"Joseph get down here this insist." Ben Cartwright's voice could be hold bellowing from the
bottom step of the ranch house.
"Ya Pa? What have I done now?" ten year old Little Joe said as he bounded down the stairs.
"I just read over your report card young man and I am not to pleased with the results. Your math
grade is not even worth talking about. I want you to march right back up to your room get your
math book and come down to my desk and you and I will go over your math skills step by step."
Ben said with an little anger in his voice.
Little Joe hung his head "Yes Pa." He turned and walked back up the stairs slowly with an droop
to his head.
Ben sighed and walked over to his desk and sat in his chair and waited for his youngest son to
come back to him.
The front door opened and Ben's oldest son; Adam came in with his nose buried in an book.
"What are you reading Adam?" Ben looked up at his son.
"Shakespeare Pa." Adam said not looking up from his reading.
"Did you finished' the fences that I assigned you today?" Ben asked with an frown knowing that at times when Adam is into his reading his work on the ranch suffers.
Adam looked up and smiled lazily "Yep. All fishened'." He walked and sat down on the couch contiuning to read.
"Where's Hoss?" Ben asked about his middle son.
"Aw in town horsing around with the ladies as usual." Adam murmured not really caring where his brother was.
"Hey Adam." Little Joe put an brave smile on his face as he saw his eldest brother sitting on the couch.
Adam looked up and his youngest brother. "Oh oh. Looks like you are in trouble little brother. How come?" He set his book aside and waited for his brother to answer.
Little Joe blushed.
"He's flunking math is all." Ben said sternly.
"How come Little Joe?" Adam put his arms across his lean chest which was starting to show some muscles.
"Math is useless." Little Joe bursted out.
"What do you mean math is useless Little Joe?" Hoss said from the open door.
"Hoss when did you get back?" Ben looked started over at the door and his middle son.
"Yea first time in your life Eric that you were so quiet that we didn't know you were there." Adam turned his head with an grin at his brother.
"You haven't called me Eric for an long time Adam. Why now?" Hoss asked in wonderment at Adam using his first name.
Adam shrugged. "Just felt like it is all Hoss."
Hoss turned and frowned at Little Joe. "What did you mean when you said math is useless little brother?"
"Math is just numbers and junk." Little Joe put his legs apart and his arms across his chest and looked at his father and two brothers with frustration in his eyes.
Too be continued...