Spoiling

Ponderosa ranch owner Ben Cartwright saw his grandson Mitch coming inside limping. Hereby the rancher knew that Mitch was injured again. He put down his book, got up and walked to the boy.

“Mitch, what has happened now again?”, Ben asked concerned.

“I slipped with my bike. My left ankle twisted when I wanted to get up”, answered Mitch.

“We will see the doctor”, said Ben.

A bit later on Mitch walked on crutches with a left ankle in bandages.

Because it was a hot Spring day Ben suggested, “Mitch, you don’t feel like having a milkshake, do you?”

“Grandpa, I may have an injured ankle, but a milkshake is always good for me”, answered his grandson.

They walked to a tearoom and went inside.

Louise Taylor, the owner of the tearoom, came to the Cartwrights and asked, “Gentlemen, what will it be?”

“I have an ice tea and this young man wants a milkshake”, answered Ben.

“Which taste?”, asked Louise.

“Strawberry”, was the answer of Mitch.

She wrote down the order and went to prepare it.

Ben said to Mitch, “You do understand of course that your parents may not know this. So keep your mouth shut about this treat.”

The parents of Mitch were the oldest son of Ben, Adam and his daughter-in-law Sally.

“We can also say that the doctor subscribed me some more milkshakes against the pain”, reacted the boy.

“Uncle Hoss might believe that maybe but your father certainly wouldn’t”, Ben said laughing.

Hoss was the younger brother of Adam and the 2^e son of Ben.

“Papa is sometimes far too smart”, said Mitch.

His grandpa couldn’t deny that.

When the treat was gone the Cartwrights went home again. Once at home Ben continued to read and Mitch had settled down with his drawing stuff near the open fire place.

Also underway to the ranch were Adam and Sally with their 2 year old twins van 2, Lisa and Benji. They had been visiting friends of Adam.

“Shall we drive a bit harder?”, Adam suddenly asked.

“Yes”, sounded out of 2 little mouths from the back seat.

“Adam Poindexter Cartwright! That won’t happen! You know how I think about that”, Sally said stern.

Adam sighed and answered, “Sorry boys. You have heard momma.”

The twins were disappointed but understood it. They were allowed more from their mother. But when Adam was absent Sally spoiled them too.

Arrived at home Lisa and Benji ran straight inside and fell their big brother around the neck.

“Boys, careful with Mitch. He had injured his ankle”, said Ben.

“Are you in pain?”, asked Lisa.

“A bit. Grandpa brought me to the doctor’s and after that we went straight back home”, answered Mitch.

He got a quick wink of Ben.

“You didn’t go pass by a certain tearoom where they have the most delicious milkshakes, did you?”, Adam asked carefully.

“We passed by but not in because the business was closed”, said Ben.

“Louise’s Tearoom is closed on Tuesday? She never is that”, reacted Sally.

Sally was very good friends with Louise Taylor. Because he couldn’t lie and his son kept looking at him with an urgent look Ben just decided to confess it.

“Alright. Mitch and I have been there for an ice tea and a milkshake. I may treat my own grandchildren to something or not?”, asked the rancher.

“You may do that but somehow we feel that you spoil them too much”, said Adam.

“Mitch, Lisa and Benji, do I spoil you too much?”, Ben asked then his 3 oldest grandchildren.

“You never do that”, said the eldest of the 3.

“Now you hear it from your own flesh and blood children”, said the rancher.

Of course Adam and Sally couldn’t get up against this.

“Don’t you spoil them too much?”, asked Ben.

This was a tactic move of the rancher because he knew that it was so. Mitch and the twins watched laughing because this sort of conversations often took place in the house. Adam and Sally looked at each other and kept silent for a while.

“Of course we spoil them too but not as much as other parents”, Adam finally said.

Mitch, Lisa and Benji got raised just like their cousins Inger and Petra (the twins of Hoss and his wife Betsy) strict but fair. But they also got much freedom to develop their personality.

“Boys, wash your hands because we can eat soon”, Ben said a bit later on.

The twins ran upstairs, followed by their brother on crutches.

“What is the matter with Mitch?”, asked Adam.

“His ankle twisted when the boy fell down with his bike. He must bump around on crutched for 6 weeks”, answered Ben.

“Then he will be teased a lot by his uncles”, Adam remarked.

With his uncles Adam meant his 2 younger brothers Hoss and Joe.

“And by you too”, Sally said quick-witted.

Her husband didn’t admit this of course. But he knew that it was so.

By this day all Cartwrights knew that their good family relationship was very close and that it would stay that way.