For 2 days long the brothers Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright drove their father Ben en the Chinese cook to big desperation. Each day they went to Virginia City to pick up 6 bags of grain and 2 bags of sugar but both days they came home with nothing. That second day Ben came into the ranch house where his eldest son Adam en grandson Mitch were.
“Pa, what is the matter?”, asked Adam.
“Those brothers of yours are making sure that I hardly can enjoy old day”, answered the rancher.
Adam sighed deep because he already knew enough.
“They probably have forgotten to take the grain and sugar along, haven’t they?”, he asked carefully.
Ben nodded.
“So we don’t have a delicious dessert tonight, have we?”, Mitch asked very disappointed.
“No son, indeed not”, said the rancher.
The six year old Cartwright looked from his father to grandfather and back.
“Mitch, what would say about it if we went to get it?”, asked Adam.
“In Virginia City?”, asked Ben.
“No, in Carson City. Besides it is lovely weather”, answered his son.
“Alright”, said Mitch.
They got up and went outside. Adam got the wagon and helped his son on it. A moment later they left the yard.
In the ranch house Hop Sing came into the living room.
“Mr Cartwright, where have Mr Adam and little Mitch gone to?”, asked the cook.
“Hop Sing, they have gone to Carson City to fetch grain and sugar because Hoss and Joseph have forgotten it again”, answered Ben.
“Mr Adam and little Mitch good boys, Mr Hoss and Little Joe not”, said Hop Sing.
Of course Ben couldn’t deny that.
“Give Adam and Mitch tonight an extra portion for fetching”, the rancher said smiling.
“Hop Sing surely will do that”, the cook said pleased where after he went back to the kitchen.
In the meantime Adam and Mitch were already on their way to Carson City.
“Daddy, are my uncles now really so stupid or are we so smart?”, Mitch asked suddenly.
“How do you mean?”, Adam asked amazed.
“Well, if 2 grownup men cannot even do a simple message and we can. That does say enough about them, doesn’t it?”, asked the boy.
“Well, in that case it goes for both: your uncles are so stupid and we are so smart. But I must also say that your uncles can be wise if they want to”, answered Adam.
“Why do I notice so less of that?”, asked Mitch.
“I don’t know that either. But I am afraid than there is a woman into the game”, said Adam.
“The well known problem”, concluded the youngest Cartwright.
Adam nodded.
Not much later the Cartwrights rode into Carson City. Adam stopped the wagon in front of the trading post.
“Mitch, you give up the order, then I will put the bags on the wagon”, said the oldest.
“Alright”, said Mitch.
He slipped off the wagon and went into the store.
“Young man, where can I help you with?”, asked Jake Taylor, the store owner.
“Six bags of grain and 2 bags of sugar please”, answered Mitch.
“I have that for you”, said Jake.
“The wagon is outside”, said Mitch.
Jake grabbed the bags and carried them outside, helped by Adam.
“That is then 5 dollars”, Jake said when everything laid on the wagon.
Adam paid and climbed upon the box after he had helped his son on it. In a quiet pace they rode back to the ranch.
Hop Sing saw the couple coming and walked to them enthusiastic. Adam stopped just in front of the kitchen door and came off the wagon.
“Hop Sing, thanks to Mitch you now have enough grain and sugar for the next few weeks”, said the eldest Cartwright boy.
“Hop Sing little Mitch very grateful and Mr Adam too of course”, answered the cook.
Quickly the bags got carried inside so that Hop Sing could get on too.
That evening when the desserts came on the table 2 Cartwrights got a sour dessert and 3 a normal one.
“Yikes, what is that dessert sour”, Hoss said after a bite.
“Mine too”, Joe complained.
“How can that be? Mine is just delicious”, said Mitch.
Ben and Adam confirmed that too.
“Mitchy, why do you and your father get a bigger dessert than we do?”, Hoss asked then.
“Is that so? I don’t see any difference”, answered his nephew.
“Probably because Mitch and I take the good groceries home and you don’t”, said Adam.
Hoss and Joe now knew that they had to hear this for a long time and kept silent.