FISHING

To grant his brother Adam some rest Hoss Cartwright had sacrificed his free afternoon to go fishing with his nephew Mitch of 5. The little boy was the apple of the eye of Adam but the eldest Cartwright boy had his hands full with his offspring. That’s why Adam was always overjoyed when someone took Mitch along.

So also that one afternoon.

To make sure that Hoss got through the whole afternoon the Chinese cook Hop Sing had given the couple a good filled picnic basket along.

“Mitch, stay by your uncle and listen to him”, Adam said just before leaving.

“Yes daddy”, the boy said.

“Adam, don’t you worry because I will take good care of your son”, Hoss said smiling.

“You better too or otherwise I will think of a suitable punishment for you”, his brother reacted.

Hoss didn’t ask any further and went on the road with his nephew. Cody, the dog of the Cartwrights, went along too.

“Uncle Hoss, shall we catch much?”, Mitch asked suddenly.

“I don’t know but I hope so”, replied Hoss.

In his mind he walked home with a big fish.

Arrived at the water uncle and nephew prepared the road for usage. Hoss did most of the work because Mitch wasn’t so handy.

“Mitchy, pay good attention because I am going to teach you how to fish”, Hoss said while he threw the rods into the water.

“Daddy had taught me it himself. Grandpa even says that I can do it better than he can”, the young Cartwright replied.

Hoss sighted deep and looked at his nephew.

“Now I understand why your father puts you out to a contract to someone else. You know to silence everyone with your remarks”, he said.

“That’s why I am so very loved”, reacted Mitch.

Hoss kept silent and threw the rods into the water again.

Mitch came to sit by him and said, “It is here beautiful.”

“That it is indeed”, said Hoss.

He felt that there was a remark of his nephew coming up again.

“Daddy says that I am for him the most beautiful son. That’s why it is so beautiful here too”, Mitch said incidentally.

“It is a good thing that we are outside because otherwise.......”, Hoss said teasing.

He looked at the boy laughing and they began to frolic wildly.

Suddenly Cody began to bark out loud. Quickly Hoss and Mitch grabbed the rods and got them in. Hoss looked rather amazed when he saw what he had caught. It happen to be an old boot. Mitch had already a remark ready to be heard.

“Gees uncle Hoss, I didn’t know that there were such strange fishes here. Or has uncle Joe lost his boots here?”, the boy asked.

“What are we so very funny again. That you have caught a big fish. At least now I have an extra boot”, said Hoss.

“Then you catch soon the other boot?”, his nephew asked.

“What are we very funny again today”, said Hoss.

Mitch said, “I find that too.”

Cody barked.

“Cody says it too”, Mitch explained.

The rods got thrown out again but to big hilarity of Mitch the rod of Hoss remained empty and that of himself was occupied by a fish each time. Hoss began to understand better why Adam now and then wanted to be alone without his son.

First the Cartwrights made the picnic basket empty and then full again with the caught fish. The basket was so heavy that Hoss and Mitch carried it together. But that evening the Cartwrights had a delicious meal and that came by the caught fish of Mitch.