The Biggest Brother
Author's Note: I must admit that this story comes from my own personal experience. My two sisters and I have quite a lot in common with the Cartwright boys, (our ages line up almost exactly, and we have the same sort of physical differences, among other things) and as the eldest, I have had the unfortunate (but somewhat amusing) experience of my middle sister growing up stronger than me. When she and I were little, I could pick on her without repercussion, but there came a day not long ago (and my father actually did warn me of it) when she discovered that she was quite capable of pinning me to the floor when we wrestled. So much for being the oldest. --
"Adam, get OFF!"
The rambunctious yelling coming from outside was increasing in volume and could no longer be ignored. Ben shut the book he had been reading to Marie and baby Joe in the cool of the evening. Apparently, Adam and Hoss still had plenty of energy to spare at the close of the day, and the rest of the family would have no peace until they settled down.
Marie smiled as Ben rose to his feet with a sigh of irritation. "Don't be too hard on them, Ben. They worked hard today."
Little Joe giggled in his mother's lap, excited by the chicken he had just seen fly squawking past the nearest window. "Obviously not hard enough." Ben muttered with a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'm just going to rescue the livestock, dear. Its beginning to sound like the War of 1812 out there."
Following the indignant yells, Ben found his boys behind the chicken shed amid a wreckage of scattered feed buckets and feathers. Adam was sitting on Hoss and the younger boy was kicking and squirming ineffectually. Adam merely smiled triumphantly.
Hoss caught sight of Ben and hollered louder. "Pa! Make 'im get off! It aint fair; he's bigger than me!"
"Adam, get off your brother."
Adam reluctantly moved, nimbly dodging a vengeful punch from his brother in the process.
Ben crossed his arms. "Do you two have any conception of how loud you are?"
Two pairs of guilty eyes turned to the ground.
"I have no problem with you wrestling occasionally, but your baby brother needs to settle down and go to sleep, and he won't do it with you two making such a ruckus out here. Besides that, you're terrifying the chickens."
An impish smile crept onto Adam's face when he caught the humor in his father's gaze. "Pa, did you know that when you pull a rooster's tail feathers--"
"Adam, don't change the subject." Ben warned. "Now both of you go inside and get cleaned up. Your mother isn't going to be happy about the state of your clothes, so I would suggest quietly getting into bed."
They slipped past their father toward the cabin, Adam looking deflated, and Hoss looking relieved. Ben followed them and collared Adam before he went through the door. "Adam, if I were you, I'd quit picking on your younger brother. He's going to get bigger someday."
Adam scowled. "I can pin him anytime. I'm the oldest!"
Ben sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
--
Five years later...
"Pa, come see!" Ben looked down at the large green eyes turned up to him.
"What is it, Little Joe?"
"Come see!" Little Joe insisted, tugging at his father's sleeve. "Adam an' Hoss are fightin'."
Ben had been concentrating on his work, but now he turned his attention outward, hearing the voices of his two older boys coming from outside, blending together into an indistinct cacophony that sounded like an Indian raid.
"They aren't fighting, Little Joe. They're just wrestling."
"No Pa. You gotta see it!"
Ben's eyebrows rose and he followed his youngest son out to the yard. Joe pointed excitedly at his brothers. A very triumphant Hoss had his fifteen-year-old brother's shoulders pinned to the ground.
Adam did indeed look angry, and no yelling, kicking, or squirming on his part could get him free. He looked over to the porch and saw Ben and Little Joe. "Pa!" he yelled unhappily.
Ben crossed his arms and looked pointedly at his eldest. "Well Adam, you're the oldest. What's the problem?"
"I can't get... He's... Pa, he's bigger than me!"
Joe giggled and Ben couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. This had been coming on for a long time as Hoss developed his adolescent muscles and Adam, failing to notice the increasing size difference, continuing to challenge and provoke his younger brother.
"All right, Hoss. Let go now." Ben commanded quietly.
Hoss let his brother up and ran over to Ben, a proud smile lighting up his expressive features. "Pa, I finally pinned 'im! I pinned older brother!"
Ben ruffled his son's blond hair affectionately. "You certainly did, Hoss. I'm proud of you. Those are quite the muscles you're getting, son. You'll be able to pin me before long. Now go inside and get ready for dinner."
"Yessir!" If anything could make Hoss happier than pinning his brother in a wrestling match, it was the prospect of food, and he quickly took his father's advice.
Adam picked himself up and dusted off his clothing, scowling unhappily. "It's not fair." He muttered, climbing up the steps.
Ben laughed, laying a gentle hand on Adam's back. "I tried to tell you, son. Hoss is going to be the biggest of all of us, and his muscles have been developing faster in the last year with the heavier work he's been doing. It doesn't mean you're not going to be big and strong, Adam. It just means you're going to have to quit picking on him."
Adam rolled his eyes and went into the house. Ben picked up Joe, who looked as proud as if he had been the one to pin Adam, and followed him inside.
After dinner, Ben caught them in the main room, Hoss gloating over his victory and Adam glaring daggers at him while staying carefully out of reach behind the settee.
"Hoss," Ben said with mock severity. "Stop picking on your little brother."
"Adam, get OFF!"
The rambunctious yelling coming from outside was increasing in volume and could no longer be ignored. Ben shut the book he had been reading to Marie and baby Joe in the cool of the evening. Apparently, Adam and Hoss still had plenty of energy to spare at the close of the day, and the rest of the family would have no peace until they settled down.
Marie smiled as Ben rose to his feet with a sigh of irritation. "Don't be too hard on them, Ben. They worked hard today."
Little Joe giggled in his mother's lap, excited by the chicken he had just seen fly squawking past the nearest window. "Obviously not hard enough." Ben muttered with a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'm just going to rescue the livestock, dear. Its beginning to sound like the War of 1812 out there."
Following the indignant yells, Ben found his boys behind the chicken shed amid a wreckage of scattered feed buckets and feathers. Adam was sitting on Hoss and the younger boy was kicking and squirming ineffectually. Adam merely smiled triumphantly.
Hoss caught sight of Ben and hollered louder. "Pa! Make 'im get off! It aint fair; he's bigger than me!"
"Adam, get off your brother."
Adam reluctantly moved, nimbly dodging a vengeful punch from his brother in the process.
Ben crossed his arms. "Do you two have any conception of how loud you are?"
Two pairs of guilty eyes turned to the ground.
"I have no problem with you wrestling occasionally, but your baby brother needs to settle down and go to sleep, and he won't do it with you two making such a ruckus out here. Besides that, you're terrifying the chickens."
An impish smile crept onto Adam's face when he caught the humor in his father's gaze. "Pa, did you know that when you pull a rooster's tail feathers--"
"Adam, don't change the subject." Ben warned. "Now both of you go inside and get cleaned up. Your mother isn't going to be happy about the state of your clothes, so I would suggest quietly getting into bed."
They slipped past their father toward the cabin, Adam looking deflated, and Hoss looking relieved. Ben followed them and collared Adam before he went through the door. "Adam, if I were you, I'd quit picking on your younger brother. He's going to get bigger someday."
Adam scowled. "I can pin him anytime. I'm the oldest!"
Ben sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
--
Five years later...
"Pa, come see!" Ben looked down at the large green eyes turned up to him.
"What is it, Little Joe?"
"Come see!" Little Joe insisted, tugging at his father's sleeve. "Adam an' Hoss are fightin'."
Ben had been concentrating on his work, but now he turned his attention outward, hearing the voices of his two older boys coming from outside, blending together into an indistinct cacophony that sounded like an Indian raid.
"They aren't fighting, Little Joe. They're just wrestling."
"No Pa. You gotta see it!"
Ben's eyebrows rose and he followed his youngest son out to the yard. Joe pointed excitedly at his brothers. A very triumphant Hoss had his fifteen-year-old brother's shoulders pinned to the ground.
Adam did indeed look angry, and no yelling, kicking, or squirming on his part could get him free. He looked over to the porch and saw Ben and Little Joe. "Pa!" he yelled unhappily.
Ben crossed his arms and looked pointedly at his eldest. "Well Adam, you're the oldest. What's the problem?"
"I can't get... He's... Pa, he's bigger than me!"
Joe giggled and Ben couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. This had been coming on for a long time as Hoss developed his adolescent muscles and Adam, failing to notice the increasing size difference, continuing to challenge and provoke his younger brother.
"All right, Hoss. Let go now." Ben commanded quietly.
Hoss let his brother up and ran over to Ben, a proud smile lighting up his expressive features. "Pa, I finally pinned 'im! I pinned older brother!"
Ben ruffled his son's blond hair affectionately. "You certainly did, Hoss. I'm proud of you. Those are quite the muscles you're getting, son. You'll be able to pin me before long. Now go inside and get ready for dinner."
"Yessir!" If anything could make Hoss happier than pinning his brother in a wrestling match, it was the prospect of food, and he quickly took his father's advice.
Adam picked himself up and dusted off his clothing, scowling unhappily. "It's not fair." He muttered, climbing up the steps.
Ben laughed, laying a gentle hand on Adam's back. "I tried to tell you, son. Hoss is going to be the biggest of all of us, and his muscles have been developing faster in the last year with the heavier work he's been doing. It doesn't mean you're not going to be big and strong, Adam. It just means you're going to have to quit picking on him."
Adam rolled his eyes and went into the house. Ben picked up Joe, who looked as proud as if he had been the one to pin Adam, and followed him inside.
After dinner, Ben caught them in the main room, Hoss gloating over his victory and Adam glaring daggers at him while staying carefully out of reach behind the settee.
"Hoss," Ben said with mock severity. "Stop picking on your little brother."