In the area of Virginia City something different was built. Of course this attracted many people and soon it was popular. Of course the Cartwrights heard about it too.
On their ranch the Ponderosa asked the youngest Cartwright brother Little Joe op a nice Thursday afternoon in April, “Hoss, shall we go to that maze? Bet that we are first to be out again?”
“We do that. But against whom are we going to walk then?”, asked Hoss.
“What about our nephew? He is humiliating us so often when we are going to get back at him with the maze”, answered Joe.
Hoss liked that idea too.
“We are first in and first out too”, he said laughing.
The brothers had the biggest fun until their brother came to them.
“What is so funny?”, Adam asked dry.
“Well, we take your son along to that new maze. Ware out of there as first one”, said Joe.
“It is unfair”, said Adam.
“How do you mean unfair?”, Hoss asked serious.
“You and Joe are together and Mitch must do it alone. Now if his twin sister goes along with him. Then it is 2 against 2”, Adam explained.
“Why must that brother of ours always be right? Pam is just as bad as her brother so we can get back at them at the same time”, Hoss concluded.
“Why don’t we make a day out from it? Then you, pa and Cody can wait for us because we will be out as first. And then we must wait of course a long time for the twins”, Joe said laughing.
“That is alright. Someone has to look after Cody because dogs are not allowed to go in. I shall tell the kids”, said Adam.
When the twins heard from their father about the joke that their uncles wanted to play on tem the children made their own plan.
“Mitch, we must be ahead of them. But how?”, Pam asked her brother.
“You just go along with me. I just follow my intuition”, said Mitch.
“There is only 1 entrance and 1 exit. So when grandpa, daddy and Cody are there and we come out as first that means that our sweet uncles are still inside”, said Pam.
“And stay there”, said her brother.
They began to laugh out loud.
“Your uncles won’t be pleased with this”, Adam said smiling.
“Their problem. They started with it. And seeing it is the plan of uncle Joe it surely will fail”, laughed Mitch.
“And otherwise you will ruin it for him”, reacted Adam.
“When are we going to it?”, asked Pam.
“That depends on grandpa. But when he hears what your uncles are up to it will be soon”, answered her father.
During supper Joe asked suddenly, “Pa, we take the twins along to that new maze. Are you coming too?”
“That sounds nice to me”, said Ben.
“We go inside with the twins and we come out as first ones. That is Joe and I”, answered Hoss.
Adam and the twins were rolling on the ground laughing.
“Is it April 1 today?”, Ben asked worried.
“No, why?”, Joe asked amazed.
“Well, that you come out of that maze as first ones”, the rancher explained.
“We can do that better than those two little ones”, said Joe.
“Sure do”, said Hoss.
“What is the bet?”, asked Adam.
“The ones who come out of the maze as last ones must serve the winners for a month”, said Ben.
“Well Joe, that will be a month vacation for us and a month long sweating for those two”, Hoss said laughing.
“Grandpa, does that mean that if we win they must do our homework?”, asked Mitch.
“Indeed”, said the rancher.
“That sounds fun to me”, said Pam.
Adam didn’t say anything but looked smiling at his children.
“Good then that is settled. We go this coming Sunday”, said Ben.
“Grandpa and I look after Cody because dogs are not allowed in the maze”, said Adam.
That Sunday the Cartwrights went to the maze.
Before they went inside Adam said seriously to his children, “Kids, if there comes any danger shoot then. So your uncles can hear you where you eventually are.”
“We do that”, Mitch said on behalf of his sister.
They went inside with their uncles. Ben and Adam took place on the grass near the maze where Cody laid.
“Those brothers of mine never come out of there as first”, said Adam said sarcastic.
“How do you mean?”, Ben asked curious.
“Well, I showed Mitch a maze on paper yesterday and after looking for a moment he already had found out how you had to walk through it”, answered Adam.
“So you have a big chance that they are here right away?”, asked Ben.
“Indeed. Pam asked me to take some paper and a pencil along a goodbye note for her uncles”, said Adam.
He let the note read and Ben too thought it amusing.
Half an hour later Cody suddenly began to bark loud and to wag his tail.
“Cody, what is the matter?”, asked Adam.
“The twins are coming there already”, said Ben.
“Cody, go and get your two little masters”, said Adam.
The shepherd ran to the exit where he got an extended greeting.
“How come that you are out already? Didn’t you like it?”, asked Ben when the children sat with him and Adam.
“It was fun but Mitch just walked straight to the exit. We offered to guide uncle Hoss and uncle Joe to the exit but they refused”, told Pam.
“Then they must know that for themselves”, Mitch said dry.
The others thought that too.
Hoss and Joe kept the whole night looking the exit in the maze. But like usual that didn’t go soundless.
“Joe, we must go left”, said Hoss.
“No, we must go right and then straight ahead”, said Joe.
Silently they walked in the mentioned direction and yes. There was the exit.
“We have made it finally. And those two little ones are still looking for the exit of”, Joe said laughing.
“Poor little ones”, Hoss said laughing as well.
But when they came outside they saw to their stupid amazing only their horses standing. But on the saddle on Cochise was a note pinned down with a text on it. Joe got and read it.
“What does it say Joe?”, Hoss asked worried.
“It says: Happy search and there is a lot of homework waiting for you. Senders Mitch and Pam Cartwright!”, said Joe.
Two very angry Cartwrights mounted on and rode to their house where they arrived by daylight.
“Are you coming home for once again?”, asked a cheerful foreman who listened to the name of Candy Canaday.
“Just shut up and go to work”, grumbled Joe.
“I know about the bet so I wish the twins lots of luck with you”, Candy said laughing.
The brothers dismounted and went inside.
“Pam, do you know those two experts in mazes?”, Mitch asked sarcastic.
“No, but it seems that they must do our homework for one month. Or was it now a year that grandpa said?”, asked Pam on her turn.
“I thought that grandpa said that had to be done two years”, answered her brother.
“What are you very funny again! Come on with your homework. Then we can help you with it”, said Hoss.
That happened but Hoss and Joe ignored the maze completely from that moment on.