Gargamel's First Catch/Part 1

Empath's personal journal.

''This day marks the first anniversary of the Smurf Village's liberation from the torment that was called Gargamel, and most Smurfs are in happy spirits knowing that the evil wizard is no more to be seen in the Smurf Forest. Ironically, most Smurfs have spent the day telling tales of how they have dealt with Gargamel in one way or another, as if to recall the very fact that despite what the wizard tried to accomplish with his various spells, schemes, and inventions, they were always foiled by the Smurfs. It only makes this smurf jealous that this smurf has never been in the village to have met Gargamel at the same time that the other Smurfs did, but then it makes this smurf appreciative of the fact that if it weren't for Gargamel being in our lives, there wouldn't have been a Smurfette in this smurf's life to be this one's potential mate. Polaris Psyche, who is a new member of the Smurf Village, never had the fortune, whether good or ill, of meeting Gargamel face to face, which is what peaks his curiosity on the subject of someone who has been a constant shadow over the Smurfs and their peaceful way of living.'' - The Smurfs all gathered inside Tapper's Tavern, watching Jokey on stage playing with his marionette of Gargamel, portraying one of the scenarios that have actually happened in regards to his being the biggest threat to the village. The Smurflings were manipulating the marionettes of the Smurfs as they were acting out their parts.

"This time I shall have you all in my stewpot, and some of you will help me to become the richest wizard in all the world," the marionette Gargamel said in his usual threatening manner, letting out an evil laugh.

"Oh no! Papa Smurf, what are we going to do?" one of the marionette Smurfs asked.

"Do not be afraid, my little Smurfs," the marionette Papa Smurf said. "Gargamel may be big, but there's only one of him and a hundred of us. Together we can smurf the evil wizard and make sure he never threatens us again."

"You'll have to get someone bigger than me in order to get rid of me, you vile despicable little Smurfs," the marionette Gargamel said.

Then Hefty came on stage dressed in the manner of Bigmouth the ogre. "Why you pick on my little friends, Gargamel?" Bigmouth said in a threatening manner. "You make Bigmouth really mad. Bigmouth needs to teach you a lesson."

"No, please, Bigmouth, I never meant to hurt any of your friends," the marionette Gargamel said, sounding intimidated by Bigmouth's presence.

"Too late, Gargamel," Bigmouth said as he took the marionette Gargamel and shook him around while Jokey mimicked all the pain and suffering Hefty as the ogre put the evil wizard through.

"Just remember, my little Smurfs," the marionette Papa Smurf said, "for every big fish that smurfs in the sea, there's an even bigger fish waiting for them."

"I hate bigger fish," Grouchy said as he was watching the show.

The Smurfs cheered as the show was brought to a close, and Jokey, Hefty, and the Smurflings took their bows on stage with Jokey cradling his marionette Gargamel like an injured pet.

"Sorry for smurfing a little rough with your toy there, Jokey," Hefty said.

"You probably would have smurfed the same to Gargamel, if you were big enough to smurf Bigmouth's shoes anyhow," Jokey said.

"This one does not understand the point of telling these stories about defeating this human wizard named Gargamel and using it as a form of entertainment among yourselves," Polaris said to Empath.

"The point of these stories is that they form part of our history, Polaris," Empath said. "In every culture, there is always a personalized form of danger that threatens the livelihood of every person in that culture, and in those encounters there will be those who will stand up against it in the way that they know how. Smurf culture is always threatened by anything that is bigger than ourselves, and that can also include regular creatures such as bears and wolves and hawks."

"But most of your fellow Smurfs do not have the benefit of your minds-eye abilities to deal with these threats by themselves, Empath," Polaris mentioned.

"It doesn't always have to require someone of this smurf's stature or Papa Smurf's to deal with them, as long as the Smurfs are resourceful in their knowledge of using what's available to them to the best of their own abilities," Empath said.

"That's very true, Empath," Papa Smurf said. "There are benefits to being a regular Smurf that balance out our...uh, shortcomings, so to speak. Our size allows us access to places that humans cannot smurf without the use of magic to make themselves smaller. We are also capable of hiding ourselves in places that such creatures that pursue us cannot smurf us from."

"And with our village looking like a patch of oversized mushrooms, we can make ourselves look like we don't even live here, should any of the humans even make it into our village by happenstance," Empath said.

"It doesn't mean that we like having Gargamel smurf into our village every now and then, Polaris," Smurfette said. "Sometimes that mean wizard smurfs too big for his smurfs, and it requires a whole village to smurf him out and away from us."

"But how did you first encounter Gargamel?" Polaris asked.

"It was six years ago, five before Empath smurfed home for good, that he first smurfed into our forest, Polaris," Papa Smurf said. "Narrator has smurfed us some of the details from what he smurfs, but this is how the whole thing happened."

Smurf to Part 1