On November 27 1998 5 year old Mitch Cartwright was looking into all the toy books for what he wanted to have for his birthday and in Christmas. He sat near the burning open fire with the shepherd dog Cody.
“Cody, daddy has said that for Christmas I may go till 50 dollar and for my birthday too”, the boy said to the dog.
“Woof”, said Cody.
Mitch and Cody saw all sorts of nice things but suddenly 1 thing attracted the attention of the young Cartwright.
“Cody, I want to have this for my Christmas”, Mitch said pointing at a black with yellow skateboard.
They got up and walked to the father of Mitch, Adam Cartwright. He was working outside at the smithy.
“Mitch, keep Cody a bit away from it because it’s dangerous for him”, Adam said when he saw the twosome coming.
“Cody, go to the porch and wait there for me”, said Mitch.
The dog went back to the porch.
“Daddy, I want to have this one for my Christmas”, Mitch said determined.
He showed the skateboard so that Adam had to stop with working. The eldest Cartwright boy checked the skateboard in the toy book and looked then at his son.
“I don’t promise anything but what do you want for your birthday?”, he asked serious.
“I don’t know yet. I have here almost everything I want. Except momma”, said Mitch.
“I understand that lad. But I rather had that she was still here. Must we give you something of baseball for your birthday then?”, asked Adam.
“Yes, that’s alright. You know what? Just give baseball cards and such an album for it”, said Mitch.
“Deal. Just go away because Cody is waiting for you and then I can get on with my work too”, answered Adam.
Mitch grabbed the toy book and brought it inside where after he went to play with the dog on the yard.
When the youngest Cartwright was asleep that evening Adam announced the wishes of his son to his father Ponderosa owner Ben, and his younger brothers Hoss and Joe.
“So you buy that skateboard?”, asked Ben.
“Yes, and I also take care of those baseball cards and album”, answered Adam.
“Then I will look after the protection”, said Hoss.
“Well, because that little boy goes to school next year he gets from me for his Christmas and birthday a new bike. He may choose himself the kind”, said the rancher.
“Then he chooses of course the most expensive one”, Hoss said laughing.
Adam and Joe laughed too.
“I’m afraid of that too but he’s my only grandchild so I have the right to spoil him”, answered Ben.
“Then he gets from me a good rain suit and a bike helmet”, said Joe.
“And what will we get from him?”, asked Ben.
“Knowing Mitch that will be something original”, said Adam.
He got up and went to sit behind the computer to order the baseball cards. At a certain moment he came across a site which sold a complete year of MLB clubs.
“Gentlemen, I have here the perfect gift for our upcoming baseball player”, he called to the others.
Ben, Hoss and Joe came and saw what Adam had found.
“Why don’t we order those of the Braves and the Yankees?”, asked Adam.
“Good idea. We will wrap them separately. I mean that of the Braves and the Yankees in gift wrapping”, said Ben.
Adam nodded and ordered the cards which he had to have for Mitch. In no time it was arranged.
A few days later.
On the morning of December 4 Mitch asked during breakfast, “Grandpa, when is the Christmas tree coming?”
“Well Mitch, what would you if your father and uncles went to get it this morning and then we are going to trim it together this afternoon?”, was the counter-question of Ben.
Alright”, the boy said and went on emptying his bowl of oatmeal.
The brothers had heard this too and quickly ate on.
After breakfast the boys went to get the Christmas tree and Mitch tried to help the Chinese cook Hop Sing as good as possible with the dishes. Of course this went side by side with a lot of splashing and laughter. In contrary to his big uncle Mitch was allowed to come into the kitchen which the boy often and eagerly did. He helped the cook then with supper.
By noon the brothers returned with the Christmas tree. Ben and Mitch had with the support of foreman Candy Canaday the boxes with Christmas stuff and decorations taken downstairs already. Cody also got involved with trimming the Christmas tree. After working hard and with pleasure in the afternoon the Christmas was standing to shine in the living room of the Ponderosa. The rest of the house too was brought into Christmas spirit.
Ben took his grandson aside and said, “Mitch, now the Christmas tree is standing you and Cody have to be careful.”
The boy reacted with, “But that also goes of course for daddy, uncle Hoss, uncle Joe and Candy.”
“That also goes for that foursome”, said the rancher.
Mitch nodded understanding.
A week before Christmas Adam had to go away for business and as usual he took his son with him. The business went well until Adam met the at first sight charming Julia Wilson. He had car trouble and Julia happen to be driving by.
She stopped and asked, “Do you need help?”
“If you have sense of cars yes”, answered Adam.
“not sense but I can phone to a garage”, said Julia.
“Just give me the number. I can make that phone call myself too”, said Adam.
“Here is the number I am Julia Wilson”, Julia said while she gave Adam a piece of paper with a telephone number.
“Adam Cartwright. That is my son Mitch”, Adam said pointing at a little boy on the back seat.
Julia was right away smitten with Adam but ignored Mitch completely. Adam phoned the number and quite soon his car problems were over.
“May I invite you for a cozy dinner at my place?”, asked Julia.
Adam asked, “Alright. What time do we get expected?”
“Just drive after me”, she said mysteriously.
That happened and so the Cartwrights came to the house of Julia Wilson.
“Are we staying here?”, asked Mitch.
“For tonight yes. I do want that you behave yourself nicely”, was Adam’s answer.
He grabbed his son out of the Mercedes and together they walked inside where Julia already was. She came to the guests with a little girl.
“Gentlemen, this is my daughter Emily. Emily, these are Mr Cartwright and his son Mick”, said Julia.
“I am called Mitch and not Mick”, Mitch corrected her.
Now the young Cartwright had done it totally with Julia. Emily gave Adam nicely an hand and went on to play. Adam and Mitch went to sit on the settee.
During supper Mitch showed that he had learned good table manners. Something which Julia had never learned her child. Adam saw that but didn’t say anything about it.
“Do you stay the night here?”, Julia suddenly asked.
“That’s fine”, said Adam.
After the dishes the children got brought to bed so that Adam and Julia had the evening all to themselves.
“Tell something about yourself”, said Julia.
Adam said, “I am a widower and live together with Mitch at a big ranch. My father is the boss there and works there too together with my 2 younger brothers. When I must go away for business I usually take Mitch along.”
“I look after Emily for 5 year alone. Her father left us when the sweet child wasn’t born yet. She really misses a father figure”, Julia said who already had become smitten with Adam.
“Mitch lost his mother when he was 11 months old. He does ask about her a lot though”, confessed Adam.
“Just leave him here tomorrow so that you can spend all your time and attention to your business”, Julia suggested.
“I accept your offer. But the day after tomorrow we go back home to celebrate Christmas at the ranch. Mitch is having his birthday then too”, answered Adam.
Julia didn’t like this news at all but she didn’t let anything show.
Late that afternoon Adam came home for his business which finally had been settled. Already when entering he felt that something serious had happened.
“You have done WHAT?”, Adam asked amazed and shocked at the same time.
“Kicked Mitch out of the house! He was pestering Emily all the time. I was so fed up with his behavior that I grabbed him and threw him outside. I threw his jacket after him. Now we can cozy celebrate Christmas together with Emily”, answered Julia.
Adam looked at her furiously and said, “It is that you are a woman because otherwise I would have hit you. I am out of here!”
He went upstairs to pack his suitcase and that of his son. Here after he left to look for his son.
Adam found his son in an alley, shivering of the cold. He kneeled down and looked at the 5-year old.
“Mitch, we go home. And with home I mean the Ponderosa”, said Adam.
“But she said that I wasn’t allowed to come home anymore”, Mitch said slowly.
His father answered, “I know that but I have left her and our suitcases are in our car. I was looking for you for hours already.”
Adam closed the jacket of his son and picked him up.
“I am so cold and hungry”, Mitch said softly.
“I see already a restaurant. There you get something warm to eat and to drink”, said Adam.
In the restaurant Adam ordered 2 hot chocolate milk and 2 hot pieces of apple pie. Mitch ate his piece and looked then eagerly at that piece of apple pie of Adam.
“Just eat it”, he said smiling.
Adam ‘moved the plate to his son who ate the rest. They drank up the hot chocolate and went away.
In his car Adam said, “I put you next to me on the passenger’s seat so that you can sleep a bit.”
Quite soon Adam was driving and Mitch sleeping.
Julia was so hurt that she packed her suitcase and that of her daughter too.
“Darling, we are going to celebrate Christmas with Adam at his ranch”, she said to her daughter when she came downstairs with the suitcases.
They got in drove in the direction of Virginia City.
When arriving home Adam as first his father. The rancher suspected problems at once. Adam parked his car and got out.
“Welcome home. ?what’s the matter with Mitch?”, Ben asked worried.
In brief Adam told what had happened. Ben opened the car door and woke up his grandson.
“Grandpa!”, Mitch said sleepy.
“I will bathe you and after that you got to bed”, said Ben.
He picked up the boy and carried him inside.
During the bath Mitch told Ben his version of what had happened. The boy coughed a lot.
Ben said, You are not getting ill, are you so just before Christmas. We have a lot of nice presents for your birthday and Christmas.”
“I had to spend a lot of time in the cold of miss Wilson. She really is in love with daddy”, answered Mitch.
“From what I have heard from you your father isn’t that”, said Ben.
He grabbed his grandson out of the bath and began to dry him. Here after the little Cartwright was brought to bed. Mitch fell asleep right away. Ben remained a while sitting by him where after Cody took over the guard.
By very coincidence Joe was in town when Julia drove passed him.
“Can you tell me how I must come to the Ponderosa?”, she asked suave.
“I can do that but I can also take you there. I happen to live there”, answered Joe.
Julia didn’t know what she heard.
“Just drive ahead of us”, she said smiling.
A moment later Joe drove to the ranch followed by Julia. They took a liking to each other but Joe didn’t know that Julia was secretly in love with Adam.
Meanwhile Adam had updated Hoss about the fact that they might be getting a visit from op Wilson and her daughter Emily. Especially what Julia had done to Mitch stirred up bad feelings with Hoss. The brothers had made a deal not to let anything show. Suddenly they saw Joe coming followed by someone else.
“It’s not true, is it?”, Adam asked indignant.
“How do you mean?”, Hoss asked amazed but also worried about the answer.
But Adam didn’t want to give an explanation and went inside.
Ben just came downstairs at that moment and asked, “Adam, what is the matter?”
“That broad is here at the ranch thanks to Little Joe! I don’t want that she comes or is in the area of my son”, groaned Adam.
“You mean Julia Wilson?”, Ben asked for the security.
His son nodded and said, “She threw Mitch into the cold. Her child doesn’t know any manners at all. If they stay they ruin our Christmas and the birthday of your grandson.”
“Alright. You have convinced me. Just send them away with my permission. Mitch is ill in bed and coughs a lot”, Ben said finally.
Adam went outside where Julia and Emily got to know Hoss and Joe.
“Look Emily, there is your father to be”, Julia said when she saw Adam.
Emily ran to Adam who received her and put her back into the car of her mother.
Julia saw that and snapped, “Keep your hands off your stepdaughter!”
Adam pushed her into the car and said furiously, “You leave now and never come back again!”
Julia said angry, “Adam Cartwright, you don’t deserve it to be the father of my sweet daughter!”
She got in but Joe stepped in.
“Adam, I have taken her home so she stays here!”, Joe said fierce.
“She leaves because your nephew lies sick in bed thanks to her. Julia threw him into the cold”, reacted Adam.
Now Joe looked at his brother a bit more quite.
Then he looked at Julia and said the youngest Cartwright brother, “Just leave at once now!”
Hoss also came to stand by them and Julia didn’t know how fast she had to drive away.
“Good riddance”, Hoss said satisfied.
They went inside to tell everything.
“Well, from what I have heard from Adam and Mitch we must be glad that she is away. In 4 days time it’s Christmas and let’s hope that our little baseball player is better then”, Ben said when he had heard everything.
“Is that your Christmas wish?”, Hoss asked carefully.
The rancher nodded.
“Ours too”, Adam said on behalf of his brothers.
The Christmas wish of the grownup Cartwrights came true because when Adam on December 25 came into the bedroom Mitch was wide awake despite the early hour.
“Happy birthday and congratulations with your 6th birthday, son”, said the eldest Cartwright boy.
“Thanks daddy”, Mitch said with happy eyes.
The birthday boy got up and got bathed by his father. Adam noticed that his son had left nothing of the streak which Julia Wilson had delivered him.
In the dining room Hop Sing had prepared an extend Christmas breakfast. The table was very neatly set and at the place of Mitch it was extra decorated. Of course the food and drinks weren’t missing. From the kitchen came the smell of fresh baked croissants with frankfurter which was to be smelled throughout the house. When Hoss and Joe came downstairs they wanted to attack right away but the cook stopped them.
“Little croissants are for little Mitch. Not for big Mr Hoss and Little Joe”, said Hop Sing.
Disappointed the brothers went to the living room to wait for the others. A second later Adam and Mitch came downstairs. It was noticed by everyone that Ben was absent.
“Where is grandpa?”, Mitch asked looking amazed around him.
“We don’t know that. Perhaps Hop Sing knows it. But first congratulations with your 5th birthday”, said Hoss.
“Thanks uncle Hoss. I don’t know if you know it but I am already 6. Or are you living in the previous year?”, asked his nephew.
“Mitch, also congratulations and a lot of fun and joy in your 7th year of living”, said Joe.
Mitch looked at his father and he nodded smiling.
“You were living here too when I was born on December 25, 1992, weren’t you?”, asked Mitch.
His uncles nodded.
“Then you do know how old I am now. Or are you so old that you don’t know it anymore?”, was the 2nd question of the boy.
Now Hoss and Joe knew exactly where they were living at the Ponderosa ranch. Then the front door went open and Ben came in.
He asked teasing, “Is there here a birthday boy present?”
“That’s me”, Mitch said right away, yet before his uncles could say anything.
“Just come with me. There is a big present in the garage and I think that’s meant for you”, answered the rancher.
Mitch wanted to go to the garage already but Ben and Adam stopped him.
“First your jacket on and close it. Otherwise you are ill again later on”, said Adam.
He helped Mitch with it and after that grandpa and grandson went to the garage.
“This present was delivered here last night. It is for us grownups too little but for you I think just right. Just unwrap it”, said Ben.
Mitch tore the wrapping paper off at once and saw that he had gotten a brand new chopper bike.
“Thanks grandpa”, he said excited.
“You’re welcome son. This is my present for your Christmas and birthday. A very happy birthday and I hope that I may be a witness of it for a long time”, said Ben.
Mitch corrected him at once by saying, “You may not but must.”
Together they walked back to the ranch house where they finally could begin with the Christmas breakfast with the others.
On the table stood by the plate of Mitch 2 little wrapped presents.
“Are those for me too?”, asked the birthday boy.
“One is from me and the other is from uncle Hoss. Of course you will be drinking much more out of my present”, said Joe.
“And why would he do that? My present is much more beautiful”, reacted Hoss.
Mitch unwrapped them both and saw to his big surprise that he had gotten a mug of the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees.
“Thanks my sweet uncles. But I won’t be drinking out of any of these mugs because they just go to my collection”, said the boy.
Of course this was too much for the brothers.
During breakfast Adam said, “Mitch, until New Year’s Day you stay inside. In other words: you have house arrest. Otherwise you are so ill again.”
There was thought about for a moment by the boy.
Then he said, “Alright. Then you may walk Cody and do my chores outside the house.”
His father and uncles looked at each other amazed.
“Mitch, Cody is yours. So then you must walk with him too”, said Joe.
“I have house arrest for the rest of the year of daddy. So I can’t walk with Cody”, reacted his nephew.
“You are welcome Adam Cartwright. Now we also must do the chores of your son”, said Hoss.
“I do them. Then you may walk the dog”, answered his brother.
With reluctance his younger brothers gave in. They already knew that Adam was always right. Ben gave his grandson a wink and began to smile.
Then the rancher said, “How nice that you can and want good and honest divide the chores of my grandson. Then I have more time to spend with him.”
“Grandpa, are we going to play games later?”, asked Mitch.
“It is your birthday so then you may decide what will happen”, answered Ben.
After the long and delicious breakfast The Cartwrights went to the living room where the Christmas present got unwrapped. As usual Mitch had bought special presents for his family members. The men each got a mug with the first letter of their name on it. Of course Hop Sing, Candy and Cody weren’t forgotten by the youngest Cartwright. The cook got a mug with his first letter on it and Candy got that too.
“Cody, come here”, said Mitch.
The shepherd came and went to sit in front of his little master. He gave a paw and got then a round present. The dog tore the paper into pieces and saw a new ball to play with. As thanks Mitch got a big lick across his face. The dog went to play with his new ball straight away.
Then Ben said, “Mitch, Santa has brought this present especially for you.”
Mitch got a big flat present which he unwrapped at once. It was exactly the skateboard that the boy wanted to have.
“Thanks Santa or whoever you are”, Mitch said deliriously happy.
In another present he unwrapped protection for it. Hoss saw at the eyes of his nephew that Mitch was pleased with it.
“Mitch, you may not use your skateboard inside the house and not outside without protection!”, said Adam.
“Understood daddy”, answered his son.
When Hop Sing came in with the coffee and hot chocolate milk with cake the festive for the birthday party began.
Adam came with 2 flat presents to his son and said, “Mitch, you get this from me and your uncles for your birthday.”
“Thanks daddy, uncle Hoss and uncle Joe”, Mitch said while he unwrapped the 2 presents.
To his pleasure the boy saw that he had gotten 2 collector albums with baseball cards. And from his favorite baseball teams..
On request of the birthday boy the Cartwrights played games for the rest of the day and Hop Sing baked like each Christmas Day a big pile of pancakes.
By this cozy day it became an unforgettable Christmas for all Cartwrights.