HYPNOSIS

Ponderosa owner Ben Cartwright had gotten from his grandchildren Mitch and Pam a book about hypnosis. Though the rancher had received the explicit request not to try it out on them. Ben had promised that. But there walking enough victims around at the Ponderosa to practise on. The twins helped their grandpa with that with great pleasure.

So also that certain afternoon. Finally it was quiet at the ranch. Ben had called the children to him for an important assignment.

“Mitch and Pam, you must make sure that I have a quiet afternoon this afternoon”, said the rancher.

“Are you going to do the administration? Daddy will be pleased then”, Mitch said laughing.

“Maybe widow Hawkins comes for a tea visit”, Pam said chuckling.

Ben looked the children of his eldest son Adam strict for a second. They were directly seriously again.

“I give you each 5 dollars to keep everyone away from here. I am going to study this book which I got from you and try it out on my sons then. Don’t tell them nothing about our plan. Understood?”, he asked.

The twins nodded and got the money. They went to the porch to do their homework. Cody, the dog of the family Cartwright, kept them company.

The sons of Ben, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe, came home, saw the kids busy and couldn’t believe their eyes.

“Adam, are that really your children who are so nicely doing their homework?”, asked Hoss.

Adam looked extra good for a second and answered then, “That are indeed my children.”

“They are up to something. Especially when pa is nowhere to be found and Cody is with them”, reacted Little Joe.

They dismounted and hitched the horses. Here after they went to keep the children company and help with the homework.

“Where is grandpa?”, Adam asked after a while.

“In his skin”, answered Mitch.

“We understand that. But where is he exactly?”, asked Hoss.

“Exactly in his skin. Where else?”, his niece asked.

“Grandpa is inside but he may absolutely not be disturbed. He is busy with a very secret assignment”, said Mitch.

“What for a secret assignment? I think you know more about it”, Adam said worried.

“He gave us each an amount to keep you away. Maybe widow Hawkins is coming for a cup of tea and do they together the administration”, Pam suggested.

“I rather see them playing bingo together”, said Hoss.

Everybody laughed.

“How many has grandpa paid you to keep us out of the house?”, asked Adam.

The twins looked at him laughing.

“We give you each six dollars if you say why we may not come inside”, said Hoss.

The twins kept silent again.

“Eight dollars”, said Adam.

“If it gets raised to 10 you hear it”, answered Mitch.

“Twelve dollars but that is the final offer”, Little Joe said reluctant.

The children nodded and held their hands up. The brothers paid right away but didn’t like it.

“Grandpa doesn’t want to be disturbed because he is reading a certain book”, said Pam

Meanwhile Ben read the book form cover to cover and back. Especially the chapter “How do I hypnotize my children?” had woken his interest. The Chinese cook Hop Sing came in with coffee and saw that his boss was reading.

“Mr Cartwright try out hypnosis out on sons?”, asked the cook.

“Yes sure Hop Sing. Do you want to help?”, asked Ben.

The cook nodded smiling.

Ben put the book down and explained, “Don’t let the boys come into the kitchen until we have supper. Then we are going to try it out.

“Hop Sing play game along”, the cook said chuckling.

He went back to the kitchen. Ben read that certain chapter again and got then up to get his grandchildren inside.

“Mitch and Pam, would you like to come to me for a moment?”, the rancher asked at the door.

The children came right away so that Adam could check the made homework.

In the living room Ben said, “Hop Sing is playing along with our plan. We do the hypnosis during supper. You let nothing show.”

“About what?”, Mitch asked dry.

“Exactly”, said Ben.

“Daddy, uncle Hoss and uncle Joe have paid us 12 dollars to hear what kept you busy. We said that you were reading a certain book”, said Pam.

“And they do believe it too”, her brother added.

“So how much have you earned with this case?”, asked Ben.

The twins counted the money and answered, “We have earned each 17 dollars.”

“Not bad for two young Cartwrights like us”, Mitch remarked.

During supper Ben said suddenly to his sons, “Boys, pay attention to me for a moment. Look into my eyes…you are getting sleepy…Soon you won’t hear or see nothing anymore. When I snap my fingers you wake up and everything is back to normal.”

The brothers looked at their father and became sleepy indeed. When they had fallen asleep the twins and Hop Sing took everything away. To be sure Ben had hid the book about hypnosis well in his bedroom. Ben and the kids ate ahead and after they had done the dishes Ben snapped his fingers. The brothers woke up and looked amazed around them.

“What has happened?”, asked Hoss.

“I think you are working too hard in the open air because you fell asleep during supper. Not even Mitch and Pam do that”, answered Ben.

“Then that will be so. Seeing as pa can’t lie”, said Adam.

Everybody laughed.

Ben knew that he couldn’t try this out on his sons again what hypnosis was concerned. But he did know that his grandchildren would help him with everything. Even if they had to get their father into a fix with that.

Adam, Hoss and Little Joe didn’t discover what really had happened and that was good too.