“Hoss, I have a brilliant plan to surprise our niece and nephew for Easter this year”, an excited Little Joe Cartwright said to his elder brother.
“That will be something. Tell me”, said Hoss.
“You dress up as Easter Bunny and comes home that way on Easter morning. The kids won’t know what they see”, said Little Joe.
“You know that Mitchy not even believes in the Easter Bunny. And his sister probably neither”, reacted Hoss.
“They do know how to act very well though”, Little Joe said indignant.
“You know what? I am in”, Hoss said for not letting his brother be disappointed.
“I already had thought that and counted on it”, said Little Joe.
Hoss wanted to say something but didn’t do that to keep the sweet peace.
The foreman of the Ponderosa, Candy Canaday, rode in hurry-scurry back to the ranch. At the porch he saw the eldest Cartwright brother Adam busy with his children Mitch and Pam. Candy jumped from his horse and walked to the porch.
“Adam, kids, I have something to tell you”, the foreman said more serious than he usual was.
“What is that?”, Adam asked worried.
“Adam, your brothers have thought of the plan to let Hoss appear as Easter Bunny on Easter morning as surprise for the twins”, replied Candy.
The twins were rolling on the floor laughing and the two men thought it was a funny idea too.
“Uncle Hoss once appeared in my room as Easter Bunny because I has before that I didn’t believe in him”, Mitch said bursting of laughter.
Now they laughed harder.
“Boys, we do this. You two bake together with Hop Sing a cake for us for the coffee. But for uncle Hoss you make a carrot cake. As soon as he comes in as the Easter Bunny you give him that certain cake. That will teach them to pull your legs. Candy, you don’t know of nothing”, said Adam.
“About what?”, asked Candy.
“Exactly”, said Adam.
Candy went to work and Adam helped the twins with their homework and then especially Mitch.
In the Cartwright household everybody acted mysterious and was the word friendly everywhere around. Ranch owner Ben Cartwright didn’t understand a thing of it but just let it go pass by him. He was already glad enough that his sons weren’t fighting with each other.
The day before Easter was a very busy one. Hoss and Little Joe were busy with their Easter Bunny suit and the twins helped the Chinese cook Hop Sing in the kitchen like usual. To avoid all chaos Ben had taken the dog Cody for a long ride. The dog loved this very much and it was good for him too.
In the kitchen it was a very cozy sphere. Hop Sing was fond of the twins and the other way around.
“Shall we cut the cake for uncle Hoss in the shape of a carrot?”, Mitch suggested.
“Mr. Hoss not like that”, said Hop Sing.
Pam reacted, “No, but we do.”
“So we do that”, her brother said.
Soon the smell of fresh baked cake was hanging in the whole house. But nobody was allowed to come into the kitchen of Hop Sing and the twins and especially a certain Hoss Cartwright not.
In the evening Adam had a lot of trouble with getting his children to bed. They were already very busy of character but now it was almost Easter totally.
“Daddy, how can the Easter Bunny come now when he must celebrate Easter too with his family?”, asked Pam.
“Perhaps they celebrate it later”, replied Adam.
“Two chickens walk pass a candy store. In the window sits a chocolate rooster. One chicken says, “I want that one for a husband.” The other wants to know why. “Then I have all year through chocolate eggs”, is the reply”, said Mitch.
Everyone except Hoss and Little Joe laughed.
“Soon they come with a joke about the Easter Bunny”, mumbled Hoss.
“Kids, now really off to bed or the Easter Bunny can’t come”, Adam said a bit strict.
“How can he come when he is fake?”, Mitch asked teasing.
“Very funny Mitchy. Just go to bed now”, reacted Hoss.
The twins went laughing upstairs. Hoss noticed that the children knew more than they let show.
The following morning there hung a strange but cozy sphere in the house. For an unknown reason Hoss and Little Joe had left very early.
During breakfast Ben asked, “Where are Hoss and Joe?”
“In their Easter skin”, Mitch replied dry.
The rancher noticed in what sort of mood his grandson was and said nothing anymore for the security.
After a while there was a knock at the door. Everybody looked at the front door.
“Now we shall have it”, said Adam.
He got up and walked to the door. When he opened the door he saw Hoss standing dressed up as the Easter Bunny.
Hoss saw him thinking and said warning, “Shut up you!”
“I wanted to say something but I leave that over to my son and daughter”, reacted Adam.
He let the Easter Bunny in and went to sit in his blue chair. Mitch and Pam looked at each other and they thought the same thing.
“Grandpa, I didn’t know that Hop Sing still had to butch the bunny for tonight’s supper”, said Mitch.
“Very funny boy”, said Ben.
The twins got up and walked to the kitchen. A moment later they came back with a plate where upon a cake in the shape of a carrot was lying.
“Please Easter Bunny. Especially bakes for you”, said Pam.
Hoss first looked keen at the cake, took a large bite and ran then hard away.
“Well, our bake arts are really appreciated very well”, Mitch remarked.
“Here is good cake”, said Hop Sing who had heard everything.
Somewhere outside the yard of the Ponderosa Little Joe waited for his brother.
“Dadburnit”, Hoss said angry.
“What are you back early. Has something happened?”, Little Joe asked amazed.
“Those twins of our brother are smarter than we thought. They had made a carrot cake for me. This was your plan too?”, asked Hoss.
“I don’t know anything about a cake. I swear it”, replied Little Joe.
The rest of the day Hoss and Little Joe were rowing about the cake while their family members had a wonderful Easter.