It was the evening before Christmas. Outside it was already dark when a very good lover of children rode way past the Ponderosa without any expectations. He knew that there was a child living who believed very much in him. He saw that the lights outside were working and that the ranch was decorated also and that brought him into the Christmas spirit. But that came also by the fact that he had already eaten 40 kilograms of rum bones. Suddenly he rode with his sleigh over a rock whereby he fell and bruised his arm badly. Of course this went along with a loud scream and a curse. It gave such a hard bang what they heard inside the ranch house. The Cartwrights ran outside and eight year old Mitch was the first one to see that it was someone very familiar.
“You are Santa for sure?”, the boy asked without hesitation.
“Yes sure. It is me in my own person. I tumbled out of my sleigh. I mean fell”, the wounded lover of children said with a bit of double tongue.
Out of his mouth there came a strong smell of rum. Candy and Mitch helped him on his feet while the others put the sleigh up. Hoss examined Rudolph but he was alright.
“Your left arm in injured”, the rancher said after he had checked the arm.
The reaction ability of Santa was so slow that the message arrived at his place several minutes later.
“You can stay here with us until your arm is better”, Ben suggested.
Santa said, “But the children in the orphanage expect that I come to bring the presents. That is not possible anymore. They will be so disappointed. Gosh-darn.”
Meanwhile Mitch kept on looking from Santa to Hoss and back. Adam, Mary, Little Joe and Candy recognized the look in the eyes of the boy and had very much trouble not to start laughing.
“I might have a solution”, Mitch said suddenly.
“What is that for a solution then?”, the rancher asked amazed.
“If Santa stays at home with us, then Uncle Hoss can replace him?
Their seize is almost the same and then the children won’t be disappointed either”, was the nice suggestion of Mitch.
Now Adam, Mary, Little Joe and Candy couldn’t stop from laughing anymore. First Hoss looked indignant at his brothers and the foreman. But a minute later he saw the light.
“I do it on one condition: that you come along with me to control the carriage and to keep me company”, Hoss said.
Mitch looked at his parents and Adam said seriously, “If your Uncle watches out for you.”
“I certainly will do that”, Hoss promised.
Even though this was not needed to say because it happened anyway.
Mitch said, “I am a Christmas child after all.”
The whole company including Santa went inside the ranch house. Candy put Rudolph in the stable. The sleigh remained still on the yard.
In the warm living room they noticed very well how drunk Santa was.
He said after having a large drop of booze to Mitch, “I didn’t know that you had an identical twin brother.”
The boy looked at his father with an non-understandable look.
This one said, “Upstairs kid. I will be right up.”
“Goodnight everyone”, the eldest child of Adam said and he went upstairs.
When Mitch was in bed Adam came to tuck him in like every evening.
“Daddy, Santa is never drunk, is he? Why is this one it?”, Mitch asked amazed.
“I don’t know it either but he has more drunk than just cold tea. He throws rum bones inside his throat like you do with milk. Don’t tell anything about this to the children at the orphanage. Tomorrow it is your birthday and you will know it. Try to get some sleep”, Adam answered calm.
Mitch nodded and fell asleep. Adam tucked him in and left the bedroom. He checked on Lisa but she was sleeping.
When it had become very late everyone went to bed. Santa went to sleep in a guestroom on the ground floor.
At a certain moment Mitch woke up because he couldn’t sleep anymore. He wasn’t the only one because Ben has also a sleepless night. The rancher was all fully dressed and busy with the administration when his grandson came downstairs.
Ben looked up and asked amazed, “Boy, what are you doing here downstairs?”
“I couldn’t sleep anymore. What are you doing here?”, the boy asked on his turn.
“I couldn’t sleep either anymore and because you are all so busy during the day I am doing now my administration”, the rancher explained.
Mitch kept silent for a moment.
Then he asked, “Daddy may not know this that you do it because he always says that you hate it?”
Ben smiled and gave his grandson a wink.
“Sure. But this is our secret and no one will ever get to know it”, the rancher said.
Mitch nodded and went to do his homework. Suddenly the table with the booze caught his eye.
He said, “Grandpa, I thought that on that table was still a full bottle of whisky? At least when I went to bed it was.”
Ben looked at the table and noticed that Mitch was right. Then they heard some noise on the porch. They went to take a look and were very amazed to see what was going on.
Mitch didn’t believe in Santa anymore straight away. The lover of children was lying dead drunk on the porch. He sang loud surring his words Christmas carols with a completely different text which were very shady as well.
“What will we do with that drunk?”, Mitch asked whispering.
“We let him sleep it off in the barn and tomorrow we look further”, Ben said.
They helped Santa to the stable where he quite soon fell asleep loud snoring.
Ben and Mitch went back inside again. The rancher noticed that his grandson had a big problem.
“Grandpa, how can I get something from Santa when I don’t believe in it anymore and he is so drunk?”, the boy asked.
“I think you never believed in Santa?”, Ben said smiling.
“That is right but don’t tell anyone. Especially not daddy”, his grandson replied.
“This will stay between us too. Go back to bed because tomorrow you and Uncle Hoss must go to the orphanage. Goodnight”, Ben said.
“It is already Christmas Day, isn’t it?”, the boy asked then.
The rancher nodded and looked at him questionable.
“Then I am already nine years old”, Mitch answered as cool as a cucumber.
“Congratulations lad. And now off to bed”, Ben said smiling.
Mitch went to bed again and his grandpa followed not much later. Now the two Cartwrights could sleep.
The next morning after breakfast Hoss and Mitch went to the orphanage to hand out the presents to the orphans there. They had to be entertained as well. Hoss had with much pain and difficulty the suit of Santa and put it on which suited him perfectly.
Underway Mitch said: Uncle Hoss, I would almost believe that you are Santa.”
Not much later the couple arrived at the orphanage.
There they heard Christmas carols singing. Mitch was drove for the first time of his life the reindeers which was going quite well but not stopping the animals. With difficulty Mitch could stop the sleigh but with support of Hoss it did.
“Sorry that I couldn’t stop the reindeers”, the boy apologized.
“Mitchy, that is not needed at all. You are doing this for the first time and I know that you are not so strong yet. You just must learn it yet”, his Uncle said calm.
He helped his nephew out of the sleigh and tied the reindeers tight.
“Wait here”, the boy said.
Mitch slipped quickly to the office of the Matron Claire Thompson.
He knocked politely at the door.
“Enter”, Claire said.
Mitch came in and said, “Mrs Thompson, the real Santa arrived at our ranch last night. Besides that he was lying on the porch singing loud last night after he had emptied a bottle of whisky. Due to these reasons Uncle Hoss had put on his suit and he waits outside.”
“I understand it and I will play it along. You stay here as well. You had to accompany your Uncle, I suppose?”, Claire asked kindly.
“Unfortunately yes”, the boy answered.
She went with the boy to the reception hall where the children were already waiting for the arrival of Santa.
She went to stand on the stage and asked, “Children, I have heard that Santa is waiting outside for you. Shall we let him in then?”
Mitch shook of no with teasing laughing eyes.
All children yelled as one, “Yes.”
Claire walked to the front door and let Hoss in.
She whispered, “Your nephew has told me everything. He even wanted to let you stay outside.”
“I will get that lad at home. He hasn’t gotten his birthday presents yet. It is his birthday today as well”, was the answer of Hoss.
He had expected something like that from Mitch. Concerning that he looked exactly like Adam. He was also so sneaky.
Santa got a warm welcome from the children. Mitch looked at it from behind the hall but it didn’t really appealed to him. That also went for the twin brothers Andrew and David Jackson. They came after him. In the hall they stopped Mitch.
“You are a Cartwright, aren’t you?”, David asked.
“So what? What is the matter?”, Mitch asked who was much younger and smaller than the twins.
“You just came along to brag against us that your grandpa is a rich rancher and owns the biggest ranch of the territory. Well, we will teach you that quickly. From now on you pay us each Sunday before church ten dollars per person”, Andrew said.
“Never”, Mitch said cool.
“Wrong answer”, David said and he gave the young Cartwright a punch in his stomach.
Mitch fell on the ground whereby Andrew went to stand on his right hand and David kicked against it. Just when they heard footsteps they ran away. Mitch was lying moaning on the ground. Claire and Hoss saw the boy lying and ran to him.
“I take him home right away”, Hoss said while he picked up his nephew and carried him outside.
“I come later by to hear everything from Mitch”, Claire said.
“It were Andrew and David”, Mitch said.
“Go home now. I will deal with it here”, the Matron said.
When Hoss and Mitch went back to the Ponderosa the youngest got more pain in his hand by the minute.
“Uncle Hoss, my hand keeps on hurting”, Mitch said moaning.
“We are home soon boy”, Hoss said worried.
He rode harder to get home quicker.
When Hoss and Mitch came home Adam, Little Joe and Candy were outside.
“Look, there is Santa with his little helper”, Little Joe said mocking.
They saw at once that it wasn’t going well with Mitch and ran as fast they could to them. Hoss stopped the sleigh Adam caught his son and saw what had happened.
“Candy, make the carriage ready because Mitch is injured”, Adam called to the foreman.
Candy made the carriage ready at once. A moment later Adam and Mitch left the yard. Hoss and Little Joe took care of the sleigh and the reindeers of Santa. This one had woken up but he did have a big hangover. He walked out of the stable and saw Hoss, Little Joe and Candy standing near his sleigh and reindeers. Like a lunatic he flew to them.
“What are you doing in my suit? I must entertain the children and give them presents and not you”, he said to Hoss.
“That is the truth but you see…You were so drunk and not able to get awake that I went with my nephew. Besides you must rest with your arm. We had made the agreement last night that I would go”, Hoss said.
“Nonsense. I never drink. Hiccup”, Santa said.
He burped very hard which made the others smell that the good lover of children had been drinking again.
“I don’t know what you are going to do but I am getting out of this ridiculous suit and into my own neat clothes”, Hoss said.
He went inside followed by Little Joe and Candy. Santa got left behind at the yard.
“Pa, that Santa is just completely loony because he drinks like hell”, Little Joe said.
“I know that because last night he was laying on the porch singing dirty Christmas carols. Mitch and I brought him to the stable”, Ben replied calm.
“He already has now already more drunk than just cold tea”, Candy remarked dry.
“Boys, make sure that he remains at the ranch. I don’t want that the children of Virginia City discover that Santa is a boozer”, the rancher said to Little Joe and Candy who understand stood it at once and went to work right away.
Meanwhile Mitch told what had happened at the orphanage.
“The performance of Uncle Hoss didn’t mean that much to me so I went to the hall. David and Andrew Jackson came after me and hit me to the ground. Andrew went to stand on my hand and David kicked against it. Also I must pay them each ten dollars before church starts on Sunday. And only because grandpa is so rich”, Mitch said.
“You don’t pay them anything! As soon as we have seen the doctor we go to the sheriff to report it”, Adams aid shocked.
Mitch kept silent for a moment.
“I wish Cody was here”, he said suddenly.
“I wish that too boy. Do you miss him?”, Adam asked.
“Yes. I like it to be an only child but when Lisa was born I hoped to have finally someone to play with at the ranch. That is so but she is still so little. Cody understands me”, Mitch told slowly.
Adam noticed that his son was lonely. But he didn’t have the solution very fast.
After a while riding they finally reached Virginia City. Adam stopped the carriage before the practise of doctor Paul Martin. Father and son Cartwright stepped outside of the carriage and went inside.
“Paul, merry Christmas and I have a little patient here for you”, Adam said cheerful.
“The same to you Adam, Mitch. Welcome. Sit down. What has happened now?”, the house doctor asked.
“Uncle Hoss played for Santa at the orphanage and I had to come along. There Andrew and David Jackson treated my hand”, the youngest Cartwright replied.
“Let us have a look”, Paul said.
Mitch showed his injured hand and looked at his father in the meantime. This one gave him a wink while smiling.
“It is broken. I will set into plaster. It must remain two months around it”, Paul said.
That happened and a moment later Adam and Mitch were outside again.
“We go home”, Adam said.
Mitch kept on looking for a moment, saw something familiar and ran then to his classmate Patty Jenkins.
“What are you doing with my dog?”, he asked fierce.
Patty looked at him surprised and asked snappy, “Your dog? This shepherd dog belongs to me since November if this year. I found him since someone left him behind sat the empty bank building”
Cody recognized Mitch and began to bark loud and wild.
“Shut up rotten dog!”, Patty snapped at Cody.
Adam came nearer and so also the mother of Patty, Sheila Jenkins.
“Mr Cartwright, you must keep your spoiled son near you and not make our dog so excited”, Sheila said patronizing
Cody recognized Adam as well and jumped up to him.
“Down Cody”, Adam just said and the dog became quiet.
“She is called Julia and not Cody”, Patty reformed Adam.
“You can see clearly that it is a male dog and no female dog and that’s why he is called Cody”, Mitch reacted.
Patty threw the leash in the snow and walked away.
“Keep that stupid dog then”, Sheila said snappy.
Mitch grabbed the leash and gave his little friend a warm hug.
“Now we are really going home or you will never get your presents”, Adam said.
Mitch and Cody walked along. Adam noticed right away that his son was not lonely anymore and that made him also a lot happier.
When Adam and Mitch came home with Cody, Cody got an extended welcome from everyone.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door of the Ponderosa. All looked up because company wasn’t expected at the ranch. Ben answered the door and saw an unknown woman standing.
“Hello madam. What can I do for you?”, the rancher asked a bit amazed.
“Is Santa here?”, the woman asked.
“Yes. He arrived here last night and landed on our yard. But he was in quite a drunken spirit. But do come in”, Ben said invited.
Santa had heard the conversation and came to the front door. When he saw the woman he became more white than the snow lying on the yard.
“Theadora, w….w……..what a……a……..are y…you d….d…..doing h…….h………h…….here?”, he asked stuttering.
“You left me behind in Silver City. I had to sit all the way on the back of a mule. My bottom is now printed at the back of that mule”, Theadora said.
Ben had very much trouble to stop from laughing but that was also the case for the others.
Mitch and Cody came to stand near them and Mitch asked, “Santa, is she your wife?”
“Yes. Unfortunately. She forbids me to drink anymore”, Santa said.
“You must be keep on drinking or otherwise you will dry up”, the boy reacted.
“Nonsense. Olivier, we go together and make the children happy with their presents and then we go home”, Theadora said.
“Good. I was so lonely that I started to drink for that reason. Please forgive me, my Christmas grape”, Santa said who even went down on his knees for his wife.
Theadora looked for a moment at her begging husband and then at Mitch and Cody.
“Just forgive him”, the young Cartwright said.
“Good. My Christmas prune, I forgive you”, she said.
Olivier jumped up and took his wife into his arms. A passionate kiss followed.
After a cup of coffee with cake Santa and his wife left the Ponderosa. Ben and Mitch looked them while standing on the porch.
“Grandpa, I hope that grandma is having a great Christmas as well. Do you think that she is with the other grandma’s Cartwright?”, Mitch asked after a while.
Ben sat down and pulled his grandson near him.
“I know that for sure. Are you coming inside because I know that you and Cody have a lot to tell each other?”, the rancher asked.
Mitch nodded and they went inside.
Now the Cartwright family was together again Christmas became even more cozier than before.