On a beautiful summer day Adam said after breakfast, “Pa, do you mind if I take today a day off to teach your grandson how to swim and fish? It is too hot to work anyway.”
The rancher looked at him and said, “Good. It is important that Mitch can swim with all that water around.”
Mitch came inside and asked, “May we go?”
“Yes, we may go. But first I want to finish my coffee”, his father replied.
This was a disappointing for the little boy who had looked much forward to it. Adam drank fast his coffee and then grabbed the things together which they needed.
Arrived at the lake Adam said, “Kid, we are here. Here we swim and fish all the time.”
Mitch looked around from Sport and said admiring, “Very nice here.”
“It is indeed”, his father said.
He lifted his son from the chestnut horse and put him on the ground. Mitch walked towards the water and touched it carefully.
“Daddy, the water is wet”, he called out loud.
“It always is. Come here then I will undress you so you can learn to swim”, Adam reacted laughing.
Mitch came and got undressed where father he got his first swimming lessons. Adam didn’t have to say much because Mitch was a natural what swimming concerned. Due to the heat Adam took off his clothes as well and he went into the water as well. After an hour Mitch could swim quite well and his father let him go a bit further into the water.
When they both had become hungry Adam partly got dressed and he did that too with Mitch. To make sure that Mitch didn’t get a sunstroke Adam put a black cowboy hat on Mitch as well.
“Is this mine?”, Mitch asked.
“Yes. You live on a ranch so you must have one”, his father answered.
He grabbed the big pick nick basket which Hop Sing had made and opened it. Mitch got something to eat but the boy didn’t have much rest.
“Are you going to teach me how to fish now?”, he nagged.
“Alright then. Get the rods already”, his father said.
He chewed quickly the last pieces of bread and helped then Mitch with fishing.
When the boy once had seen how he had to do it he said impatient, “Daddy, I want to do it myself.”
Adam gave him the rod and looked. With a magnificent pitch Mitch threw the rod into the water and Adam did the same thing.
Suddenly Mitch said, “Daddy, give me a hand.”
Adam put his rod down and grabbed his son’s.
“I think you have caught one and not a small one either”, he said admiring.
Adam turned out to be right because Mitch had caught latterly a big fish on the hook.
When Adam pulled him out of the water the boy said, “Uncle Hoss will be very pleased when he sees this fish.”
“Your Uncle will eat him alone very easily”, Adam reacted.
He put him down and made sure that it couldn’t slip away anymore. Mitch could have more fun when he did catch something and his father didn’t.
Around suppertime they went back home.
Arrived at the ranch house Adam asked, “Kid, we make this deal. I give you my dessert if I may say that I caught this fish. Alright?”
“No, I caught him”, Mitch said.
Hoss and Little Joe heard their conversation and looked at each other laughing.
“Are you having problems with your little son?”, Hoss asked sarcastic.
“No, he just won’t do what I say”, Adam replied.
He rode upon the courtyard and gave Mitch to Hoss who put him on the ground.
“Uncle Hoss, I have caught a fish for you. But daddy want that I say that he caught it”, Mitch said.
Hoss received the fish and said, “We take him to Hop Sing and let him get ready for supper.”
They went together to the kitchen where the fish got prepared for the evening supper.
Little Joe asked laughing, “You didn’t catch anything?”
“No, but the fact that Mitch caught the fish is actually relying on beginner’s luck”, Adam answered groaning.
“Adam, just really admit it: you are getting old. When your son of almost eighteen months old catches a bigger fish than you. Then it is almost finished with you”, Little Joe said teasing.
That evening at the dinner table Adam had to defend himself many times to his brothers.