THE PROJECT

End of the school afternoon. Teacher Abigail Jones gave the children a homework task.

“I give you an assignment for the weekend. Make an essay or drawing of the peddle-boat which sails on the Mississippi. You may also make it. But then alone. It is for a mark. Just go home and I want to see your projects on Monday morning

”, said Abigail said to the children.

The children ran outside with Mitch Cartwright being first like always

Patty Jenkins asked Mitch, “Shall we make the project together?”

“We must all make it alone. By the way, give me a good reason why I should make it with you”, the young Cartwright reacted fierce.

“Last year I took care of your dog for a while!”, replied Patty.

“It isn’t! You pinched him from us”, said Mitch.

He saw his father Adam Cartwright coming and ran to his pony. Here after he mounted on and he rode towards his father.

On the way home Mitch told about the project.

“How does such a peddle-boat look like? I have never ever seen one”, said the boy.

“It is a boat and those things sail in the water”, Adam said at a sober and teasing tone.

“That I can understand yet too”, Mitch reacted.

“I believe that grandpa has a picture of such a peddle-boat. How do you want to make it?”, asked Adam.

“I want to make one of wood but I am not yet as handy as you are. Do you want to help me with it?”, Mitch asked hopeful.

“Of course I help you”, his father promised.

At home Ben Cartwright sat reading the newspaper when his grandson came inside.

“Hello grandpa. I need your help”, the boy said coming straight to the point.

“Hello lad. Where for do you need my help?”, the rancher asked while he folded up his newspaper and put it away.

“I must make for school something about a peddle-boat like it sails on the Mississippi. But I have never one. Daddy said that you might have a picture of it in a book. I want to make it of wood. Daddy helps me with it”, Mitch explained.

“I believe I have”, said Ben.

He got up and walked to the bookcase. After long looking and reading Ben got a thick book with pictures.

“Mitch, come here for a moment”, said the rancher.

The boy came. Ben sat and opened the book at the needed picture.

“Look Mitch, that’s how a peddle-boat looks like”, said Ben.

“Gees, what a boat. May I borrow that book to use as example?”, asked Mitch.

“Of course”, said the rancher.

He gave the book to his grandson. The boy went with it to the barn.

Because Adam knew how a peddle-boat looked like he had already started with it. Some later Mitch came to help him. He put the book down and opened it at the picture of the peddle-boat.

“Daddy, such a boat looks like that”, said Mitch.

He showed at the picture. Adam looked questionable at his son for a moment.

“Are you going to tell your father how such a boat looks like?”, he asked teasing.

“Yes!”, said the boy.

“All right then. I will saw everything and then you may put it together and if there is still time left paint it. Deal?”, asked Adam.

The young Cartwright nodded.

The whole weekend Adam and Mitch worked at the project. On Sunday afternoon the boat was ready and the vessel was standing at the drawing-room table. Everyone watched the project.

Ben said admiring, “You have really done your best very much. Let’s hope that Miss Abigail will give a good mark for it.”

“I bet not. I am not really her favorite pupil”, replied his grandson.

Monday morning at school.

Abigail checked each project separately. She stood extra long with the boat of Mitch.

Finally she said, “I give here for an insufficient mark.”

Then she walked on through to the next project. Mitch looked at her being dazed and thought, ‘Missy Ab, you won’t get away with it of me so easily!’

The young Cartwright waited careful for his chance. In the lunch break Mitch had to stay indoor like always. Abigail was outside where she was enjoying the sun. The boy went cautious to her desk where he found in bowl some drawing pins. The young Cartwright put smiling the drawing pins on the chair of Abigail.

“Your backside will be much more painful than the punishment you will give me”, Mitch said to himself.

Quickly he went back to his place and pretended he was working hard. The other children and Abigail too came in to continue the school day. The teacher went to sit without any suspicion. What Mitch suspected, did happen too. Abigail screamed much worse than 100 screaming pigs together when she went to sit upon the drawing pins. All children except Mitch looked up into her direction. Abigail got up and looked at her chair. Then she looked directly at the young Cartwright.

She said strict and being boiling, “CARTWRIGHT! DISAPPEAR OUT OF MY CLASS!”

Mitch grabbed his things together and left sauntered the classroom. Here after he went on Caramel home.

On the way home Mitch ran into Little Joe.

“Are you not a little bit early free from school?”, asked Little Joe asked amazed.

“Missy Ab has sent me out of the class after I had put some drawing pins on her chair. She went to sit on it as well”, told Mitch.

Little Joe looked at his nephew very seriously but then he couldn’t stop laughing anymore.

“Why did you do it anyway then?”, he asked laughing.

“Because I got an insufficient mark on propose for my project. I have worked at it the whole weekend with daddy. That woman just hates me”, replied Mitch.

“You just tell it your parents and they will talk to her again. Her love for your father will become much colder then”, Little Joe reacted.

Together they rode laughing to the ranch.

At the yard Adam and Mary were busy with their youngest child Lisa. They looked up when they saw their son coming. Adam walked up to the two and grabbed Caramel by the reins.

“Kid, why are you so early?”, he asked amazed.

“Missy Ab has sent me out of the class because I had a few drawing pins on her chair

“What was the reason for your deed?”, Adam wanted to know.

“Because she had the guts to give me an insufficient mark for my boat”, said the boy said indignant.

“Joe, you babysit your nephew and niece? Mary, we go to school”, Adam said to his brother and wife.

“I always want to go to school with you”, Mary said teasing.

Little Joe dismounted and hitched the two horses. Mitch went to play with his sister.

When the Cartwrights arrived at the school this one was just out. Adam parked the carriage at the side, got out and helped his wife out of it. Abigail was still busy cleaning up when Adam and Mary came in.

Adam saw the boat standing and asked, “Why did get Mitch an insufficient mark for his project?”

Abigail thought that she was getting a heart attack when she heard the voice of her secret lover. The teacher turned around and saw to her horror also the wife of Adam standing.

“Because I judge the projects of my students very honest. Mitch cannot even read and write very well and to make such a boat at least you must have brains”, was the answer.

“Mitch might not be able to read and write very well but making something belongs to his skills. He has worked hard at it the whole weekend”, Adam reacted.

Mary looked at Abigail long whereby she somehow got pushed into a corner.

“I can hardly give Mitch the best mark when I know his family very well? Then they are going to accuse me of nepotism”, said Abigail.

“And that’s why our son gets an insufficient mark? Adam, I think that our children should not follow her teaching methods anymore”, Mary said determined.

“I agree with you completely but not before Ab Jones has given Mitch a sufficient mark for his boat”, Adam reacted.

“I stay with my decision concerning the mark”, said Abigail.

Then there fell a painful silence.

“Alright then. Mitch gets an A for it but then the subject is closed. The boy can come tomorrow again unless he puts again something on my chair”, Abigail said reluctantly.

“You mean the drawing-pins? That was just a monkey-trick. Little Joe would have done the same to you”, Adam said sarcastic.

Mary grabbed the boat and with Adam she went outside being satisfied, leaving Abigail boiling with rage behind.

At the carriage Adam said laughing, “We just send our children to the school where Abigail teaches because then we can rile her lots of times.”

“Concerning me she will meet often a Cartwright in her class”, replied Mary.

That evening at the table the whole story got told in detail.

“Grandpa, you may have the boat”, said Mitch.

“Thank you lad. I will put it on a nice place in my bedroom. Or must it stand in the office?”, asked the rancher.

“In the office so everyone can see the boat”, replied Mitch.

Everyone agreed with it.