A Year of Birthdays

By Tennessee

Pa’s Birthday

The boys knew it was about time for Ben’s birthday. But they did not know for sure how old their pa was. He would not tell them. He just said he did not have birthdays anymore. He just gets a year older. None of his friends knew for sure how old he was.

The boys wanted to have a party for Ben. But he said he did not want a party.

Ruth told the boys one day, "Your father needs a birthday party."

Hoss said, "He told us ‘no party.’"

Ruth said, "But he did not tell me that. You boys make sure your pa is gone away from the Ponderosa and I will do the rest."

She asked the Goodmans and the Greens to help get ready for the party. The day before Ben’s birthday he said they needed to check on all the cattle. The next day Ben and the boys were gone all day checking the stock. Whey they got home everyone yelled, "Happy birthday, Ben!" And they all ate and had a great time.

Adam said, "Pa, we didn’t know what to give you. We all three want to take care of the ranch while you and Big Dan go on your camping trip." The rest of the people gave him gifts for the trip.

Little Joe asked, "Now will you tell us how old you are?"

Ben said, "No. All I will say is thank you for a great birthday today. I have three great sons and all kinds of good friends." He looked around the room. "I have had a lot of hard times raising my sons alone. But I have done my best, and I think I did a great job with my sons."

Everyone agreed.

After everyone went home, Ben sat outside and thought about his family. He looked at the stars and smiled and wished himself many more happy birthdays. And then he went to look in on the boys and smiled as he saw them asleep. He thought of the many adventures they’d had when they were little. And then he went to bed, smiling to himself. What a great birthday he’d had.

Adam’s Birthday

Adam smiled as he thought about his birthday while working in the barn. He would be 21 years old. He didn’t hear Hoss come in and when Hoss said something, Adam jumped.

Hoss said, "I’m sorry. I thought you heard me come in."

Adam said, "That’s ok, Hoss. I was just thinkin’."

"About what?"

Adam said "Never mind," as Little Joe walked up.

"Pa said we should check on the horse," Joe said.

They all got on their horses and rode off. Ben was in the house thinking about Adam’s birthday and when Adam was a little boy and how fast he’d grown up. And all the heartbreak Adam had had in his life. Adam’s mother had passed away and then Hoss’s ma, who Adam loved like his own mother, passed away, too. And then Little Joe’s mother, Marie, had been killed in an explosion.

Adam had had a lot of loss in his life, but he was a great boy. Ben smiled. Adam would be a man now. But he’d always be Ben’s little boy.

As Ben thought about Adam he got to thinking about Adam’s heartache when Isabella married someone else. It had broken Ben’s heart to see Adam in so much pain. But in time Adam had gotten over Isabella and moved on with his life. Adam liked Ann now and Ben was happy for him.

Hop Sing said, "Mr. Cartwright," and Ben looked at him. "What are we going to do on Adam’s birthday this year?"

Ben said, "Let’s have a birthday dinner and cake. I will ask the Greens to – oh wait, they are out of town. I’ll ask the Goodmans and Eli and Ruth to come."

That day Ben went and asked them to come and they all said yes. It was going to be a small dinner party. Hop Sing cooked all day the day before Adam’s birthday. Hoss and Little Joe went to town and got Adam gifts that day, too. Ben got Adam’s gift the day he asked everyone to come to the party.

Adam knew something was up when everyone smiled and looked at him the day before his birthday. On his birthday his family let him sleep in. When Adam got up everyone was outside getting everything ready for Adam. When they saw the eldest Cartwright son, they yelled, "Happy Birthday, Adam!"

Ben said, "Son, this is your special day. No work today."

"But Pa - "

"No work today, son. Besides, we’re almost done here."

Adam said, "In that case I think I’ll go fishing. Little Joe, are you coming?"

Ben said, "Go ahead, son. Just be back in 3 hours."

Hop Sing said, "Adam, you have not eaten yet today."

Ben said, "That’s okay. Let them go fishing. We’ll eat when you get back."

Adam and Little Joe were having a good time fishing when Little Joe asked, "What do you want for your birthday?"

Adam did not say anything.

Joe continued, "I bet ya want a gun, right?"

Adam smiled and nodded. "But I bet Pa will not get me a gun. He still thinks I’m too young."

Everything was ready at the house. Ruth had made Adam’s favorite dessert as her gift from she and Eli. Mrs. Goodman had made bread, and Ann had made Adam’s favorite kind of cookies. Hop Sing made all of the dinner himself.

Adam and Little Joe came home right on time, and everyone told Adam "Happy birthday" again. Ann kissed Adam. Everyone sat down to eat and then Adam cut the cake. After they’d all finished their cake Ben, Hoss, and Joe gave Adam their gifts and he opened them and said "thank you."

Ben knew something was not right with Adam. "What’s worrying your brother?" he asked Hoss.

Hoss said, "I think Adam wanted a gun, Pa."

Ben said, "Adam’s too young for a gun."

"He knew you’d say that, Pa," put in Little Joe.

After everyone went home, Ben approached Adam. "You’re too young for a gun. I’m sorry, son."

Adam said, "I’m not a little boy anymore. I’m a man."

"You’re still too young to have a gun."

Adam got on his horse and went for a long ride. He thought about how much he missed his ma’s. As he kept riding he thought of his childhood and how much he’d seen in his life.

When he got home, everyone was in bed. As Adam went to sleep he was thinking to himself, "Maybe next year I will get my gun."

Hoss’s Birthday

Hoss just kept growing. He would be 17 years old. Hoss was a great friend to everyone he knew, and he was always helping people. He loved the outdoors – trees, flowers, and he protected nature as well as everyone in his family.

Hoss was 4 years younger than Adam, but he was bigger than Adam. As Hoss’s birthday got closer, Ben was thinking about how kind and caring his middle son was. Hoss was in love with Tess Green, and Ben was happy for them. Hoss went to see her nearly every day. She had asked Ben if they could have Hoss’s birthday celebration at the Green ranch. She wanted to plan it all herself. Ben said that would be fine.

Tess asked the Goodmans, Ruth, and Eli and everyone in town to come. It was going to be a big party. Ben sent Hoss and Adam to town to get the mail, secretly telling Adam to bring Hoss to the Green ranch in about two hours and to not be late. Ben, Little Joe, and Hop Sing went to the Greens after Adam and Hoss left.

Hoss thought everyone had forgotten about his birthday. No one had said a thing about the special day. When Ben and the others got to the Green ranch everything was ready and people were starting to come.

Adam and Hoss were on their way to the Green ranch when someone shot a gun and Hoss’s horse spooked. Hoss fell off. Adam had to run his horse to catch Hoss’s. They heard another shot. It hit Adam in the arm. Adam fell but Beauty kept running.

Everyone saw Adam’s horse. Little Joe saw Adam on the ground. "Pa hurry, it’s Adam!" He ran to Adam.

When Ben reached Adam he turned Adam over and saw that Adam’s arm was bleeding. Eli ran to get some rags and water. They cleaned Adam’s arm and a few minutes later Adam finally opened his eyes. Ann was crying.

Ben said, "Adam, son, what happened? Where’s Hoss?"

"We were on our way here when someone shot at us. Hoss fell off his horse. I don’t know if he was hit."

Tess had tears in her eyes.

"Where’d this happen, Adam?" Ben asked.

He told them and the men ran to their horses. Hop Sing and Little Joe helped Adam into the house. The men soon found Hoss. He was on the ground, and they all got off their horses and ran to him. Hoss had hit his head hard on the ground in the fall, and his head was bleeding.

With their combined strength they managed to pick up Hoss and carry him to the Green ranch. Hop Sing got the bleeding to stop, but Hoss had not woken up.

Tess leaned close to him and said, "I love you, Hoss." Tears fell on her cheeks. Ben put his arm around her.

Adam stood near Adam. "I love you too, Adam," she told him. He kissed her.

Hoss didn’t wake up for two days. When he finally opened his eyes, Tess was right beside him. Hoss said, "Hi."

Tess yelled, "He’s awake now!"

Ben and everybody came to see him. Everybody had stayed at the Green ranch, waiting for a change in Hoss’s condition. Margaret had sent her workers to tend the Goodmans’ ranch and the Ponderosa.

"Hello, son," Ben said with a smile.

"Pa, is Adam okay? I saw him – "

"I’m right here, Hoss," said Adam.

"Hi Hoss," said Little Joe. "You slept through your birthday."

Everyone said "Happy bithday" to Hoss. Hoss fell asleep after that and Ben told everyone to let him rest.

Everyone headed home, and a week later Hoss was well enough to return to the Ponderosa. They finally had cake and gave Hoss his gifts. He thanked all of them for the gifts but said that the best gift of all was having great friends and people you loved.

Ben said, "Hoss is 17 years old, and he is not a little boy anymore."

Little Joe’s Birthday

Little Joe was having fun with all the horses, and as his family watched him they were thinking about his birthday. He would be 12 years old, and it would be a hard day for him. It would be his first birthday without his ma. She’d always made his birthday a special day for him, cooking his favorite dinner and kind of cake.

Ben got a letter from Little Joe’s aunt. She’d sent Joe a birthday gift.

As Little Joe’s birthday got closer, he got real sad. The day before his birthday Ben asked him what he wanted to do to celebrate.

Little Joe said, "I don’t want to do anything."

"But, little brother," Hoss said, "We should –" He stopped when he saw tears in Joe’s eyes.

"It’s not the same without ma."

Adam’s heart went out to Little Joe. "I know this is hard on you, brother. But Ma would want us to do something for your birthday."

Little Joe said, "Can we all go to the lake and then to visit Ma’s grave?"

"If that’s what you want, son, yes."

That night Little Joe cried. Adam and Hoss heard him crying and said, "Joe, we know it’s hard. It’s okay to let it out. We’ll be here next to you."

"Adam, will you read to him?" Hoss asked. Adam read until Joe was asleep.

The next day was Little Joe’s birthday, and his brothers did his chores for him.

Everything was ready for the picnic at the lake.

"Hop Sing is part of our family," Joe said. "I want him to come too."

It was a pretty day, and they all went fishing and talked a lot about Marie while they enjoyed Hop Sing’s good cooking. Hop Sing had made a cake. After they finished the cake, they gave Little Joe his gifts. Adam got Little Joe some new books. Hoss got him paper and pens to draw with. Ben gave him new boots since he’d outgrown his old ones.

Hop Sing said, "I will make your favorite dinner tonight."

Ben said, "Son, your aunt sent you a gift." He opened it and it was books Marie had loved when she was little. Jeanette had just found them. She’d also sent Joe a new shirt.

After dinner they went to Marie’s grave. Joe cried and Ben put his arm around him. "Let’s go home now, son."

When they got home Joe stayed outside and read his ma’s books. Hoss called him when supper was ready, and Little Joe went in to eat.

He said, "I miss Ma, and I’m sad because of that. But I did have a great birthday. I love you all very much." He smiled and dug in to his supper.

Ben said, "I can’t believe my baby son is 12 years old today."

And they all said, "Little Joe is not a baby anymore."

The End.