  We use the recently introduced small-world networks (SWN) to model
cross-linked polymers, as an extension of the linear Rouse-chain. We study the
SWN-dynamics under the influence of external forces. Our focus is on the
structurally and thermally averaged SWN stretching, which we determine both
numerically and analytically using a psudo-gap ansatz for the SWN-density of
states. The SWN stretching is related to the probability of a random-walker to
return to its origin on the SWN. We compare our results to the corresponding
ones for Cayley trees.
