On a very beautiful day Hoss Cartwright came home with a new pet. He drove whistling onto the yard and stopped in front of the barn. He jumped off the box and grabbed the big strongbox which stood on the wagon.
“Welcome to the Ponderosa little rabbit”, Hoss said to the contents of the box.
What Hoss hadn’t seen was that his oldest niece and only nephew had been watching him.
“Has uncle Hoss become totally loony now? He talks to a box”, said Pam.
She was the oldest niece of Hoss.
“If he wasn’t that already, then we know it for sure now. Am I glad that we are normal”, answered her twin-brother Mitch.
“That’s why Adam Cartwright is our father too”, reacted Pam.
They laughed. Of course Hoss heard this and he came to them.
“Why are you laughing now?”, he asked semi-angry.
“Because you talk to a box. W don’t do that because we are normal and that is because your big and older brother Adam Cartwright is our father”, answered Mitch.
But before Hoss could place a remark Pam asked, “What is in that box actually?”
“Come and have a look”, Hoss said inviting.
The twins walked along with him where after the box got opened.
“Look boys. This is my new pet”, Hoss said while he lifted a gigantic rabbit out of the box.
“Wow, the orphanage has a complete with of that”, said Mitch.
“He is not for a meal but as a pet”, said Hoss.
“Does Hop Sing have a pan big enough for that beast?”, Pam asked tactful.
“Otherwise he strings him to the spit”, her brother answered even so tactful.
Hop Sing was their loyal Chinese cook.
Mitch made it even worse by saying, “When uncle Hoss goes to walk with that rabbit it is: rabbit where are you going to with uncle Hoss?”
They laughed but their big uncle didn’t find it funny of course.
“Ha ha, what are we funny again. The two of you are together even worse than your father”, reacted Hoss.
“Just keep that beats away from our cook. Otherwise we eat rabbit for the next 10 years”, advised Pam.
“Maybe daddy can use the skin as a towel. Or he makes a handbag for mom of it”, Mitch suggested.
Hoss made an end to it by saying, “If you have any more nice suggestions, just keep them to yourselves. Just go play again.”
“Good luck with uncle Hoss, Floppy”, Mitch said to the rabbit.
Mitch and Pam went to play again at their faithful spot while laughing.
Hoss looked at his rabbit and said comforting, “Just don’t pay attention to those 2 because they have those nasty little characteristics of their father. You won’t get slaughtered!”
The animal got put back into the box so that Hoss could make a cage for his pet.
During supper Mitch asked, “Uncle Hoss, have you shown your rabbit to the others already? Or are we eating it now?”
“What rabbit?”, Ben Cartwright asked amazed.
Ben was the father of Hoss and the owner of the Ponderosa Ranch where the Cartwright family lived.
But yet before Hoss could answer Pam said, “He has a rabbit of 500 kg and 2 meter tall. Really a meal for an orphanage.”
“Blowing over is also a trade for you and your brother, isn’t it? He is a bit on the big side but he really isn’t 500 kg and 2 meter tall”, said Hoss.
“No, 4 meter tall with a weight of 800 kg”, reacted his nephew.
Everyone except Hoss laughed.
“Mitch, such big rabbits aren’t existing at all”, said Joe.
He was the youngest Cartwright brother.
“Hoss, just show us your rabbit later on”, said Ben.
Of course he had become curious for the rabbit. But that were his oldest son Adam and his wife Sally too.
Sally made sure that her brother-in-law got wound up by saying, “Maybe we can use the skin as a blanket for the baby. Then she stays nicely warm.”
Three weeks before she had given birth to daughter Rose.
“Good idea”, Adam said smiling.
“What are you cruel to animals”, said Hoss.
“We are cruel to animals? I feel sorry for that rabbit”, reacted Mitch.
Everyone except Hoss laughed.
Then Pam said, “You may borrow the leash of Cody when you walk that rabbit.”
“And the collar of Cody too”, her brother added to it.
“Eat on boys. The sooner we can admire the little rabbit”, said Adam.
“Daddy, don’t say that we didn’t warn you for the little rabbit of uncle Hoss”, said Mitch.
Laughing but silent the Cartwrights ate on. Everyone was very curious for the newest pet at the Ponderosa ranch.
After supper Hoss showed with full pride his rabbit.
Ben said, “That is indeed a very big rabbit, Hoss. Do keep him inside of his cage.”
“Yes pa”, Hoss said quickly.
Adam, Joe and Sally were also impressed but they didn’t say anything.
Soon everyone knew about the rabbit. The animal sat in a cage. A hand, Sean Clark, had seen that the twins fed the animals each morning and decided to play a joke on them. With a stick he pestered the rabbit so that the animal became angry. After that Seam went away quickly. Mitch and Pam came with food for Floppy. At the moment when Pam opened the cage to give the food the rabbit bit the Cartwright in her left hand. Here after the animal fled away. Pam dropped the manger of fright.
“Rotten beast!”, scold Pam.
“Come sis. Now that beats got to go”, said Mitch.
They ran to the ranch house to get help. Ben and Sally were inside and knew at once that something was wrong.
“Mom, grandpa, that rotten beast had the nasty guts to bite Pam”, Mitch said furious.
“Mitch, calm down!”, Sally said strict.
“Floppy has bitten me in my hand”, Pam said a bit calmer than her brother.
She showed her injured hand.
Ben checked the wound and said, “Just come to the kitchen. Hop Sing will be able to treat it.”
Pam walked with him to the kitchen where the cook helped her. Sally remained in the living room with Mitch. He told what had happened when he had calmed down.
“Your father and your uncle Hoss must solve this and they will too. Your welfare goes above everything”, she said.
Mitch knew that too.
A bit later on the twins sat like each day outside on the porch doing their school work when Sean came walking by.
“Have you let that rabbit escape? Your uncle won’t be liking that”, he said mocking.
Mitch and Pam suddenly understood how the rabbit had become angry.
Then Sean asked, “Pam, how did you get your hand injured?”
“You need to ask that! You pestered Floppy so that he would bite us”, Mitch answered fierce.
“I asked your sister, not you, lamely”, Sean said furious.
He came on the porch and gave Mitch a hard push whereby Mitch fell down. The boy kicked the hand with his left leg whereby also fell down. They began to fight where after Pam ran inside to warn Ben.
Sean hit Mitch onto the yard and said, “Come than little lad.”
He went to the young Cartwright toe and the fight continued. The fight attracted the attention of everyone. Although Mitch was just 12 he didn’t let himself down.
Just when Ben stern said, “Stop it!” there was no more fighting.
“He started! He has pestered the rabbit so that he bit Pam beet. Besides he called me lamely”, Mitch said angry.
“You are that anyway!”, Sean said laughing.
“Clark, get your stuff and disappear from my ranch. Hereby you are fired”, Ben said strict.
“I get fired and that little one gets taken into protection again”, snapped Sean.
“Candy, take Mitch inside”, the rancher said to foreman Candy Canaday.
He did that and now Mitch went along meek.
“Sean Clark, you may be glad that my sons didn’t see this because then you wouldn’t have survived it. I never want to see you again!”, said Ben.
When Candy and Mitch came inside Sally and Pam saw how Mitch knocked about was by Sean.
“Just put him on the settee”, said Sally.
That happened and Mitch got taken care of by his stepmother.
“You should have seen the face of Sean after the fight. Mitch has 1 black and blue eye but Sean 2 and a fat lip”, said Candy said smiling.
“Fighting is no solution”, reacted Sally.
“I know that but Mitch is 12 and Sean 36. If this gets out Sean has no life anymore”, said Candy.
Sally had to admit that Candy was right. She sent him to Virginia City to get Adam.
In Virginia City Sean ran into the Cartwright brothers.
“Sean, what are you doing here? Mustn’t you be working?”, asked Joe.
“Adam, I’m fired because your sweet lame little son began to fight with me. And only because I have pestered that rabbit whereby he bit that chick in her hand”, Sean said laughing.
The brothers looked at each other for a second and Adam said, “Hoss, you knock him about. Then you get a beer form us.”
Sean became scared and got now knocked about by Hoss.
In the saloon Joe asked amazed, “Mitch is not so short-tempered of character like me, is he?”
“No, but the twins are now at a difficult age. Plus that Rose asks and gets a lot of time and attention from me and Sally.. Sean did look nice when we ran into him. I’m curious what Mitch has”, answered Adam.
“Me too. Anyway Sean walked a bit lame. Mitch must have been kicking him quite with his walking brace”, said Joe.
They got company form Candy later on who had an urgent message for Adam.
“Adam, I have been sent to Virginia City to get you. Your wife told me to”, said the foreman.
Adam made his glass empty and asked, “Candy, you wait here for Hoss and his beer. Joe, are you coming home?”
Joe nodded and drank up his beer. Here after he went with his brother home.
Sean was no match for Hoss so he quickly took to his heels. To great amusing of all bystanders.
Deputy Clem Foster went with Hoss into the saloon and asked, “How come that that Sean Clark looks so beautiful with his 2 black and blue eyes and fat lip?”
“At the ranch he has fought with the only grandson of Ben Cartwright. Mitch has only 1 black and blue eye”, said Candy.
Hoss couldn’t stop laughing anymore. Clem found it funny as well. Candy ordered 2 more beer where after they went home too.
Arrived at home Adam saw how his 2 oldest children looked like. He and Joe also heard what had happened exactly.
“Where is that rabbit?”, asked Joe.
“Somewhere on a spot in the world”, answered his nephew.
“We understand that but that rabbit only causes problems. He’s got to go”, Ben said determined.
Everyone thought so, especially the twins. The men decided to look for the animal. Mitch and Pam had to stay inside of Adam and Sally.
Hoss and Candy were almost home when they saw the rabbit sitting down.
“Candy, grab your rifle too. Then we shoot that rabbit dead. He has given us more than enough problems”, said Hoss.
They grabbed their rifles and killed Floppy that way. The men took the rabbit along as evidence.
When the Cartwrights saw the dead rabbit Ben asked, “Hoss, it’s a waste to throw the meat away. What are you going to do with it?”
“Well pa, when I had just come home with the rabbit Mitchy said that the orphanage has a complete meal of it. They need it harder than we do”, answered his son.
“Good idea. Just bring the rabbit to the orphanage”, said Ben.
The brothers brought the rabbit to the orphanage where they were deliriously glad with the meat.
Riding back home Hoss said, “Boys, I will never take such a big rabbit home again.”
“We have heard that and we keep you on to that”, said Adam.
Hoss kept his word and never took a big rabbit home again.