A Penny Saved, A Lesson Learned – by pbeaking
Summary: I’ve written several prequels, but this is my first adult Cartwright story. Joe and Hoss have a falling out and Hoss is deeply hurt by Joe’s actions. Will Joe be able to make things right again?
Rating: K+ 6700
All But One Sense – by pbeaking
Summary: Joe is coming of age and is becoming quite the ladies’ man. This is just a short story of how Adam and Hoss tamed the wild beast within, but knowing Joe, it certainly won’t be for long. It’s a short story, but comes from the heart. It was written when I lost my sister to cancer and needed a good laugh.
Rating: K+ 1700
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
Camping at Eagle’s Rock – by pbeaking
Summary: This story branches off from the Episode entitled “Between Heaven and Earth.” In that episode Ben mentions to Joe that he had a scary experience when he was five years old at Eagle’s Nest. This story is about that experience and what made Joe afraid of heights.
Rating: G 6,400 words
Christmas Gift (The) – by pbeaking
Summary: Ben’s granddaughter, Lizzy gives her grandfather a special Christmas gift. This story touches upon the importance of family, remembering those who have passed and those that cannot be with us. Just a short story for the Holiday Season. Enjoy!
Rating: K 1,780 words
Come Hell or High Water – by pbeaking
Summary: This story highlights what happens when you have a friendly game between three brothers, two not so bright criminals, a heaping amount of missing chicken, and a desire to use word association to your best advantage.
Rating: K+ WC 11,800
Summary: Adam and Joe fight and Ben steps in to help.
Rating: K+ 80
Summary: This is a WHB The Burma Rarity. All we know is that Ben drew Clementine’s name from a fish bowl at a picnic prior to the episode. This story attempts to shed some light on what happened at that picnic to make Ben so non eager to be around the Widow Hawkins.
Rating: G 9,060 words
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
Grandest Aqueduct (The) – by pbeaking
Summary: Adam brings a well known engineer from California to help Virginia City with their water problems. Alexis von Schmidt proves to be a brilliant man with brilliant ideas, but is he the best answer for Virginia City and its residents?
Rating: K+ 9,500 words
Howling at the Moon – by pbeaking
Summary: Joe becomes concerned that his brother may be something other than human after reading a book about the behaviorisms of non-human beings. When Adam gets wind of Joe’s beliefs, he decides to have a little fun with younger brother.
Rating: K+ WC 5300
Summary: Joseph Francis Cartwright awaits sentencing. The judge is quick to blame the adults in his life for the boy’s actions. What can Joe say in defense?
Rating: K+ 1500
Summary: In honor of Father’s Day… Ben Cartwright is the perfect model of a father, but even he can make mistakes with his children. This story is about how he acted in haste. He now must rekindle the relationship with his son, Hoss.
Rating: K+ WC 3400
Summary: Nine year old Hoss Cartwright wants so very much to excel in school like his older brother, particularly when it comes to math. The pressure he puts on himself to achieve leads him to an act of indiscretion. Can he ever make things right again?
Rating: K+ WC 4900
Inner Strength – Part I – by pbeaking
Summary: Joe and Ben head out on a father and son journey to town, but a stop along the way causes unforeseen problems. Can the two rely on their inner strength to see them through?
Rating: K+ 3300
Inner Strength – Part II – by pbeaking
Summary: Sequel to Inner Strength. Ben and Joe try to put the memories of their trip to town behind them. They must now rely on their inner strength to help them see past the guilt, anger, and pain. Can Joe forgive himself for what happened and allow the healing to begin?
Rating: K+ 4450
Little Joe Cartwright, Thief – by pbeaking
Summary: Little Joe finds himself in trouble when he is caught stealing from the mercantile. There’s no denying that he did do it, but why? Now he must face his father and explain his actions. This was my first story ever. Warning: it does contain corporal punishment.
Rating: T WC 1900
Summary: As we come upon the 17th anniversary of Michael Landon’s passing July 1st, 1991, I’ve been trying to think of a way to celebrate what he has left for us all. This is a different sort of story because it is written in rhyme. I find I can express myself easier that way. These ditties, as I so call them, happen to be a hobby of mine. I hope you will enjoy my tribute to Michael, for I feel he has left his mark on the world in many ways.
Rating: K 1,060 words
Summary: Joe decides to play a trick on Adam out on a cattle drive; Little does he realize his actions will trigger a horrendous memory for Adam from his youth.
Rating: K+ WC 4200
My Brother’s Shadow – by pbeaking
Summary: Adam is leaving and Hoss finds an interesting way to express his feelings and fears about his departure
Rating: K+ WC 1150
Never Fool with a Horse’s Tassel – by pbeaking
Summary: Adam and Hoss get into a mess of trouble when Adam invents something to help him with a daily chore. Please read this little story to see how I incorporated the five words needed to meet this challenge: medieval, tassel, commence,
Rating: K WC 1800
No Love without Forgiveness, No Forgiveness withoug Love – by pbeaking
Summary: Have you ever wanted something so badly that you’d do anything to get it? Let’s just say Little Joe and his best friend Mitch find out the hard way that sometimes finders keepers end up being finders weepers. Contains reference to corporal punishment.
Rating: K+ 4,485 words
Summary: Adam and Hoss Cartwright reflect on the memory of an old ranch hand.
Rating K Words 800
Picking up the Pieces – by pbeaking
Summary: Ben returns to the Ponderosa after a month long absence in San Francisco. He brings along a long-time family friend as a guest in the house. A warm homecoming soon turns into turmoil when Joe finds this guest a threat to his mother’s memory and Adam adds to the issues by choosing to announce his plans for the future at the most inopportune time. It is up to Ben to pick up all the pieces and reassemble his family once more.
Rating: K+ WC 12,000
Summary: Ben has just found the very spot he wants to call home. Can he look past his fear and build his dream into a reality?
Rating: K 650
Summary: The Cartwright boys build a scarecrow for the Harvest Festival. Little do they realize how one scarecrow on display in the middle of the schoolyard could cause such trouble.
Rating: K 4,060 words
Summary: When young little Joe is injured, his family tries to ease his fears by revealing some of their own scars.
Rating: G 2,590 words
Scent of French Cologne (The) – by pbeaking
Summary: Little Joe gets into trouble when he goes into his father’s room without permission. The 8 year old sets his mind at making things right again. Adam and Hoss try to help their little brother, but in the end it is Ben who teaches them all an important lesson. Mild reference to corporal punishment .
Rating: K+ WC 5500
Summary: The loss of Marie has caused Ben to lose his desire for life itself. He has withdrawn from his work, his friends, and most importantly his family. He has taken his anger out in town and now must face the consequences for his actions. Can Roy Coffee and his boys help Ben realize that life is still worth living?
Rating: K+ 4,820 words
Summary: Life is like skipping stones, Sometimes you sail freely through it, Sometimes you bump and recover and Sometimes you simply falter. This story highlights all the Cartwrights on their journey through life and how they influence each other.
Rating: K+ WC 3900
Taming of the Scrooge – by pbeaking
Summary: Ten Year old Adam Cartwright must face a tough challenge in Mrs. Viola Watkins; a widow woman who is simply a scrooge. Can a falling out between them actually bring them together?
Rating: K 7.865 words
Summary: A young Hoss finds out that he has a talent for nursing animals back to health. In fact, he’s been so successful at it that he thinks he can cure any and all creatures. This leads to trouble for the Cartwright brothers.
Rating: K 6,240 words
Two Thousand Miles – by pbeaking
Summary: This story is centered around what it was like for 7 year old Adam out on the trail with his Pa. It covers the two thousand mile journey they made with others traveling west in search of their new life. It describes their heartaches and joys and feelings of apprehension as they pushed on day after day not truly knowing what lay ahead.
Rating: K 10,035 words
Summary: 12 year old Adam Cartwright decides to try smoking with his friends. When the sheriff surprises the boys, their simple act of mischief turns in to near tragedy.
Rating: K+ WC 6300
