DOPING

To let his youngest son Little Joe get more experience at the area of buying cattle Ponderosa owner Ben Cartwright had let him go to a cattle market. The older brothers of Little Joe, Adam and Hoss, were expecting for the worst.

“Pa, should you be doing that? Perhaps he comes home with a dozen gals instead of a dozen cows”, said Adam.

“Or even worse: a herd of smurfs”, laughed Hoss.

Both brothers were rolling on the floor laughing and Ben too found it a funny remark but the youngest Cartwright clearly didn’t. An angry look from their youngest brother made them silence. Little Joe got enough money along to buy 1 bull and he went away at once for not to hear any more negative comments from his brothers.

At the cattle market Little Joe directly got addressed by a certain Chris Johnson.

“You seem to be looking for the perfect bull. Well, I have it for you. Just come along”, said Chris.

“Wait a minute. How do you know that I come for a bull and not for something else?”, Little Joe asked amazed.

“You are here on a cattle market and so you usually come to buy cattle and no bread. Seeing it is 90 % bull here you come there for because you really won’t meet any chicken here”, answered Chris.

Little Joe felt a bit foolish and gave in reluctantly.

“Let me see that little bull of yours”, he said biting away his insult.

They walked to a part of the cattle market where Chris had parked his bull. Little Joe didn’t know what he saw.

“That is my bull Herman. He only cost you $ 200. That is a real bargain”, said Chris.

“He is so colossal. What did you give him? Grow hormones?”, Little Joe asked amazed.

“No, a special medicine. It is called Miracle Growth. It is new and especially for cows and bulls”, said Chris.

“I take it”, Little Joe said without thinking any further.

He gave the money and Chris gave the stuff for the bull along.

Proud as a peacock Little Joe took the bull home. On the way he thought: ‘This will stop Adam and Hoss with laughing at me. I can buy cattle the excellent way and much better than those two together!’

Arrived at home Little Joe put the bull so that everyone saw it straight away. Here after he ran inside where to his big relief only his father was.

“Pa, I am back again and I have done a real bargain. It is outside”, said Little Joe.

“I am curious. Let me see what you have bought”, said the rancher.

He got up and walked with his youngest son outside

Ben saw the bull and didn’t know what he saw.

Little Joe said to Ben, “Miracle Growth... It’s the newest thing on the market. Just look at the seize of that bull!”

“Joseph, do you know for sure that that bull is healthy? He seems so enormous blown up to me”, Ben said worried.

“Sure do pa”, his youngest son answered.

He did show the bottle which the bull had to get each day. Ben read the label and knew enough

“Joseph, you have been put something into your hands because this bull is so unhealthy as can be. What this bull did get to become so enormous big is just doping and not one or another wonder stuff. Or as your salesman called it: Miracle Growth.”

Little Joe looked a bit very much taken aback to the ground.

“I am sorry pa”, he said.

“You should be too. I hope you have learned from it. We shall keep it but it won’t get no more doping but normal food”, said Ben.

Little Joe brought the bull to the herd and knew that now he got pestered more by his brothers. Though he took that into the bargain.