{"id":1576,"date":"2009-08-20T14:57:40","date_gmt":"2009-08-20T18:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1576"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:22:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:22:29","slug":"reading-writing-and-reeling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1576","title":{"rendered":"Reading, Writing, and Reeling (by the Giggly Sisters)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>The Cartwrights are marvelous dancers. Who on earth taught them?<\/p>\n

Rating: K+ \u00a0WC 1700<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reading, Writing, and Reeling<\/strong><\/p>\n

Miss Abigail Jones, the Virginia City schoolteacher, was organizing a fund-raising event for some badly-needed textbooks. She had decided to hold a dance and Ben Cartwright was determined that all his family should attend. None of his sons seemed particularly keen on the idea.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDidn\u2019t you enjoy your time at school?\u201d the blonde asked curiously, as she tried to coax Paw, the Giggly Sisters pet bear, into his kilt.<\/p>\n

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Adam rolled his eyes. \u201cI loved school! But that woman terrifies me!\u201d<\/p>\n

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As attentive viewers will recall, Miss Jones set her cap at the eldest Cartwright son in The Wooing of Abigail Jones<\/em>. You will doubtless also remember that Miss Jones and her mother lived in a rather nice house, attractively furnished and there certainly seemed to be no shortage of money. It has never been satisfactorily explained just why poor Abby had to teach school.<\/p>\n

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However, thwarted in her desires for the swarthy Adam, poor Abigail had to settle for a Cartwright ranch hand. Shortly after her marriage, she and her swain disappeared into the netherworld of Bonanza guest stars, never to be seen again. However, she has lived on in the burgeoning world of fanfiction and caused Adam many a sleepless night.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI went all the way back east to go to college, just to get away from that harpy!\u201d Adam ranted. He tended to get rather emotional whenever Abigail\u2019s name was mentioned and just wished that Wardrobe would find a nice blue dress for her.<\/p>\n

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The redhead smiled charmingly at Ben. \u201cYou taught Adam to read and write, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ben nodded happily, as he recalled all those hours he and his son had spent on the wagon. True, Adam\u2019s writing was still decidedly shaky, as he was always wary of another pothole on the trail, but all in all, things had turned out rather well, he thought. Mind you, he started teaching the boy out of sheer necessity. After a couple of weeks going west, Ben thought he\u2019d go mad if he had to stare at a horse\u2019s rear end for a minute longer. Even poor Adam\u2019s dreadful travel sickness as he stared at rows of neatly lettered words was a welcome relief.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI didn\u2019t really enjoy school,\u201d Joe confessed.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNow there\u2019s a surprise!\u201d Adam ribbed. Joe glared at him hotly, which showed off his green (or were they hazel?) eyes to perfection. \u201cThe teachers never realized my full potential,\u201d he explained to the sisters and Ben smiled paternally, while stroking Joe\u2019s curls, much to the fury of the set hairdresser, who\u2019d spent the best part of two hours and two cans of heavy-duty hair products smoothing out Joe\u2019s unruly coiffure.<\/p>\n

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\u201cBoy\u2019s got a genius level IQ!\u201d Ben proclaimed proudly. Adam looked sourly at his little brother; Joe looked suitably embarrassed, but managed to look stunningly handsome at the same time.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI wanted to spend more time outside, throwing things,\u201d Joe elaborated.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLike tantrums?\u201d Adam queried.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI was going to try out for the American javelin team,\u201d Joe explained, ignoring Adam, \u201cbut there isn\u2019t one yet.\u201d He sighed, for he really had been very good at throwing the Indian lance his friend Sharp Tongue had brought to school with him. In fact, it had been he who had taught Sharp Tongue to throw a lance as far as he had in Far Far Better Thing<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou must have been good at the dancing classes,\u201d the blonde said, for they had seen evidence of this on many an occasion.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDancing classes?\u201d Ben said, raising an eyebrow. \u201cThere weren\u2019t dancing classes at the Virginia City school, my dear.\u201d He liked the blonde, for she seemed very squeezable.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThen where did they learn to dance?\u201d asked the redhead, for she had noticed that all the Cartwright sons could dance, even Hoss, who\u2019s size would seem to be against him being dainty on the dance floor.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI taught them, of course,\u201d Ben responded, haughtily. He was less keen on the redhead, because she frequently answered him back and asked the most awkward of questions. (Could her hair really be that color of red? he wondered, not for the first time.) \u201cI am a very good dancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI didn\u2019t say you weren\u2019t,\u201d the redhead told him, politely, \u201cbut I assumed you were too busy building up the Ponderosa to bother teaching your sons to dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cNonsense!\u201d Ben informed her stoutly. Hop Sing was such a jolly good cook after all. \u201cDancing is an essential part of a young man\u2019s education. I started them off with some simple hornpipes, learned during my seafaring days\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhy did you leave the sea?\u201d the blonde asked curiously. Ben took advantage of this and gave her knee a gentle pat.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI met Adam\u2019s mother and we wanted to settle down and raise a family. Ah, Elizabeth\u2026\u201d Ben paused dramatically and gave his sons a meaningful glance.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy Love!\u201d they chorused dutifully. The Giggly Sisters were just half a beat behind but vowed to do better next time.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLater on, when I\u2019d married dear Inger,\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy Love!\u201d The chorus was automatic and Ben looked pleased.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe used to dance the night away, on the wide open prairies. It was very romantic.\u201d Ben\u2019s eyes grew misty and Hoss thought it wise to change the subject.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPa done taught us all to dance when we was small,\u201d Hoss commented. \u201cI kin remember Shortshanks doin\u2019 the Virginia Reel when he was just knee-high to a grizzly!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Joe scowled becomingly, and for a moment the redhead wondered if his eyes were in fact emerald. \u201cIs the Virginia Reel like an Eightsome Reel? Or a Foursome Reel?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think it\u2019s more like a Gay Gordons,\u201d the blonde advised, totally missing the look of horror that crept across Ben\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI really don\u2019t think that\u2019s a suitable topic for a family show,\u201d Ben informed her. \u201cOf course, Joseph\u2019s mother was a beautiful dancer, but she preferred fencing.\u201d He looked up to where the epee had hung on the wall in A Rose for Lotta<\/em>, but it was missing. Ben made a mental note to have strong words with the boys in continuity tomorrow. If he could find them, of course. Every time he went to their room, it was empty and a notice on the door read \u201cOut to Lunch\u201d.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf my Mama died when I was little, who taught me to fence?\u201d Joe asked. He was still perplexed by the fact that no one was sure if Marie had died when he was five or when he was a baby. Still, at least he\u2019d established that she was indeed called Marie, and not Felice. Of course, Felice, My Love didn\u2019t have quite the same ring to it.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI did,\u201d Ben answered. \u201cI was pretty nippy with a blade in my youth. I gave Adam lessons, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Hoss looked devastated. \u201cHow come Joe an\u2019 Adam got fencin\u2019 lessons and Adam got singin\u2019 lessons too and I got nothing?\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe tried to teach you!\u201d Adam and Joe protested, remembering their efforts in The Frenchman<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Hoss was not appeased. \u201cI might\u2019ve wanted to be a ballet dancer,\u201d he insisted. \u201cHow come I didn\u2019 get ballet lessons?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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They all shot a look at Ben to see how he was taking this news, and he looked absolutely pole-axed. \u201cNo son of mine is going around wearing tights!\u201d he bellowed, and several windows shattered. \u201cSocial dancing is quite acceptable, but we\u2019re not having any ballet nonsense in this house. The very idea!\u201d<\/p>\n

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In truth, it was quite a thought. Hoss in tights was not something the mind conjured easily. It was quite impossible to envision him doing a jete<\/em> during Swan Lake.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI prefer to dance with a man who can do the waltz and things like that,\u201d the redhead told him, hoping to calm him down. \u201cMost girls can\u2019t do that much ballet, despite going to ballet classes when they\u2019re little.\u201d She spoke from experience here, as she had taken classes and so had her eldest daughter and neither of them had become ballet dancers. But they could both cope with ordinary dances, such as the waltz and Gay Gordons, even if Ben didn\u2019t like either dance.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou\u2019ll be a hit at the school dance,\u201d the blonde assured him.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat there Miss Abigail didn\u2019 never like me,\u201d Hoss complained. \u201cWhy, when she married Hank, she never mentioned me once! It ain\u2019t fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cBut you told us you weren\u2019t in school very often,\u201d the redhead protested.<\/p>\n

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\u201cCos she did like me,\u201d Hoss explained which didn\u2019t clear anything up at all. “She kept keeping me behind after classes, just so she could spend more time with me.”<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Ben stood up and instantly dominated the room with his patrician bearing. “Boys: better go and put on clean shirts and string ties! We’ll be leaving soon.” He cast a dubious eye at Paw, who was now firmly buttoned into a Fair Isle cardigan, but decided not to say anything.<\/p>\n

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“And I don’t want to see any of you engaged in that new-fangled waltz!” he proclaimed. Already some of the douce citizens of Virginia City were slightly shocked that the Giggly Sisters were living in the same house as four unattached men (five, if you included Paw). It would simply be adding fuel to the fire if anyone from the Ponderosa engaged in the waltz, which was still regarded as being highly inappropriate, due to all the close contact. Why, the gentleman actually touched his partners back!<\/p>\n

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“Oh, we’ll stick to the barn dances, strathspeys and the Bluebell Polka!” the redhead reassured him.<\/p>\n

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The blonde smiled seraphically at Ben. “But you will do “Strip the Willow” with me, won’t you?”<\/p>\n

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Ben smiled happily: another of those wild Scottish dances, with lots of birling and twirling and general mayhem as people careered madly around the sets, totally out of control. Flashing smiles, brief encounters and the ever-present risk of a life-threatening injury. It was all so reminiscent of life on the Ponderosa!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

*****End*****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0The Cartwrights are marvelous dancers. Who on earth taught them? \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rating: K+ \u00a0WC 1700<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humor","wpcat-4-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":531,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14143,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14143","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":0},"title":"Elbow to Elbow (by Krystyna)","author":"Krystyna","date":"August 3, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Little Joe has a problem with the new student at school, and Miss Jones proves to be no help whatsoever... but it all leads to what if's and if only's in the end. Rating: \u00a0G \u00a0(1,910 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/coming-soon-5.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/coming-soon-5.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/coming-soon-5.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/coming-soon-5.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1535,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1535","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":1},"title":"In A Matter of Speaking (by the Giggly Sisters)","author":"The Giggly Sisters","date":"August 20, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0The Giggly Sisters turn their inimitable eye on the patterns of speech found at the Ponderosa. Why does Hoss talk like that? Rated: K+ \u00a0WC \u00a01400","rel":"","context":"In "Humor"","block_context":{"text":"Humor","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Hoss-smile.jpg?fit=285%2C326&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1526,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1526","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":2},"title":"I Beg Your Pardon (by the Giggly Sisters)","author":"The Giggly Sisters","date":"August 20, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Why does Hoss speak so differently from all the rest of the family? Rated: K+ \u00a0WC \u00a01650","rel":"","context":"In "Humor"","block_context":{"text":"Humor","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7676,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7676","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":3},"title":"Don’t Speak of That (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"May 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Little Joe's discussion lands him in trouble with his teacher and older brother. Rated:\u00a0 K+\u00a0\u00a0 Word count:\u00a01250","rel":"","context":"In "Adam \/ Joe"","block_context":{"text":"Adam \/ Joe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1091"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/ponderosa-lj.jpg?fit=640%2C475&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/ponderosa-lj.jpg?fit=640%2C475&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/ponderosa-lj.jpg?fit=640%2C475&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4864,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4864","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":4},"title":"The Return of Abigail Jones (by pjb)","author":"pjb","date":"April 29, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0\u00a0Getting Abigail Jones and Hank Meyers married was the easy part. . . . \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a020,000","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1471,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1471","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":5},"title":"A Little Night Music (by the Giggly Sisters)","author":"The Giggly Sisters","date":"August 20, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Ever noticed the piano that materializes at Ponderosa celebrations?\u00a0 The Giggly Sisters investigate further as Ben organises a musical soiree. Rated:\u00a0 K+ \u00a0WC \u00a02200","rel":"","context":"In "Humor"","block_context":{"text":"Humor","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}