{"id":60981,"date":"2009-04-01T16:53:54","date_gmt":"2009-04-01T20:53:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=60981"},"modified":"2025-12-02T16:56:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T21:56:12","slug":"a-missunderstanding-by-amberfly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=60981","title":{"rendered":"A Missunderstanding (by Amberfly)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: Little Joe overhears a conversation between his Pa and big brother and misunderstands it completely.
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 Words: 1755<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

The Brandsters acknowledge that the authors are the owners of their stories.\u00a0 Should an author included in this project reach out to us and indicate they do not wish their work to be archived in the Bonanza Brand Fanfiction Library, we will remove their stories.\u00a0 We would also be happy to change contact information for any authors who wish to continue to have their stories archived in the Library.<\/p>\n

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A Misunderstanding<\/strong><\/p>\n

Author’s Note:\u00a0 Special thanks to JC for her terrific beta! This is my first Bonanza fic so I hope you like it.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~*~<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Little Joe sat on his bed clutching his well worn, one-eyed bear and sighed as only a small boy can. \u201cMr. Beans, what am I gonna do with you?\u201d He tossed the toy into the air and caught it close as he lay down on his back, frowning. With another sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his little being, Joe looked at the bear longingly, his green eyes misting with tears.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just terrible!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The faded yellow bear was Joe\u2019s best friend in the whole wide world, but that friendship suddenly seemed in danger. There comes a time in every man\u2019s life, he sadly discovered, when he has to accept the fact that he\u2019s too old for bedtime toys. He didn\u2019t want to, no sirreee bob. Joe was happy sharing his nighttime dreams with Beans, but he\u2019d overheard Adam say he was getting too old. The words were shocking and he still couldn\u2019t believe his big brother had said them.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe looked at his bear and crossed his heart with a finger. He swore he hadn\u2019t been eavesdropping. \u201cI was just listening accidentally, that was all.\u201d If Adam said it, then it must be true. Little Joe was too old to sleep with Mr. Beans!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His eyes watered and he sniffed at the memory of the treacherous words. \u201cPoor Beans! Adam just doesn\u2019t understand you!\u201d In a show of loyalty, he hugged his old friend closer to his chest, not bothering to wipe away the disobedient tears that rolled down his cheek. He loved Mr. Beans but he loved Adam more, and that meant no more sleeping with a stuffed bear with only one eye and half an ear.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGuess I\u2019m just gonna have to be a man!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~*~<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mr. Beans was very old. He had belonged to Joe\u2019s Mama and come all the way from New Orleans, and when she gave him to her little boy he was a mighty fine looking bear. Two bright blue glass bead eyes, a fancy waistcoat made of checkered silk and on top of his head a small green hat. Very smart indeed. Mama had loved him dearly, and naturally, so did Joe. Sometimes he loved him a little too much, as time began to tell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One day Joe was sitting on his bed telling Beans all about the new kittens in the barn, when he noticed something awful. \u201cOh no, Mr. Beans! You can\u2019t hear me any more cuz you\u2019re blinded!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t exactly sure how Mr. Beans lost his eye; the glass bead popped out one day and rolled away with the dust bunnies never to be seen again. Joe was heartbroken. Mama consoled him and promised to sew another one on just as soon as she could. But Mama went away right after that. Mr. Beans and Joe snuggled together at the top of the stairs and watched the sad people coming and going, and they both decided one good eye was good enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Of course, Joe was sad too and missed his Mama very much, but his natural enthusiasm coupled with the resilience of the very young soon led him into mischief, with Mr. Beans along for his many hairbrained adventures. Despite all his heartfelt promises to behave, he would occasionally accidentally forget. \u201cI can\u2019t be expected to mind everyone, Mr. Beans! There\u2019s plain too many of \u2018em bossing me around!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was sometimes hard for him to remember Pa\u2019s warnings not to take Mr. Beans outside. After all, how much fun could he have without his best friend close by? They were sitting on the step eating the cookies Hop Sing would have given him had he been around to ask when one of the ranch hand\u2019s dogs came sniffing. Joe made the mistake of teasing him with a cookie. The dog was hungry and growled a warning in his throat, frightening Joe and sending him scrambling backwards. He screamed as the dog lunged and snatched Mr. Beans before loping away to hide. Horrified by the attempted bear-icide, he threw the cookies to the ground and yelled at the top of his voice for help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPaaaaa!\u201d Little Joe tried his best to stun the dog with his impressive vocal range. \u201cAaddammm! Hossssssssssss!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Though the opportunistic dog paid no attention to his high pitched wailing, his family certainly did, answering the distress call in true Cartwright style. If Joe hadn\u2019t been so upset he might have laughed at their clumsy antics as they chased the unruly creature all around the yard until they finally cornered him, thus rescuing Beans from his slobbery fate. A tearful and contrite Little Joe wailed in earnest when he surveyed his beloved bear\u2019s condition. Mr. Beans was in bad shape, and Doctor Hop Sing was enlisted to fix him up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI fix!\u201d Hop Sing nodded his head, determination etched into his kindly face.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hop Sing was true to his word, washing, repairing, and duly returning the bear to his grateful owner, though he gently explained he couldn\u2019t save the right ear. Joe\u2019s unsinkable optimism once again shone through. \u201cMr. Beans don\u2019t mind, Hop Sing! Honest he don\u2019t!\u201d He patted his friend\u2019s arm, assuring him that a brave bear from New Orleans didn\u2019t really need two eyes and two good ears! He took Mr. Beans and kissed him tenderly while scratching at the sewn up wound. \u201cHe\u2019s gonna be okay, Hop Sing! He has Joe Cartwright looking out for him!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He thought he heard his brothers chuckling behind him, but he couldn\u2019t be sure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long before another terrible tragedy befall the luckless Mr. Beans, and once again, the evidence pointed to his best ever friend, Little Joe Cartwright. Somehow, and Joe swore he didn\u2019t know how, the bear\u2019s smart silk waistcoat and dapper green hat, ended up buried in the chicken coop. Pa asked him if he had gone into the chicken coop without permission, but Joe had shook his head fiercely. \u201cNo,\u201d he said, voice melting with just the right amount of innocence, \u201cone of those naughty ole chickens must have kidnapped that stupid jacket and dumb hat when I wasn\u2019t lookin\u2019!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pa growled. Adam snorted. Hoss sighed. Not one of them believed Joe\u2019s tale. Apparently, chickens just weren\u2019t that smart. Cause and effect were swift, and as Little Joe rubbed his bottom, he smiled heroically between his tears. A few smacks and no dessert for a week for telling whoppers was a small price to pay for freeing Beans from looking like a sissy!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The unclad, hatless, one eyed bear with the chewed right ear hadn\u2019t finished with his run of bad luck. Nope, with Little Joe as his protector his existence was always going to be precarious. The weather was plenty hot for swimming, but no one had time to take him so he improvised. Eyeing the water trough gave him an idea. At least Mr. Beans could be cool. He dropped him into the trough and tried very hard to teach him how to swim, just in case Adam came back and took them to the pond after all. Rescued this time by a scolding Hop Sing, Beans was dried out and returned to Joe\u2019s bed with strict instructions swimming lessons were over.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFor an inside toy,\u201d he overheard Hoss say, \u201cBeans spends a whole mess of time outside.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~*~<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe hopped off his bed and paced his room, inspecting all his toys and treasures carefully. \u201cThis is more than terrible,\u201d he moaned. \u201cIt\u2019s plain awful!\u201d He loved his room and everything in it, and Beans belonged here as much as he did. Still, he scolded himself, Joseph Francis Cartwright, no more bedtime toys for you!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But his resolve wavered. What happened if the old tree near his window scratched late at night? Who would be there to tell him it was just a stupid old branch? What if he had a belly ache from eating too many of the lemon drops he accidentally found in his brother\u2019s top draw hidden under his socks? He couldn\u2019t call for Hoss because he\u2019d ask all number of pesky questions. He wouldn\u2019t want to ask Adam, because he\u2019d make him apologize to Hoss for accidentally taking what didn\u2019t belong to him. Pa? Nope, that was out of the question. Pa had already told him what he\u2019d do if he found out he was taking things from his brothers. The only one he could confide in was Mr. Beans, but now he was too old for him. According to Adam, anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe sat down on the floor and began to cry. Growing up sure was hard sometimes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sniffing and wiping his nose with his sleeve, he was startled to see Adam standing over him. Joe hadn\u2019t heard him come in.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam knelt down beside him. \u201cHey buddy,\u201d he said gently. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Why the tears?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Feeling miserable and desperate, Joe confessed he\u2019d overheard him tell Pa he was too old for Mr. Beans. \u201cI heard ya, Adam! You want me to get rid of him!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s lips twitched and one eyebrow arched. \u201cThat a fact? What does Pa say about little boys listening to conversations that don\u2019t concern them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe blinked. \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI never said you were too old for Mr. Beans, Little Joe! What I said was that Beans is getting mighty old. We were discussing what you might like for a birthday present and I thought you might like another bear to sleep with!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It had all been a big misunderstanding, then! Joe jumped to his feet and threw his arms around his bemused brother\u2019s neck. \u201cBoy! Adam, next time, you should make yourself clearer!\u201d His brow wrinkled in annoyance as he wagged a stern finger under his brother\u2019s nose. \u201cMr. Beans has been real worried!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry. What was I thinking?\u201d Adam rolled his eyes and grinned.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay. You\u2019ll know better next time, so I won\u2019t tell Pa this time, okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Snuggling into his brother\u2019s neck, Joe mimicked the expression he\u2019d heard that morning after he\u2019d broken Hoss\u2019s tie clasp. \u201cI know you didn\u2019t mean to, but I might not be so forgivin\u2019 next time!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll keep that in mind,\u201d Adam promised. \u201cWould you and Mr. Beans like to come downstairs for supper? Hop Sing made your favorite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh boy, yessirreee bob!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 Words: 1755<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12436,"featured_media":41001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","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_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[23,1007,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-joe-cartwright","category-prequels","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1007-id","wpcat-30-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60981","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\/12436"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}