Little Joe Cartwright and Candy Canaday were in a very rotten boring mood. There was nothing to do at the ranch so they decided to experiment a bit with shoe polish.
“Joe, you can do a whole lot with shoe polish”, said Candy.
“Indeed. You can put it onto your boots but also on yourself. Do you what we will do? We smear oursleves in with this stuff and scare the others when they come home”, said Little Joe.
Candy smiled while he grabbed a jar of black shoe polish and smeared himself. His friend did the same thing. A bit later they went to sit into the bushes just outside the yard.
Ponderosa owner Ben Cartwright had been in Virginia City for some business and had thereby company of his two eldest sons Adam and Hoss Cartwright and his grandson on Mitch of four. They were in a jolly mood.
Suddenly Little Joe and Candy jumped out of the bushes and they yelled very loud, “Boo!”
Mitch sat on his pony Whitey and the animal pranced whereby the young cowboy fell upon the ground. Adam jumped right away from his horse Sport af and cared for his son. Ben and Hoss also dismounted and grabbed the culprits very tight.
“Dadburnit, this is not funny anymore”, Hoss said groaning.
“Right away to home and wait in my office!”, the rancher said strict.
Hoss let them go. Little Joe and Candy didn’t know how fast they had to run home.
Ben and Hoss kneeleden down near Adam and Mitch.
“Lad, where do you got pain?”, Ben asked worried.
Mitch pointed at his left arm.
Ben examnied the body part and said, “I think it is bruised. You remain in bed until your arm is cured.”
Adam lifted his son and carried him to the ranch house. Hoss took the horses along.
Arrived at home Adam brought his son to bed where the Chinese cook Hop Sing took care of the boy. In the meantime Ben gave his youngest son and foreman a harangue.
“It was meant to scare you as a pracitcal joke”, Little Joe said aback.
“A joke? Your nephew could have broken his neck just like mother died”, Ben said strict.
Just now Little Joe and Candy realised that their practical joke wasn’t funny.
“It will never happen again”, said Candy.
“It better not too. Because Mitch fell by your practical joke you take care of him as long as he in injured”, said the de rancher.
Adam came downstairs and said, “Mitch is finally asleep but he still has a lot of pain.”
“Your youngest brother and this young man here take care of him as punishment until he is better”, said Ben.
“I may hope that my sweet boy may be very demanding against you”, reacted Adam.
Because Little Joe and Candy had to look after Mitch as punishment they resolved themselves to do never such a thing ever again.