{"id":2804,"date":"2011-04-10T11:54:45","date_gmt":"2011-04-10T15:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2804"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:23:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:23:32","slug":"wheres-little-joe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2804","title":{"rendered":"Where’s Little Joe? (by frasrgrl)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>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?<\/p>\n

Word Count: 1,056\u00a0 Rated: K<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Where’s Little Joe?<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhere can he be, Hoss?\u201d fourteen-year-old Adam demanded of his younger brother. \u201cYou were supposed to be watching him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWas not,\u201d Hoss protested. \u201cPa told ya to watch us. I was helping Hop Sing make cookies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stood looking at his younger brother and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on, but there was nothing he could do about it right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s two! How far can a two-year-old go?\u201d Adam started to pace the room.<\/p>\n

Hoss smiled at his brother. \u201cYou\u2019re talkin\u2019 \u2018bout Little Joe, Adam. What do ya think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t funny, Hoss. He could be anywhere.\u201d He looked around the great room hoping to see a curly-headed, green-eyed imp peaking out from behind a piece of furniture.<\/p>\n

Adam stomped over to Ben\u2019s desk and looked under it. Little Joe thought crawling under there was a big adventure, to him it was a cave and he liked to hid in it and pretend he was a bear waiting for the unsuspecting prey to wander by.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s going to kill me,\u201d Adam grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think ya need to worry about Pa, Mama is going to skin ya alive,\u201d Hoss advised him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, God, Marie\u2026\u201d Adam gulped. \u201cI\u2019m dead.\u201d Adam turned and ran up the stairs taking them two at a time.<\/p>\n

Hoss stood in the middle of the room waiting for his brother when there was a deafening crash from upstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam!\u201d Hoss yelled. When there was no answer Hoss ran up the stairs after his brother.<\/p>\n

Hoss saw Joe\u2019s door open and ran to it. He stopped cold in his tracks when he saw the scene before him. Sprawled in the middle of the floor, surrounded by a battalion of miniature army men, was Adam lying flat on his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, what happened?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

Adam turned his head and looked at eight year old Hoss. \u201cI\u2019m fighting the battle of Bunker Hill. What does it look like?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre ya winnin\u2019?\u201d Hoss asked, trying to keep a straight face.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, they are.\u201d Adam griped as he pulled a private out from under him. \u201cWell, I think he\u2019s a casualty of war.\u201d Adam pulled himself to his feet and rubbed his back. \u201cIt\u2019s safe to say Little Joe\u2019s not in here. I would have heard him the minute I hit the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYa okay, Adam?\u201d Hoss asked realizing his big brother could have hurt himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, Hoss. It\u2019s my own darn fault. I should know better then to come running into Little Joe\u2019s room.\u201d\u00a0 Adam looked down at the toys scattered all over the floor and shook his head. \u201cGo check your room and the guest rooms. I\u2019ll check mine and Pa\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Adam,\u201d Hoss started.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, you checked them already, just check them again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded his head and left the room.<\/p>\n

Minutes later both brothers met in the hall, neither had any success in finding the missing two year old.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not upstairs, and I didn\u2019t see him downstairs. Let\u2019s go check the barn,\u201d Adam instructed.<\/p>\n

Both boys hurried down the stairs and out the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe?\u201d Hoss called as soon as he entered the barn.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d Adam yelled. \u201cYou come out here right now!\u201d<\/p>\n

They stood waiting for the toddler come out of his hiding place.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t funny anymore. Get out here, NOW.\u201d Adam tried to use his most Pa-like voice, the one that Little Joe would never disobey if his father were there. But there was nothing. Not even a giggle.<\/p>\n

\u201cCheck everywhere, Hoss. He\u2019s got to be here somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys scoured the barn, checking every corner, under every table.<\/p>\n

\u201cDadburnit!\u201d Hoss exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Adam turned to look at his brother, who was hopping on one foot and shaking the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cHorse manure. Darn you, Sport!\u201d Hoss glared at Adam\u2019s horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t blame him. It\u2019s not his fault you weren\u2019t watching where you were walking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t step in it, he dropped it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had to turn away and bite down on his lip to keep from laughing. \u201cI\u2019m\u2026 I\u2019m going to check the loft,\u201d he choked out.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe couldn\u2019t get up there, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike you said, we\u2019re talking about Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam climbed up the ladder and Hoss could hear him moving around. Suddenly there was a thump and a cuss word, and if Ben would have heard it, Adam would have been the recipient of a very necessary talk.<\/p>\n

It was Hoss\u2019 turn to stifle his laughter. He knew exactly what had happened. Adam had forgotten about the lowest beam in the loft.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe up there?\u201d Hoss was finally able to ask.<\/p>\n

Hoss could here quite a bit of grumbling, but was unable to make out any of the words.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d came the strained answer. If he didn\u2019t have a headache before, he definitely had one now. Adam made his way down the ladder and leaned against it. \u201cI don\u2019t understand it, Hoss. He never wanders any further than the barn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go ask Hop Sing if he\u2019s seen \u2018im.\u201d Hoss turned and had taken two steps towards the door when Adam grabbed his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cNO!\u201d he yelled in a voice filled with panic. \u201cIf we tell Hop Sing we lost Little Joe, he\u2019ll tell Pa and Marie, and we\u2019ll be in a lot of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t lose him. You did,\u201d Hoss corrected.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, Pa and Marie put us in charge of Little Joe before they left.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo they didn\u2019t. I wasn\u2019t even there when Pa and Mama left. Ya ain\u2019t getting\u2019 me in no trouble,\u201d Hoss declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, come on, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just then they could hear a horse entering the yard and a very distinctive giggle. Adam and Hoss turned and looked at each other before racing out the door.<\/p>\n

There, in the middle of the yard, was Hank helping Little Joe down from his horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Boys,\u201d Hank greeted. \u201cHere\u2019s Little Joe, home safe and sound, just as I promised your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA\u2019am, Oss, me see pu\u2019pee\u2019s.\u201d Little Joe ran over to his brothers and threw his arms around Adam\u2019s legs. \u201cWant a pu\u2019pee,\u201d Little Joe exclaimed when he released Adam\u2019s leg. \u201cPleaz, can I?Pleaz, A\u2019am. Pleaz, \u2018Oss,\u201d begged the little boy.<\/p>\n

Adam and Hoss looked at each other as realization dawned on them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Puppies!\u201d they said in unison.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0 \u00a0Adam 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?<\/p>\n

Word Count: 1,056\u00a0 Rated: K<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":11269,"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":[23,30],"tags":[14,17,16],"class_list":["post-2804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","tag-adam-cartwright","tag-hoss","tag-joe","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2912,"today_views":1},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/house1.jpg?fit=3038%2C2000&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7728,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7728","url_meta":{"origin":2804,"position":0},"title":"I’ve Got A Secret (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"May 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Little Joe knows a secret Adam would rather he did not tell. 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Predominantly a prequel. Rating: K+\u00a0 Word Count: 1001","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\/2017\/12\/steam.jpg?fit=306%2C202&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":49924,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=49924","url_meta":{"origin":2804,"position":2},"title":"The Ugliest Christmas Ornament (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"December 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Little Joe thinks an ornament is too ugly for the Cartwright tree. Adam has the opposite opinion in this slice-of-life vignette. Rating: G 610 words","rel":"","context":"In "Brothers"","block_context":{"text":"Brothers","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1009"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Bonanza-SC-Angel.jpg?fit=385%2C289&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9477,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9477","url_meta":{"origin":2804,"position":3},"title":"He Would Have (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"July 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 A short WHN for Hoss's loss of\u00a0Margie.\u00a0\u00a0 Rating: K+\u00a0 Word Count: 694","rel":"","context":"In "Brothers"","block_context":{"text":"Brothers","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1009"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/The-Tall-Stranger.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/The-Tall-Stranger.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/The-Tall-Stranger.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/The-Tall-Stranger.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57134,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=57134","url_meta":{"origin":2804,"position":4},"title":"The Old Man (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"June 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright started calling their elder brother \"the old man\" shortly after their father died and Adam took over the running of the Ponderosa as well as helping his stepmother raise his brothers. Marie decides that Adam has lost too much of his youth and decides\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15524,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15524","url_meta":{"origin":2804,"position":5},"title":"Back from Back East (by Robin)","author":"profrobinw","date":"December 4, 2001","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: An explanation of why only one son went to college. 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