It happened April 1865. Adam Cartwright thought that it was time for his son Mitch to get acquainted with the phenomenon: having your hair cut. By real coincidence the youngest brother of Adam, Little Joe, had to go to the barber as well from their Ben Cartwright.
That certain morning Ben said, “Joseph, I think it’s time that you are going to pay the barber a visit once again.”
Little Joe looked amazed at his father and said, “But pa, my hair isn’t that long yet.”
“Well Little Joe, you don’t have to go alone to the barber because your nephew is also getting a new hairdo. We are going to accompany you to town nicely”, said Adam.
Their middle brother Hoss reacted laughing and teasing, “Now Little Joe can’t escape form it anymore.”
Of course Little Joe didn’t find this funny at all. This meant that he had to behave himself and had to let his hair cut.
“Are we going daddy? Now?”, Mitch asked excited.
Everybody looked at the youngest Cartwright.
“Well, one is eagerly willing to go to the barber anyway”, Ben said laughing.
Hoss said, “Joe can follow his nephew’s example.”
“Mitch, I am afraid that you understand it the wrong way. Going to the barber isn’t fun. It costs money and your hair gets cut very short. Most of the time too short”, said Joe.
“Daddy pays for me”, answered his nephew.
“Boys, just go away. And Adam, make sure that your brother comes home with a really short hairdo”, said Ben.
“Will be alright pa. If need to be I shave his head totally bold”, Adam answered while he wiped off the mouth and hands of his son.
With reluctance Joe went along with his brother and nephew.
Underway Adam said, “Joe, when we get in Virginia City soon we must keep an eye on this little lad. You know how lightning fast he is.”
Joe nodded.
As usual the Cartwrights attracted a lot of attention when they arrived in Virginia City. Adam stopped in front of the barber shop of Tom Jenson.
“Ready for a new coupe, Joe?”, Adam asked with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
Joe sighed deep and answered, “No, but it has to happen anyway.”
The brothers climbed out and while Joe hitched the horses Adam lifted Mitch out of the carriage. Amy Larson, a saloon girl from the Bucket Of Blood saloon, came by and saw Joe. They knew each other reasonably well.
“Hello Joe. Are you dropping by later on?”, she asked.
“Oh hello Amy. I don’t think so. Pa sends me to the barber. And I really can’t get out of it now because Adam is there too with Mitch”, answered Joe.
“Hello miss Larson”, said Adam.
Amy saw Mitch and has forgotten Joe totally at once.
“What are you such a darling boy”, the saloon girl said.
Mitch clearly enjoyed all the attention.
“Sorry Amy, but we have to go. Little Joe has to update his haircut. And so does this young man”, said Adam.
“Of course then Mitch is much more handsome”, reacted Amy.
She walked on laughing. The brothers both watched her go.
“If she is already falling for a boy of nearly 2½ years old, how must it be then when Mitch is 18? Adam, your son is really my competition concerning girls”, Joe remarked.
Adam’s answer was, “When Mitch is 18 you are a very happily married father.”
They went into the barbershop. Tom Jenson saw them coming and he too was crazy about the youngest Cartwright as well.
“Joe, has your pa send Adam and Mitch along as chaperones?”, Tom asked quick-witted.
He knew that Joe always came with reluctance in his shop.
“No! Pa thinks that my hair must get shorter. By coincidence my nephew must be cut too”, answered Joe.
“Who wants to go first?”, asked Tom.
“Me”, said Mitch.
Adam put the boy in the barber chair and went then sit next to his brother. Together they watched how the apple of their eye got a new hairdo. To their amazement Mitch didn’t utter a sound.
“So, this one is ready. Joe, now you may take place”, said Tom.
He lifted Mitch out of the chair and put him on the ground. Adam gave Joe a push so he had to go sit down after all.
Tom asked when Joe sat, “How short must it become?”
He gave Adam a quick wink.
Yet before Joe could answer Adam said dry, “I thought that pa had said that Joe wasn’t allowed to come home before all his hair had been removed.”
Joe reacted directly fierce with, “Not at all. Just make it short. Adam pays.”
“Adam had only made an appointment for his son and paid already. So Joe, you have to fork out for yourself”, answered Tom.
Joe groaned something inaudible whereby Adam and Tom became in a much better mood.
First Mitch walked around but later on he went to sit by his father.
“Daddy, I am hungry”, the boy said after a while.
“As soon as your uncle is ready and had paid we are going to eat something”, promised Adam.
Fortunately Joe was ready quickly and he paid at once.
The Cartwrights walked passed by the Bucket Of Blood and Amy stood outside. Of course Mitch got all the attention again and Joe totally got ignored.
“Adam, this is the last time that Mitch goes with us”, said Joe.
Amy heard that and said, “Are you jealous of your nephew? You don’t have to be because we just remain friends.”
“We are friends too, aren’t we?”, asked Mitch.
The saloon girl answered, “Mitch, from now on we are friends for life.”
The Cartwrights walked on while Mitch kept on looking at Amy until she had gone inside again.
“Pa is not going to like this: his grandson is mad about a saloon girl”, said Joe.
“Indeed not. But as soon as widow Hawkins has met Mitch pa makes himself more worries about that”, reacted his brother.
The Cartwrights took a delicious lunch where after they went home again in the afternoon.
Arrived at home Ben saw that his youngest son finally had been to the barber. Mitch too had gotten a new short hairdo.
“How was it?”, the rancher asked him.
“Fun. I saw there Amy too. She is my girl”, answered Mitch.
“Who is Amy?”, Ben asked worried.
Adam explained, “He means Amy Larson. She works as a saloon girl in the Bucket Of Blood. Since she knows Mitch Joe hardly exists for her.”
Ben understood it.
Mitch had made a few new experiences and that would be for him and his family a memory.