It happened on Monday November 28 2005. The school had just finished. Mitch Cartwright wanted to ride home when he got stopped by Trevor Franklin and Penny Taylor.
“Trevor, this one is bothering me all the time”, said Penny.
Mitch looked at them distrusting.
“So this Smurf tries to take my girl? What do you have to say about that?”, Trevor asked threatening.
“I don’t want her at all. She just chums up with me and only because I live at a big ranch”, answered the young Cartwright.
“I don’t do that at all”, lied Penny.
Trevor pushed Mitch against the ground and kicked him. Then Penny grabbed her hockey stick and gave it to Trevor. He hit with it against the left knee of Mitch.
“And that is because you have made a fool of our sport!”, Trevor said while he went to stand on the injured knee.
Here after Trevor and Penny went away laughing. The friends of Mitch, Matthew Walker and Max Willis, came nearer and saw what had happened.
“Trevor Franklin did this on request of Penny Taylor. Just get my bike”, said Mitch.
Max got the bike while Matthew helped Mitch up.
“First I go to the sheriff and then home”, said Mitch.
He mounted on and rode away, followed by Matthew. They stopped at the office of sheriff Roy Coffee. The bikes got locked where after the friends went inside. Only deputy Clem Foster was there.
“Mitch and Matthew, what can I do for you?”, asked Clem.
He saw how difficult Mitch walked and helped him sitting down. Matthew went to sit down as well. Mitch told what had happened. The deputy took the charge seriously and made a record of it too. Here after he phoned their fathers (Adam Cartwright and Dan Walker). The men came a bit later on. Clem told everything what the boys had said. Here after the boys went home with their fathers.
First Adam took his son down to the hospital.
“Daddy, it hurts so much”, Mitch said moaning.
“We are at the hospital in a moment”, answered Adam.
He wasn’t pleased at all with this event.
After the quick treatment the Cartwrights went to their ranch the Ponderosa.
“Do count on it on many teasing by your uncles, little brother, little sister and cousins”, said Adam.
“And of you of course too”, reacted Mitch.
“Mitch Cartwright! How dare you to say something like that? I never tease you”, said Adam.
“Why must grandpa always perform against you, uncle Hoss and uncle Joe?”, asked Mitch.
“That is to keep us alert”, lied Adam.
He parked his Mercedes in the garage and got out with his son. The crutches got taken and also the rucksack of Mitch. Here after the bike got unloaded from the trunk and put down. Mitch bumped after his father.
“Sorry that we are so late but Mitch got beaten up at school”, Adam said when entering.
Mitch told everything.
“For the time being you are being brought and taken what school is concerned. Your father, uncles and I do that in turns”, said Ben Cartwright.
He was the owner of the Ponderosa and grandpa of Mitch.
“Alright”, said the boy.
At home with Trevor Franklin the boy heard from his father Derek, ”Trevor, tomorrow evening we have supper at the Cartwrights. Maybe I can do good business with them.”
“Eh pa, you mean the Cartwrights of the Ponderosa Ranch?”, Trevor asked for the security.
“Yes, which other Cartwrights are there here in the area?”, Derek asked on his turn.
“I hate that Mitch Cartwright. He tries to get my girl”, answered his son.
“You just come along”, said Derek.
He noticed that Trevor had done something.
“Just confess that you have been up to now!”, Derek said at a stern tone.
“I have beaten up Mitch a bit with the field hockey stick of Penny. I also went to stand jolly full on his knee. He makes us good ones and our sport ridiculous”, Trevor told with reluctance.
Derek became angry and said, ”This is all the fault of your mother. You pay for his medical costs and revalidation!”
His son nodded.
At the Ponderosa Mitch tried not to attract all the attention but that failed.
His youngest uncle Joe saw the brace around his knee and asked teasing, ”Mitch, shall we go for a run?”
But his nephew hit back with, ”Will you just learn to ride a bike well!”
“Adam, you must teach your children to be polite to their youngest uncle”, said Joe.
“They are that, aren’t they?”, Adam asked amazed.
The following morning Mitch got brought to school by Hoss. Penny saw that the young Cartwright got brought per car and who the driver was. Quickly she went to her boyfriend.
“Trevor, that Smurf is there again and on crutches”, she said.
“That will be a laugh”, said Trevor.
They went inside where Mitch and Matthew sat waiting for Max.
“Mitch, how is your knee?”, Penny asked as she was somehow interested.
“As if that interests you! By that boyfriend of yours I walk now with crutches”, reacted Mitch.
“A crutch on crutches”, laughed Stacey.
Then Trevor came to them. He gave Mitch a big push so that Mitch fell down on the ground and his crutches too. Trevor also kicked against his knee but tripped over a crutch. He fell down to great pleasure of Mitch, Matthew and Max who just came inside.
“Max, is his taxi still there?”, asked Matthew.
The young Willis nodded. Matthew ran outside where Hoss still was.
“Uncle Hoss! Uncle Hoss! Mitch is injured”, called the young Walker.
Hoss turned around and went along with Matthew. He knew why Matthew called him uncle because the young Walker was one of the family with the Cartwrights.
“That jerk pushed me and kicked against my knee”, said Mitch.
Meanwhile the sheriff and an ambulance had been warned. Clem came a moment later and heard what had happened.
“Trevor Franklin, come along because you are arrested for mistreatment”, said the deputy.
“I haven’t done anything at all”, Trevor said angry.
“How come then that yesterday I got a message about you that you have mistreated someone?”, asked Clem.
He handcuffed Trevor and dragged him away. Hoss went with his nephew to the hospital.
At the hospital Hoss phoned home to warn his brother and sister-in-law.
“We are coming with some clothes and stuff for him”, said Adam.
When Adam had put down he said, , “Mitch is been beaten up again by that Trevor Franklin at op school. Hoss just phoned from the hospital. Clem has arrested that brat.”
Sally went to pack a bag for her stepson. Adam told the others what had happened.
“Tonight Derek Franklin comes here for business and dinner tonight”, said Ben.
The rancher was clearly not pleased with this situation.
“Just go to the hospital. We will hear how it is with Mitch”, he finally said.
Adam and Sally went away.
In the meantime Mitch laid in a room with a knee in plaster. Hoss sat by him.
“It hurts so much”, said the youngest Cartwright.
“Your knee has been damaged badly so it’s no wonder that our knee hurts. Doc Martin said that you will recover completely”, answered Hoss.
His nephew reacted with, “I have no use to that now.”
Hoss had to admit that.
That’s why he changed the subject of talking, “What is on your sandwiches?”
Mitch saw through him and said, “Cheese and carrot jam.”
“That’s a pity because I’m quite hungry”, was the answer of Hoss.
“When don’t you have that?”, his nephew wanted to know.
Hoss didn’t give an answer to this. Then a nurse came in with a painkiller for the youngest Cartwright.
“This will help against the pain”, she said.
Mitch took it in with some water and tried to sleep a bit.
“Little patients till the age of 11 years old may only gets visit from their parents so I must ask you to leave”, said the nurse.
“My nephew is 12 and you can’t send me away because that won’t succeed anyway”, said Hoss.
He went to stand up for a second and then the nurse backed down. A moment later Adam and Sally came in.
“Is my little brother causing problems again?”, Adam asked sarcastic.
“You are not going to tell me that he’s your younger brother, are you?”, the nurse asked worried.
“Yes”, was Adam’s answer.
“Well, I feel very sorry for you and your parents. Good day”, the nurse said where after she left the room.
Hoss told what had happened at school.
“If that Trevor remains at school I take Mitch out of it”, groaned Adam.
“Adam, Clem has arrested him so he won’t come for the time being. But that also goes for Mitchy”, reacted his brother.
“Your brother is tight this time, Adam”, said Sally.
With reluctance Adam admitted that.
“Hoss, just go home and tell the others what has happened. We stay here”, said Sally.
Hoss went back home while his brother and sister-in-law remained by his eldest nephew.
Arrived at home Hoss told all that had happened. Straight after that the telephone rang.
Ben answered it and said, “Cartwright, Ponderosa Ranch.”
“With Derek Franklin. Unfortunately I must cancel for tonight because my son has gotten himself into trouble once again.”
“I understand”, Ben said and het put the phone down.
“Derek Franklin doesn’t come due to family circumstances. But we will be eaten”, said Ben.
So that happened too.
When Tess Franklin heard that her son Trevor sat in the cell she went to pay a visit to the sheriff and the deputy personally.
“Why is my son in a cell? He hasn’t done anything”, Tess roared with anger.
“Mrs Franklin, Trevor is in jail because he has mistreated a boy twice. And he stays there for the time being”, answered sheriff Roy Coffee.
“My lawyer will get him free quickly enough”, Tess snapped where after she left.
“Which boy was mistreated by Trevor?”, asked Roy.
“Mitch Cartwright. Yesterday he came in limping with Matthew Walker. Early this morning the call came that Trevor had mistreated Mitch at school. I have arrested him on the spot”, answered Clem.
“Then a big row can break out between the Cartwrights and especially Tess Franklin. Just roll up your sleeves for that”, reacted the sheriff.
Clem realized that too.
Tess decided to take revenge on the Cartwrights but had decided to do that around Christmas. First she had to work out her devil plan. So she kept quiet.
After 2 weeks Mitch was allowed to go home but with his knee in a support brace and on crutches. His enemy Trevor had been convicted to 3 years youth detention due to mistreating and other crimes.
It was the end of the drawing lessons. Miss Jennifer Wilson was the teacher who gave drawing lessons.
She said, “I give you an assignment along for to do during the Christmas vacation. The assignment is: make a drawing of your house. It must be in color with all the details of the house.”
Penny asked, “We live in a luxury villa with swimming pol. Must that be included too then?”
“If the swimming pool lies in sight yes. But if your swimming pool is behind the house not. I want to see the house on the drawing as if I am standing in front of it”, said the teacher.
“It’s nearly Christmas. So must we draw the Christmas decorations too?”, asked Mitch.
Jennifer looked at him and answered, “That’s allowed but then you must make a drawing of your house without the Christmas decorations too.”
She looked for a second in the class book where Mitch lived and by him stood as only one Ponderosa Ranch.
“Mitch, I do expect from you a very detailed drawing of your ranch house”, She said after that.
“Cartwright, now you can’t even celebrate Christmas anymore”, said Penny.
“Or your birthday”, said Stacey, her friend.
They laughed but Mitch knew to silence them by saying, “You are very quickly ready with your drawing because you just live in a shed on the moor.”
Now Mitch had the laugh on his side.
“Easy boys. The assignment is for a mark and the best drawing will be hang here at school”, said Jennifer.
“For how long?”, asked Matthew, the best friend van Mitch.
“Forever”, was the answer of the teacher.
“Then I wan t a bad mark for my drawing”, said Mitch.
He didn’t say why though.
“Merry Christmas and a happy New Year”, said Jennifer.
The pupils went outside.
At the gate Matthew said, “Mitch, I see you on December 27.”
“Count on me as well ”, said Max.
“That’s alright”, said the young Cartwright.
“What is there then?”, Stacey asked curious.
“That’s for us a good knowing and for you a very big question”, Matthew answered laughing.
Mitch saw his father coming and grabbed his rucksack.
Once at home Mitch showed his Christmas report which for him reasonably well.
“I have an assignment for drawing. We must draw the face of our house. And because I live at a ranch Miss Wilson wants that my drawing is very detailed. And the best one gets hanged at school”, said Mitch.
“You surely can do that, can’t you?”, asked Sally.
“Yes, but to show my work to strangers is something totally different”, answered the boy.
“Mitch, imagine, later you are an artist and you want to make a living of it your work has to be seen by others anyway”, said Ben.
He was the owner of the ranch.
It was clearly that his eldest grandson wasn’t very modest because his reaction sounded, , “My work is far too good to be hanged in a school for good!”
Adam looked at his brothers Hoss and Joe with a look of, ‘Is that lad related to us?’
“You make that drawing and then we’ll take care of it that it won’t be hang at school”, promised Ben.
The boy agreed with that.
Already on the 1st evening of the vacation Adam said, “Mitch, from now on till your birthday you must sleep in another room. We won’t say why but we almost know for sure that you will like it. Your stuff has already been moved to your temporary room.”
“Fine”, said his eldest son.
Then Adam asked, “You don’t want that your drawing gets hanged at school. Why not?”
“I want to give it to grandpa framed for his Christmas. If it gets hanged at school I never get it back again”, answered Mitch.
Adam said smiling, “Make 2 drawings. We frame the best one and that one is for grandpa. The less good one is for your homework.”
Mitch decided to do that.
The following days Mitch divided his free time by playing in the snow with his little brother Benji and little sister Lisa and cousins Inger and Petra and his homework. The little ones likes especially sledding. Cody, the shepherd dog, always went along too. They did this in the morning so that the little ones quietly slept in the afternoon hours. Mitch spent the afternoon loyal to his homework whereby he got enough help.
On Christmas Day the children were awake very early whereby the grownups also woke up early.
“Shall we sleep on a little while?”, Adam asked teasing.
“And then miss the birthday of your eldest?”, his wife asked laughing.
Adam said then seriously, “After the coffee Na the Mitch and I go together to the grave of Mary.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to explain to me anything what that is concerned. Mitch also talks to me about her”, answered Sally.
She kissed her husband and said, “Congratulations with your eldest son.”
“You too. He is now already 13 years old. I still him lying by his mother as a newborn little lad”, said Adam.
They got up and went to wash and get dressed. Here after they went with Hoss and his wife Betsy help the little ones with washing and getting dressed.
Mitch was already downstairs with Ben.
“Grandpa, would mama be celebrating my birthday too with our 3 grandma’s?”, the boy asked the rancher.
“I think so lad. But we are here and celebrate your birthday extended. Happy birthday and many ‘healthy’ years”, answered Ben.
Mitch asked, “Thanks grandpa. Why may I not sleep in my own room anymore?”
“I can’t give an answer to that yet. Just wait till you get the presents for your birthday”, Ben said a bit secretive.
Of course the birthday boy wasn’t helped with this answer at all. Mitch just decided to wait until he got his birthday presents. The 2 Cartwrights walked to the dining room where Hop Sing had set a very extended breakfast table.
“Hop Sing made very delicious birthday breakfast for little Mitch”, said the cook.
“Thanks Hop Sing. But I am not so little anymore”, reacted the boy.
“Over 3 years you probably get a car for your birthday for sure”, Ben said teasing.
“Is that so? Just do then a Jeep Cherokee”, Mitch said with laughing eyes.
“Then we make a deal: you have paid your ice hockey bill so in your free time you are going to work for your car and that salary is being deposit on a separate account. But your school work, hobby’s and sport are first”, said the rancher.
“Deal”, said Mitch.
When everyone sat down Ben said, “Morning everyone. First, Merry Christmas. Ten Secondly, it seems that someone is having a birthday today.”
“That is me”, Hoss said teasing.
“Not at all. You just had your birthday. I have become another year closer near my age of retiring”, Mitch reacted directly.
Everybody laughed.
Ben said, “Mitch, happy birthday. On Mitch.”
The others said that too. The boy became clearly shy and nodded smiling.
The breakfast tasted like each morning excellent and after an hour everything was gone.
“May we give the presents now?”, asked Lisa.
“After you have cleared the table and brought everything to the kitchen”, answered Ben.
That happened in no time.
On the salon table laid some presents and a yellow envelop. The Cartwrights went to sit around the salon table.
“Mitch, because it happens to be your birthday today these present are for you”, said Adam.
“All of them?”, Mitch asked amazed.
“All of them!”, answered Adam.
Mitch began to unwrap them. From his little brother he got a big box of color pencils. Inger and Petra gave their cousin 2 sketch books. Out of the package of Lisa came a box with drawing pencils.
“Thanks Smurfs”, Mitch said as he always called the little ones.
“Mitch, our present is in that yellow envelop”, said Ben.
The boy opened the envelop and found a photo of a drawing board. Now he really didn’t understand it at all anymore.
“We all have paid for it. The result is in your room”, Adam explained.
His son got up and ran to his room. At the window stood a brand new super
luxury drawing board. Adam had come after him and watched from the door post smiling and enjoying.
“We knew that you really wanted to have one. So we decided to give you one for your birthday”, Adam explained.
“Thanks daddy”, the boy said deliriously pleased.
They went back to the living room where Mitch said, “Everyone thanks for the beautiful drawing board drawing board.”
“You just deserve it boy”, Ben said smiling.
“So that’s why I wasn’t allowed to sleep in my own room?”, Mitch asked who now understood everything.
Ben answered, “Indeed boy.”
He saw that his eldest grandson was deliriously pleased with it.
Then Hop Sing came in with the coffee, milk and cake. Sally had used a bake tin in the shape of a baseball glove. He was also decorated like that.
The Chinese cook gave Mitch a package and said, “Present from Hop Sing for birthday boy Mitch.”
“Thanks Hop Sing”, the boy said while he unwrapped the package.
Out of the package came the silicone bake tin in the shape of a baseball glove. Mitch cut then the cake in equal pieces. Cody was allowed to lick the bowl empty.
After the coffee Benji asked on behalf of his sister and cousins, “May we play outside?”
“Get dressed warm and stay on the yard”, said Ben.
They did that and Mitch was alone with the grownups in the living room.
Adam asked, “Mitch, are you coming to mama?”
His son nodded.
“Sally, shall we do the dishes so that Hoss and Joe can play outside as well?”, Betsy asked while she gave her sister-in-law a wink.
Sally understood it and nodded smiling. Her brothers-in-law went outside where the little ones treated them on a cake of snowballs. Foreman Candy Canaday and hand Griff King already had made a lot of snow balls and got now support from the 2 twins.
Ben watched safely form the porch, found it very amusing and got to hear from his eldest son, “Who are now the children and the grownups?”
“I don’t know that for a moment son”, answered the rancher.
Adam and Mitch went to their private cemetery. They did this always on Christmas Day, November 26 and June 12.
At the grave of Mary Mitch went to sit down. Adam waited by the car.
Mitch said, “Merry Christmas mama. I have gotten drawing material from my little brother, little sister and cousins. Daddy and the other grownups have given me a drawing board for my birthday. I wish that you could be here as well. I still miss you and daddy too. That also goes for Cody.”
The boy kept silent for a moment and looked at the tombstone of his mother. He got more and more tears into his eyes so that the young Cartwright got up and walked to his father.
Adam took Mitch into his arms and said comforting, “Mama waits for us upstairs together with your 3 grandma’s.”
Slowly Mitch claimed down and he wiped his eyes dry. Shortly later on they drove back home.
Hop Sing, Sally and Betsy were the whole afternoon busy with baking pancakes. For 13 years it was tradition that the Cartwrights had an apart Christmas dinner. Mitch always wanted to eat pancakes with ice cream cake as birthday meal.
Tess decided to hit the Cartwrights en then especially Mitch there which the they loved the most: their Ponderosa ranch.
On December 26 Mitch was playing with Cody on the yard in the snow when suddenly a shot was being shot. The shepherd fell down but his little master was straight by him.
“Cody!”, the young Cartwright said upset.
He kneeled down by his injured dog and tried to help him. A moment later he got support from Hoss. Adam, Joe and Candy went after the shooter.
“Uncle Hoss, Cody isn’t dying, is he?”, Mitch asked with tears in his eyes.
“I hope not. But you must prepare yourself that he dies”, Hoss said while he picked up the dog and carried him to the ranch house.
Cody moaned softly.
Cody got put down near the weapon closet. Hoss pulled the bullet out of it and wrapped him up with support of his nephew. Mitch sat by Cody and stroke him gently where by the dog became quiet.
Meanwhile the brothers and Candy had found Tess already.
Adam hit her against the ground and asked groaning, “Why did you shoot down our dog?”
“Did I do that?”, she asked chuckling as a teenage girl.
“You did that indeed because we found your rifle which you left behind at the yard”, said Joe.
Suddenly Tess said angry, “Because you have let put my sweet son in jail.”
She fought to get loose but Adam gave her a smack in the face so that Tess became calm.
“Just tie her up to a tree and I phone the sheriff”, said Adam.
Joe and Candy did that while Adam kept looking at her.
Tess snapped, “This women maltreatment! You are going to pay for it!”
“What you did to Cody is animal maltreatment”, said Candy.
Tess snapped at him, “It’s just a stupid dog!”
Joe en Candy had to a do lot a of trouble to keep Adam in control.
“Adam, she isn’t worth it”, said Joe.
Slowly Adam calmed down and he went home.
“What a fuss for a dog”, said Tess.
“My brother has given Cody to his wife for her 1st Mother’s Day”, Joe reacted fierce.
Then Clem arrived and he arrested Tess on the spot. Joe and Candy told the deputy what had happened and went home too after that.
Mitch kept guarding by Cody who became weaker and weaker.
At 4 o’ clock’ the boy screamed very loud, “Daddy!”
Adam came rushing downstairs at once and found his eldest by a dead Cody.
“He has just died”, Mitch said with tears in his eyes and throat.
Adam went to sit next to him and took the boy into his arms, Mitch began to cry enormously due to the loss. Hereby the other also woke up.
Ben saw Cody and said, “Mitch, you decide where we bury Cody.”
“Next to mama. He was hers”, the boy answered sobbing.
“Then we do that later on. First we let everyone say goodbye to him”, said the rancher.
His grandson nodded with tears in his eyes and throat.
“Is he now with mama?”, Mitch asked for the security.
Ben nodded. Meanwhile the others came also downstairs and saw Cody lying down.
A bit later on everyone was washed and dressed. Matthew, his parents and Max had heard the terrible news too and had come. Hoss en Joe made a little casket together. Candy and Griff had gotten the order to dig a grave next to the grave of Mary Cartwright. That afternoon Cody got buried at the family cemetery of the Cartwrights. Everyone had it difficult but Adam and Mitch the most.
After the official part Mitch said, “I don’t want another dog anymore.”
“I can understand that but now he is with mama and grandma though. Cody waits for you and will miss you too. But you still have the memories of him”, said Adam.
The boy understood that but it didn’t take the pain away of the loss of his eldest friend.
In the days before New Year’s Eve Mitch cleaned up with Adam the stuff of Cody. His manger, rug and toys got put into a strongbox which was being brought to the attic.
After the Christmas holiday the class of Mitch had give their drawing assignment. Jennifer looked at them piece by piece until she saw an empty white piece of paper. On the back she saw the name of Mitch written.
“Mitch, why isn’t your drawing being made?”, asked the drawing teacher.
“Well Miss Wilson, when I wanted to make the drawing so much snow had been fallen down that the sight wasn’t visible anymore by the snow. That’s why the piece of paper is white”, answered the young Cartwright.
Jennifer couldn’t appreciate the answer and said stern, “You are not welcome anymore in my class. Get lost!”
“What is my mark?”, Mitch asked before he went away.
“An F”, snapped Jennifer.
Mitch snatched his drawing and left the class room. Matthew and Max had a lot of trouble not to start laughing which the teacher saw.
“You also go away and stay away. Here are your drawings”, she said snappish.
The 2 grabbed their drawings and left also the class room. They found Mitch at the canteen.
“Are you alright Mitch?”, Matthew asked worried.
“No, I miss Cody so”, answered the young Cartwright.
He grabbed his sketch book and began to draw.
“Mustn’t you attend a lesson?”, asked rector William Norton.
“We have been expelled by Miss Wilson. For good”, said Max.
The rector saw the drawing which Mitch was busy with and said, “You go to the class of John Keller. You learn better to draw there.”
The boys agreed.
“Are you coming Mitch?”, asked Max.
He didn’t get a reaction. Matthew and Max went away so that the rector could talk to the young Cartwright. Mitch told what was bothering him and also what had happened to his dog in the Christmas Holiday.
“How long have you known Cody?”, asked William.
“Since I was about 6 months old. Daddy bought him for my mother for her 1st Mother’s Day. Since then we always have been together”, answered Mitch.
“I will give you a note for the teachers and we talk next week again”, said William.
Mitch nodded and got a moment later the letter with him.
Also hereby and the support of his family and friends Mitch learned to accept and get over the loss of his dog.