{"id":57125,"date":"2025-06-13T15:39:07","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T19:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=57125"},"modified":"2025-09-27T05:39:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T09:39:56","slug":"hoss-and-the-rabbit-business-by-carebear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=57125","title":{"rendered":"Hoss and the Rabbit Business (by CareBear)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:<\/strong> After Ben sold the rabbits to Barlow and Clyde, he believed the Ponderosa had seen the last of them.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> G<\/p>\n

Word Count:<\/strong>1154<\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

Hoss and the Rabbit Business<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben stood up from his desk as the sound of a buckboard outside reached his ears. \u201cAbout time that brother of yours got back,\u201d he grumbled, looking over at Joe.<\/p>\n

Joe laughed softly and shook his head. \u201cWonder what kept him?\u201d He was sure he wouldn\u2019t be wondering for long. Grabbing an apple from the coffee table, Joe took a bite before following Pa outside to do a bit of smirking at his big brother\u2019s expense.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing to Virginia City for supplies and back takes all day now?\u201d Ben inquired, arms crossed over his chest.<\/p>\n

Hoss looked slightly chagrined as he stepped down. \u201cNo, no, that it don\u2019t. Guess I sort of got distracted. Say, you remember them rabbits me and Joe had?\u201d<\/p>\n

The youngest Cartwright\u2019s eyes widened, and he quickly looked over the load Hoss had brought back for signs of rabbits, or any other animals might have returned with his brother. Pa was already a little out of sorts; the last thing he\u2019d want was Hoss bringing home strays. Especially rabbits!<\/p>\n

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. \u201cI\u2019m not sure I will ever forget those rabbits.\u201d Those critters had not only spooked his horse, they had ruined not one, but two<\/em> new saddles!<\/p>\n

The bigger man grinned. \u201cYeah, me neither. Cute little critters, wasn\u2019t they?\u201d He missed Ben\u2019s annoyed expression as he went on. \u201cMet a gal in town today. She keeps \u2018em. In the house, Pa. The one she\u2019s got lives real fancy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than look annoyed, Ben now looked completely confused. \u201cIn the house?\u201d He tried to imagine such a scenario and how he would talk Hoss out of attempting it here. Not that he saw any rabbits, but they had proven themselves adept at hiding before.<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded, his bright blue eyes alight with excitement. \u201cYeah! Don\u2019t really even have a cage, neither. Just goes where it pleases. Up on the furniture and hippity hoppity round the whole place. Cute thing, too. Just white as snow and the bushiest tail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beside Ben, Joe grinned. \u201cSo, you\u2019ve seen this fancy rabbit then?\u201d He took a bite of the apple while waiting to hear more.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah, Joe. She invited me for coffee, and I got to meet it. Her, rather. It\u2019s a her. Cuddly little gal it was, too. The rabbit, not the gal. Woman-gal,\u201d Hoss clarified. His face colored a bit as Joe laughed.<\/p>\n

A part of Ben wished Adam were here just now, to make one of those pithy comments about what a story this was turning out to be. He missed the biting sarcasm of his eldest son when the younger two engaged in foolishness. Though at this rate, Ben might spend the rest of the day trying to get it out of Hoss! \u201cAlright, alright, let\u2019s try and make some sense out of this,\u201d Ben said firmly, interrupting Joe\u2019s giggles at Hoss\u2019s blushes. \u201cWhere did you meet this woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss averted his eyes a bit and Joe began smirking once more. \u201cWhen I went to see Roy before going to the mercantile,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you went to see Roy,\u201d Ben repeated. Oh, this just got better and better!<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded, rocking on his heels a bit. \u201cHe was puttin\u2019 her in a cell when I came in. Seems she got in a fight with Barlow and Clyde about sellin\u2019 rabbits. Clobbered \u2018em a few times I guess, and Roy had to take her in.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was getting to be a bit much, Ben thought. \u201cWhy would a woman who owns a rabbit be upset about someone else selling them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just what Roy was asking! And I was real curious \u2018bout that, too. She was real mad about the whole thing and said she couldn\u2019t stay in jail; she had to go home and take care of Pearl. Now, that\u2019s her rabbit, but me an\u2019 Roy didn\u2019t know that. I thought it was her little girl, so I bailed her out,\u201d Hoss explained. \u201cCan\u2019t have a mother of young ones in jail. That\u2019s when she invited me for coffee and since I was curious, I accepted. That\u2019s when I figured out Pearl was the rabbit, not a young \u2018un, and why she was so upset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy was she so upset?\u201d Joe asked, now thoroughly enthralled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you see, there\u2019s a right way and a wrong way to take care of rabbits. Joe, we did it wrong. We didn\u2019t know it, but we did,\u201d Hoss explained. \u201cAnd Barlow and Clyde aren\u2019t telling people how to do it right when they\u2019s sellin\u2019 \u2018em as pets. That\u2019s what she was upset about. After she explained it, it all made perfect sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad it does to someone,\u201d Ben muttered under his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe decided to go buy all the rabbits and do it right. So, we\u2019re business partners now!\u201d Hoss announced, looking mighty pleased with himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, you are not bringing a rabbit business here,\u201d Ben hissed. \u201cWe\u2019re not doing that again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The middle Cartwright son shook his head. \u201cNo, no, that\u2019s all gonna be taken care of in town. Though I did invite her to supper tonight,\u201d Hoss grinned. \u201cI think you\u2019ll like her. She and I are gonna talk more about business afterwards. It\u2019s gonna be a lot of work, I think.\u201d He was looking forward to spending more time with that feisty young woman and her fancy rabbit, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs she bringing her rabbit with?\u201d Joe asked, mischief dancing in his eyes.<\/p>\n

Hoss paused in thought. \u201cYou know, I didn\u2019t ask her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe better not bring that rabbit out here!\u201d Ben bellowed. \u201cLeave it to you to find a woman with a fancy rabbit in her house, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t we just be happy my big brother here\u2019s invited a woman to dinner?\u201d Joe countered with a grin.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed. \u201cBut why did it have to be rabbits?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shrugged. \u201cKnowing Hoss, it could\u2019ve been skunks,\u201d he pointed out. \u201cOr squirrels. Maybe you ought to be thankful it\u2019s just<\/em> rabbits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike you\u2019re any better Joseph,\u201d Hoss pointed out with a frown. \u201cThat whole thing was your idea anyhow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t get mad at me, big brother,\u201d Joe countered, raising his hands in surrender. \u201cIf you marry the girl, you\u2019ll have me to thank for it then.\u201d He gave Hoss his most charming grin and took off into the house as Hoss advanced on him with a look that said the water trough was in his future.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoys! There\u2019s a wagonload of supplies here!\u201d Ben yelled after them. \u201cBoys!\u201d Joe\u2019s laughter filtered out from the sitting room and the Cartwright patriarch could only roll his eyes heavenward. Those sons of his sometimes! \u201cBring the roughhousing outside! How many times do I have to tell you two?\u201d he called, heading towards the front door. Shouting aside, Ben wouldn\u2019t trade his sons for anything. But if that woman brought her rabbit tonight, he might think about rehoming Hoss!<\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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Summary: After Ben sold the rabbits to Barlow and Clyde, he believed the Ponderosa had seen the last of them.
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