Just like her grandpa Ben Cartwright Lisa Cartwright too had love for nature and a talent for green fingers. That’s why the young Cartwright very often to be found in the flower garden. Her parents, Adam and Sally Cartwright, found it alright that their daughter was busy outside a lot but not that she often came inside dirty.
But when Adam said something about it his son Mitch hit back with, “You have played in the mud yourself with your brothers even though you all three are grownups.”
From that moment on Adam didn’t say anything about it anymore.
Another Cartwright was once again on the path of love. Joe Cartwright had lost his heart to the sweet Wilma Willis. In contrast to Joe Wilma lived in a big mansion. But she came of a very good and rich family. The two turtle doves saw each other as much as possible and were crazy about each other. Wilma spoke at a dignified tone and saw actually nothing in Joe but because his family was rich she was dating him anyway.
One afternoon Lisa had picked yellow dandelions and put them into a vase. Here after she had gone outside again. That same afternoon Joe had discovered that his girl happens to be celebrating her birthday. But because he was out of money once again Joe had to think of another solution for a birthday present.
“Oh dear, Wilma is having her birthday and I have bought her nothing”, Joe said desperate to himself.
He looked around what he could give and then his eye caught on the bunch of flowers in the vase.
“I just give those flowers as a present”, was his solution.
The flowers got taken out of the vase and wrapped into a newspaper. Here after Joe quickly left for his birthday girl. The empty vase with water stayed behind as a silent witness.
At the house of Wilma’s they were waiting for her boyfriend.
“I think he comes with a very expensive present for you”, her mother Kate said.
“He better be. His family has a lot of money so he can buy me an expensive present”, answered Wilma.
She looked outside and saw her prince charming coming.
“Oh mother, there comes Joe”, she said exciting as a teenage girl.
Quickly she walked to the front door and waved it open.
“Hello sweetheart. Happy birthday”, Joe said after he had hitched his horse Cochise.
He kissed her and gave then the bunch of flowers.
Wilma looked at the flowers and said in love, “How nice. A bunch of flowers. Thank you.”
They went inside where Wilma put the flowers into a vase. Proud as a peacock Wilma came shredding into the living room with the vase with flowers.
“Look mother. Joe gave me a nice bunch of flowers for my birthday”, she said.
Kate first looked closely at the bunch and then at her son-in-law to be.
“Do you always give your girl a bunch of weed for her birthday?”, she asked then snappy.
“Weed? It is not weed at all. They come from our garden!”, protested Joe.
“Joe Cartwright, you may be rich but you are just too niggling to buy an expensive present for my daughter. You thought for sure: she is blonde so stupid and doesn’t see the difference between a real bunch of flowers and weed? Well I, her mother, does see the difference. Just sod off now and don’t you dare to come here ever again. Because I will castrate you on the spot! Skinflint!”, Kate said boiling of anger.
Joe didn’t know how fast he had to leave. Wilma was inconsolable by the present of her now ex-boyfriend.
At the Ponderosa was Lisa had discovered that her picked bunch of flowers had been stolen. She was upset until her brother Mitch and sister Pam interfered with it.
“Lisa, tell what has happened”, Pam said while they went to sit on the porch.
“I had picked those yellow dandelions and put them into a vase. Here after I went outside again. Hop Sing called me for tea and then I saw that the vase was empty. Who has nicked them?”, asked their six year old sister.
“We don’t know that but we will find out”, answered Mitch.
They thought for a moment.
“Uncle Hoss can’t have done it because he has to stay at home for aunty Betsy and Inger. Grandpa and our parents are to Virginia City so uncle Joe is the culprit! Why would he do that?”, asked Pam.
“Surely to make an impression on that new flame of his”, said Lisa.
“Well, then he makes a bad impression on her because even though those dandelions are beautiful it is yet weed”, answered Mitch.
They laughed. Then their parents and grandpa came home.
“What is so funny or may we not know that?”, asked Ben.
He dismounted off his horse Buck and walked to his grandchildren. Adam and Sally got out of the carriage and joined the children. Their youngest daughter Rose was with them.
“I had picked yellow dandelions and put them into a vase on the little table. Then uncle Joe must have taken them to give to his girlfriend. Now Mitch says that it is weed”, said Lisa.
“That is so but if you have picked them nobody may take them along without a reason”, said the rancher.
“How do you want that he makes it up?”, asked Adam.
“He must help to plant new flowers”, Lisa said determined.
“I know it better: he plans them alone and you say where they must be going in. That’s how we women deal with you Cartwrights!”, answered Sally.
Ben, Adam and Mitch looked at each other and knew that they couldn’t and shouldn’t trifle with the Cartwright women.
During supper Lisa asked incidental, “Uncle Joe, do you know where my picked flowers have gone to?”
Her uncle looked up and began to play with his food. Everybody looked at him.
“When will we get to know your newest love?”, Mitch asked a bit tactless.
“Never because she doesn’t want to see me anymore. It’s her birthday today and I gave her the bunch of flowers which stood at the little table. Did I know that it was weed”, Joe answered indignant.
The others began to laugh loud so that Joe became more in humiliated.
“Lisa, I know that I was wrong but how can I make it up?”, Joe asked carefully.
“Well, you can make it up by planting new flowers and I say where they must be standing”, answered his niece.
“Alright. We do that tomorrow together”, promised Joe.
For a moment he said nothing and then, “Actually I am glad that I have given her that weed because she isn’t my style anyway. This is the very last time that I have given my girl flowers.”
It was clear that 2 Cartwrights had learned something again. Hereby it was cozy again at the ranch.