Click title to read story.
Summary: St. Nick delivers four very unusual gifts from the heart.
Rating: G 3,735 words
Summary: After a disaster in a nearby township, Joe goes along on a mercy mission. However, nothing goes quite as smoothly as he expected.
9,875 words Rated: T
Summary: After a meal washed down with plenty of wine and whisky, Ben makes a bet and that’s trouble for Adam
Rated: K WC 2400
Summary: Joe is given the responsibility of meeting Adam at the freight office with a load of lumber. There’s a lot riding on Joe meeting the deadline, not just for the lumber, but for Joe also. The inspiration came from a song by Steve Azar, Waitin’ on Joe.
Rating K+ Word count 5,126
Summary: Joe’s thoughts as he waits to die.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 10663
Waiting for the Stage – by JoanS
Summary: When Ben’s stage is delayed, Adam has his hands full trying to keep himself and his brothers out of trouble while they wait for it.
Rated: K+ 19,185 words
Waiting on the Wolf #1 – by dbird
Summary: WHN for “My Brother’s Keeper” What if Adam left the Ponderosa after all and didn’t return until two years later? What if Joe never forgave him for leaving? What if Adam never forgave himself?
Rated: K+ 13,850 words
Waiting on the Wolf #2 – Staying for Supper – by dbird
Summary: Coming home is hard. Staying is even harder…
Rated: K+ 12,330 words
Summary: Ben isn’t really a worrier. Then again, who knows what a parent thinks about, when beloved sons haven’t returned after a Friday night dance.
Rated: K+ WC 2000
Walk a Mile in His Shoes – by BettyHT
Summary: A set of letters from one brother to another shows how understanding can develop when love is strong.
Rating: PG Word count: 1,607
Summary: When an accident leaves Adam suddenly blind, he and his family must come to terms with his drastically altered status. A poker game and a forest fire both have their impact.
Rating: soft R 26,450 words
Summary: Clearing out a neglected corner of the barn leads to unexpected development for Adam and his family.
Rating: T Words: 2044
Summary: Adam’s friend, the actor Edwin Booth, visits the Ponderosa seeking escape from scandal, and his visit provides a catalyst for Adam to make a decision about his own future.
Rated: K+ WC 16,000
Summary: Contributed for the Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament 2015
Words: 1326 Rated: G
Wanderlust and Consequences – by BettyHT
Summary: A NaNoWriMo entry, this story begins when Ben and Adam traveled west and built the Ponderosa and Hoss and Joe joined the family and Inger and Marie are there as well. Then as an adult, Adam traveled to help Hop Sing on a quest, and he finds adventure and love before returning. There is a surprise too in the last chapters that ties the story back to the prequel beginning of the story.
Rating: T Word Count: 102,898
Wanna Go Fishing? – by deansgirl
Summary: Adam and Hoss disobey Pa and go fishing
Rated: K+ 2,130 words
Wanted Poster (The) – by HelenA
Summary: An afternoon spent rifling through Roy’s stack of wanted posters and an over active imagination leads one Cartwright into danger. Will he survive long enough to retract his tall tales and set the record straight?
Rating: K+ 28,423 words
Wanted Poster (The) – by Sibylle
Summary: A wanted poster prompts Ben and Adam to re-examine a moment from their journey West.
Rated: K+ 600
Summary: While trapped by a snowstorm, the Cartwright brothers learn a little something about each other.
Rated: T Word count: 1696
Summary: Adam decides to join the Federal Army and has to deal with the consequences. A story of losses and miracles, told in ten vignettes.
3,300 words, rated T
Was There A Man? – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Ben tries to make sense of Jennifer Carlisle’s sudden reintroduction into his life. Some of Ben’s thoughts during and following the season 11 episode “Is There Any Man Here?”
Rating: K+ Word Count: 1125
Wash Day – by VRON
Summary: Ben’s thinking again and Hop Sing’s doing the washing. Just what could go wrong?
Rating: G Words: 1,365
Washington Affair (The) – by Ahdavis
Summary: Just as the Civil War is coming to a close, Ben Cartwright arrives in Washington DC at the request of his old friend President Lincoln. Lincoln makes him an offer that could change his life, taking him away from this sons and the Ponderosa forever. If he refuses the offer, the powers that be have other plans to make him comply. But after a fateful night at Ford’s Theater, a medical emergency sends Ben into the lair of a vengeful doctor and an experience far worse than any amount of political scheming.
Rating T/PG 13: Contains brief coarse language Word count: 24,448
Summary: My entry for the Camp In the Pines 2018, the story grew from a pinecone about wasps attacking. If you read it, you will find the ending familiar. The rest of the story is a backstory for how that came to be. This is mostly a Hoss story but all members of the family play roles in the story.
rating =T word count = 6643
Waste Not, Want Not – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: We all know that thrift is a virtue, but the Cartwrights seem to take it to extremes, as the Giggly Sisters show.
Rated: K+
Watchers in the Snow – by KateP
Summary: There was a purpose behind their trip, and he knew it better than they did.
Rating: G (515 words)
Watching ‘Ponderosa’ – a REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: It couldn’t beat the original, but sure was good for a REALLY Lost Episode.
Rating: T 1,110 words
Water – by VRON
Summary: Just brief musings from Ben. (Written in response to a challenge some time last year.) (actually years ago)
Rating: G Words: 1,045
Summary: Joe Cartwright, fun loving, adventurous and free-spirited has been out of brother Adam’s good graces for sometime and wants desperately to restore their relationship. One brother water…the other brother oil. Can they find the mixing ingredient?
Rated G WC 10,280
Summary: Little Joe is searching the river when the memories come.
Rated: T Word count: 2592
Water, Fire, You May Say They’re Incompatible – by mumu74
Summary: Life is full with adventures. A lot of good things and bad things may happen. Life is like a river, not Sea of Tranquility. People plan things and hope, they will get that and that but they always find that there is twisting and turning. Sometimes people seem even to have forgotten that the hazards of the life can at times cause accidents in spite of all the precautions that one can take. Life is full of chance and luck, for good or ill. Everything depends on what people decide to do with so-called coincidences. Because accidents may provide ideas and opportunities of benefit to people who are enough sharp-sighted to see them.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 13,084
Summary: Branding is a busy time on the Ponderosa. But the weather brings problems that couldn’t be foreseen.
10,420 words Rated: T
Summary: A young widower, a small child, and a wonderful gift.
840 words, rated K
Summary: A trip to Yerington has tragic consequences for the Cartwrights.
Rating: PG Warning: Character Death 4,270 words
Wavering #2 – Silence – by Arien
Summary: This story follows “Wavering”
Rating: PG Warning: Character Death 4,339 words
Wavering #3 – Whispers – by Arien
Summary: Final installment of Wavering series, Hoss’ POV.
Word Count: 3208 Rating: K+
Summary: When Joe Cartwright returns to the Ponderosa after his annual month-long vacation, he discovers a world turned upside down where nothing is the same.
Rating: T 30,935 words
Way it Should Be (The) – by Lisa Orcutt
Summary: A new generation of Cartwrights breathes new life into the Ponderosa
Rating: Word Count: 5,500
Way it Wasn’t (The) – by JulieH
Summary: Adam manages to convince Ben that sending Little Joe away to college would be the best decision regarding his future. (Alternate Reality)
Rating: G Words: 12,135
Summary: When Adam disciplines Little Joe, Hoss has two brothers to console. Corporal punishment warning.
Rated: T Word count: 1418
Way Things Are (The) # 1 – by JulieS
Summary: Adam has returned home after several years away. However, he has come home not on his own terms but because he has a duty to perform.
Rating: K
Way Things Are (The) # 2 – History has a Habit – by JulieS
Summary: Joe comes home from San Francisco with a prospective new bride. Adam, for reasons of his own is determined to make sure she doesn’t become Mrs. Joe Cartwright.
Rating: K
Way Things Are (The) # 3 – When you Least Expect It – by JulieS
Summary: Adam goes away on assignment and gets a new perspective on life.
Rating: K
Way Things Are (The) # 4 – There’s Always Something – by JulieS
Summary: An old friend of the Cartwrights makes an appearance, causing Adam some concern.
Rating: K
Way Things Are (The) # 5 – The Choices we Make – by JulieS
Summary: An unexpected visitor brings a warning for Adam and a chance for Joe to find out Adam’s secret.
Rating: K
Way Things Are (The) # 6 – Looks Can Be Deceiving – by JulieS
Summary: Hoss gains possession of some counterfeit notes, which leads Adam and him to the town of Cross Roads and to trouble.
9,000 Rating K
Way Things Are (The) # 7 – One Thing or Another – by JulieS
Summary: An appearance in Virginia City of one of the ladies in Adam’s past causes some concern and trouble for the Cartwrights.
Rating: K 7,580 words
Way Things Are (The) # 8 – Just One of Those Days – by JulieS
Summary: Ben has an interesting day and learns more about Adam’s activities in Virginia City.
6,754 words Rating K
Way Things Are (The) # 9 – Nothing is What it Seems – by JulieS
Summary: Joe believes that Adam is on assignment and does all he can to find out what it is.
Rated: K+ 7,527 words
Way Things Are (The) #10 – You Can’t Keep an Old Lawman Down – by JulieS
Summary: Former sheriff of Virginia City, Roy Coffee believes that Adam Cartwright is now leading a life of crime and so he decides to do something about it.
Rated: G 7908 words
Way Things Are (The) #11 – Times Like These – by JulieS
Summary: The next story in this continuing series sees the return of Madison Albright .
Rated: G 6614 words
Way Things Are (The) #12 – The Nature of Life – by JulieS
Summary: The next story in this continuing series. Adam is arrested for the murder of Mitch Hawkins. Another matter then arises leaving Joe in a difficult position.
Rated: PG 9342 words
Way Things Are (The) #13 – Unexpected Changes – by JulieS
Summary: The Cartwrights and Candy find that as a result of recent events, their lives are about to change unexpectedly.
Rated: PG 7208 words
Way Things Are (The) #14 – Out on a Limb – by JulieS
Summary: A few weeks before his wedding, Hoss gets more than he bargained for after rescuing a lady in distress.
Rated: PG 8016 words
Way Things Are (The) #15 – A Time to Decide – by JulieS
Summary: Ben is asked to run for mayor of Virginia City. However, he finds out that it may not be as straightforward as it seems.
Rated: PG 7658 words
Way Things Are (The) #16 – The Company We Keep – by JulieS
Summary: An old friend of Ben’s comes to visit.
Rated: PG 7023 words
Way Things Are (The) #17 – When Opportunity Knocks – by JulieS
Summary: Joe is offered the chance to buy a hotel in Virginia City. As he sets about raising the finance he needs to buy it, he discovers that he isn’t the only one answering opportunity’s knock. 17th story in the series
Rated: PG 6,300 words
Way Things Are (The) #18 – A Moment in Time – by JulieS
Summary: Ben’s life is in danger and so the boys devise a plan to get him out off the ranch without him knowing the real reason why. The task falls upon Hoss and Candy, who both realise that it’s going to be hard to keep Ben safe and in the dark.
Rating: PG Word Count: 6,711
Way Things Are (The) #19 – To Live in Society – by JulieS
Summary: Adam realises that he has more to deal with than just the talk surrounding his son. He soon finds out that even though society deems that he act in one way, deep down his feelings propel him to a different outcome.
Rating: PG Word Count: 5829
We All Need a Backup Sometimes – DJK
Summary: Canon refers to Ben leaving the Ponderosa for a time after Marie’s death. This story presents a possibility for how Adam managed during this time. (This is an Old Ned story.)
Summary: An explanation and WHL for the episode The Iron Butterfly
Rating: G Words: 420
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
Summary: This was a poem I wrote shortly after Pernell Roberts’ death, remembering his accomplishments and wonderful character. It’s not sad! Those who love Adam or Pernell or any of his other characters will understand exactly what I’m writing about. Sweet dreams!
Rated: K+ WC 250
We Done Our Share – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: My entry for the March 2018 poetry challenge — It’s a little discussion among the brothers about loves lost which is spoken in three voices.
rating = PG13 word count = 282
Synopsis: Adam Cartwright is home again, but not everybody seems pleased about it….
Rating: K+ Word Count: 827
We’ll Be Home for Christmas – by Puchi Ann
Summary: Having promised Pa that they will be home for Christmas, the three Cartwright brothers are ahead of schedule as they return from a late-season shopping trip in San Francisco. A sudden snowstorm in the Sierras, however, may make keeping that promise or even staying alive – impossible.
Rated: K+ WC 15,000
Weaker Sex (The) – by PatD in PA
Summary: Marie Cartwright comes home from assisting a neighbor to find … well, you’ll see! Written for the 3rd Quarter Chaps and Spurs Challenge.
Rating: K/G Word Count: 1,726
Weather Vane aka Looking to Heaven – by BettyHT
Summary: Grief, a misunderstood statement, and a heartfelt wish collide with unexpected consequences in this prequel.
Rating: G 2,620 words
Weather Vane (The) #2 – Coming Home – by BettyHT
Summary: This is a sequel to the Advent story about the weather vane. It is not necessary to read that one first but it might make it easier to understand some small parts if you are familiar with the first story. The healing power of that weather vane continues to work, this time on Adam.
Rating: PG Word count: 3075
Webs of Fear – by AMG
Summary: Great loss, a small girl, and the difficult task of continuing to live. A story of misjudgement, traumas, fear, and Providence.
Rating: PG
Words: 34,600
Web of Lies – by Sierra Sirens
Synopsis: If the Cartwrights were around today would Virginia City be a metropolis housing the Ponderosa Corporation offices in a high rise? Would Adam drive a racing Jag and Hoss a pick-up truck? All this and a whole lot more happens when Little Joe is shot by a business rival. The Cartwrights become involved in dirty politics and everything hinges on missing computer files. Adam is beaten, battered and bereaved but keeps searching for answers, while Hoss holds everything together
Rating: PG
Word: 62,260
Wedding Announcement – by JoanS
Summary: The announcement of Joe’s wedding to Alice brings a variety of reactions from some of his old girlfriends.
Rated: K 7,735 words
Weekend Dad #1 – by Adam’s Lover
Summary: A modern day Adam Cartwright story, but all of the Cartwrights are also included throughout.
Rating: MA 93,000 words
Weekend Dad #2 – Seasons Of Change – by Adam’s Lover
Summary: Seasons of Change is a continuation story from Weekend Dad, a modern day Bonanza story featuring Adam. The story begins ten years after the end of Weekend Dad, and Jason is getting ready to head to college. The story will continue the four years Jason is in college until he graduates.
PG-13: Very mild language and implied sexual situations 201,225 words
Weekend Dad #3 – When They Were Young – by Adam’s lover
Summary: This story is a modern day story with Adam as the featured character and is a prequel to “Weekend Dad.”
PG-13: Very mild language and implied sexual situations 113,407 words
Welcome Back, Adam Cartwright – by mumu74
Summary: This is a short story: Romantic evening at the Ponderosa: Adam is back.
Rating: K+ 2,130 words
Summary: How I believe it would have been.
Rated: G 1,460 words
Summary: “…it ain’t your usual situation, and I ain’t sure how to explain—”.
Rated: K+ 1,220 words
Summary: Will Ben risk the life of one son to save another?
Rated: K 10,700 words
Summary: Little Joe has a high price to pay for a very expensive wish.
Rated: Family Friendly / Word count: 1025
Wenn Ein Löwe sein Haupt senkt – by angelina
Summary: Ben hat seinen Lebenswillen verloren. Erst als ein tragischer Unfall geschieht, wird ihm bewusst wie sehr er gebraucht wird.
Rated: K+ 2,930 words
Wet Bottom, Warm Heart #1 – by McFair
Summary: Deep inside 17 year old Little Joe Cartwright there’s an angry beast waiting to get out. It makes him say and do things he always regrets, like talking back to his Pa. After one such incident, his shame drives him away from the Ponderosa, straight into the arms of trouble – and the waiting rifle sight of a little golden-haired girl named Elizabeth Carnaby.
Rating: PG Word Count: 13,300
Wet Bottom, Warm Heart #2 – Sunshine with a Little Hurricane – by McFair
Summary: After 11 year old Elizabeth Carnaby saved Little Joe’s life, he promised to bring her to the Ponderosa. She arrives along with a sudden winter storm that blows in not only a little fun but a whole lot of trouble, including a killer named Fleet Rowse who is looking to make easy money by lightening the load in Ben Cartwright’s safe.
Rating: T 82,825 words
Wet Bottom, Warm Heart #3 – In the Darkness as in the Light – by McFair
Summary: A burned out stagecoach lies on its side, the victim of an Indian raid. There’s a name on the coach manifest that makes Joe Cartwright’s heart stand still. Can it be that Elizabeth Carnaby is dead? And, as the man who robbed the coach seeks personal vengeance against Ben Cartwright’s youngest son – can Joe himself survive?
Rated M. 101,760 words
Wet Bottom, Warm Heart #4 – Doubt that the Stars are Fire – by McFair
Summary: Eight years have passed since Joe and Bella met. Both have experienced great tragedy. A letter from Ben Cartwright paves the way for them to meet again. But is it too late for their love? This story takes place post-canon.
Rated: M for adult situations, language, and intense emotional drama. 62,200 words
What are These We Call Dreams – by BluewindFarm
Summary: Nightmares or metaphors, it all depends on the interpretation.
Rated: K Word Count: 1540
What Ben Saw out the Window – by debpet
Summary: What is it that Ben has spied out the window? And what are the Cartwrights going to do with it?
Rated: K+ WC 2000
What Child is This? – by Anne G
Synopsis: The Cartwright’s hire a new hand and his wife. A young Little Joe is especially drawn to the wife. The true meaning of Christmas revealed once again.
Rating: G 24,300 words
What Comes Around – by MissJudy
Summary: Ben took the leadership of his wagon train when the group decided to keep moving to Fort Laramie after the tragedy at Ash Hollow. With their journey nearly complete, Ben rides ahead to make arrangements with the cavalry at the fort, leaving others to move the wagons the 15 miles from the final campsite. He’s excited to see his group arrive, but soon realizes all is not well.
Rating: K Word Count: 16,263
What Did He Say? – by Krystyna
Summary: It pays to listen. After the fact, the family tries to figure out what Hop Sing said before returning to his kitchen.
Rating K 1,240 words
What Do You Want in A Man? – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: A poem I wrote for the Man In Black’s birthday.
Rated: K+ 260 words
What Ever Happened to the Lovely Mothers – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: Ben Cartwright reminisces about his three wives: Elizabeth, Inger, and Marie and their untimely deaths.
Rated: K+ (1,850)
Summary: The tragic events that devastate two families, bring them together once more twelve years later.
Rated: K+ WC 6300
Summary: A Christmas story in which Adam finds that cheating yourself isn’t as bad as one might think especially with the family he has.
Rating: PG Word count: 1,270
What Happened Instead for Death At Dawn – by AMG
Summary: What happened instead for the episode Death at Dawn
Rating: G
Words: 11,950
What He Wanted for Christmas – DJK
Summary: Ben wants to indulge Adam by giving him the one present he requested, but wherever does one buy a battery for a thirteen-year-old?
Rating: G 2,325 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Summary: How might a change in an episode early in the canon of Bonanza, change the episodes that followed? This is a collection of stories to show how life in the Cartwright family and in Virginia City would reflect the difference, while you try to figure what happened
Rating: PG Word Count: 28534
What If He Never Forgives Me? – by Bonanzaluver
Summary: a WHN to “My Brother’s Keeper”. Adam suffers the guilt of accidentally shooting Joe even after Joe recovers. Can Joe forgive Adam and will things ever be the same between them?
Rated: K+ 3,255 words
Summary: Joe has become unusually introspective, much to the consternation of his brothers.
WC 1600 Rated: K
What Kind of a Man Would I Be? – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: A bullet, a question, and the unconditional love of a brother.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 978
What Nobody Saw – by Devonshire
Summary: After a tragic accident Joe struggles with guilt and rejection. When his life is threatened and in despair he seeks refuge with a kindred spirit.
Rated K+ 9,960 words
What the Vultures Will Bring #1 – by Calim11
Summary: What Happened Next – The Crucible
Rating: T 9,985 words
What the Vultures will Bring #2 – The Light Home – by Calim11
Summary: WHN – The Crucible
Rating: T 22,225 words
What the Wind Blew In – by McFair
Summary: One day the wind blows in a woman claiming to be Ben Cartwright’s daughter. As her claim appears to be valid, Belle moves into the Ponderosa bringing trouble from her past in the form of a man who is obsessed with her and who blames Ben Cartwright for taking her mother away. Before the end the lives of the Cartwrights and the Ponderosa itself are in danger of going up in flames.
Rated: PG-13 Word count: 59, 034
What We Didn’t Choose – by BluewindFarm
Summary: Exploring what makes you who you are? The first sentence was the May 1, 2016 Pine Cone prompt to use. The original submission has been expanded so the story would meet the minimum word requirements for the Library.
Rating: K 635 words
What Would Adam Do? – by BettyHT
Summary: On the occasion of Mark Twain’s death, Adam tells his grandson a story that Mark told him about Adam’s brothers.
rating: K+ WC = 1091
Summary: When Hoss falls in love it causes a rift between him and his youngest brother, which effects all the family. Unbeknown to the family, the girl’s uncle has a dark secret that threatens to destroy all their lives.
Rated: T WC 23,000
What’s Keeping Them Now – by DJK
Summary: The Cartwright boys’ belles are left wondering what has happened this time.
Rated: T Word count: 1182
Summary: Adam risks his life in trying to follow his father’s teaching in doing right, but others have ulterior motives that thrust the Cartwrights into the middle of a fight they can’t afford to lose.
Rating: K+ 11,510 words
Summary: A ruthless mining baron takes on the might of the Ponderosa, prepared to do whatever it takes to get what he wants – including murdering the sons of Ben Cartwright.
Rated: T 9,030 words
Whatever It Takes #1 – by Wrangler
Summary: Whatever it Takes is the first story in this series. When Joe is seriously injured, the remedy serves to be much more harsh than anyone expected.
Rated: T WC 22,000
Whatever It Takes #2 – Absolute Faith – by Wrangler
Summary: Absolute Faith is the second story in this series.
Rated: T WC 32,000
Whatever It Takes #3 – A Part of the Main – by Wrangler
Summary: A Part of the Main is the third story in this series.
Rated: T WC 22,000
Whatever It Takes #4 – Mustard Seed – by Wrangler
Summary: Mustard Seed is part 4 of this series.
Rated: T WC 45,000
Whatever It Takes #5 – To Help a Stranger – by DebF
Summary: This is the 5th story of this series.
Rated: T WC 19,000
Whatever It Takes #5 – To Help a Stranger – by DebF
Summary: This is the 5th story of this series, graciously allowed by Wrangler who originated series.
Rated: T WC 19,000
Whatever It Takes #6 – Of One Breath – by Wrangler
Summary: After the death of his dearest friend, Joe takes a downward spiral. Can his father stop him before he surrenders to old temptations?
Rating: T (24,890)
Summary: To what length will Adam go to prove a stranger’s innocence?
Word count: 9,499
Summary: Years later Adam’s wheelchair from “The Triangle” comes out of the attic.
Rated: K+ Word count: 667
Wheels of Fate (The) #1 – by slaine89
Summary: In an alternate universe where Ben is dead and the boys grow up separated, will fate brings the Cartwrights back together once more?
Want to know of Joe’s life before Wheels of Fate? Read: A Spoke in the Wheel – Joe’s Story.
Rated: T 72,638 words
Wheels of Fate (The) #2 – A Spoke in the Wheel: Joe’s Story – by slaine89
Summary: This story looks at Joe’s early life based on the events told in The Wheels of Fate and how it was for him growing up outside of the Ponderosa’s protective wing. Alone as a boy Joe deals with rejection, prejudice, and loneliness.
Rated: T 12, 230 words
When a Child is Born – by Rona
Summary: Mary, two Josephs — one extremely jealous of the other, a baby waiting to be born, Christmas morning and a fight.
Rating: K+ 3,570 words
When Darkness Falls – by alyssajoy64
Summary: A stranger stumbles onto the Ponderosa, bringing changes, healing, heartache, and a secret past that will haunt them all. This story, in a very roundabout way, is a WHN for the “The Crucible”.
Rated: K WC 15,700
When Death Comes Callin’ – by DebbieB
Summary: When a young friend and Joe play hooky from school, Joe won’t tell his father the real reasons, until it’s too late. Ben then has to find the words to comfort his son and explain why God allows such things as an untimely death, to happen.
Rated G WC 15, 300
When Grace Heals a Broken Spirit – by MissJudy
Summary: The Triangle episode has always bothered me. It showed an upbeat Adam who was always chipper and jolly. Yet he’d been seriously injured, and was not having optimal outcomes when it came to walking again. He would certainly have gone through some very dark times while considering his future in a wheel chair. In addition, he had to have felt Laura’s coolness and emotional absence, since she loved Will. This is my personal adaptation of that episode with a little backstory. It is a realistic and gritty look at the likely medical outcomes of the fall; the emotional battles Adam would have faced, and the power of brotherly love.
Rating: K Word Count: 17425
When Hope and Fate Collide – by BluewindFarm
Summary: Everything was progressing smoothly, right up until it went so wrong. The brothers and their men drive their largest herd ever to Sacramento, California.
Rating: T 32,520 words
When I Wake Up – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: One of the Cartwright boys finds himself in a tight spot.
Rated: T 3,050 words
When Lies Wound a Broken Heart – by MissJudy
Summary: Ben’s presence with his family is sporadic and brief. Adam is feeling frazzled with running the ranch and caring for his brothers. Hop Sing is holding his breath wondering if the family can ever be the same, and Little Joe has heard something in town that his very young heart believes, despite all evidence to the contrary. (A prequel)
Rating: K Word Count: 9990
When Love and Hate Collide #1 – by Rona
Summary: A woman looking to buy horses sees the start of a new romance for Joe.
Rated: T 14,080 words
When Love and Hate Collide #2 – How Do I Love Thee? – by Rona
Summary: The sequel to ‘When Love and Hate Collide’. Leigh decides to reclaim Joe as her own.
Rated: T 9,000 words
When October Goes – by Wrangler
Summary: Ben disowns Little Joe; Adam fights him in town and Hoss ignores him. Now everyone wants to know why. The reason lies in October.
Rating T, WC 41,844
Summary: Adam tries to keep the family together while Ben is away
Rated: K 8,845 words
When Smiles Reach the Heart – by AC1830
Summary: Still too restless to head straight home after three years of travel, Adam makes a detour to Ireland. There he discovers the warmth of the people and their strength to overcome adversity. A new friend teaches him a certain truth about the Irish people.
Rating: T, Word Count: 24,164
When Sorrows Come – by Doolittle
Summary: WHN “The Crucible”
Rating: T 9,925 words
When Spring Comes Again – by Foreverfree
Summary: Two years ago, the girl Joe Cartwright loved moved away and married another man without an explanation or even a goodbye. Now she is back – as a young widow.
Rating: T Word Count: 5,543
When the Autumn Moon is Bright – by McFair_58
Summary: Adam goes looking for his little brother in the woods on All Hallows Eve and finds more than he bargains for.
Word count: 2497 Rated: PG
When the Big Man Falls – by DJK
Summary: A young girl must save Hoss’ life when he is left to die.
Rated: T Word count: 6479
When the Dawn Seemed Forever Lost – by patina
Summary: In the wake of Marie’s death, the Cartwrights cope with the loss of the woman who was like spring year-round. Adam is 15, Hoss is 11, and Little Joe is 4.
Rating: K+ Word Count=26,509
When the Hate is Gone – by AC1830
Summary – Written for the 2018 Bonano Challenge on Bonanza Brand. A Missing scene for The Stranger – When Ben rides off with Charles Leduque, heading to New Orleans, how do his sons react after being told not to follow or rescue their father? They are Cartwrights after all.
Rating = K, Word count = 5306
When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Ponderosa Pie — A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Inspired by the famous song sung by Perry Como and Dean Martin.
Rating: T 1,500 words
When the Storm Passes – by DebbieB
Summary: More than dark clouds are brewing for the Cartwrights. Joe’s been accused of being involved in the recent trouble about town and the accusations have a grave affect on all his family, but mostly for himself.
Rated G WC 20,300
When the Sun Goes Down – by Mia
Summary: When life after loss seems too hard to deal with, Adam sneaks out for a night ride.
Rating: PG Words (8,145)
When the Time Comes – by Gwynne
Summary: Deeply troubled after his return from the Civil War, Adam finds redemption in helping a Rebel seek justice.
Rating: T 21,780 words
When Will I See You Again? – by Claire
Summary: Secrets from the past are revealed and cast new light on all the Cartwrights and cause them to re-evaluate their relationships with one another. But some secrets should remain hidden…
Rated: T 16,70 words
When Winners Become Losers – by wx4rmk
Summary: A simple, late summer day quickly turns more complicated than any of the Cartwrights could have imagined potentially changing one Cartwright’s life forever.
Rating: PG Word Count: 3466
When Words are Hard to Find – by MissJudy
Summary: Adam’s return from college has Ben saying and doing everything wrong, with no clue as to why he’s acting that way, yet unable to make any adjustments in his behavior to stop the building crisis. The tension in the house comes to a head as Adam is severely injured in a fall and Ben finds out that his son has made plans to leave the ranch and take a job as an engineer in San Francisco. As Adam’s condition unexpectedly worsens, Ben finds the right words to say, but fears it may be too late to make a difference. Paul Martin and Hop Sing play important roles in easing these two powerful Cartwrights back together.
Rated: K+ WC 9200
When You Remember Me – by Wrangler
Summary: After a serious head injury wipes out part of Pa’s memory, Doctor Martin is unsure if Ben will ever remember one of his sons.
Rating T WC 24,300
Whenever You’re in Trouble – by Rona
Summary: Sometimes you don’t have to ask for help — it’s always there.
Rating: PG 6,235 words
Where Angels Fear to Tread – by pkmoonshine
Summary: A certain Cartwright must find within him the wherewithal to face his greatest fear. The life of another may well depend on it.
Rating K+
Where Ghosts Walk – by Ellie248
Summary: Joseph Cartwright returns to the Ponderosa to find everything has changed in his absence – for the worst
Rating K 4,116 words
Where Love Once Lived – by DebbieB
Summary: After a stampede scatters the herd, the only one missing is Little Joe. What happens afterward turns out to be a living nightmare for all the Cartwrights.
Rated PG WC 20,100
Where Spiders Fear to Tread – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: “Don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down…” I repeated the phrase over and over again under my breath, as I took another careful step forward. A Little Joe story.
Rating: K+ for mild swearing and angst 1,475 words
Where the Cards Fell – by SydneyFate
Summary: Adam Cartwright and Black Bear deal out justice in Carson City. This story was written for the Chaps & Spurs 2025 2nd Quarter Challenge.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 2192
Where There is Life, There is Hope – by DebbieB
Summary: It was a trying time when Joe got sick on me and then both of us were held prisoners by a gang of thugs who were seeking revenge on our father for something that happened long ago. I was afraid that Joe was dying…but something somebody once said to me came to mind, ‘where there is life, there is hope’…I clung to that. Come on in, I’ll tell you all about it. Adam.
Rated G WC 8,350
Where There is Love – by JennieA
Summary: Unforeseen circumstances finds the Ponderosa falling into devious hands making the entire Cartwright family victims of an evil scheme.
Rated: PG-13 some violence 25,475 words
Where There’s a Will – by JoanS
Summary: Ben decides to update his will, which causes his sons some anxiety
Rated: K 10,855 words
Where There’s Life There’s Hope – by Terri
Summary: Disobedient sons, worried brothers, irate fathers, twins, rustlers, suffering and repentance all go together to make the following story.
Rated: K WC 25,000
Summary: Characters from TV’s “Highway to Heaven” visit the Ponderosa and help Joe get ready for a cattle drive.
Rating: K 5,910 words
Where’s Little Joe – by frasrgrl
Summary: Adam was put in charge of watching two year old Little Joe while Ben and Marie are in town, but there’s a problem. Where did he disappear to?
Rated: K
Where’s My Horse? – by ViveAdam
Summary: Daisy Lovecraft can’t help borrowing every others’ belongings. One day, she borrows Cochise…
Rated: K WC 1100
Which Brother? – by southplains
Summary: Which brother is Adam closest to? It’s a question that seems to keep popping up, and when I saw it come up again on a forum thread on another site, Adam told me it was time to set people straight. He’s ready to talk.
Rated: K+ WC 2000
Which World Survives – by Donna
Summary: Joe’s life as he knows it has changed ~ and when he finds himself living in the world he knows along with the life of his past, which wins?
19,725 words Rated K+
While Holding a Colicky Baby at Night – by dbird
Summary: The Cartwright family learns that trials and blessings sometimes go hand in hand.
Rated: K+ 5,715 words
Summary: With Marie freshly buried and Ben locked away in his room, the boys are left alone to deal with their own grief.
Rated G WC 7,760
While Shepherds Watched – by JoaniePaiute
Summary: “Real shepherds can be downright ornery,” Hoss tells his little brother, but 6-year-old Joe is determined to see for himself.
Rated: K+ WC 2900
While There’s Still Time – by BettyHT
Summary: Adam gets some bad news but decides to use those circumstances to do a good deed. That whole situation turns out to be far more complicated and dangerous than he had imagined until it affects his whole family.
Rating: T Word count: 18,031
Summary: When Joe becomes involved with a friend whose father turns out to be an abusive parent, the man’s actions have a devastating affect on all of the Cartwrights, especially Little Joe.
Rated PG WC 12,100
Summary: Joe finds solace from an unexpected source.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 9161
Summary: Written for the 2016 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar.
Rating: K 1,800 words
Summary: The 2013 Christmas challenge was to write a story that reflects on your favorite Christmas Carol. One of my favorites is White Christmas.
Rated: K (1,155)
Summary: Jamie tries to learn more about his oldest new brother, but gets something unexpected in the end!:
Rating: G Words: 1,800
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
Summary: “The Gift”, as told by Joe.
Rate: K+ 4,760 words
Summary: There’s a broken window on the Ponderosa but who’s guilty?
Rated: Family Friendly / Word count: 1025
Who Kidnapped Joseph Cartwright? – by lolo1999
Summary: Annie, Sarah, and Katie kidnap Little Joe while he’s on business.
Rated: K+ 875 words
Who Spake by the Prophets – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The Biblical properties of Bonanza are scrutinised by the Giggly Sisters, as only they can do.
Rated: K+ WC 1700
Who Would Miss Me – by BettyHT
Summary: Adam left home to pursue a dream but it didn’t work out. Returning wasn’t an option so he chose a different course that eventually brought him home during a crisis. Adam and Candy are the most prominently featured characters.
Rating: PG Word count: 15,594
Summary: A mystery to be answered in your own mind.
Rating: T 1,955 words
Who’s Child is This? – by Starlite
Summary: It’s Christmas on the Ponderosa and the Cartwrights have an unexpected visitor.
Rated: G 5,950 words
Whole Story (The) – by Starlite
Summary: What is so hard about picking up the mail?
Rated: G 3,500 words
Whose Child is This? – by DebbieB
Summary: When Joe turns up missing, Ben must confront his past if he ever wishes for a future with his son.
PG WC 27,000
Whose Sin is Her Love – by McFair_58
Summary: Adah Menken and John C. Regan return to Virginia City stirring up old emotions and creating new trouble for the Cartwrights.
Rated PG-13 for western brutality, violence and adult situations Word count: 55, 282
Why Didn’t She Love Me? – by DebbieB
Summary: In real life, it’s a question many adopted children ask in regard to their birth mothers, mine did…and I told him the truth…she loved him very much, that’s why she made the ultimate sacrifice…to ensure that he would always be protected and well cared for. For Joe Cartwright’s friend, it was no different.
Rated G WC 10,000
Why I’m Thankful for my Brother – by patina
Summary: Joe is out of school for Thanksgiving vacation. Of course Joe can’t stay out of trouble and causes headaches for Adam. As punishment, Ben makes both sons write essays concerning why they are thankful for the other. Read their essays and see if they truly are thankful for each other.
Rating: K Word Count=3541
Why Jesus is Better than Santa – by DebbieB
Summary: As explained to Little Joe by his father and brothers.
Rated G WC 1,780 words
Summary: A widow arrives in Virginia City who has had connections with the Countess of Chadwick. She also has connections with someone else from the Cartwrights past that cast a long shadow.
Rated: K+ 27,915 words
Wild Justice – by PonderosaCartwrights
Summary: All is quiet on the Ponderosa, until two strangers show up. Now, things start to twist and turn. Join in as Little Joe & Hoss, along with Ben & Adam, try and figure out how to get themselves out of yet another jam.
Rated: T 33,685 Words
Wild Oats – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: On a cold winter’s night, with help from a bottle of Bear Paw Johnson’s white lighting, what could the Cartwright boys ever find to talk about while their pa was sleeping soundly on the only bed in a ratty old line shack?
WC: 7425 Rated: R
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple five-day trip home via a stage coach for Adam and Joe.
Rating: T WC 12,500
Summary: Adam fights wildfire in more ways than one when he has a chance encounter with an Indian boy while riding home through the desert
Rated: T 9,060 words
Summary: Ben and Adam are waylaid and left to die. Will all be lost or will unexpected help keep that pale rider at bay?
Rated: PG-13 for Western-style violence 9,355 words
Will I Get Any Taller? – By BettyHT
Summary: Twelve-year-old Little Joe Cartwright looks at his big brothers and is impatient to be as tall as they are and wants so much to break horses, but then he asks that most important question and gets an answer he definitely didn’t expect. It’s another of those tall tales his brother can tell so well.
Rating: PG Word count: 1,236
Will It Ever Stop Snowing – by BettyHT
Summary: A snowstorm leads to some changes for two families.
Rating: PG Word count: 5409
Wind Beneath My Wings – by DebbieB
Summary: We all know how Adam felt towards his youngest brother. But have you ever really known how he felt, deep, deep down into the very core of his heart and soul? Adam pays tribute to his baby brother after Joe fights for days keeping him alive.
Rated G WC 13,500
Winkin, Blinkin, & Nod – by Starlite
Summary: Hoss negotiates his first big contract, with a little help from his family.
Rated: G 8,550 words
Summary: A story of the events leading up to Adam’s illness that led Ben to reflect on his first wife in Elizabeth, My Love.
Rating: K+ 8,188 words
Summary: Unexpected guests in the depth of winter bring trouble in their wake.
Rating: PG 9,800 words
Summary: There are times, when Christmastime isn’t so joyous.
Rating: G (220 words)
Summary: Unable to participate in a winter activity with his brothers, Joe finds a way to take matters into his own hands.
Rated: PG
Word Count: 15,000
Summary: just a flight of fancy
Rating: G 1,275 words
Winter Tales #1 – Bird Hunt (by BettyHT)
Summary: Hungry for something other than beef for dinner, Hoss gets his family to go on a bird hunt, but Adam ends up in a difficult situation as a result. This is the first of three stories about the family in which winter is the setting and hunting is the theme.
Rating: PG WC: 4,153
Winter Tales #2 – House Hunt (by BettyHT)
Summary: Retaliation for a prank leads to revenge and a mystery which relieves some of the boredom of a long snowy winter.
Rating: PG Word Count: 3,079
Winter Tales #3 – Scavenger Hunt – by BettyHT
Summary: Joe has a plan to bring some excitement into a dull winter but Joe’s plans have a way of bringing unintended consequences. Nothing new there but again the family has something to say about what happens.
Rating: PG Word Count: 2,506
Wisdom Comes with Age – by patina
Summary: All Adam wanted was a quiet evening at home to mark his birthday. Was that too much to ask?
Rating: K+ Word Count=5209
Summary: Adam and Joe are fighting again. This time they learn to be careful what they wish for!
11,424 words Rating: K+
Some wishes come true as hoped for, some wishes just can’t be, and some wishes come true in ways not expected. It is the middle of winter and two weeks before Christmas. Joe and Adam find stowaways hiding in their wagon.
Rating: G
Word Count: 6,614
Summary: A few lost hours for Adam and Joe during the episode ‘A Stranger Passed This Way’.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 7494
Summary: Joe is invited to a birthday party on Hallowe’en. Spooky goings-on culminate in near tragedy.
Rated: T 10,465 words
Witches Coven #2 – Witch Hunt – by Rona
Summary: A sequel to The Witches Coven
Ben returns home with bad news for the family, but Joe in particular. Patty is once more at large.
Rated: T 9,850 words
Witches Coven #3 – Jock – by Rona
Summary: This is the story of the mysterious Jock, the ranch hand mentioned in The Witches Coven and Witch Hunt.
7,405 words Rated: T
Summary: Death doesn’t put an end to our relationships with the ones we love. Especially at Christmas!
Rating: G Words: 1,655
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
With the Dawn Comes Mourning – by Calim11
Summary: Civil War – The morning’s coming and there’s only one place Captain Adam Cartwright needs to be.
Rated: K+ 6,220 words
Summary: The Cartwrights attend a wedding.
Rating: K Word Count=1301
Summary: The sale of a couple of horses leads to a frightening ordeal for Joe.
10,535 words Rated: T
Summary: Little Joe’s best friend is killed in an unfortunate accident and Joe holds himself responsible. How will he ever overcome his guilt?
Rated G WC 8200
Summary: Adam and Joe fall in love with the same woman, and Ben has a secret that may well tear the Cartwrights apart.
Rated: T WC 30,200
Summary: The brothers share a bittersweet day. Written for the July 15 Pinecone Challenge and very slightly expanded for inclusion here.
Rating: K WC: 576
Witness Tree (The) – by AC1830
Summary: Adam has been back from college for a few months but is having a hard time settling in with the ranch hands and his brothers. Through the wisdom of his father he learns some lessons about being a boss and a brother. A What-Happens-Years-Before the episode The Grand Swing.
Rating – K+, WC – 9978
Wizard of POZ meets the Ponderosa (The) – by LindaBl
Summary: A funny parody of Bonanza and The Wizard of Oz
Rating: G
Wizard of the Ponderosa (The) – by Bonanzaluver
Summary: Ben and the boys have the yearly duty of going to the orphan house and reading to the children every Christmas season. This year when Ben doesn’t know what to read, he is given some inspiration by his sons. Enjoy!
Rated: K+ 1,830 words
Wolf in the Wind – by freyakendra
Summary: Seeking shelter in a line shack during an early spring ice storm, Joe encounters a family of moonshiners he doesn’t stand the chance of fighting. He can do nothing but hold to the thin hope that his family will reach him in time.
Rated: T Word Count: 25,000
Women’s Work Matters – by sklamb
Summary: Virginia City, traditionally, was a place for men to come and make their fortunes, but the gentler elements of society had their own contributions to make–especially at Christmas!
Rating: G 1,900 words
Note: This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, posted in the Forums.
Wooing of Abigail Jones as Told by Hoss – by BettyHT
Summary: A spoof. All is not as it seems in this version of the story.
PG 1,808
World Goes Still (The) – by Arien
Summary: A What Happened Next for the episode “My Brother’s Keeper.”
Rated: G Word Count: 3567
World Is The Totality of Facts (The) – by claire
Summary: Unpleasant news affects Adam profoundly and Joe must battle to help his brother find new meaning in life.
Rated: K 8,250 words
Worst that Could Happen (The) – by Rona
Summary: On his return home, Adam finds Joe’s life in danger. But is everything as it seems? This story has a sort of Halloween connection, but isn’t spooky.
4,555 words Rated: T
Worst Thing (The) – by BettyHT
Summary: A story for Father’s Day as the sons discuss Ben and the worst things he has ever done to them, and the conversation leads to an entirely different conclusion.
Rating = K+ WC = 1053
Worth Fighting For – by No1ButJoe
Summary: A What Happened Instead to The Crucible. What if Joe went with Adam? WARNINGS: Rated due to bad language, descriptive violence, and extremely harmful injuries.
Rating: T Word count: 58390
Summary: After falling out, Adam and Joe discover what is worth fighting for.
6,865 words Rated: T
Summary: There is more than one way to die. A man can still be breathing and yet not living as Joe has discovered. Somebody is sent to find a lost soul and turn him for home once more.
Written for the 2019 Advent Calendar
Rating: G Word Count: 1950
Wrapped in Wild Snow – by Rona
Summary: Going to try and rescue a neighbour, the Cartwrights find themselves to be the ones in need of rescue. Can the courage of one of them save the others?
5,865 words Rated: T
Summary: Summary: Pa volunteers Adam when the pastor needs someone to bring his Christmas vision to life. The result: two rebellious sons in need of some brotherly wisdom.
Written for the 2019 Advent Calendar
Rating: K+ Word Count: 1,660
Wrath of the Wailing Widow (The) – by DJK
Summary: The Wailing Widow is just a local legend, but Little Joe, Mitch, and Sally Lynn may convince a certain teacher that legends do come true. Written for the 2017 Michael Landon Birthday Challenge.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 4009
Wrong Child (The)_– by Lisa Orcutt
Summary: A grieving father takes the death of his son out on Little Joe.
Rating: PG Word Count: 10,000
Wrong Side of the Law – by chellek
Summary: When their stagecoach comes under attack, Joe and Adam struggle to protect their fellow passengers.
Rated: T 10,710 words
Wrong Type of Woman (The) – by the Silver Dollar Belles
Summary: A Woman with a sordid past comes to Virginia City and causes problems for Joe and the rest of the Cartwrights.
Rated: MA