The message came completely unexpected. At the Ponderosa everything was prepared for the Christmas party. The presents were bought, wrapped up and labeled. Ranch owner Ben Cartwright got the letter as first one in his sight. On the envelop stood as sender: Mrs Young. Ben had to think very deep why he should know that woman. He couldn’t think of it because he got distracted as his daughters-in-law Sally and Betsy came downstairs with their daughters Rose and Inger. Ben put the letter on his desk and walked to the women.
“This will become a special Christmas with the whole family together”, he said.
“Adam has told me about how Mitch celebrated his first real Christmas. Now it is the turn of Rose and Inger to experience that”, said Sally.
She went to sit in the blue chair of her husband Adam while Ben got the grandchildren with him. Betsy went sit on the settee. Her finance Hoss Cartwright was away, just like his brothers Adam and Little Joe. The twins Mitch and Pam were along their father and uncles. The pets of the Cartwrights, the shepherd dog Cody and the white cat Lucky, laid good-natured near each other sleeping near the open fire place which was burning nicely.
The Cartwright brothers (Adam, Hoss and Little Joe) were on the way home together with the twins and the foreman Candy Canaday.
“Great that winter air”, said Hoss.
“What you call great. It is as cold as polar bear”, replied Adam.
“That means that it is soon our birthday”, Pam remarked.
Her brother didn’t say anything but the others noticed that there was something the matter with him.
“I don’t feel like Christmas and my birthday not at all”, Mitch said suddenly.
Everyone stopped and looked at the young Cartwright. He suddenly took off.
“Pam, you go home with your uncles and Candy. I go after your brother”, said Adam.
He gave Sport the spurs and had caught up quite soon with his son. They stopped the horses near a few trees.
“Mitch, what is the matter?”, Adam asked concerned.
“Nothing”, replied the boy.
He looked dismal ahead of him. Adam kept staring at him.
“Do you want to talk about it?”, asked Adam.
Mitch shook of no. He slipped out of the saddle and went to sit against a tree in the snow. Adam dismounted too and went to sit next to his son.
“I am so tired”, Mitch said suddenly.
“I already had that idea. Making each day schoolwork and then besides that working with us is a bit too much of the good for you. Especially because you have a lot of trouble with reading and writing. I think that you should have rest for the time being. So no work and no schoolwork too until you are recovered again”, replied his father.
Mitch began to cry whereby he totally broke down. Adam felt sorry for him but did remain by him.
“Shall we go first see Doc Martin to have you examined? Then perhaps we know more”, Adam suggested.
Mitch nodded and wiped his eyes dry. A moment later they were on their way to Virginia City.
Meanwhile in the same town Amelia Young had arrived with her 2 children James and Tracy.
“Children, we take a carriage and go then to the Ponderosa. Mr Cartwright knows that we are coming”, she said.
“Mr Cartwright doesn’t have any grandchildren, does he?”, asked Tracy.
“No, his sons are not interested in starting a family”, replied Amelia.
“Then we get all the attention”, said James.
“You deserve that too”, said his mother.
Full of pride she looked at her poor little mites.
Doctor Paul Martin was very amazed when he saw a very quiet Mitch coming in with his father. He knew the boy all his life and he didn’t know any better than that the young Cartwright was always very cheerful.
“Paul, can you examine Mitch for a moment? I am afraid that he has a breakdown”, a very worried Adam. said
“Of course. Bill to your pa?”, asked Paul.
“Just give it to him as a Christmas present”, replied Adam.
“Mitch, come here for a second”, said Paul.
Mitch came and got examined.
“Adam, your son needs a lot of rest. Do you get visitors at the ranch for Christmas?”, asked Paul.
“No, not that I know of. Why?”, Adam asked amazed.
“Visitors is the last thing which Mitch can use. I subscribe him rest. Then it will become alright. Let him sleep much”, said the doctor.
“Thanks. Are you coming home Mitch?”, asked Adam.
Mitch nodded. They said goodbye and went home quickly.
Suddenly Mitch said, “We are being followed.”
Adam stopped and looked behind him. Mitch stopped too but stared ahead of him. The carriage stopped in front of the horses Sport and Caramel.
“Young man, are we on the right way to the Ponderosa?”, Amelia asked Adam.
“Yes, but I know for sure that there will be no visitors coming this year with Christmas. Do you have a reason to go there?”, Adam asked on his turn.
“We are invited by Ben Cartwright to spend Christmas and the turn of the year together with him and his sons”, Amelia spoke.
Adam almost fell off his horse of amazing. He didn’t know this woman at all.
He recovered himself quickly and said, “Just ride along with us because we are going there to. I am Adam Cartwright and this is my son Mitch.”
The faces of James and Tracy stood at thunder and lightning for the whole year right away.
“Now, very well then”, Amelia said snappy.
Adam and Mitch kept silent for the rest of the ride but their guests too.
At the Ponderosa Ben, Sally and Betsy heard too what the matter could be with Mitch. They also got worried right away.
“What the matter is with him is, we are there for him”, said Ben.
Pam went to walk Cody under guidance of Candy and Lucky waited on the porch for their return.
Finally Adam and Mitch plus the visit reached the ranch.
“So the Cartwrights do live here? What beggarly”, said James.
“Where do you live then? In a castle in the air?”, Mitch asked fiercer than he usually was.
“Mitch, go inside and say that there are visitors”, Adam said just said.
Then Tracy saw Lucky and she went straight to him.
“What a beautiful cat. She must be very sweet”, she said slimy.
“She is a he and he is called Lucky. He belongs to me and my twin sister”, reacted Mitch.
He picked up Lucky carried him inside.. The cat gave his little master little strokes. Adam helped Amelia out of the carriage and a hand carried the luggage to the porch.
“Mother, you said to us that Mr Cartwright didn’t have grandchildren. Is that Mitch and his sister just taken into their home?”, James asked a bit angry.
“No, they are my children. They also have a sister of almost 7 months old”, replied Adam.
Now James and Tracy were totally moody.
Mitch said when entering, “Grandpa, there are visitors.”
Ben gave his granddaughters back to their mothers and got up then.
“Then I shall go and greet them by now”, said the rancher.
He saw that his grandson wasn’t alright but didn’t asked any further. Mitch put down Lucky, took off his coat and cleaned his boots. Hoss got his niece into his arms because Sally cared about Mitch right away.
“Boy, you look awful. Just go to your bed”, she said.
Mitch left straight for his room, followed by Lucky.
“He is quiet all day”, Little Joe said worried.
Ben was very amazed to see Amelia.
“Pa, this is Mrs Young with her children. She says that she is invited by you to spend the Christmas days here. Why do we not know about that?”, asked Adam.
“Because I just know that myself. But anyway. Mrs Young, welcome to the Ponderosa”, said Ben.
“Thank you Mr Cartwright. It is a true pleasure to be here. These are my children James and Tracy of 12”, said Amelia.
“Mother, may we take that white cat home with us?”, asked Tracy.
“You mean Lucky? That will be not possible because he belongs to my grandchildren. I am sorry”, said Ben.
The children went inside while Ben, Adam and Amelia remained outside for a second.
“Do we know each other?”, asked Ben.
“My father has done business with you in the past. Unfortunately he isn’t around anymore. But he has always told me about your hospitability. My little children wanted to see the ranch. So I decided why not celebrate the Christmas days with the Cartwright family”, said Amelia.
Amelia was about the same age as Adam and already right away madly in love with him.
“Pa, I am just going to see how Mitch is”, said Adam.
Quickly he went inside and hurried then to the bedroom of his son.
Mitch laid in bed and Lucky laid by him on the blankets. Sally sat by them.
“Mitch, what is the matter with you? We really don’t know you this way”, she said.
“I am just very tired. Daddy took me to the doctor and he said that I need a lot of rest”, the boy told.
“Then you shall get that too”, she said.
“And those two children then? They are even more troublesome than uncle Hoss, uncle Joe and Candy together”, Mitch said worried.
“That is our business. You make sure that you feel a bit better for your birthday. That is now for you more important. Lucky stays by you and later on Cody comes too. Your sister and Candy are away with him”, replied his mother.
Mitch nodded and fell asleep at once with a hand on Lucky. Sally left them alone and went downstairs again. The floor she ran into her husband.
“Mitch sleeps”, she said softly.
“Just let him sleep very much because he totally broke down.. The combination of making schoolwork and working with us the whole day has become too much for him”, replied Adam.
“Lucky is with him”, said Sally.
In the meantime James and Tracy made themselves very unpopular with the Cartwrights. They were noisy and wild. James looked at the tree and had already critique at it.
“What a pitiful little tree. We have a much more beautiful and bigger one”, he said.
“Go home then and go sit in it”, reacted Little Joe.
James didn’t say nothing anymore because he was too insulted.
“Hoss, just let’s bring the babies to bed”, said Betsy.
“May I help?”, asked Tracy.
“No, we can do it without your support”, reacted Betsy.
Now Tracy was insulted and she went to sit on the settee sulking. Hoss and Betsy brought the babies upstairs where they ran into Adam and Sally at the top of the stairs. Adam took over his daughter and heard what was going on.
“Where are Pam and Cody?”, asked Adam after the update.
“Pam and Candy are walking Cody. What are that a bunch of rotten children. Compared by them ours are real little angels”, replied Hoss.
“Their mother seems to be in love with me. But at the moment there are just 3 women in my life who are the most important for me”, reacted Adam.
“And for me 2”, said Hoss.
“You better know that too”, Sally said teasing.
Betsy assented that right away. They walked to their respectively bedrooms. Soon the two youngest Cartwrights were sleeping too. Their parents went downstairs.
Then Ben and Amelia came inside.
“Boys, may I introduce you to Mrs Amelia Young and her children James and Tracy? Amelia, this is my eldest son Adam and his wife Sally, Hoss and his fiancé Betsy and my youngest son Joe”, said Ben.
Hands got shaken but it was clear that the Cartwrights didn’t like the Young twins. It was the other way around too. It became yet worse when Pam and Candy came home with Cody. Ben stood waiting for them at the porch.
“Hello grandpa, is there something that you wait for us?”, asked Pam.
“We have received unexpectedly guests”, replied Ben.
“I thought that nobody would come this year”, said Candy.
“We thought that too. Bit it turns out to be different. Plus your brother has become ill”, said the rancher.
“Mitch ill? What’s wrong with him?”, Pam asked worried.
Candy too became worried.
“Apparently he is over exhausted”, was the answer.
Cody jumped wild around and got stroked by everyone. They went inside and Pam and Candy too got introduced to the guests. Cody got send straight to his little master.
“How old are you and Mitch?”, asked James.
“Twelve. And you are?”, Pam asked on her turn.
“We too. Then we are older than you!”, Tracy replied triumphant.
Adam, Sally, Betsy, Hoss and Little Joe watched amused.
“Didn’t think so”, Pam said calm.
“Why?”, James asked insulted.
“Of course we are older than you. We were born on March 12 1863”, reacted Tracy.
“Mitch and I have as birth date December 25 1862. So then we are automatically older”, was the answer of the young Cartwright.
“What do you eat with Christmas? We eat rabbit”, said Tracy.
“Pancakes”, said Pam.
“You are not suppose to eat that with Christmas according to the etiquette”, said Amelia.
“If the twins want that, then we eat that. It’s their birthday and then they may decide what the meal will be”, said Adam.
“It is delicious too. Hop Sing bakes the most delicious pancakes of the world. Even Cody likes them”, said Pam.
“Adam Cartwright, what are your children brutal to their contemporaries. They better can follow an example to mine!”, Amelia spoke.
“If you have come to criticize my grandchildren I would like to ask you or to behave yourselves or to leave at once again. James and Tracy better can follow the example of Mitch and Pam. Sometimes they seem to come over as brutal but they aren’t so”, reacted Ben.
“What a brutality! We do leave at once. And then they say that the Cartwrights are very hospitable. They mean for sure the inhospitable Cartwrights”, snapped Amelia.
She got up and took her luggage and children again along. Hoss was even so polite to open the door for the leaving guests to close it quickly again. A moment later they had left for good.
“I have never done business with her father so how they got at our address……”, said Ben.
“That Amelia was smitten with me until she heard that Sally already had tied me down”, replied Adam.
“We just keep it very quiet with just us here at the ranch”, said Ben.
Then Adam told what exactly the matter was with Mitch.
“Just let him leave him alone as much as possible. Then we can rehearse with the Christmas carols”, said his father.
“Grandpa, does that mean that we have to go outside?”, asked Pam.
“Why?”, asked the rancher amazed.
“When you are going to sing we do have to go outside. Or otherwise everyone thinks that we are going to get mistreated”, replied his granddaughter.
Betsy and Sally thought it was laughable but the men clearly didn’t.
“Pamela Iris Cartwright, to your room and go do your homework. Your mother and your aunt just go to the kitchen”, was the reaction of Adam.
So said, so done.
The Cartwrights rehearsed with their singing while the women kept themselves busy in the kitchen.
About supper time Pam sat by her brother.
“Those rotten kids are gone and their haughty mother too. They couldn’t stand that we are older and eat pancakes with Christmas”, said Pam.
“Were you get mistreated earlier on the day?”, asked Mitch.
“No, why?”, his sister asked amazed.
“I heard a cat crying though. It couldn’t be Lucky because he was here”, said Mitch.
“That were grandpa and his 3 sons. They were rehearsing their Christmas carols. I hope not that they are going to sing on our birthday”, replied Pam.
Mitch nodded. Then their father came into the bedroom.
“How is it with the patient?”, asked Adam.
“Alright. Must I come downstairs for supper?”, asked Mitch.
“If you are up to it. Or you go straight back to bed after supper”, replied Adam.
Mitch nodded.
“Pam, go tell that your brother is there too”, said Adam.
Pam went straight downstairs, followed by Cody and Lucky. Adam helped his son with getting dressed.
During supper everyone noticed how terrible Mitch felt and looked. He was quiet and didn’t eat much. The others noticed that the boy needed a lot of rest and they decided to give him that too.
The Cartwrights remained at home on the days before Christmas do that nobody could bother them. Hereby the rest returned again at the ranch.