{"id":13452,"date":"2016-11-06T15:59:56","date_gmt":"2016-11-06T20:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13452"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:41:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:41:23","slug":"ponderosa-tiger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13452","title":{"rendered":"Ponderosa Tiger (by AC1830)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>Adam gets into a sticky mess at Halloween. \u00a0This is a fun story written for an October 2015 photo challenge. \u00a0The posted picture was the challenge – what were Hoss and Joe looking at?<\/p>\n

Rating K\u00a0\u00a0 Word count = 1000<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ponderosa Tiger<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing!\u00a0 Hop Sing!\u201d\u00a0 I flew into the house letting the door slam against the credenza.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t care, this was an emergency!\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing!!\u201d\u00a0 Where is he?\u00a0 He always appears before we even call.\u00a0 Where is he when I really need him?!<\/p>\n

Pa appeared around the corner from his desk. \u201cAdam, what\u2019s wrong?\u00a0 Calm down and\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Pa never finished his sentence.\u00a0 I saw his look.\u00a0 I will never forget it.\u00a0 My appearance must be worse than I thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, what happened to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot now, Pa.\u00a0 I need Hop Sing.\u00a0 Where the hell is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

I ran into the kitchen.\u00a0 Hop Sing was just coming in the back door.\u00a0 I grabbed him, making him spill his basket of beans.\u00a0 He cursed at me in Chinese then yelled in English.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you do?!\u00a0 You pick up beans! Why you make mess?! Mr. Adam clean up\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked up at me.\u00a0 He had that wide-eyed look too. Same as Pa\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Adam, what happen you?\u00a0 What this?\u00a0 You okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing, I need your help.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got to get this off.\u00a0 I can\u2019t look like this tomorrow.\u00a0 Please help me. Say you can fix it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Forgetting the beans on the floor, he grabbed my arm and dragged me into the living room by the fire \u2013 the brightest light.\u00a0 He looked at my face, turning my head from side to side with his hand.\u00a0 Next, he swiped a finger down my cheek.\u00a0 He licked his finger, smacking his tongue as he rolled his eyes upward in thought.\u00a0 Finally, he leaned in real close and sniffed.\u00a0 I rolled my eyes and looked at Pa.\u00a0 Pa was no help.\u00a0 I could see he was doing his best trying not to laugh (and failing miserably).<\/p>\n

My patience was wearing thin.\u00a0 \u201cWell?\u00a0 Can you get it off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing know what to do, but take time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much time?\u201d\u00a0 I asked, panicked and suspicious.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot before tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 Hop Sing ducked as I swung my arms up in frustration, and he disappeared into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u00a0 Do something.\u00a0 I can\u2019t go to town like this tomorrow.\u00a0 This is a disaster!\u201d\u00a0 I ran my hands through my hair and sank into the blue chair.<\/p>\n

Getting control of his mirth, Pa laid a gentle hand on my shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSon, let\u2019s calm down.\u00a0 While we wait for Hop Sing, why don\u2019t you tell me what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

I sighed loudly then looked up into Pa\u2019s face.\u00a0 His amusement at my situation still danced in his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright.\u00a0 As you know, I was at the orphanage this morning with Joe and Hoss.\u00a0 We got all the leaves and twigs cleaned up after the storm.\u00a0 After all the work, Mrs. Miller invited us to stay for the Halloween Party.\u00a0 Joe and Hoss had other plans but I said I would stay, and offered to help where needed.\u00a0 One of the activities was to paint a picture of a pumpkin.\u00a0 Mrs. Miller asked me to carry a pail of orange paint out to the table to fill up some smaller jars.\u00a0 Before I got to the table some boys came running across the room not looking where they were going.\u00a0 I hollered for them to watch out but it was too late.\u00a0 Me, the pail, and the four boys all went tumbling.\u00a0 The paint went everywhere.\u00a0 Sadie Watkins was there and came over to help.\u00a0 She took me back to the kitchen to try to get the paint off my face.\u00a0 All she did was smear it around.\u00a0 I thanked her for her help and shot out the back door to get home as fast as I could, hoping Hop Sing could help.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I have got to get cleaned up.\u00a0 I can\u2019t look like this tomorrow, and there is no one who can take my place.\u00a0 What is taking Hop Sing so long?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Just then, I heard the sound of horses pounding into the yard.\u00a0 Loud boot steps on the porch told me one thing.\u00a0 My brothers were home. \u00a0I jumped from the chair and started to run for the kitchen, but I didn\u2019t make it. I froze just as the door burst open.\u00a0 I was caught in the middle of the room with nowhere to hide.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey Pa, Adam!\u00a0 Guess what we heard\u2026\u201d\u00a0 They froze.\u00a0 They\u2019d seen me.\u00a0 Their expressions would be forever carved in my memory.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 face was stopped in mid word as he tried to make sense of my appearance.\u00a0 Joe had cocked his head and had a sickly green look on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cA-Adam?\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s voiced squeaked.\u00a0 Suddenly, the room was filled with his high-pitched cackle, as he pointed at me and threw himself onto Hoss\u2019 back.\u00a0 Hoss, while laughing with tears streaming down his cheeks, just looked at me and pointed to the mirror by the long clock.<\/p>\n

I crept over to the mirror, afraid to look, and could not believe what I saw.\u00a0 Staring back at me was a jack-o-lantern\u2019s face, orange all over with my dark eyes glaring out, my black eyebrows angled down toward my orange nose, and a snarled smirk on my lips.\u00a0 The rest of me looked like a tiger as the orange paint had run in streaks down my black shirt in stripes.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh Lord.\u00a0 Pa!\u201d\u00a0 I spun around to find my father laughing as hard as my brothers.\u00a0 Hop Sing had come out too, laughing and shaking his head at my appearance. \u201cI am supposed to substitute for Abigail Jones at school tomorrow.\u00a0 How am I going to do that looking like this?\u201d\u00a0 I raised my hands to indicate my appearance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know son,\u201d Pa said through fits of laughter.\u00a0 \u201cBut at least you have your Halloween costume all set for tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sent everyone, except for yours truly, into louder gales of laughter that I\u2019m sure could be heard clear to Virginia City.\u00a0 I stood with my feet spread apart, knees locked, and arms crossed over my chest, and glared at each person, hoping for this Halloween nightmare to end.<\/p>\n

The End<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright,\u00a0Family<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 Adam gets into a sticky mess at Halloween. \u00a0This is a fun story written for an October 2015 photo challenge. \u00a0The posted picture was the challenge – what were Hoss and Joe looking at?<\/p>\n

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