The whole night it had been snowing quite well. There had been fallen so much that the inhabitants of the Ponderosa, the Cartwright family, not even could leave the yard. The very youngest Cartwright, Mitch of five years old, adored snow.
That morning he woke up early like always. The snow was reflecting into his room so that the boy became curious and got out of bed quickly.
Cody, his shepherd dog who slept on his room, barked loud. The two looked outside.
“Look Cody, that is snow and a lot too. That will be a laugh later on”, Mitch said.
Quickly they went downstairs where the others were already.
“Daddy, may Cody and I play outside later on in the snow?”, Mitch asked his father Adam Cartwright.
“You may but only after you have been washed and dressed and you have worked your breakfast inside yourself”, his father replied.
“I have also a chore for you in the open air”, said Ben Cartwright, the owner of the Ponderosa and father of Adam, Hoss and Little Joe.
The three brothers looked at their father questionable. But Ben said nothing. Mitch went upstairs to wash and dress himself. Cody stood at the front door to be walked.
“Come Cody, we are going to walk a while”, said Little Joe.
He walked to the front door and went outside with the dog. Adam and Hoss walked to the window at the office at once and looked outside.
“Soon Joe gets pelted by Cody with snow”, Adam said nonchalant.
He knew that the dog always had to run for a while and then everybody and especially his guide or walked him over or made him dirty.
On the porch there was not much snow but further up the yard was more than enough. It didn’t take much time before Little Joe was covered with a thick lay of snow. The guilty one was one with four legs.
“Cody, you are thanked very much”, Little Joe answered while he shook the snow off him.
Cody barked of pleasure. He ran around and did wherefore he was outside. But then outside the yard like him was taught to.
Little Joe stood near the porch and called, “Cody, are you coming inside to eat? It is too cold to stay outside.”
The shepherd came and ran to the front door so that Little Joe got snowed under again.
When Adam saw that his brother and dog were coming in he said, “I am going to look how far Mitch is.”
He went upstairs to help his son with his walking brace. Hoss stayed watching for a another moment and went then bursting of laughter to the dining room.
“What is so funny?”, the rancher asked his second son.
“Well, Little Joe lets a little dog and ends up under the snow”, Hoss said laughing.
Ben chuckled because he knew exactly how his sons would react to his chore.
In his bedroom Mitch saw that his father was in a jolly mood.
“Daddy, why are you so jolly? You are never that”, the young Cartwright said.
“I am do but you never notice that because you are too busy with teasing us. Uncle Joe got snowed under by your playmate. I will put your brace on and then we will have breakfast”, Adam answered.
“Cody had to do that of me but you may not say that to Uncle Joe”, said Mitch.
“I won’t say a word”, his father promised.
“Would mamma like snow?”, the boy asked suddenly
Adam frowned for a second.
“I really wouldn’t know. Do you miss her?”, Adam wanted to know.
Mitch nodded.
“I don’t promise you that we will ever find her but I will be there always for you. And so is grandpa, Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe”, Adam replied.
“Do you miss grandma too?”, the boy asked.
His father nodded.
“So that is done. Are you coming cowboy?”, Adam asked when he had fastened the walking brace. Mitch nodded. Together they walked downstairs.
Little Joe and Cody went inside where Ben and Hoss were already sitting at the table. Little Joe shook all the snow off him which led to fierce comments Hop Sing. The Chinese cook just came in to bring the coffee.
“Little Joe make mess and Hop Sing make clean again. Shame. Hop Sing is angry with Little Joe”, the cook said where after the raving continued in the Cantonese language.
Little Joe said, “I am sorry Hop Sing but is the fault of Cody. He made me wet by the snow.”
“Cody sweet, Little Joe not”, was the comment of Hop Sing.
Little Joe saw his eldest brother and only nephew coming downstairs and hoped that they did feel sorry for him.
Adam saw the puddle and said, “What is that for a puddle at the door? Joe, even Mitch is trained and Cody too so you must have caused it.”
“Very funny Adam. It happens to be so that your dog has made me wet with snow whereby that puddle started”, said Little Joe.
“My dog? I seem to believe that Cody belongs to all of us”, Adam reacted.
“Not in this case! I ain’t going to walk him for quite a while”, said Little Joe said angry.
“Gosh, have we stepped at the wrong side of the bed right into the snow?”, Adam asked sarcastic.
“Snow is fun to play in?”, asked Mitch.
“Normally yes but now there has been fallen so much that a little lad like you could easily disappear in it”, Little Joe replied.
Now Mitch got furious.
“I am not little”, he reacted fierce.
“Who is here now peevish?”, asked Little Joe.
Mitch didn’t react to it and walked to the dining room. Adam looked for a second at his youngest brother.
“Was that necessary? Just a moment ago Mitch asked about his mother. He misses her”, he said hurt.
Little Joe swallowed. He hadn’t expected this reaction.
“Mitch, come here for a second”, he said.
Mitch stopped and walked to his father and Uncle.
“I am sorry. Shall we make a snowman later on?”, Little Joe asked.
Mitch nodded and said, “Candy will help too. We sprinkle Uncle Hoss with snow and then he is our snowman.”
Adam and Little Joe agreed laughing. Hoss heard that but couldn’t laugh about it. Ben could do that too of course. Meanwhile de foreman Candy Canaday had come down as well. He had seen the snow too and had so his own plans with the snow.
During breakfast the rancher said, “Boys, you all three know of course that open air is good for you. That’s why after breakfast you are going to shovel the yard. I mean with that shoveling snow.”
“Pa, it’s way too cold to be outside”, Little Joe protested.
“You get warm by shoveling snow by yourself”, Ben replied.
He gave his grandson a wink and got one back.
“Adam, you keep your son inside or otherwise he pelts us all the time with snowballs”, Hoss said warning.
“I must help you, pa does the administration and who must babysit Mitch then? Hop Sing I guess?”, Adam asked.
“Mitch supervises and watches if you are doing it well”, said Ben.
“Near the porch lies some snow where he can play with”, said Little Joe.
Adam and Hoss looked at each other laughing and at the same time at their younger brother. Candy gave his young friend Mitch a wink which the boy understood.
After breakfast Adam dressed up his boy warmly but that took too much time for the sense of Mitch.
“Mitchell Jonathan Cartwright, stand still for two minutes. So I can never dress you up warmly”, Adam said a bit strict.
This helped because Mitch as tame as a newborn lamb. Adam opened the front door and let Mitch and Cody go outside. The two ran ahead to the snow.
Sometime later the Cartwright brothers and Candy went to work.
“Joe, don’t forget to put on your black gloves”, Adam called teasing.
The mentioned Cartwright looked at him and groaned something inaudible. His mood wasn’t too good now he couldn’t go to town to meet Emily Wilkinson. There was too much snow to get away.
At a certain moment Hoss felt something cold coming up to him.
“Little Joe, did you throw that snowball at me?”, he asked.
“Me? What gave you that idea?”, his younger brother asked.
“Sorry Joe. It could have been”, said Hoss.
Adam and Candy looked at each other amazed. Then they looked behind them and saw how Mitch was making snowballs. The youngest Cartwright grabbed one and threw that one at Little Joe. This one was also a direct hit.
“HOSS CARTWRIGHT! Now you certainly did throw a snowball to me?” Little Joe asked fierce.
“Dagburn it Joe. I didn’t do that at all”, Hoss said indignant.
“Who did it then? The gnomes I guess?”, Little Joe asked.
Adam and Candy pretended if they know of anything and swept their part of the yard clean. Hoss and Little Joe bickered for quite a while until they heard their brother and Candy laughing. They looked at each other and their thoughts were one.
“That little nephew of ours isn’t pelting us with those snowballs?”, Little Joe asked worried.
“I am very afraid he is. Or otherwise Adam and Candy wouldn’t laugh so hard”, Hoss answered.
Both brothers threw their brUncle down and walked to the others.
“Adam, we get company of your little brothers. I believe that they aren’t very jolly”, Candy said warned.
“Well, Mitch is still a little child so ........”, Adam reacted.
“Adam Poindexter Cartwright, why aren’t you watching your son some more?”, asked Hoss.
“I am watching him very well and so does Cody. Why?”, Adam asked on his turn.
“Mitch keeps on throwing snowballs at us so that we cannot work”, Little Joe answered.
“Honestly said I don’t see the difference”, Candy reacted.
“Shut up Canaday!”, Hoss groaned.
“I will go and look at Mitch and Cody”, the foreman replied.
He left the brothers alone with laughing eyes.
“You know as good as I that Mitch loves snow and to tease us. So what is your problem then?”, Adam asked.
Hoss and Little Joe looked at each other amazed.
“Why must that brother of ours always be right and in every subject too? That is his worst quality”, Little Joe grumbled out loud.
“I am always right. If not, then rule number 1 rules. And rule number 1 is: I am always right!”, Adam reacted.
In the meantime Candy was with Mitch and Cody.
The foreman suggested, “Your Uncles are not ready for a long time with their share of the yard. Your father and I are. Shall we make a snowman? We start at the stable and roll so a smashing ball to them.”
“That is fun. Come Cody”, the boy said.
“Adam, I am going to help your son with that snowman”, the foreman called.
Adam nodded. Hoss and Little Joe went back to work not knowing what Candy and Mitch were up to. Adam took place at the porch to watch it all.
Near the shed Mitch made a snowball.
“Candy, how now further?”, asked the young Cartwright.
Candy kneeled near the boy and got the snowball. He put it into the snow.
“You put the ball down and roll it through the snow so that he becomes bigger all the time. Just try it”, said the foreman.
Mitch tried it and he succeeded in it too. When the snowball was becoming bigger Candy helped pushing. By the snow Mitch suddenly slipped and he fell with his head on the ground. All four boys and Cody rushed to him. Mitch had an open wound but remained conscious.
“You go inside now”, said Adam.
“And that snowman then?”, Mitch asked amazed. “He will get there. Don’t you worry about that”, Candy replied.
Adam lifted up his son and carried him inside. Ben stopped with working and walked to his offspring.
“Mitch slipped while he was making a snowman”, said Adam said while he and Mitch went to sit on the settee.
Ben walked to the kitchen to warn the cook.
“Hop Sing, Mitch has an open head wound and needs to be taken care of”, said the rancher.
Hop Sing came right away with water and cloths to clean the head wound. Mitch didn’t utter a sound when his wound got cleaned. Hop Sing wrapped up the open spot with bandages where after the little boy fell asleep on the settee. Adam went back outside and Ben to read the newspaper to keep an eye on his grandson.
Outside Candy had made the promised snowman already. Of course Hoss and Little Joe had managed to interfere with that but the foreman had prepared himself for that. He grabbed two full hands of snow and soaped the brothers in with it. Hoss and Little Joe got their scold encyclopedia and called Candy for every name it was in that book.
He got the brothers still by saying teasing, “I didn’t know that you had such a big admiration for me!”
“Shouldn’t you go back to work instead of playing in the snow? And that at your age”, said Adam said at the porch.
Hoss and Little Joe gave their brother an angry look but Candy didn’t.
“How is Mitch?”, the foreman asked.
“Hop Sing has treated him and the boy is asleep at the settee. Pa is babysitting him like that it the chore of a grandpa. Let’s help those two galoots”, Adam replied.
They did that and the peace between the four of them was closed again.
By the evening the worst snow had disappeared and the Cartwrights had a normal looking yard. Until the next snow-shower would take place.