Ponderosa ranch owner Ben Cartwright was in his office doing the paperwork when his eye caught his eye on the latest group photo of his grandchildren. Every year he got a new picture of the couple before his Christmas. The rancher loved his grandchildren, but sometimes he could stick them behind the wallpaper. That was especially true for his grandsons Mitch and Benji. The boys belonged to Ben's eldest son, Adam. Yet they were special to Ben. Mitch was the oldest grandchild and Benji named after the rancher.
On some afternoon Benji (8 years old) had to train with the youth ice hockey team. The young Cartwright was very talented and also excited once he saw the stadium.
While his grandson was playing hockey, Ben was dealing with some of the things about the stadium. The rancher hoped nothing serious would happen but took into account that it could be the other way around.
In his enthusiasm, Benji knocked the puck away so hard that the thing flew through the air right through a window. That window was one of the windows of Ben Cartwright's office. Ben not only owned the Ponderosa ranch but also the baseball and ice hockey stadium near Virginia City.
The rancher knew exactly who had done it and said to himself, “Why do only my grandsons do such a thing? They can take another example from the girls. In other words: my granddaughters.”
Ben grabbed the puck and sat down at the computer. He ordered a holder for the puck. Then the rancher called his regular glass setter, Simon Baker.
“Ben Cartwright, I'm sure you're not calling me to ask me how I'm doing.”, Simon said with a laugh when he recognized the number.
“No, I'm not. My grandson Benji smashed a window with a puck. So I've got work back for you”, said Ben.
“I'll come right away”, said Simon.
He knew exactly which window Benji had broken down.
On the ice, everyone had heard and seen Benji's blow.
Coach Bryan Cooper said to young Cartwright, “I'm sure it will be taken off your pocket money.”
“Oh, Grandpa will get over it.”, Benji reacted nonchalantly.
Soon a new window was put in.
“Ben, If your grandson manages to break this one, I don't know it anymore. This is unbreakable glass. Good luck”, said Simon.
Ben said, “Thank you for being able to come so fast.”
After training, grandpa and grandson picked up the girls from soccer training and tennis lessons. Lisa (Benji's twin sister) was on football. She was very good at it and especially in a window shoot. That's what happened that afternoon.
“Lisa, kick that ball away”, said coach Jenny Clark.
Lisa did that but instead of scoring, the ball flew towards Ben's car. Now the reverse was lost.
Benji said laughing, “That could only have done by Lisa.”
Ben called Simon again but now for his car window. This too was quickly resolved.
Also picking up his other granddaughters Inger and Petra (from Hoss and Betsy) became an expensive business for Ben. The two were at tennis class. The track they were playing was open so the girls could hit hard. Both knocked a ball away and they too smashed a window of their grandfather's car. Again, Simon got a call and he arranged it again.
However, this was not the end of the rancher's expensive afternoon. Once he got home, he heard more bad news.
“Mitch, tell Grandpa what you did”, Adam told his eldest son.
“Well, Grandpa, Matt and I were playing baseball in the stadium when I knocked a ball a little too hard. You certainly guessed it: it ended up in your office through a window”, Mitch confessed.
Matt was Matthew Walker, Mitch's best friend.
“There was a time when I longed for grandchildren but this afternoon I wish I didn't have them”, answered Ben.
He told what the others had done. Adam, Hoss and Joe and their wives (Sally, Betsy and Paula) couldn’t stop laughing.
“Uh Grandpa, I broke something when washing dishes, too”, said Rose, his youngest granddaughter.
“Still no window I can hope?”, asked Ben.
“No, this cup”, said the girl.
She showed the shards of a primordial cup.
Ben looked at the shrapnel and said, “For this time I don't mind because I got this cup from a distant acquaintance. I've always found him ugly. So you gave me a big service.”
Rose was relieved and Ben hoped he would never have another expensive afternoon. But he expected it.