On a night the youngest resident of the Ponderosa ranch, 3 year old Mitch Cartwright, woke up. He heard clattering passing his room. The boy waited until the noise was over. After that he went out of bed and went to search. Downstairs he saw his friend, the loyal shepherd dog Cody.
“Come Cody”, Mitch said softly.
The dog got up from his place and sneaked noiseless with Mitch direction kitchen. They saw that there was light burning even though it was night.
Hoss Cartwright, the oldest uncle of Mitch, had just baked a double omelet and was about to eat it when Mitch and Cody came in.
“Well, How delicious uncle Hoss. May Cody and I have some too?”, asked Mitch.
He went to sit next Hoss and Cody gave a paw. Both looked so begging that Hoss couldn’t say no.
Hoss said, “Mitchy, grab another plate. Then we share it.”
“I can’t reach the plates”, said Mitch.
Hoss got up and got another plate. Here after the omelet got cut into 2 and 1 part came on the 2nd plate.
“Uncle Hoss, Cody must have water near his bed”, said Mitch.
Hoss got up and went to fill the water cup of the dog. Quickly Mitch gave Cody the 2nd plate and he ate the 1st plate empty. Cody did that with plate 2. Here after the couple went via another stairs to the room of Mitch. A moment later the couple slept like nothing had happened.
Hoss returned into the kitchen and said, “Mitchy, Cody has water.”
There came no reaction until Hoss saw what had happened.
“Dadburnit. That little thing is already as sneaky as his father”, said Hoss.
The older brother of Hoss, Adam, was the father of Mitch.
“Then off to bed with an empty stomach”, Hoss said to himself.
He did that then too.
The next morning Mitch said during breakfast, “Daddy, these eggs are more delicious that the ones uncle Hoss made this night for Cody and me.”
Adam and his father, Ponderosa ranch owner Ben Cartwright, looked at the boy amazed and questionable.
“Tell son”, said Ben.
Mitch told what he and Cody had done to Hoss that previous night. Ben and Adam had to laugh hard.
The rancher answered, “Mitch, uncle Hoss goes out of bed each night to eat. So now you are warned.”
“Thanks grandpa”, said Mitch.
“Mitch, we go to do shopping soon because I think that uncle Hoss doesn’t want to see you and Cody for the time being. Grandpa takes Cody along for a long walk”, said Adam.
Mitch nodded and quickly they ate on.
Since that night Hoss knew that he didn’t have to go pass the room of his nephew to fill his stomach.