Adam Cartwright was away for business. That’s why his father Ben Cartwright took care of the son of Adam, four year old Mitch. But the rancher was supported by that from his two youngest sons Hoss and Little Joe.
One morning Hoss got a good idea.
“Pa, would Adam mind if I taught his son how to ride a horse?”, he asked during breakfast.
“I think Adam would rather do that himself but if you want to teach it I don’t mind”, answered Ben.
Hoss quickly ate on to be quicker with starting the lessons.
Outside on the porch he found his nephew Mitch who played with the dog Cody. Hoss went to sit by them.
“Mitchy, what would you say if I taught you how to ride a horse today?”, asked Hoss.
“Are you sure that you will teach me it well?”, asked the young Cartwright.
“Very funny. Are you coming?”, Hoss asked a bit indignant.
Mitch nodded and said to Cody, “We play on later.”
“Woof”, said the dog.
Mitch stroke his friend and walked then with his big uncle to the stable.
In the stable uncle and nephew looked for a horse.
“Uncle Hoss, is that brown one owned by someone?”, Mitch asked pointing at a brown pony.
“No, but he is exactly right for you”, said Hoss.
“I call him Caramel”, said Mitch.
His uncle looked at him stupefied.
“Why that name?”, he asked.
“That pony is brown and so is caramel so......”, answered the youngest Cartwright.
Hoss didn’t know what to say anymore and continued with the lesson. He put his nephew on the fence where the saddles were lying.
“Mitchy, first I will show you how you must mount on. First you saddle the horse. After that you go to stand on the left side of the horse. Then you put your left foot in the stirrup and you set off so that your other leg also come into the stirrup”, said Hoss.
He showed it but instead of getting on his horse Chub the big uncle of Mitch fell on the ground. Mitch saw it happen and could stop laughing anymore. He climbed off the fence and walked to the spot where Hoss was lying. Carefully the boy checked the spot.
“May I ask what you are doing?”, asked Hoss.
“Looking if you haven’t damaged the ground”, Mitch answered dry.
“What are we funny again. We continue with the lesson”, Hoss said indignant.
While he got up he said warning, “No man or animal gets to hear this!”
“Yes, my sweet uncle Hoss”, Mitch said whereby Hoss knew enough.
Hoss saddled Caramel and helped first Mitch on and off the horse. But quite soon Mitch could do it himself.
“Are we going to ride now?”, the boy asked after a while.
“We go ride a while”, answered Hoss.
They grabbed their horses and outside the stable uncle and nephew mounted on. The following moment they left the yard.
Hoss noticed that his nephew was a quick learner because Mitch kept his pony nicely under control.
That evening Ben asked his grandson, “Can you ride already?”
“Yes, and even better than uncle Hoss. Because he can mount on but falls off on the ground right away again. Fortunately the ground wasn’t damaged”, answered Mitch.
Everyone except Hoss laughed.
“Tomorrow we go to ride a while so that I can see how well you can ride”, Ben said to Mitch.
“Alright”, said the boy.
He clearly was tired and for that reason he got brought to bed by his grandpa.
Joe asked his brother, “Aren’t you afraid how Adam will react when he hears this?”
“No, I just wanted to spend some time with my nephew”, answered Hoss.
“Adam surely will check out the ground on which you fell down”, foreman Candy Canaday remarked.
After supper Ben said, “Hoss, you do understand that with your fall party you didn’t set a good example to Mitch.”
“Yes pa. It won’t happen again”, promised Hoss.
“I may hope that”, reacted the rancher.
He went to sit down to read the newspaper.
After 2 weeks Adam came home again. He came riding up the yard non-suspecting when Mitch on Caramel came towards him. Halfway the yard they stopped.
“Who taught you to ride on a pony?”, Adam asked amazed.
“Uncle Hoss. Grandpa has given me a white pony. That one is called Whitey and this one Caramel”, answered Mitch.
“Nice that you can ride now”, Adam said smiling.
Together they rode to the ranch house where Hoss happened to be coming out of.
“Welcome home Adam. Haven’t I taught your son excellently how he must ride a horse?”, asked Hoss.
“You have done that excellently but I rather had taught him that myself”, answered his brother.
“And daddy also doesn’t fall off his horse like some people I know do”, Mitch reacted dry.
Adam looked at is son to his brother and back. With reluctance Hoss told what had happened to him and of course Adam found that laughable too. But he was glad that his son had learned something new again.