The whole week Adam and Little Joe Cartwright were pressing their brother Hoss with mild jokes. The boys had gotten the assignment to hatch the trees.
Hoss saw how full attention his brothers were busy. He decided to make a fool of them. Hoss went to another spot. He leaned on his hatchet and looked up to the air. But he said nothing.
At a certain moment Little Joe asked, “Adam, are we the only two who work here?”
“I believe so. What is Hoss doing?”, was the counter-question of his brother.
“Let’s go and find out”, Little Joe suggested.
They took along their hatchet and went to search for their brother.
After a long search Adam and Little Joe saw Hoss standing. They looked at each other amazed and questionable.
“Is he happen to be studying for statue?”, asked Little Joe.
“Perhaps yes. Let’s go and ask where he is looking”, his brother replied.
They walked up to him.
“Err Hoss, what is there to see?”, asked Little Joe.
“A very beautiful bird. It is one of a special kind”, said Hoss.
Adam and Little Joe looked at each other again. They read in each other’s eyes, “Has our brother now really gone crackbrained?”
They decided to stare at the air as well. Of course Hoss was not crazy too and went away when his brothers kept on staring.
Suddenly Hoss saw his father Ben Cartwright coming.
“Hoss, why aren’t you and your brothers not at work?”, Ben asked strict.
“It is nearly done. But my dear brothers have been teasing me all week with their mild jokes. Now I have them teased. I looked up to the air for a while and now they are doing it”, Hoss said smiling.
“What are they looking at?”, Ben wanted to know.
“A special kind of bird. The teasing bird”, said Hoss.
Ben began to chuckle and decided to play the game along.
He rode towards his eldest and youngest son, coughed for a moment out loud and asked then strict, “Adam and Joseph Cartwright! Why are you staring at the air?”
“Oh err hello pa. Hoss said that he saw a special bird. But we see nothing”, said Adam.
“Do you mean the teasing bird? It doesn’t exist at all. Hoss has just pulled your leg like you have done that to him”, said Ben.
Adam and Little Joe realized that their father was right and that Hoss had gotten his revenge. Though they did hope that Hoss wouldn’t tell it further.