It was very quiet at the Ponderosa, home addres of the Cartwright family. Rancher Ben Cartwright was away for a short vacation with his grandchildren, the twins Mitch and Pam of 10. The father of the twins, Adam, was at work with his younger brothers Hoss and Little Joe. At least that was what Ben thought. But the reality was different.
Hoss and Little Joe were busy at the herd when they saw a different animal walking between the cows.
“Joe, do you see what I see?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“Yeah, if you see an elephant too”, his brother said amazed.
“Then we both see an elephant walking. What do we do with it? We can hardly let him keep walking between the cows”, said Little Joe.
“We just take him home and say to pa when he is home again that he just came walking by”, answered Hoss.
“Go ride a bike. Pa will believe us when we tell him that that elephant just came walking by. But alright. We can hardly leave him here behind”, reacted Little Joe.
So said, so done.
The elephant followed the brothers home.
“Joe, he is as tame as a lamb. We just keep him as a pet”, Hoss said excited.
“We already have a dog, chickens and enough horses here. Pa sees us coming”, answered his brother.
Though Little Joe was for the idea.
“We put him in the shed”, said Hoss.
“Come little elephant”, said Little Joe said to their new pet.
Hoss opened the door of the empty shed where after the elephant went inside. Quickly they closed the door.
“We go back to the herd before someone misses us”, said Hoss.
They mounted on their horses and rode quickly back to the herd.
Totally unexpected the holiday-makers came home. Ben noticed right away that there was a strange sphere at the yard. He stopped the carriage and got out.
“East west, home’s best”, said the rancher.
Cody, the dog of the Cartwrights, woke up and saw his playmates again. He ran at once to Mitch and Pam. The twins gave him an extended greeting. Ben too gave the dog an extended greeting. A second later Cody ran to the shed.
“Grandpa, that shed was open when we left?”, asked Mitch.
“Yes, that’s so. Now he is closed. Let’s see what is in it”, said Ben.
They walked to the shed. Carefully Ben opened the door. Mitch and Pam saw the elephant and were rolling over the ground laughing. The thick-skin sat flat on his backside and looked as amazed at the Cartwrights.
“What do get now? Who had put that beast here?”, the rancher asked amazed.
“We didn’t take him home because we were with you. Our Uncles must have done it for sure”, laughed Mitch.
“Very funny”, grumbled Ben.
He walked to the stable to saddle up his horse. A moment later he was on his way to the herd.
On the way he ran into his eldest son Adam.
“Adam, did you happen to put an elephant in the shed?”, Ben asked directly.
Adam started to laugh and said, “I haven’t seen an elephant. Perhaps that Hoss and Joe know more about it.”
“Then I go to them. You go home to receive your children”, said the rancher.
“Alright. Pa, before I forget it: welcome home”, Adam said laughing.
“I had imagined a better and nicer homecoming”, his father groaned.
Both rode away from each other. Adam home and Ben to the herd.
Hoss and Little Joe saw their father coming and felt the trouble hanging in the air.
“He must have discovered our little pet”, Hoss chuckled.
Little Joe feared that too but said nothing. Ben stopped his horse near his two youngest sons and looked at them seriously.
“What is that elephant doing in my shed?!”, asked the rancher.
“We found them here at the herd. He walked around so pitiful that we decided to take him home. Had a nice vacation?”, Little Joe asked light-hearted.
“We had a very nice vacation but not this homecoming. What mustn’t your nephew and niece think of your behavior? You do set a bad example”, said Ben.
The brothers looked confused. They didn’t think of that.
“We bring him back to the herd. Then he must find his own way back”, said Hoss.
The brothers went back home and took their elephant back to the herd.
“Go ahead”, said Little Joe.
The elephant was so glad to be free again that he trumpeted over the meadow and stamped loud.
Hoss and Little Joe clearly had learned their lesson and never took an elephant home.