It was for Adam Cartwright quite a chore to raise his son Mitch of three years old nicely. Because father and son lived at the Ponderosa the father of Adam, Ben Cartwright, and the Uncles of Mitch, Hoss and Little Joe interfered with the raising of the boy. Adam wanted to listen to the well meant advices of his father and eventually accept them but certainly not those of his younger brothers.
One evening the three brothers were sitting in the living room. Hoss and Little Joe were playing checkers while Adam sat on the settee watching. The eldest Cartwright boy had put his feet on the drawing-room table. At a certain moment Hoss looked at his older brother. He stroke against Little Joe and both saw how Adam sat.
“Why may you sit with your feet on the table and I don’t?”, Little Joe asked indignant.
“Because I am the eldest and you the youngest”, was the answer.
“Don’t Let Mitchy see this. This is certainly not a good manner”, reacted Hoss.
Reluctantly Adam had to admit that Hoss was right. But he had his reaction ready.
He said, “If I don’t watch out you will teach Mitch everything that is wrong.”
Hoss and Little Joe looked at each other amazed.
“Do you think so bad about us? If it was up to you, you would lock Mitch up in a golden cage”, said Little Joe.
“Nonsense. I do know that you mean well with my son and babysit him well. But he has to listen to me in the first place and so obey me”, said Adam.
“What concerns us you raise that lad well and nicely. Others in Virginia City can take an example to your raising art”, said Little Joe.
“Thank you gentlemen. Now you must add to it that my son is an easy child”, Adam said smiling.
“Joe, has it noticed you that when our brother talks about his son he is going to sparkle at all?”, asked Hoss.
“Now you say it Hoss, yes. But that also goes for pa”, answered Little Joe.
“Mitch has also good table manners. but he has of course a very good example”, said Adam.
“Us of course”, Hoss and Little Joe said at the same time.
“Go and take a walk! He has me as example of course”, was the reaction of Adam.
Hoss got up right away and walked to the front door. He put him wide open.
“Hoss, why must the door be open?”, Adam asked amazed.
Little Joe also didn’t understand anything from it.
“To make your air of self-conceit disappear”, said Hoss.
Little Joe couldn’t stop laughing anymore. Hoss thought it was funny too. Adam groaned something inaudible. It was very obvious that the brothers each thought differently about raising.