Ponderosa owner Ben Cartwright was on a business trip to Sacramento with his eldest son Adam and only grandson Mitch. The only Cartwrights who were left behind at the ranch were Hoss and Little Joe. As usual Ben had appointed 1 of the 2 as boss and Hoss was it this time. Everything went as normal until Joe got a very good idea according to him.
“Hoss, I have an excellent idea”, Joe said one morning.
His brother looked at him worried.
“We are going to work the flower garden of pa. You know that he wanted to plant new flowers? We are going to do that for him. Pa will be so pleased with our good deed”, Joe explained.
“Little Joe! This is once again a super stupid idea of yours! You know too that pa doesn’t want that we are busy in his flower garden”, reacted Hoss.
“But your nephew is allowed to”, Joe said indignant.
Hoss remarked, “He is your nephew too. Besides, that little thing is allowed to everything of pa. If you want to work in the garden so eagerly go ahead. But I won’t help you.”
Joe said fierce, “Alright. But then you mustn’t go complaining when I may receive all the compliments of pa about the flower garden.”
He went out of the ranch house and went to the flower garden behind the ranch house. The garden sighted empty and colorless.
“Well pa, you won’t know what you see when coming home”, Joe said to himself.
He ploughed the whole garden and began to sweat by it too.
Hoss had something better to do than to slave away in someone else’s garden because they had a ranch to run as well. Besides there was the shepherd dog Cody who needed care and attention. To escape from the unexpected willingness to work of his younger brother Hoss took Cody along for a long ride.
What the brothers didn’t know was that their father came home earlier. Ben Cartwright rode upon the yard but didn’t see anybody. The rancher suspected trouble and dismounted. His horse buck got hitched. Ben went into the ranch housed but only the loyal Chinese cook Hop Sing was present.
“Hop Sing! Hop Sing!”, called the rancher.
The cook came rushing out of the kitchen and asked, “Welcome home Mr Cartwright. What is the matter?”
“Hop Sing, where are my sons Hoss and Little Joe?”, asked Ben.
“Mr Hoss away with Cody and Little Joe busy in flower garden. Where are Mr Adam and little Mitch?”, was the counter-question of the cook.
“Mitch has fallen down and has to stay a few days longer in Sacramento. As a matter of cause Adam stays with him”, answered Ben.
He went outside again and walked straight to his flower garden. What Ben saw then confirmed his worst fear. Joe had taken out all the plants and thrown it at one heap. The youngest Cartwright son had left the weed in the ground. The rancher didn’t know what he saw. First Ben looked silently and coughed then loudly. Joe flew a meter into the air.
“Pa! What are you doing here?”, Joe asked amazed.
“First:, I have built up this ranch from the ground with support from your brothers Adam and Hoss. Second: I hear from Hop Sing that you suddenly have started to work in the garden. I seem to remember that my youngest son has never been interested in this activity”, answered Ben.
Joe realized that he had done something stupid.
“Pa, I wanted to surprise you with planting new plants in the flower garden. I have taken all the weed out of it and left the plants there. Are Adam and Mitch there too?”, Joe wanted to know.
“Fortunately for you they still are in Sacramento. Mitch has gotten a little accident and must stay at the hospital for a few days. Before our departure I had together with Mitch dug up the garden. We had put new plants in it. Besides I had reserved especially for that little boy a piece of garden to plant fruit”, answered Ben.
“Sorry pa”, said Joe.
“I suggest that you recover the garden and everything that’s good plant back. And that must have been happened before your brother and nephew are home”, said Ben.
Joe sighed deep and began with his punishment. He did resolve himself to never work voluntarily in a garden ever again though.