The Running Race

By Tennessee

Little Joe was not happy his brothers acted like he was a baby. He believed he could do anything they could do. Adam and Hoss always called him "little brother" but he told them over and over that he was not little. He tried his best to show them but they would just look at him and smile knowingly.

Little Joe told his friend Sue, "One day I'll show them I can do anything they can."

Adam and Hoss had planned a long running race to see who was faster. Little Joe decided he'd race with them, and he'd bet them he'd win. He got up early on the day of the race and was ready to go when his brothers awoke. But when they saw him, they said, "You are too young to race with us."

"No, I'm not!" he countered.

Ben said, "Son, you are not old enough to race with your brothers. They have planned a course that is several miles long. When you're older, you'll be able to participate."

Little Joe went to his room mad. He slammed the door and pouted. Then he got an idea. He climbed out the bedroom window and ran into the woods. He waited until he saw Adam and Hoss leave, and followed them. He trailed along behind them.

Adam and Hoss knew Joe was following them. They slowed their pace so their brother could keep up, but they continued walking.

Then the race started.

Little Joe knew the planned route, and he took a shortcut. When Hoss noticed he could no longer see Joe, he asked Adam, "Where'd he go?"

"Little Joe!" Adam and Hoss yelled. But Joe couldn't hear them.

Joe was far ahead, running as fast as he could.

"Little Joe!" his brothers yelled again. "Where are you?"

Hoss sent Adam a worried glance. "He could be hurt, Adam.

Adam nodded. "Let's see if we can find him."

Little Joe was all turned around. He didn't know where he was.

As Hoss searched for Joe, he looked around. He wasn't paying attention and something fell from a tree and hit him in the head. He passed out.

Adam looked and looked but couldn't find Little Joe. He yelled for Hoss, and when he didn't get a reply, he knew something was wrong. He ran back to the Ponderosa to get Ben. "Pa! Pa, hurry. Did Joe come back?"

"No," Ben said. "I haven't seen him lately. He must have climbed out the bedroom window." He called to Hop Sing, "Would you make sure Little Joe's not in the back room?"

"He's not there!" came the reply.

As Ben saddled his horse, Adam said, "Hoss went looking for Joe. I can't find him either, Pa."

Ben and Adam rode and rode, all the while yelling for Little Joe and Hoss. The forest gave up no answer. Soon it was getting dark.

"Pa, we need to get home," Adam said. "They might be there."

At the same time, Hoss woke up. His head was hurting and a line of blood trickled down his forehead. Little Joe was not far away. He'd been walking in circles for an hour and had hurt his eye. Little Joe fell over something and as he tried to run, it grabbed him arm.

"It's me, Joe," Hoss said.

"Hoss?"

"Yeah, it's me. Something hit me and I woke up on the ground."

The moon was bright and Little Joe could see that his brother was bleeding. "Can you walk?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"You can hold onto me," said Joe. He pulled off his shirt and wrapped it around Hoss' head.

Ben and Adam were just getting ready to ride out to look for the two youngest Cartwrights again when they stumbled into the yard.

"Pa!"

Ben ran to the door. He saw Little Joe helping Hoss as best he could considering their size difference. He ran to his sons and helped them into the house.

Hop Sing cleaned Hoss' head.

"I think a tree limb hit me," Hoss decided. Hop Sing wrapped Hoss' head in a clean bandage.

Ben took Little Joe aside. "Joseph, you should not have gone with your brothers. I told you that."

"But Pa, I just wanted to spend time with them. They act like I'm a baby and can't do anything."

Hoss spoke up. "We do act like he's a baby sometimes, Pa. He ain't a baby. He did a real good job wrapping my head and helping me out of the woods. I would have had to spend the night out there if he hadn't come along."

Adam shook his head. "But if Joe hadn't tried to come with us and gotten lost, you wouldn't have hurt your head while looking for him. You might not have gotten hurt."

Joe's voice was quiet when he said, "I'm sorry. You always act like I'm a baby and can't do anything."

Adam said, "I didn't know it was bothering you so much, little brother."

Joe took a step closer to him. "It does sometimes. I don't like being the youngest."

Adam and Hoss looked at each other. "We're sorry, Joe," they said.

Hoss was better in a few days. Adam and Hoss planned a new day for the race. On that day Hoss called to his little brother, "You coming, Little Joe?"

Joe looked up. "Me?"

"Yes, you coming or not?"

Joe looked to Ben. "Is it ok, Pa?"

Ben smiled and nodded. "Go ahead. Have fun."

Adam and Hoss let Little Joe win the race. He couldn't wait to tell Pa about his victory. As soon as they reached the ranch house, he ran to Pa. "I won!"

Ben said, "That's great, son! Hop Sing made cookies for you boys. Go get some."

Adam and Hoss waved to Ben as they came in the door.

Ben leaned against the settee. "You let your brother win."

They smiled.

Little Joe talked about winning the race until nightfall. He went to bed happy that he'd won.

The End