Jack In A Box

It was early June 1994. At the Ponderosa ranch it was quiet until ranch owner Ben Cartwright got a visit from a vague acquaintance. That was Dennis Willis. He came over for a visit with his wife Amanda Willis with their daughters Carla and Wendy (5). Ben had met Dennis years ago but didn’t really know him.

At the moment Ben wanted to phone Dennis to say that it wasn’t convenient the rancher saw his oldest son Adam with his grandson Mitch coming.

“Pa, what is the matter?”, Adam asked worried.

“We get a visit from Dennis Willis and his family. I hardly know them because I only met Dennis once”, answered Ben.

He let Adam read the letter and took over his grandson. Mitch was almost 1½ years old and very enterprising. Ben gave Mitch a pencil and a piece of paper where after the boy went to draw something.

“Shall I call them to say that you have a very infectious disease?”, Adam asked teasing.

“No, then they are coming for sure. Adam, Dennis was already a troublesome man and I dare to bet that his wife and children are no hair better”, reacted his father.

Adam said sighing, “Then we will have to face the music.”

Ben realized that too.

On the way to the ranch said Amanda, “I have heard that Ben Cartwright has a grandson. If it’s a nice boy we adopt him so that you have your son.”

“We just take that lad along. His sons can give him enough grandsons”, answered Dennis.

“Hooray, we get a little brother”, Wendy and Carla cheered from the back seat.

Amanda looked at them smiling.

Once at the ranch the Cartwrights got to know the visitors. The sphere was tense somehow.

“So this is your grandson?”, Amanda asked suave.

“Yes, this is Mitch of about 1½ years old”, answered Ben.

“May we give him our present?”, asked Carla.

Amanda nodded. Carla gave Mitch a box and put it for the guy on the ground. Suddenly went the lid open and there came a little clown. Mitch got scared stiff, began to scream of fear and moved backwards. Adam picked up his son and comforted him. Ben was also not happy with it. The Willis family was that of course. Wendy closed the box. Then came the Shepherd Dog Cody inside.

“Let Cody see what is in the box”, said Ben.

Wendy did that and Cody took well revenge on her and her sister. When the clown appeared again the dog grabbed the doll so tight and shook with it that the doll broke in 2. Cody threw the broken doll through the room whereby Amanda became angry.

“This was for your grandson, not for that dog!”, she snapped.

They left right away. Of course, the Cartwrights were pleased that the visitors left quickly. Adam threw the toy immediately away. Cody got something extra to eat because he had defended his friend.

By the deed of Cody Dennis and his family didn’t want anything to do with the Cartwrights anymore. And that was also the other way around.