Series: None \u2013 Set in Australia; AC not yet born<\/p>\n
Adam tells his daughters a story about when he and their Uncle Hoss were little boys and got into some mischief.<\/p>\n
Rating: K \u00a0WC \u00a02500<\/p>\n
Not part of the Adam in the Outback Series, but set in the same realm:<\/p>\n
The Adventure of the Gooseberry Pie Eating Bear<\/a> I want to thank Lis for beta reading this short story, which was inspired by the scene in \u201cThe Hayburner\u201d where Ben catches Adam and Hoss in the barn with their racehorse.<\/em><\/p>\n Acknowledgement:\u00a0 Ben, Adam and Hoss are not my creations and I intend no copyright infringement by making use of them.<\/p>\n Adventures of the Gooseberry Pie Eating Bear<\/strong><\/p>\n Chapter 1 As soon as the family was dressed more comfortably, they escaped outside.\u00a0 The heat and humidity were so debilitating that no one suggested a game of croquet; they just sat in the shade of the veranda with their two blue and tan terriers panting at their feet.\u00a0 On the wicker table there was a tray with a pitcher of lemon squash, glasses and a plate of bread-and-butter sandwiches, cut in triangles with the crusts removed.<\/p>\n \u201cTell us a story, Daddy,\u201d Penny begged and then nibbled listlessly on a sandwich.<\/p>\n \u201cA story about you and Uncle Hoss,\u201d Gwyneth added, leaning down to pet Belle and Lady.<\/p>\n \u201cThose are bonzer stories,\u201d Miranda declared, reaching for a sandwich while Beth said, \u201cToo right,\u201d before sipping her tepid lemon squash.<\/p>\n Adam smiled at his daughters and after a moment he said, \u201cIt was the summer Uncle Hoss was five, just like Penny, and I was eleven like Beth.\u201d\u00a0 . . .<\/p>\n ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n Adam stopped weeding to remove his wide-brimmed straw hat and wipe away the sweat running down his forehead into his eyes, unknowingly leaving behind a smear of dirt.\u00a0 He put the hat back on his sweat-soaked curls and glanced over at his younger brother, busy with his task of pulling weeds.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s straw hat shaded his fair-skinned face and protected it from sunburn, but his arms were exposed to the sun since he copied his big brother and rolled his shirtsleeves above his elbows.\u00a0 For a while he\u2019d had a painful burn, but now his arms were brown like his brother\u2019s.<\/p>\n Their new neighbors\u2014Mr. and Mrs. McKaren and their son, Todd\u2014had been surprised when they\u2019d first met and Pa introduced his sons.\u00a0 Adam didn\u2019t blame the McKarens because he could see that he and Hoss didn\u2019t look anything alike.\u00a0 Hoss was very fair with bright blue eyes, and the white blond hair he\u2019d had as a toddler had darkened to a sandy brown.\u00a0 Even in the winter when Adam\u2019s tan faded, his skin wasn\u2019t as fair as Hoss\u2019s.\u00a0 Sometimes Adam\u2019s eyes looked brown but other times they were more of a golden brown with hints of green, and his hair was such a dark brown it looked black.\u00a0 The only thing the two brothers had in common was that they were both tall, but Adam was tall and skinny while Hoss was tall and stocky.\u00a0 Their differences were easily explained, as their pa told the McKarens.\u00a0 Adam was the son of his first wife and took after her while Hoss\u2019s mama had been Swedish and he took after her family.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, they\u2019re half brothers,\u201d Mrs. McKaren had said.\u00a0 As far as Adam and Hoss were concerned, they were brothers and there was nothing halfway about it.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss,\u201d Adam said and the younger boy looked up at him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m thirsty.\u00a0 How about you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, me too,\u201d Hoss said emphatically.\u00a0 Then he swiped his hand across his upper lip to remove the beads of sweat.<\/p>\n \u201cNow ya got dirt on your face,\u201d Adam grinned and tipped his hat back, causing Hoss to giggle.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou got dirt on yer face, too\u201d Hoss said and pointed to his forehead.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s grin grew sheepish and he said, \u201cI guess we better wash our faces when we get a drink of water.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked to the well, which was located a safe distance from the barn, chicken coop, pigpen, outhouse and garden to prevent the water from being contaminated.\u00a0 The boys were really thirsty by the time they reached the well.\u00a0 Hoss sent the bucket down in the dark depths and Adam turned the crank to bring it up, full of cool water.\u00a0 Adam let Hoss have the first dipper and then he took a turn.\u00a0 They were so thirsty that they each drank two dippers full of that sweet water.\u00a0 Adam poured most of the water back in the well before he wet his kerchief in the bucket and used it to scrub his face.\u00a0 Hoss followed his example and they checked each other\u2019s faces to make sure they were clean.<\/p>\n As they walked back to the kitchen garden, Hoss suddenly stopped and pointed.\u00a0 \u201cLookee, Adam! Hop Sing\u2019s got a pie coolin\u2019 on the windowsill.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI bet he used the gooseberries we picked the other day,\u201d Adam said, feeling his mouth begin to water at the thought of gooseberry pie.<\/p>\n \u201cSure would like a piece of pie,\u201d Hoss said, looking toward the cabin longingly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, me too,\u201d Adam said, imagining the taste of tart fruit and flakey crust.\u00a0 \u201cBut we\u2019ll have some at supper.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m hungry now,\u201d Hoss said plaintively.<\/p>\n They were growing closer to the cabin.\u00a0 Adam said, \u201cIt\u2019s probably still too hot,\u201d but his resolve was clearly weakening.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s see,\u201d Hoss said eagerly.<\/p>\n They crept up to the window as quietly as they could.\u00a0 Adam stealthily peered into the cabin and saw Hop Sing was busy making bread with his back to them.\u00a0 So far so good, he thought.\u00a0 He gingerly touched the pie and discovered it was only warm.\u00a0 If we take the pie, Hop Sing or Pa is gonna know it was us.\u00a0 His forehead wrinkled as he tried to come up with a way they could take the pie but not get caught.\u00a0 Suddenly he snapped his fingers, then hunkered down underneath the sill and motioned for Hoss to do the same in case Hop Sing had heard him.<\/p>\n They waited anxiously for a minute or two but there was no sign of Hop Sing so Adam stood and carefully picked up the pie and headed for the pines that grew near the cabin with Hoss following.\u00a0 When Adam judged they were far enough from the cabin, he sat down cross-legged with the pie on his lap.\u00a0 Hoss plopped down beside him.<\/p>\n \u201cI figured out how we can eat some pie without gettin\u2019 in trouble,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cWe can say it might\u2019ve been a bear that ate some.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA bear?\u201d Hoss repeated doubtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cSure.\u00a0 Bears like berries don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss replied slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they like berries, then they\u2019d like a berry pie, wouldn\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, they would!\u201d Hoss said with a big grin.\u00a0 Then his expression changed to one of puzzlement.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019re we gonna eat?\u00a0 We ain\u2019t got no forks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBears don\u2019t use forks, silly,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cThey use their paws so we gotta use our hands.\u00a0 Wipe \u2018em off on yer overalls first,\u201d he added, and Hoss followed his example.\u00a0 Before Hoss could dig in, Adam quickly inserted, \u201cRemember, we gotta leave some for Pa and Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n The two boys dug into the pie with gusto and it wasn\u2019t long before they\u2019d demolished nearly half.\u00a0 Their faces and hands were covered with sticky gooseberries and they\u2019d dropped plenty on their clothes as well.<\/p>\n \u201cMy stomach hurts,\u201d Hoss said, gingerly rubbing the abused organ.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we ate too much,\u201d Adam said ruefully.\u00a0 His stomach was stretched so taut that if he ate one more mouthful, he knew he\u2019d bust.\u00a0 He looked at the half empty pie tin and thought how unappetizing it now looked.\u00a0 On the other hand, Pa or Hop Sing should find it easy to believe a bear had been at it.\u00a0 Then he looked at Hoss\u2019s face and clothes and realized he didn\u2019t look any better.<\/p>\n \u201cWe gotta hurry up and get the pie on the windowsill before Hop Sing misses it and then we gotta clean up at the well,\u201d he told Hoss.<\/p>\n They tried to run but their stomachs were too full; the best they could manage was a walk.\u00a0 Their luck still held and Adam was able to set the half-empty pie tin back on the windowsill without the cook noticing.\u00a0 Then they headed for the well.\u00a0 They scrubbed their faces and hands until there was no trace of gooseberries, but they couldn\u2019t get the stains from their cotton shirts and denim overalls.<\/p>\n \u201cI sure hope no one notices,\u201d Adam said worriedly.\u00a0 \u201cNow we gotta finish weeding.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut my stomach hurts,\u201d Hoss said plaintively.<\/p>\n \u201cSo does mine,\u201d Adam snapped, \u201cbut we gotta finish our chores or they\u2019ll know it was us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Hoss said sadly. \u201cDo you boys know what happened to the gooseberry pie Hop Sing made for our supper tonight and set on the windowsill to cool?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019s eyes darted over to his brother and Adam tugged on an earlobe before saying, \u201cMaybe a bear got it, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss quickly echoed, \u201cYeah, maybe a bear.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA bear,\u201d Pa repeated, his angry scowl deepening and exchanging nervous glances, the two boys swallowed hard.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s earlobe got a harder tug that time.\u00a0 \u201cUh, sure, Pa.\u00a0 Bears love berries so I just figured they\u2019d love a gooseberry pie.\u201d\u00a0 He looked to his brother for support, but Hoss only stared back mutely with frightened eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to hear anymore of this nonsense about bears,\u201d Pa thundered.\u00a0 \u201cA bear wouldn\u2019t have returned the pie tin to the windowsill.\u00a0 Now, did you boys eat half of that pie?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked beseechingly up at his big brother, whose earlobe was being badly abused.\u00a0 The story about the bear had seemed so believable, but he\u2019d forgotten that a bear wouldn\u2019t have brought the pie tin back.\u00a0 If they lied, then they would be in even worse trouble.\u00a0\u00a0 Sighing deeply, Adam gave his poor earlobe one last tug before dropping his gaze to his bare feet and saying softly, \u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced up quickly, adding hopefully, \u201cWe left some pie for you and Hop Sing.\u201d\u00a0 One glance at his pa\u2019s expression caused him to quickly refocus his attention on his tanned feet.<\/p>\n \u201cWasn\u2019t that kind of you?\u201d Pa said mockingly.\u00a0 \u201cTo leave half a pie after you\u2019d clearly been digging into it with your bare hands.\u00a0 If Hop Sing and I sat down and ate a pie with our hands, would you want to eat what we left?\u201d\u00a0 Getting no response, he asked sternly, \u201cWell, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cN-no, sir,\u201d Adam replied, still staring at his feet, and Hoss parroted, \u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Their pa took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten.\u00a0 \u201cI hope you enjoyed the pie because that\u2019s all you\u2019re getting for supper.\u00a0 Right now I\u2019m going to have a necessary talk with each of you and then you\u2019re going up to your room until tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n When Pa finished punishing the boys, Hoss sobbed quietly while big tears rolled down his rosy cheeks.\u00a0 His tears weren\u2019t from the spanking, which had only stung a little.\u00a0 No, his tears were caused by the knowledge he\u2019d disappointed his pa and because he knew his big brother\u2019s punishment was more painful than his.\u00a0 Adam didn\u2019t cry\u2014he never did\u2014but he couldn\u2019t resist rubbing his sore bottom.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, they\u2019ll be no more stealing pies,\u201d Pa said firmly, quickly adding, \u201cor anything else.\u00a0 Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded vigorously while Adam said quietly, \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, you two get on up to the loft and stay there until tomorrow morning,\u201d Pa said, his expression still stern.\u00a0 It softened as he added quietly, \u201cI\u2019ll be up to say goodnight after supper.\u201d\u00a0 As his boys disappeared around the corner of the cabin, he shook his head and chuckled softly.\u00a0 \u201cA gooseberry pie eating bear.\u00a0 What will that boy think of next?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n As Adam finished, the girls were all laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cI like that story, Daddy,\u201d Penny got out between giggles.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to see a bear eating a gooseberry pie,\u201d Miranda commented with a dimpled grin.<\/p>\n \u201cCould we make a gooseberry pie?\u201d Beth asked Bronwen.\u00a0 Before she could reply, Adam pointed at the sky where black clouds had appeared and said, \u201cLook, the rains are coming!\u201d<\/p>\n They all ran down the verandah\u2019s steps to the yard, the two terriers barking excitedly.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t have long to wait before the rain arrived, falling in heavy sheets.\u00a0 Within moments, their drenched clothing clung to them like a second skin and they all tilted their heads back and drank the rain water.\u00a0 The girls began to run about, stopping every few minutes to drink more rainwater, while Adam put his hands around Bronwen\u2019s waist and lifted her above his head and whirled her around before lowering her so they could kiss.<\/p>\n When they broke apart, she said with a giggle, \u201cI wish I could\u2019ve seen you and Hoss eating pie like bears.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThose were good times,\u201d he said with a faraway smile.\u00a0 His expression grew pensive as he added, \u201cI\u2019m glad I can remember Hoss now without pain.\u201d\u00a0 She hugged him and he put an arm around her.\u00a0 Together they watched their daughters play in the pouring rain.<\/p>\n
\nO’Tannenbaum<\/a><\/p>\n
\nIt was a hot and sultry Sunday afternoon in late November and the thermometer on the side of the Cartwrights\u2019 house read 112 degrees.\u00a0 The family would have been swimming in the Cloncurry River except for one problem:\u00a0 The summer monsoons were late and there wasn\u2019t enough water in the river to go wading.\u00a0 Their house was unbearable so as soon as they returned from church, they hurriedly changed from their uncomfortable good clothes.\u00a0 Adam thankfully removed his necktie and suit and exchanged them for a shirt of unbleached muslin and tan canvas pants.\u00a0 He left the top three buttons on his shirt undone and rolled up his shirtsleeves past his elbows.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Bronwen gratefully shed her corset, bustle and petticoats and put on a pink muslin wrapper in place of the silk poplin dress she\u2019d worn.\u00a0 The girls changed into short-sleeved smocked dresses made of lawn and removed their shoes and cotton stockings.<\/p>\n
\nThe brothers finished weeding and Adam was chopping wood, which Hoss took to the woodshed, when they saw their pa ride up.\u00a0 He waved a greeting before taking care of his buckskin gelding.\u00a0 As Adam saw his pa cross the yard to the cabin, he remembered how much his pa loved gooseberry pie and could feel his palms begin to sweat, making it hard to grip the hatchet.\u00a0 Sure enough, a minute or two after Pa entered the cabin, Hop Sing\u2019s voice was heard angrily shouting in Chinese and a moment later, Pa stormed around the corner of the cabin, his thick black eyebrows drawn together and his mouth twisted in an angry scowl.<\/p>\n