The Thanksgiving Promise

By Tennessee

Ben and Adam were in the house having tea when they head someone yell hello. Adam went to the door. It was Big Dan and he said a letter had come for Ben on the stage. "I told Ruth I would bring it by."

Adam said, "Please come in and warm up."

"No thanks," Big Dan said. "I got to get back to town."

Adam took the letter and thanked Big Dan. He went in the house and gave his pa the letter. Ben opened it and he had a real sad look on his face.

Adam asked, "What is it, Pa?"

Ben said, "It's from and old friend who needs by help. I need to go help him."

"But Pa," Adam said, "Thanksgiving is two weeks away."

"I know, son, but this is something I have to do. Let me go."

"Pa, no."

"Adam, I will go."

"But what if you're not back by Thanksgiving?"

"Then you and your brothers will have Thanksgiving without me, son."

"Little Joe will be upset if you're not here for Thanksgiving, Pa. It will only be his second Thanksgiving without his ma, and now you won't be here either."

"I know, son, but sometimes things happen that way. We all need to do what we think is right. You'll be the head of the household while I'm away. If I'm not back, you make sure your brothers have a good Thanksgiving.

Hoss and Little Joe came in about that time.

Ben said, "Hoss, Joe, please take a chair. We need to talk."

They sat and looked at their father.

"I got a letter from an old friend today. He is alone, and he is sick. His son is away at school, and he can't take care of his farm, so I'm going to go help him."

Hoss asked, "When do you leave, Pa?"

"On the stage in the morning."

Little Joe said, "But Pa, what about Thanksgiving? It's in two weeks."

Ben said, "Come here, son. I know this is hard for you to understand, but my friend needs my help and I have to go. I need you to be a big boy now. Sometimes things don't work out like we want them to."

"Yes, Pa," Little Joe said.

Ben continued, "I want you three boys to take care of one another and the ranch. Hoss, I don't want you and Little Joe to go to school while I'm away. A snowstorm could come up fast."

"We'll stay home, Pa," Hoss said eagerly.

Ben said, "If I'm not back by Thanksgiving, you celebrate without me. You three have to promise me."

"We'll do that, Pa," Little Joe said. "We promise. But you have to promise to try to make it home in time for Thanksgiving."

"I'll do my best," said Ben with a smile. "Hoss, I'd like you to ride to school and tell the teach you and Little Joe won't be coming to school while I'm away."

Hoss went to saddle his horse and go to the school. Adam and Hop Sing went to town to collect everything they'd need while Ben way gone. Ben went to his room to write a letter to his friend. Then he wrote a letter to his sons. The letter said, "Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, I'm writing this letter so if I don't make it home in time for Thanksgiving dinner, we can still go around the table and say what we're thankful for. I’m thankful for the three of you. I'm thankful I'm your pa. I love you all so much. Pa."

Ben put the letter up. He packaged his clothes and then got on this horse and went to town to get a ticket for the stage for the morning run. He mailed the letter to his friend.

Supper that night was quiet. After supper, Ben said, "You boys better go do your chores."

"Yes, Pa," they said. They went outside.

Ben called for Hop Sing, who came into the room. Ben said, "If I don't get back for Thanksgiving please see that my boys have a good Thanksgiving dinner here."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Cartwright."

"I wrote a letter to them. It's in the book I've been reading. Put it in a safe place and if I'm not back in time for Thanksgiving, give it to Adam to read before they eat."

"I'll get it now," said Hop Sing.

In the barn Little Joe was crying. His brothers said it was okay to cry because they were sad to.

"Why does Pa have to go?" Joe sobbed.

Adam said, "He told us why this morning."

When they went into the house, Ben was already in bed, and early the next morning he went into the boys' room and quietly woke Adam. "Shh, son. Let's not wake your brothers. Get your clothes on and meet me in the kitchen."

"Ok, Pa."

Ben went into the kitchen and Adam followed a few minutes later.

Ben said, "Adam, I want you to take me to the stage alone."

"Why?"

"It will be better, that's why."

"All right, Pa."

Ben got his things together while Adam got the wagon ready. They drove to town. Ben said, "I'm counting on you, Adam. Take care of your brothers and the ranch."

Adam said, "I promise I will, Pa."

When they reached town, the stage was coming in. Ben said, "Tell your brothers goodbye for me. Adam, I love you, son. I know the ranch and your brothers are in good hands. I may not be able to write."

"I understand, Pa."

Ben got on the stage and was off.

Adam headed home. About half way there he met up with his brothers. "Where do you two think you're going?" he asked.

"To see Pa."

"The stage is gone."

They both gave him a dirty look and turned their horses around. They didn't talk at all to Adam. When they got to the ranch, Adam said, "It was Pa's idea to let you two sleep, no mine."

Hoss looked at Adam. "We wanted to see Pa off."

"Yeah, Adam," said Little Joe.

"You two can be mad at me if you want, but it was Pa's choice."

That night at supper Hoss and Little Joe told Adam they were sorry.

"Thanks," Adam said, "and by the way, Pa told me to tell you he loves you. He said he may not be able to write to us."

"Why?" Hoss asked.

"I don't know. That's just what Pa said."

The next day they worked outside all day. It was getting colder and Adam knew it would snow that night, so he and his brothers worked until dark. It snowed all night and the air was very cold.

Little Joe asked, "You think Pa is all right?"

Adam said, "Sure he is."

Before they knew it, a week had passed, and it was only a week until Thanksgiving.

Adam said one night before supper, "We need to plan our Thanksgiving dinner."

His brothers looked at him in surprise.

"We promised Pa," he said.

Hoss said, "Let's just make it the three of us since Pa won't be here."

"Yeah," agreed Little Joe. "And let's have hotcakes instead of turkey," Little Joe said.

"Wait a minute," said Hoss. "I like turkey."

Adam said, "We should have a usual Thanksgiving dinner, no hotcakes."

Hoss said, "Good. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.

Hop Sing said, "I told your pa you would have a good Thanksgiving dinner, and you will."

Ben got to his friend's house all right. His friend have a real, real bad cold. He'd broken his foot and the doctor had ordered him to bed. Ben worked from daylight to dark every day, and he thought about the boys a lot.

The boys thought about their pa a lot too. About three days before Thanksgiving it was snowing and Little Joe was in the barn with Paint.

Hoss yelled, "Supper!"

Little Joe ran out of the barn. He stepped on some ice and fell to the ground. Hoss was in the doorway and saw Joe fall. He ran to his little brother. "Are you hurt?"

One of Joe's legs was underneath him and his hands were scraped.

Hoss asked, "Can you get up? Here, I'll help you." He put his arm around Joe and picked him up. Hoss yelled for Adam and told him what had happened. Hop Sing got Little Joe cleaned up and took off his boot.

"Little Joe, can you move your toes?" Hop Sing asked.

"Yeah, but it hurts."

"You are very lucky, boy. You not break anything. Can you stand on your feet?"

"I think so."

Adam and Hoss helped him. He stood fine.

Hop Sing said, "You'll be sore, but you'll be ok."

It was a day before Thanksgiving and time to shoot a wild turkey. Adam and Hoss went hunting and came back with a big turkey, cleaned it, and helped Hop Sing prepare it for the oven. Hop Sing made apple pie, pumpkin pie, and some sugar cookies.

Ben was still at his friend's house. That night at supper he thought about Hop Sing and the boys getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. When he heard a knock at the door, he jumped up and opened the door. It was a young boy. He said, "You must be Ben Cartwright."

"Yes, I'm Benjamin Cartwright. Who are you?"

"I'm Chase. This is my pa's house. How is he?"

Ben said, "Scott is doing better. He is in the bedroom."

Chase and Ben went to the bedroom, and Chase said, "I'm home, Pa."

"My son, my son. Come here."

Scott said, "Pa, how are you feeling?"

"A lot better, son. My cold is much better and my foot is healing. The doctor said I will be up and walking in a week or two."

Ben said, "I'll leave you two alone."

Scott said, "Ben, Chase is here now. I know you miss your family. If you want to leave, it is ok, my friend. Thank you for all you have done."

Ben said, "It is a clear night. The moon is full and shining. I think I will head home."

Scott said, "I didn't mean you have to leave right away, Ben."

"I know, but if I make it home fast I can eat Thanksgiving dinner with my sons."

Ben got his clothes and asked Scott to let him buy a horse. Scott said, "Take any horse you want, Ben. As my gift."

Ben thanked him and left after he'd said goodbye.

Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe ate supper. Adam and Hoss did all the chores while Little Joe got ready for bed. All he could think about was his pa and how long he'd been gone.

"Little Joe," Adam asked when he came inside, "you still awake?"

"Yeah. I can't stop thinking about Pa," Little Joe said.

"We're thinking about him too, Little Joe, but it's time to go to sleep now."

Ben was riding fast, but he had to stop and let the horse rest some. Ben thought it had taken a long time to get to Scott's but now that he was trying to get home fast on horseback, he just might make it in time for Thanksgiving dinner. He would do his best.

At daybreak, the boys got up and did there chores. All three of them watched for Ben, just in case. There was a little snow on the ground from the night before and it was cold.

Hop Sing had cooked the turkey the night before. On Thanksgiving day he finished the stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cornbread. They were ready for dinner.

Ben had ridden all night and was still riding hard that morning. As it got close to noon, he knew he would not make it in time for dinner. Then he thought of his sons and he started riding faster.

At noon Adam announced that it was time to eat. Little Joe's hands and feet were hurting and he asked, "Can't we wait a few more minutes, Adam? Please?"

Adam looked at Little Joe and said, "All right, a few more minutes."

Little Joe went outside. He went to the barn and was brushing Paint when his brothers came in. Adam and Hoss walked over to him and told him it was time to eat.

"But he's not here," Little Joe said, and tears began to run down his cheeks. "I thought Pa would do anything he had to to be here with us."

Hoss said, "He said he would try, and I'm sure he did."

Adam said, "Let's go. Hop Sing has everything on the table."

When the boys were all in the house, Hop Sing went to get the letter.

Adam asked, "What's that?"

"You pa said for you to read this when we got around the table to tell what we are thankful for."

Adam opened the letter and read it out loud. He looked at Hoss and Hoss looked at Little Joe and everyone had tears in their eyes.

"Is it my turn?" Little Joe asked.

Adam nodded.

Little Joe said, "I'm thankful for my pa and my brothers."

Hoss said, "I'm thankful for all that too. But I'm also thankful for Hop Sing, our friends, the Ponderosa, having enough to eat, and Tess."

Adam said, "I’m thankful we have each other and the ranch and everything Hoss and Little Joe mentioned."

Hop Sing said, "I'm thankful for the Cartwrights."

Ben could not believe his eyes when he saw the house. "I made it," he said out loud.

Inside the house Hoss said, "I hear someone coming."

Adam saw Ben out the window and said, "Little Joe, why don't you see who it is?"

When Little Joe saw it was Pa he yelled, "Pa!" and ran to Ben.

"Pa, we didn't think you'd make it home, but you did."

Ben smiled. "It's great to be home. Hop Sing, get another plate. The ranch looks great, boys."

Adam said, "Thanks, Pa. We tried out best."

"Well, you did a great job."

Hop Sing said, "Mr. Cartwright, you'd better change your clothes. You are all wet."

"I rode for a long time. It's been snowing, you know."

They all laughed. Ben told them to go ahead and eat while he got changed.

When Ben came to the table, Hoss asked about Scott.

"He's doing better," Ben answered. "He had a real bad cold."

"You had to go help him because he had a cold?"

"That and because he had broken his foot. He wasn't able to work his land."

Hoss asked, "Pa, did you leave him alone with a broken foot?"

"No, his son Chase is with him now. What happened to your hands, Little Joe?"

"I slipped on some ice. I hurt my leg and cut my hands but they are getting better."

Ben smiled and ruffled Little Joe's hair. "I'm so happy to be home. Happy Thanksgiving, boys."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Pa."

A week later Scott was able to get up and around. Ben was always glad he had gone to help Scott, but he was so happy to be back home on the Ponderosa.

The End