
Rating: K 50 words
Summary: Joe is injured and alone on the mountain, and help comes from a mysterious stranger.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 19625
Summary: A family outing almost ends in tragedy.
Rated: PG
Word Count: 17,234
Family Again – by Lisa Orcutt
Summary: A father’s mistake tears the family apart.
Rating: PG Word Count: 12,240
Family and Friends – by frasrgrl
Summary: After suffer a tragic loss Ben learns true friends are really family.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 822
Family Apart #1 – by AMG
Summary: In revenge for a killed man, a gang leader kidnaps Adam, which leads to amazing discoveries at the latter’s part. Will the family apart come together again?
Caution, ‘nurses’: a little bit of suffering Adam…
Rating: PG Words: 10,455
Family Apart #2 – Kinda Awesome – by AMG
Summary: Adam’s twin brother Tim is on the ranch, getting used to his family he hadn’t known until recently. Involves a hurt Adam, a hurt Joe (know my good will, Joe-girls), and a little cave-in… Enjoy.
Rating and Reader Alerts: PG (nurses needed) Words 6,976
Family Conference (The) – by Glenandme
Summary: When Joe gets into big trouble he expects a punishment, but a family conference? That’s worse than any punishment.
Rating: G, Word Count: 1365
Family is of the Heart – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: The Cartwright brothers do not resemble each other. Many have remarked upon that, but there is a good reason for them looking so different from each other–they had different mothers and more. However, they are still brothers because there is something more important than who is present at your birth. The family learns to accept that principle.
Rating = T Word count = 21,656
Family Scenes has the Ponderosa – by ViveAdam
Summary: In this collection, I gathered some stories atmosphere whose interest is mainly due to the return of the atmosphere at Ponderosa and the description of the characters and the relationship between the characters. No palpitations, therefore, but moments of good humor or emotion, as appropriate.
Rated: K WC 8000
Family Scenes in the Ponderosa – by ViveAdam
Summary: A collection of short stories giving a restitution of the atmosphere in Ponderosa
Rated: K WC 6300
Summary: WHI for The First Born and WHN for The Last Viking. Can Hoss protect his younger brother when Clay Stafford reveals he’s Marie’s first born?
Rating: K Word Count: 8114
Summary: Still haunted by the death of his wife six years before, Joe seeks comfort in strong drink. Will his family ties be enough to save him?
Rating: T 27,525 words
Story Summary: A new woman in Ben’s life stirs up conflict for Joe.
Rating: G
Words: 13,380
Family Traditions – by Sibylle
Summary: Family is also who you choose, and so are traditions.
Written for day 18 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
Rating: G Word Count: 1705
Summary: Cherished possessions left behind are forwarded as Christmas presents.
Rating: 965 words
Note: This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.
Summary: Every Adam’s Girl nightmare… Adam is leaving the Ponderosa.
Rated: K 1,100 words
Fare Thee Well – by JRosemary
Summary: A wedding cause two brothers to discuss the past, while the Cartwrights look to the future.
Rating: Teen Word Count: 10, 675
Summary: Adam deals with the loss of two of the most important people in his life.
Rated: G 5,600 words
Farewell Forever, My Brother – by Linda Br
Synopsis: Hoss has just been killed. Adam arrives home from Boston three weeks after he’s been buried. Deals with Adam’s feelings towards the loss of his brother.
Rating: PG-13 Words: 9,000
Summary: The consequences of having a gun not made for ranchers.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 12,450
Summary: Living life through his son, a father seeks revenge after refusing to accept that his son, who forced the confrontation, was outdrawn and killed.
Word Count: 7750 Rated: T
Summary: It’s Promotion Day for Adam Cartwright and Pa helps him deal with cold feet. Just a brief story to celebrate Father’s Day.
Rating: K 1650
Father and Son – by SnuffyBear
Summary: Young Ben in the months before he goes to sea for the first time.
Rated: K+ (16,820)
Father and Son Escape – by BettyHT
Summary: Ben is insulted and enlists Hoss in an effort to get even with the man who insulted him. Hoss is at first reluctant but finds he has as much fun as his father in the quest to get even. PG 1,147
Father of the Year – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Little Joe writes to Oprah Winfrey about his Pa.
Rating: T 3,750 words
Fatherhood #1 – Home is Never Too Far – by Jenniferk22 –
Summary: Adam and Elizabeth have a son. Adam is now faced with the biggest challenge of his life; Fatherhood.
Rating: PG (33,250 words)
Fatherhood #2 – Getting Started – by Jenniferk22
Summary: Another story about Adam, Ella, and Eric. This time, Adam is introduced to the world of rating a young son.
Rating: PG (12,350 words)
Fatherhood #3 – Good Things to Come – by Jenniferk22
Summary: This is third in the series of Adam and his family.
Rating: PG (33,250 words)
Summary: Here is my story for the June challenge. As always hope you don’t think it was a waste of your time to read. Adam’s homecoming.
Rated: K+ 1100
SUMMARY: Ben has a frank discussion with his sons about their relationship and the future after some changes have taken place. It seems an appropriate story to post in the week before Father’s Day. This is an expanded version of a pinecone.
Rating = PG Word count = 1167
Fathers, Sons, and Growing Up – by pjb
Summary: As Joe’s eighteenth birthday approaches, Ben comes face to face—so to speak—with the fact that his youngest son is no longer a child. WARNING: contains sexual themes.
Rated: T WC 6900
Faut pas prendre les enfants du Nevada pour des bécasses – by ViveAdam
Summary: Alors qu’il se rend à un rendez-vous galant, Joe est pris dans un chausse-trappe…
Rated: K+ WC 5800
Favor (The) – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Ben asks Joe for a favor that turns out much better than Joe could have ever imagined…..
Rated MA – Adult Themes Word Count: 4200
Summary: Arriving home, Joe is astonished when Adam pulls a gun on him, claiming not to know him. Things go from bad to worse; until the break between brothers seems so wide it cannot be breached.
10,810 words Rated: T
Summary: My story is based on Kingdom of Fear – Season 12. Ben, Hoss, Joe and Candy are captured and illegally found guilty of trespassing so they can be used as slave labour in a gold mine. There is no hope of escape and no hope of parole.
Word Count: 9621 Rating: T
Fear on the Horizon – by No1ButJoe
Summary: Joe finds himself in a dangerous situation when the town drunk goes on a rampage, robbing the bank and killing at least two – and taking Joe as a hostage!
Rating: T Word count: 10987
Summary: Three vignettes that have the Cartwright brothers dealing with feeling guilty.
Rated: K+ Word count: 1882
Summary: No one pulls a prank on a Cartwright brother and gets away with it. When it’s another Cartwright brother or two, it means ‘war’ or a series of pranks meant to exact revenge until no one can make those scales of justice balance out.
Rating: PG Word Count: 3,383
Summary: Inspired by the episodes “My Brother’s Keeper” and “The Crucible.” About a wolf, Peter Kane, and the way a brother protects his own.
Rated: K+ 3,000 words
Summary: WHI for The Savage. Was Ruth Halverson real? Did Adam propose marriage to her? This story attempts to explain some of the events in this episode.
Rating: T Word Count=4960
Fevered Sea – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: Adam, a boat, and a storm at sea. A poem about Adam’s fever dreams while he lay ill in “Elizabeth My Love”.
Rating: K Word Count: 482
Summary: Shortly after his 16th birthday, Joe finds himself taking on responsibilities he couldn’t foresee. And now, it’s up to him to help his oldest brother out of a deadly situation.
Rating: T 24, 700 words
Summary: When Ben is told that Little Joe is dying, they board a stagecoach and begin the race against time to save his life.
Rating T, WC 36,200
Fitth #1 – Fifth Sunup (The) – by AnnieKCowgirl
Summary: To fall meant capture. Capture meant death. And I wasn’t ready to die; not yet, not when my life had barely begun. Joe’s thoughts as he flees from the Lassiters in Five Sundowns to Sunup. Rating: K Word Count: 563
Fifth #2 – Just One More Day – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: “The whole town’s plum full of yellow bellies,” I muttered under my breath as I prodded Chubb into a ground-eating gallop, leaving the disgraced major in the dust. Hoss rides out, determined to find Joe before it’s too late. A WHIB for the episode “Five Sundowns to Sunup” and a Part Two to my previous story, “The Fifth Sunup” from Hoss’ point of view.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 699
Summary: Even if he did take the fifty dollars, Little Joe was not really a thief.
Rated: K+ Word count: 2022
Summary: “If I’ve told Joe once, I’ve told him a thousand times to keep those elbows in!” We’ve all heard Adam utter those words while Joe is getting himself thoroughly beaten by Jean Millain in the “Julia Bulette” episode. This is the story behind that line.
Rated: K+ WC 4200
Summary: Joe becomes the target for revenge when he is forced to participate in a human cockfight in order to save his father’s life.
Rating: PG Contains violence 16,700 words
Summary: In the aftermath of Ben’s death, Joe finds comfort from an unexpected source.
Rated: K+ 2,040 words
Final Bequest (The) – by Puchi Ann
Summary: A retrospective on two episodes of Bonanza, The Quality of Mercy and The Dark Gate. Adam and Joe each contemplate the death of a best friend.
6,285 words Rated: K+
Summary: The Cartwrights say goodbye to their beloved Hoss.
Rated: K 5,095 words
Final Goodbye (The) #1 – by JudyW
Summary: Just my feelings on how Adam may have come back to the Ponderosa. Warning: character death
Rated: K 3,670 words
Final Goodbye (The) #2 – Joe’s Letter – by JudyW
Summary: A follow up to The Final Goodbye.
Rated: K 1,915 words
Final Sacrifice (The) – by Rona
Summary: An outbreak of measles set in motion a series of heart-breaking problems for the Cartwrights.
11,130 words Rated: T
Summary: When traveling with a wagon train, friends come and go. But what if it’s your best friend, and you never got to say good-bye?
Rating – K, Word Count – 5854
Finding Christmas – by Hart4Ben
Summary: It’s Christmas and Jamie is reminiscing about his time with the Cartwrights.
Rating: K WC: 1113
Finding His Way Home – by Michele B
Summary: Whether on land or sea, the North Star offered guidance to a young dreamer. Now it offers comfort and points to home for another young dreamer.
Rating: G, Word Count: 4676
Summary: Jamie Hunter struggled with having a home and people who cared about him. To sort out his feelings he turns to his journal.
Rating: G, Word Count: 1323
Summary: WHN for “The Last Viking.” Sometimes, protection can come from unexpected sources.
Rated: K+ WC 5500
Synopsis: Revenge drives a man bent on revenge for the past eighteen years. Will Ben be able to bring his son back from the brink???
Rating: PG (7,000 words)
Summary: Contributed for the Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament 2015
1,952 words Rating: K+
Summary: There’s a fire in Virginia City, but is that all there is to it?
Rated: T
Fire and The Night (The) – by pony
Summary: Tempers flare as Joe and Adam find themselves in conflict … but then discover an unexpected harmony.
Rated: K 1,260 words
Fire Inside (The) – by freyakendra
Summary: A surprise assault on the Ponderosa tests twelve-year-old Little Joe’s mettle, and proves he truly is his father’s son.
Word count: 4,470. Rating: T.
Summary: Based on the Great Virginia City Fire. The Cartwright brothers help battle the fire and search for Hop Sing.
Rated: T 4,720 words
Synopsis: Adam opts to stay home with his baby brother and finds time to reflect on his feelings for his family while sharing the magic of summer.
Rating: G (11,000 words)
Summary: Joe’s foolish choice could cause the Cartwrights to lose everything they have.
Rated: T WC 16,700
Summary: What’s the Fourth of July without fireworks?
Rating: PG / Word Count: 3,609
Fireworks, Friends, and Innocent Prayers – by DJK
Summary: Little Joe and friends managed to arrange “the grandest sight the town has ever seen”, and it only required a little deceit and disobeying. This prequel was written for the 3rd Quarter 2025 Chaps & Spurs Challenge
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 5822
This story was written for the 2017 Advent Calendar – Day 8
Summary: Questions and a traveler interrupt the reading The Christmas Story.
Rating: G (1,040 words)
First Born Returns (The) — a REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Clay Stafford returns to the Ponderosa.
Rating: T 2,500 words
First Christmas in Boston, 1848 by Indiana
Summary: Adam’s spending his first Christmas away from his family.
Written for the 2019 Advent Calendar
Rating: G
Word Count: 565
First Comes Marriage – by BettyHT
Summary: It’s a romantic farce as Ben goes to talk to the new school teacher to deliver an invitation to dinner. Things get very complicated very quickly with an unexpected consequence you might expect in a farce.
PG 1,701
Summary: A chance encounter brings a new joy for the oldest Cartwright son.
Rated:T
First Day of Spring (The) – by Adamfan16
Summary: This is an expanded Bonanza Bit I did this spring, to the title prompt. Adam deals with homesickness while away at college.
Rating: G
Words: 550
First Day Nerves – by ljlover2001
Summary: Little Joe has to face his greatest challenge since losing his mother
Rated: K+ 1,670 words
Summary: There’s a first time for everything and everyone.
Rating:K+/T Word Count: 12,449
Summary: A chance meeting with an army officer sends Joe on a desperate mission to help save a soldier’s life.
10,120 words Rated: T
First Kiss – Book 1: Adam – by BettyHT
Summary: The first in a series of four stories, this one features Adam ensnared in a number of difficult situations as his brothers try to help by playing matchmaker for him. It doesn’t go well of course as romance should never be attempted by a team.
Rating = T Word count = 17,959
First Kiss – Book 2: Hoss – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: This is the second story in the First Kiss series and features Hoss, but Adam plays an important role in the story too. The story jumps ahead a bit in time answering a few questions from the first story and setting the stage for more to happen. It’s time for Hoss to have a romance as he felt especially lonely after Adam and Anita began theirs.
Rating = T Word Count = 11,510
First Kiss – Book 3: Joe and Ben – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: The third story in the First Kiss series has Joe still scheming. Of course Ben won’t scheme, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be affected by the schemes Joe has hatched. The story of Adam and Anita continues first as the catalyst for a scheme and then as a crisis envelops the two.
Rating = T Word count = 23,409
First Kiss – Book #4 – First Kiss Again – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: This is the fourth story in the First Kiss series: a cattle drive, a horse sale, the desert, outlaws, a desert rat, and all sorts of trouble for the family in this one before it all gets sorted out.
Rating = T Word count = 20517
Summary: Joe has found the girl he wants to share his first REAL kiss with! But someone is watching!
Rated: K+ WC 1700
Summary: Adam’s first love is different from what one would expect – or is it?
720 words, rated K
Summary: “Sooner or later, the day will come when a man will force you into a shootout, and there will be no way out of it, except kill or be killed.” Adam shared a bit of wisdom with his youngest brother the day that Joe was permitted to wear a sidearm for the first time. Little did either brother realize how soon those words would come back to haunt them.
Rated: PG for mild violence 12,850 words
Summary: A stranger’s arrival starts off a chain of events that culminate in Ben Cartwright’s worst nightmare.
Rated: T Word Count: 22,300
First Ponderosa Thanksgiving (The) – by BettyHT
Summary: The celebration is held in the true spirit of the holiday as proclaimed by President Lincoln, but there is melancholy too.
Rating: PG Word count: 1,692
First Roundup (The) – by Starlite
Summary: A look at a very enthusiastic little boy’s first roundup.
Rated: G 2,400 words
Summary: Adam and Joe make a simple trip to town, but find themselves caught in an early snowstorm, unprepared.
Rated: K+ WC 12,000
First Snow #2 – Honesty and Lessons Learned – by Mamse5
Summary: Little Joe can’t believe the news about Cochise and decides to find out for himself. But winter is just getting started in the Sierras. Has Joe put himself in harm’s way again? A follow-up story to First Snow.
Rated: K+ WC 4100
Summary: For fiercely independent Little Joe Cartwright, asking for help is the hardest thing to do. A Camp in the Pines short story.
Rated T Word Count 6233
First Thanksgiving (The) – by storm
Summary: Here is my answer to the November Chaps and Spurs challenge.
Rated: K+ 2000
First Thaw (The) – by Puchi Ann
Summary: The weather isn’t the only thing frosty that first Christmas after Marie joins the Cartwright family, but through the magic of story and song, they all find new warmth, acceptance and heartfelt love.
Rating: G (6,520 words)
First Things First – by BettyHT
Summary: Joe is surprised at the observations that Candy has about Adam’s return to the family, but a string of events shows that Candy is correct even though there is far more going on than he guessed too.
Rating: T Word count: 17,498
Summary: With age comes wisdom . . . sometimes. A gentle, erotic WHN for “Marie, My Love.”
Rated: MA WC 3300
First Time in Years (The) – by ElayneA
Summary: Adam is mending fences, not only physically but helping to mend Hoss’s heart, too.
Written for day 6 of the 2021 Advent Challenge.
Rating: G Word Count: 2207
Summary: Joe rescues a mysterious girl from the river. Dark Star for Dodo Challenge.
Rating: K+ Word Count=4993
Summary: Gossips sour Ben’s mood when he returns from a business trip; and he only wants to hear an explanation direct from the guilty party.
Rating: T 1,425 words
Summary: This is a collection of five short pieces each written in response to a specific prompt. The prompt was used to title the piece. I hope you enjoy them.
Rating: G 4,140 words
Five Foot High, Ten Miles Deep – by Jayne
Summary: When Joe is worried about his height, his brothers offer him words of wisdom.
Rated: K WC 1300
Five Rounds to a Quick Recovery – by Starlite
Summary: Adam is injured in a freak accident, will his family survive his recuperation?
Rated: G 7,080 words
Summary: A what happened next story for the episode
Rating: PG 8,740 words
Summary: A gang of rustlers is plaguing the Virginia City area.
10,205 words Rated: T
Summary: A tongue in cheek story of what our favorite family might make of a modern-day purchase. Inspired by a fun day spent assembling flatpack furniture. We imagined what the boys would have made of the less than explicit instructions.
Rating: G (3,150 words)
Summary: Adam learns the truth about a girl he loves.
Rated: K+ Word count: 589
Flume (The) – by Hart4Ben
Summary: The timber industry is booming. Anxious to truly use his skills and attempt to make the Ponderosa financially secure for years to come, Adam proposes constructing a narrow gauge rail line and flume from Tahoe to Empire City. But there is a price for becoming a major player in this high stakes game. Written for the 2018 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.
Rated: T 8,870 words
Summary: Contains some violence. In the right place at the wrong time, Little Joe foils a bank robbery attempt and is taken hostage. A vision from the past, gives him the courage to be brave until his family can find him.
Rated: PG13 14,430 words
Summary: Sometimes, the members of a family can surprise one another.
Rated: K 12,125 words
Following the Dream – by JoanS
Summary: Ben has a difficult decision to make regarding a young Adam’s future.
Rated: K+ 9,665 words
Follow Your Heart – by ACSPeej
Summary: A bad winter and their ranch foreman lead the Cartwrights to an unusual set of triplets, and the adventures that follow.”
Rating: T 24,680 words
Fondue #1 – Marie, My Fondue – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Joe asks Ben about his mother, and learns more than he bargained.
Rating: T 980 words
Fondue #2 – Fondue Too – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: The sequel to Marie, My Fondue.
Rating: T 935 words
Fondue #3 – The Third Fondue Tale: Heidi – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Why Pa Yodels
Rating: T 1,730 words
Summary: Gold and greed are a volatile mix.
Rating: T Word Count=4843
Summary” Two brothers brace themselves for the inevitable…or is it?
Rated T 1,100 words
Summary: This is a what happened instead for a scene in The Lady from Baltimore and a what happened next after the Bannings left story.
Word Count: 1,023 Rated: K.
Summary: To find justice after a tragedy, Adam and Joe employ unusual and perhaps morally and ethically questionable methods.
Rating: T Word count: 1,276
SUMMARY: Adam does things for a reason. When he takes on corruption in San Francisco, he may find he has tackled too much for not a good enough reason, but his brothers get involved too. However one of them may not survive the fight to take down a corrupt villain.
Rating: T Word Count: 15,115
For All Mothers, including Ben Cartwright – by DebbieB
Summary: Ten year old Joe learns that sometimes mothers are more than just being a woman.
Rated: G 4,400 words
For All That Wishes May Be Worth – by Rona
Summary: Can Joe overcome the loss of his love?
4,635 words Rated: T
Summary: A broken plate and a dropped plate lead to lessons learned.
WC = 1090 Rating = PG
Summary: The consequences of a fight at school. Prequel 1854
Rated: K+ WC 600
Summary: With all his sons home, Ben wanted to spend time with them. Inevitably, stories were told, and the main beneficiary of those was Jamie who learned so much about his family and about life.
Rating: T Word count: 11,420
For Love and Honor (by sandspur)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 9435
For Pete’s Sake – by Lily of the West
Summary: Bonanza is still in pre-production with the directors and editors still ironing out the ‘little’ details.
Rating: G
Words: 1,300
Summary: The Cartwright brothers take a Christmas trip?
Rating: G 1,725 words
Written for the Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
For the Love of a Brother – by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Ben is shocked when he returns home to find two of his sons fighting for their lives. All three sons really should be in the character choice spot. I stink at summaries. Please read anyway. WARNING; MAJOR character death.
Rating T 10, 960 words
For the Love of a Child – by MaryS
Summary: Adam befriends Sarah, and discovers the lengths one will go to when there is a child to care for.
Rated: G 35,160 words
For the Love of a Son by – AMG
Summary: Despite various trials, past and recencressidat, the Cartwright family gathers back together, growing in number. Includes all the family and some friends.
Rating: PG Words 10,427
For the Love of Little Joe – by Christy
Summary: When Little Joe is presumed dead and then shows up in Virginia City three years later, how will his past affect his future and how will lives be changed in finally brining him home for good?
Rating: PG 27,180 words
For the Love of Maggie #1 – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Ben meets Margaret Jensen while traveling by train from Boston back to Virginia City. The apparent chance meeting will forever change his life.
Rating: T Word Count: 17,524
For the Love of Maggie #2 – Adrielle – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Adam is living and working in Paris during the World Exhibition of 1867. He meets a young flower vendor and is immediately smitten. The story is based on the Louis Marie De Schryver painting, La Rue Du Havre. A serial writing challenge done in short chapters.
Rating: T WC:34378
For the Love of Pete – by bahj
Summary: Little Joe is ready to do anything to help the struggling widow of his childhood friend.
-Tissue Warning- This story deals with loss (NO main character deaths)
Rating: PG Word Count: 7875
For the Sake of a Son – by Mamse5
Summary: Ben and Joe each watch helplessly as the other is attacked and left for dead. Father and son spend what may be their last hours fighting not only their injuries, but self-imposed doses of regret and guilt.
Rated: T WC 17,000
For the Soul is Dead that Slumbers – by freyakendra
Summary: A Tale told in 2 parts:
Part I: The Darkest Hour: When Joe is missing, he’s not the only one trapped in darkness.
Part II: No One: Even after Joe comes home, a part of him remains lost.
Rated: T Word Count: 22,500
Forbidden – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: At a party at the Ponderosa, Hop Sing shares a moment with a beautiful guest.
Rated K+ Word Count: 3800
Foresaken (The) – by iceangelmkx
Summary: Caught in a storm after securing a contract, Joe finds shelter in a shack occupied by a lonely woman. Unknown to him, Joe would come face to face with things he never imagined would exist.
Rated: T WC 13,000
Forever #1 – Forever – by Rider
Summary: Part one of my WHI “Forever” series “Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Cartwright” Joe meets and marries Alice Harper.
Rated: K+ 2,020 words
Forever #2 – I Would Do Anything for Love – by Rider
Summary: As the birth of Alice and Joe’s first child approaches, things take a turn for the worst.
Rated: K+ 2,230 words .
Forever #3 – The Love of My Life – by Rider
Summary: Joe and Alice think about their relationship on the eve of their wedding.
Rated: K+ 990 words
Forever #1 – Vengeance is Mine – by MelissaR1992
Summary: As Joe and Alice prepare for the arrival of their first child, their happiness is short-lived when the sinister 4413Damion unexpectedly returns with a vengeance. This is a W4414HI story based on the two-part episode, Forever.
Rating: PG Word Count: 13,861
Forever #2 – No More Promises – by MelissaR1992
Summary: Alice Cartwright’s life is turned upside down when her estranged uncle arrives in town, carrying a dark secret. This story is part of my Forever Reimagined series and takes place a few months after the events of Vengeance is Mine.
Rating: PG Word Count: 14,084
Forever #3 – The Second Honeymoon – by MelissaR1992
Summary: Joe and his wife, Alice, take a second honeymoon trip to New Orleans where they get mixed up with a couple of jewel thieves and their only hope is a clumsy, down-on-his-luck, detective. This is the third story in my Forever Reimagined series.
Rating: PG Word Count: 16,010
Forever #4 – Remember Me – by MelissaR1992
Summary: After Joe’s wife, Alice loses her memory in a horse riding accident, Joe works to bring her memory back. The accident however brings up painful memories for Ben who lost Joe’s mother in the same way. This is the fourth story in my Forever Reimagined series.
Rating: PG Word Count: 12,282
Forever #5 – Once in a Lifetime – by MelissaR1992
Summary: Candy meets a beautiful young woman during a supply run in Virginia City and falls in love. This is the fifth story in my Forever Reimagined series and written from Candy’s point of view.
Rating: PG Word Count: 9,479
Forever #6 – The Most Precious Gift of All – by MelissaR1992
Summary: As Christmas draws near for the Cartwright family, Joe faces the ultimate test of faith as a husband and father. This is the sixth story of my Forever Reimagined series.
Rating: PG Word Count: 16,709
Forever #7 – To Love, Honor, and Cherish – by MelissaR1992
Summary: Secrets from Candy’s fiancée’s past come to light when her former lover arrives in Virginia City and threatens her and Candy’s upcoming nuptials.
Rating: PG Word Count: 15,336
Summary: As Ben Cartwright lies dying his sons each recall a special moment that they shared with their father. A special Father’s Day story, the companion holiday story A Rose For Marie.
Rated: K+ 4,290 words
Forever Changed – by BluewindFarm
Summary: After concluding a business trip to San Francisco, Joe’s life is forever changed.
Rating: T 14,520 words
Summary: A Birthday tribute to Michael Landon on his 72nd birthday. What are the four Cartwrights up to now???
Rated: K WC 1200
Summary: Two brothers are caught in a deadly game of revenge and one of them is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice for the other….
Rated: T 11,930 words
Forever Little Joe – by AdamJoeLuver
Summary: Little Joe’s 15th birthday is coming up, but when a puppy wanders into the boy’s life, older brother Adam keeps having memories of Joe as a little boy after his momma’s death.”
Rating: G Words: 2,290
Summary: Adam Cartwright sentimental? A certain day and a certain blue velvet chair hold bittersweet memories.
Word Count: 3019 Rated: G
Forget Me Not #1 – by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: A what if I got off Love Me Not. Instead of getting on the stagecoach, Joan disappears in the middle of the night. Ben is riddled with guilt. Will the Cartwrights ever see her again? Yeah, I still do horrible at summaries.
Rated: T 24,000 words
Forget Me Not #2 – One Long Night – by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Short shots involving Ben and Joan’s daughter, Faith, with various members of the family. Title may very well change.
Rated K 5,000 words
Summary: A girl tries to rekindle her romance with Joe.
Rated: K 4,200 words
Summary: Repercussions, consequences, and guilt.
Rating: 1,520 words
Summary: A WHN for “The Gift.” Sometimes, the hardest ones to forgive are ourselves.
Rated: K WC 2800
Summary: Joe rides out with some cowboys to fix fences, but by evening, he is gone.
Rating: PG Word Count: 9200
Summary: The Cartwrights find life on the Ponderosa very different after Ben has an accident.
Rated: K+ 11,375 words
Forsaking Wild Oats – by Childstar
Written especially for Delci Marie Barkley at her request.
Rating: T 32,430 words
Summary: WHIB for The First Born. On a moonlit night, Clay reflects on the lies and deceptions that ruined his mother’s life in New Orleans but led her to happiness in Nevada.
Rating: K Word Count=1799
Summary: Love comes to one of the Cartwrights. A What Happened Next for “Found Child.”
3,715 words Rated: T
Found Star (The) -by FanofoldTVshows
Summary: A found star brings back memories from a past Christmas.
Rating: G Words 2,050
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Calendar
Summary: Ben is determined that this Founder’s Day will be a family affair, but his sons have other ideas.
Rated: K 17,400 words
Founder’s Day Race (The) – by Harper
Summary: Adam makes a rash bet on the outcome of a race, but when he is unable to ride, Joe and Hoss aren’t about to stand by and let their brother’s rival win. However, their solution is not quite what anyone expected….
Rated: K+ 14,665 words
Fountain of Youth – by DebbieB & JennieA
Summary: With Marie away in San Francisco, Ben is left to the mercies of his three young sons. Will he survive or die of embarrassment first? Will his resolve stand strong or will he crumble under the pressure? Can he out think a three year old when his older sons provide no moral support and seems to always be laughing at him behind his back? Ben has asked himself these same questions more than once since Marie went away.
Rated: PG 5, 300 words
Fountain of Youth – by JennieA & DebbieB
Summary: With Marie away in San Francisco, Ben is left to the mercies of his three young sons. Will he survive or die of embarrassment first? Will his resolve stand strong or will he crumble under the pressure? Can he out think a three year old when his older sons provide no moral support and seems to always be laughing at him behind his back? Ben has asked himself these same questions more than once since Marie went away.
Rated: PG 5, 300 words
Summary: Jamie is worried about meeting Adam for the first time. He thinks they are getting along well, but how wrong can he be? Originally written for Bonanza Gold, and expanded after it was rejected.
6,080 words Rated: T
Fourth Wife #1 – In the Dark of the Night – by JennyG
Summary: Ben takes a fourth wife, but the larcenous Boxer clan proves a distraction, and a tragic misunderstanding causes even more trouble.
Rating: T 37,900 words
Fourth Wife #2 – All in a Day’s Work – by JennyG
Summary: On his feet again after being shot, Adam finds his new stEPMother ready to give birth, Hoss suffers a toothache, Ben pays a visit to Silver City and Joe finds trouble while trying to be a Good Samaritan.
Rating: T 41,590 words
Fourth Wife #3 – A Gunfighting Man – by JennyG
Summary: Ben’s family continues to grow while the older members spread their wings, and Adam meets both old and new challenges. Rating: PG – Implied Sex 75,000 words
Fourth Wife #4 – The Measure of a Man – by JennyG
Summary: A sweeping story that follows each of the Cartwrights through a season of trials and triumphs.
Rating: T 90,650 words
Fourth Wife #5 – Fall into Darkness – by JennyG
Summary: Adam crosses the country, seeking the answer Harbinger never gave.
Rating:: PG-13. Implied sex, violence. 114,500 words
Fourth Wife #6 – Peace on the Ponderosa – by JennyG
Summary: Sometimes the smallest things can solve the biggest problems, and when no Cartwright wants to go home on Christmas Eve, there has to be something wrong.
Rating: T 7,100 words
Summary: After receiving an invitation to a neighbor’s wedding, Little Joe conspires to find Ben the perfect wife; while the rest of the family holds off an attempted land grab.
Word Count: 21,300 Rated: T
SUMMARY: One man faces execution for a crime he didn’t commit, another suffers a terrible beating, and Proud Mary is at the center of the controversy but can’t help. The whole family will have to work together to untangle the mystery, but the question is whether it will be in time to prevent tragedy. That depends on how much Adam can remember.
Rating = T Word count = 4632
Fragrance of Violets (The) – by McFair_58
Summary: A shadowed room, thick with the scent of incense, reverberates with the whispers of the Ancestors. What do they seek, and can anyone defy their mystic call? For He Xing—known to the white man as Hop Sing—questions crowd the silence, yet only one answer emerges, undeniable and unyielding. Xuè hǎi xuè chóu. Blood revenge.
Rating: T+
Word Count: 55,685
Frail Branch (The) – by McFair_58
Summary: A tale for our times. 17 year old Adam Cartwright is sure he’s up to taking care of his two younger brothers while his Pa and Marie head into town. And he would have been, had an unseen and deadly enemy not come to call.
Rated PG-13 Word count: 20,692
Summary: Adam, Hoss, and Joe are getting the line shacks ready for winter. Everything goes horribly wrong after Adam goes to the pond to take a break. It’s up to Hoss and Joe to get their brother back.
Rating: T Word Count=9190
Freedom’s Just Another Word – by AC1830
Summary: A WHI for A House Divided. “Father against son, brother against brother. A house divided against itself cannot not stand.” What if Adam did leave in order to keep peace in the family? This is a journey of healing for the Cartwright family and some newfound friends.
Rating = T, Word Count = 14415
French Piano Player (The) – #1 – by pjb
Summary: When a violent argument with Ben drives Joe from the Ponderosa, the Cartwrights learn that sometimes, you can look straight at a man and never really see him.
Rated: T 16,300
French Piano Player (The) – #2 – Be Still, My Soul – by pjb
Summary: This is the sequel to “The French Piano Player.” Joe’s return to the Ponderosa proves to be more difficult than he or his family expected, to the point where questions arise as to whether he can stay on the Ponderosa, or whether he will go back to his life as a piano player in San Francisco.
Rated: T WC 26,000
French Piano Player (The) – #3 – Doubt – by pjb
Summary: A serious misunderstanding threatens Joe’s relationship with Hoss. This is part of a series and refers to events portrayed in “The French Piano Player” and “Be Still, My Soul.”
Rated: T 17,000
French Piano Player (The) – #4 – The Love of his Live – by pjb
Summary: In the conclusion to “The French Piano Player” series, the Cartwrights face their greatest challenge as they learn what a man’s heart can bear, and what it means to love–and to let go. The previous stories in this series are “The French Piano Player,” “Be Still, My Soul,” and “Doubt.
Rated: T 37,500
Summary: Once again Adam is the fresh kid.
Rated: K+ Word count: 1131
Fretting About Fundraising – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: It’s time to raise money for the church, and the ladies have an idea about how Ben and Adam can help with that. However, as you would expect, things don’t work out as planned.
Rating: PG Word Count: 1194
Friend – by AMG
Summary: Let it be a tribute to one
Rating: PG Words: 9,895
Summary: Joe and his school friends have their lunch interrupted by something terrible and Joe finds that maybe he isn’t as brave as he thought he was.
10,720 words . Rated: T
Summary: You read the drabble, now read the whole story.
4,390 words Rated: T
Friendship (The) – A Parody – by LissaB
Summary: What happened after the director yelled cut, or worse yet, what was left on the cutting room floor.
Rating: K+ 1,185 words
Friendship (The) – by frasrgrl
Summary: Did you ever wonder if Joe and Danny got off scot-free after all that happened at the end of The Friendship?
Rated: K 1,200 words
Friendship Among Brothers – by BettyHT
Summary: This is a prequel story, but not by much, in which Little Joe is growing up and getting advice and guidance about being a man from Hoss and Adam, but a little introspection helps too.
Rating: T Word count: 2,867
Friendship Game (The) – by Sierra Girl
Summary: It’s tough being a 14-year old boy, but it’s especially hard when you have little brothers, a friend you’re eager to impress and the added complication of those creatures from another planet…girls! Will Adam survive his first forays with the opposite sex in one piece, and still have a friend at the end of it? Written for the 2018 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.
Rated: K+ 13,535 words
Summary: The boys must take unusual measures to save their father when his life is threatened.
Rated: T 20,960 words
Frogs, Books, and Sticky Things – by Krystyna
Summary: Joe Cartwright, incorrigible, uncontainable, hoarder of worms and frogs and all of age 5 goes in search of a book for his big brother Adam … and lots of horrible things happen as a consequence!
Rated: K+ 11,600 words
Summary: Three poems in the voice of Adam Cartwright. Publish here in honor of the March Poetry Challenge though they have been individually posted elsewhere previously.
rating: k+word count: 302
Summary: Healing is hard, and takes its own path. A post-Hoss, post-Alice story.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 23,300
From Ghoulies and Ghosties – by Rona
Summary: Something Adam says while he’s telling ghost stories to Joe and Hoss triggers an amazing experience for Joe. Was it real? Or did he dream it? Anything’s possible at Halloween.
5,780 words Rated: T
From Inside One’s Own Self – by DebbieB
Summary: When a gang of thieves take Ben and Joe as their prisoners, each must draw on their own inner strengths to survive.
Rating: PG-13 22,100 words
Summary: A type of poem I learned how to write in my English 3 class.
Rated: K+ WC 33
From the Heart – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Ben’s memories of his three boys.
Rated K Word Count: 6700
From the Horses’ Mouths – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: Ever wonder what the horses themselves think of the goings on at the Ponderosa? Well, read on to find out.
Rated: K+ WC 2000
From the Murky Depths – by Hart4Ben
Summary: While Ben is away on business, Adam is in charge of his two younger brothers. Predominantly a prequel.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 1001
Summary: An lminzer/southplains collaboration: The ransom note came attached to Joe’s coat: ‘We have your boy, Cartwright, and he’s cold. How long before he freezes to death?’ Can Ben save Joe from kidnappers before it’s too late?
Rated: K+ 18,485 words
SUMMARY: Joe asks Adam what the weird thing is that he has brought home. Adam says it is art. Hop Sing claims it is much more than that. Another tale for the Halloween season.
Rating = T Word count = 3394
Fulfilling the Legacy – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: A WHN for ‘The Legacy’
Rated: K Word Count: 500
Summary: It should be just an ordinary day, but with a full moon, it’s anything but normal.
Word Count: 3700 Rated: T
Funeral (The) – by Silver Sven
Summary: a missing scene from “Forever”
Rated: K+ Word count: 971
Summary: The family has a house guest for a week who doesn’t act at all as they expected. Hoss thought he would have a friend, but their guest chose to attach to another family member.
Rating: PG Word count: 2,212