On an afternoon Joe Cartwright came home with the mail. With the mal was also an envelope for his 3 year old nephew Mitch.
“Mitch, since when are you getting mail?”, Joe asked while he looked at the mail.
The little lad answered, “Since I exists.”
The father of Mitch and also oldest brother of Joe Adam Cartwright, asked, “What sort of mail has my son received now?”
He got a yellow envelope and opened it. Adam read the card and knew enough.
“Mitch, you are invited for a birthday party of Kevin Carter. It’s next week Wednesday afternoon. You may go of me but if you don’t want to it’s also fine”, said Adam.
Mitch said spontaneous, “I go.”
“Then I will call the parents of Kevin that you are coming”, said Adam.
He phoned them and passed on the message.
In the evening Mitch said, “Grandpa, I am away next Wednesday afternoon.”
The man who was addressed with grandpa was Ben Cartwright. He was the owner of the Ponderosa ranch where the Cartwright family lived.
He looked up and asked, “Where are you then?”
“With Kevin Carter. It’s his birthday and I may come to his party”, Mitch answered like he was allowed to the White House of the president.
“I go along as well”, Adam explained.
“Then it’s alright”, said Ben.
He noticed that his only grandchild was becoming bigger and that it went faster than he had thought and expected too.
Finally it was then Wednesday afternoon. Adam brought Mitch to the house where Kevin with his parents lived. The boys knew each other fr4om Sunday School which was often led by Adam. Together with his big uncle Hoss the little Cartwright had bought a little present.
Arrived at the house Agnes (the mother of Kevin) said, “Adam, thanks for delivering. You don’t have to stay but you are welcome to it.”
“It doesn’t matter to me”, said Adam.
Mitch congratulated Kevin and gave the present.
“Thanks. Later on comes a clown. Mama said that”, said Kevin.
Mitch looked a bit doubtful by the word clown but didn’t say anything.
After the cake and lemonade Agnes said, “As promised here is Coco the clown.”
All children except Mitch cheered and clapped when Coco appeared. Adam noticed that and kept for that reason an eye on his son and the clown.
Coco saw how Mitch looked at him and said, “I believe that 1 little child isn’t pleased with me.”
He walked up to Mitch, kneeled down by him and looked at him very strict very close by.
“Go away creep!”, Mitch said scared.
Instead of going away Coco came even closer near the young Cartwright. Mitch became so scared that he hit the clown. So hard in fact that coco got a painful cheek. In the first noisy living room was it now deadly silent. Coco grabbed Mitch tight and wanted to hit him. But then Adam stepped in.
“Let my son go”, he groaned.
The clown kept holding Mitch until the boy bit him so that Coco had to let him go. Mitch ran straight to his father who brought him to the hallway.
“It’s alright lad”, Adam said comforting his son who began to cry due to the scare.
The father of Kevin, Dennis, came into the hallway and saw how badly shaken Mitch was.
“I am sorry Adam. I didn’t know that that clown would do something like that. I got his reference from Juliet Harris, the kindergarten teacher”, said Dennis.
Adam thought for a moment and said then, “I could have known. I would like to know the real name of Coco the clown.”
“His real name is Burt Watts, the finance of Juliet”, said Dennis.
“Great! My son goes to a children’s party and gets in a rough way bothered by a clown who turns out to be my brother-in-law. My wife Mary was a sister of that clown”, answered Adam.
“Daddy, I want to go home”, Mitch sobbed upset.
“We go home”, Adam said comforting.
“I will explain it”, said Dennis.
A bit later on Adam and Mitch drove back to the ranch. Mitch was still very upset and cried very hard. Adams heart broke by the crying of his son. He drove upon the parking lot of McDonald’s and stopped the car. He got out and grabbed his son form the child’s seat. Sitting on the seat of the driver Adam took Mitch into his arms and let him cry. Slowly Mitch calmed down.
“Daddy, I never want to see a clown again. They are scary and stupid”, the boy said while he wiped his eyes dry.
“I promise nothing but as long as you are afraid of them no clown will come near you. But you don’t like to have a strawberry milkshake, do you?”, asked Adam.
“No, I like to have 2”, answered Mitch.
“That’s the way I know you again”, Adam said smiling.
He got up and locked his car.
Not much later Mitch had his strawberry milkshake and Adam a cup of coffee.
“Daddy, will you tell grandpa, uncle Hoss and uncle Joe what has happened?”, Mitch asked suddenly.
“I want to do it but I think they ask you first. They really will understand it”, answered Adam.
Mitch nodded.
Once at home Ben looked up strange when he saw Adam and Mitch again. The rancher knew right away that something serious had happened.
“Mitch, how was the party?”, Ben asked when he sat on the settee with is grandson.
“Funny until that stupid clown showed up. He came very close to me and grabbed me even tight. Just when I bit him he let me go. Daddy rescued me”, told Mitch.
Ben and Adam saw how tired he was.
“Mitch, I will ask if Hop Sing heats up for you and after that grandpa gives you a bath and brings you to bed”, said Adam.
They agreed.
The Chinese cook Hop Sing put a little box of French fries and chicken nuggets into the microwave. A bit later Mitch was having his supper at the kitchen table. After a nice bath Ben read his grandson a bedtime story. But Mitch was so tired that he fell asleep right away.
During supper Adam told what had happened exactly between Mitch and Coco the clown. Ben, Hoss and Joe heard also who Coco de clown in reality was.
“So that die Coco the clown is your brother-in-law? Nice brother-in-law you have”, Hoss said indignant.
“Funny. That’s what Mary always used to say about you too”, Adam said smiling.
His brothers looked at him insulting. But Ben thought it was amusing.
“Let’s hope that Mitch doesn’t get nightmares about that clown”, Ben said finally.
“I think that he rather dreams about baseball than about scary and stupid clowns”, answered Adam.
Adam was right because Mitch didn’t dream about scary and stupid clowns but about baseball. The boy told that the next morning during breakfast. But by the love and attention of his family Mitch overcame this nasty experience.