After the seven year old Mitch Cartwright had trimmed the Christmas tree together with his grandpa Ben Cartwright the boy found 2 red with white Christmas hats under in a box. One had even little lamps. Mitch grabbed them and looked at the hats.
“Grandpa, where do these Christmas hats come from? I haven’t seen them ever before”, Mitch said while he held them up.
The owner of the Ponderosa ranch (where the Cartwright family lived) checked the hats and sighed very deep. Now Mitch knew enough and also that his 2 uncles Hoss and Joe have had very much to do with it.
“Well Mitch, first we clean everything up and then I will tell you how we got those 2 Christmas hats”, answered Ben.
The boxes were quickly cleared away so that Mitch got to hear the story behind the mysterious Christmas hats. Grandpa and grandson went to sit on the settee. The Chinese cook Hop Sing came with 2 mugs of hot chocolate milk with whipped cream.
Ben began to tell, “Mitch, the story about the Christmas harts begins just before your birth. Your uncles bought them specially for you.”
It was December 1992. Adam and his wife Mary expected their 1st child, Mary was due the end of December.
Hoss and Joe (the younger brothers van Adam and brothers-in-law of Mary) were in Virginia City to buy Christmas presents for their family members.
“Hoss, we buy this for our nephew. Then he can wear it right away when he is born”, Joe said while he showed a hat with little lamps.
“That is for the change a good idea of yours, Joe. You give that one and I do that one without little lamps. Then our nephew can vary”, reacted his brother.
They paid the hats and went home quickly.
“Adam and Mary, we have the perfect Christmas gift for your baby”, Joe said on behalf of Hoss when they came in.
The parents to be looked at each other worried.
“Hoss and Joe, what have you bought our son for peace sake?”, asked Adam.
Mary got 2 packages and saw to her and Adam’s amazing the 2 Christmas hats.
Joe said smiling, “That one with the little lamps is from me.”
“Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright, you don’t really think that we let our child wear something stupid like these?”, asked Adam.
His younger brothers looked at each other amazed.
Mary supported her husband by saying, “I just felt that the baby clearly let notice that he won’t wear those hats either.”
“Just put them away very well because we don’t want to see them ever again!”, answered Adam.
“Where has your Christmas spirit been to?”, Joe asked indignant.
Hoss said, “Other mothers put a hat like that on their child.”
“But I am not like those other mothers. Not yet anyway and I will never become that either”, reacted his sister-in-law.
Then the father of the brothers and father-in-law van Mary, Ben Cartwright, came in. He heard the discussion.
“Pa, your 2 youngest sons have bought these stupid Christmas hats for your grandson. Mary and I refuse to let our son wear something like that”, Adam said while he showed the Christmas hats to the owner of the Ponderosa ranch where they lived.
Ben looked at the hats and said, “Hoss and Joseph, put these Christmas hats very good away because this time I’m on the side of Adam and Mary.”
“Alright. We put them away. Come Joe”, Hoss said with reluctance.
The brothers went with the hats to the attic and put them away in a bag which went into a Christmas box.
“So Mitch, that is the story behind these Christmas hats”, Ben said finally.
The youngest Cartwright looked at the hats and began to smile then. The rancher suspected that his grandson was up to something.
“What are you up you young man?”, Ben asked semi-stern.
“Well, my uncles bought these hats for me in 1992. This year they get the hats from me”, Mitch explained.
“Mitch, that is an excellent idea of your. I will help you with wrapping up”, Ben said smiling.
They wrapped up the Christmas hats and put them under the just trimmed Christmas tree.