The Day Of The Machine Smurfs: A Narrator's Story/Part 3

"Hmmm, that doesn't sound too bad, Narrator," Handy said as he and Empath had listened to that part of the story. "At least it could smurf me ideas for machines to make for my fellow Smurfs."

"Your machines...uh, your counterpart's machines...were really great ideas, Handy," Narrator said. "However, when other Smurfs saw that Baker, Miller, and Carpenter were now smurfing their time just relaxing instead of smurfing their jobs and found out that the machines Handy built had smurfed their jobs for them, they decided that they were going to ask Handy to smurf up machines for them that would smurf all the hard work...all except for Hefty, who really didn't like the thought of machines smurfing things that he could smurf with his own two hands."

"This smurf doesn't blame Hefty, in that story or in reality, for wanting to do things for himself without any aid from a machine, Narrator," Empath said. "He's just the kind of Smurf who enjoys using his own strength to the best of his ability to do the work of five other Smurfs."

"That's part of why we argue all the time about whether smurfing brawn or brains is better, Empath," Handy said. "And I for one still think Hefty would be nowhere without any of my machines or my own ingenuity."

"Hefty would disagree with you on that, Handy, but this smurf thinks that you're both essential in the operation of the Smurf Village with your unique talents working together," Empath said.

"Very true, Empath, very true," Narrator said. "Anyway, smurfing back to my story, Handy was soon smurfed with requests from his fellow Smurfs to smurf them machines that would smurf their jobs for them. So all round the clock Handy was busy in his workshop smurfing up the machines that would smurf his fellow Smurfs' lives a bit easier. One Smurf got a clothes washer, one got a sewing machine, one got a machine for smurfing onions, one got a machine for smurfing grass, one got a machine for smurfing paintings, and so on and so forth. And then came a day when a Smurf asked for a much better machine that could smurf everything."

And as Narrator continued the story, Empath and Handy saw that Nabby was awakened from his sleep by the sound of a new cuckoo clock that had a miniature Harmony Smurf come out and play an annoying sound from his trumpet. "That was a jarring, but effective, wake-up call," Nabby said as he arose from his sleep. "Now it's time to smurf downstairs for my breakfast."

He pulled a lever that was next to his bed, and soon the bed lifted up as a chute opened in the floor and Nabby slid down from his bed through the chute, landing right on a chair next to the table where he had a cup, a plate, and some utensils already set up, ready for his breakfast.

Nabby licked his lips, eager for the breakfast that he was going to have, and then saw that nothing was coming. "Oh, what a drag this is," he said to himself, realizing something. "Handy never thought of smurfing up something that would smurf me breakfast in the morning. This makes me almost lose my appetite. I guess I'll have to get dressed like everyone else...unless..."

Nabby sat at the table, drumming his fingers while he was thinking of a way that breakfast can be brought to his table without having to go out to Greedy's kitchen to get it. And then he remembered: "Clockwork Smurf! If only Handy could build another one just like the one that got smurfed to King Gerard, then every Smurf could have their own personal servant that would smurf them breakfast, even Greedy."

Without even thinking of getting dressed first, Nabby got into his vehicle and quickly raced to Handy's workshop. On his way there, he knocked over Farmer's wheelbarrow as he was carrying a load of vegetables to Greedy's kitchen.

"Sweet mother of Smurf, watch where you're smurfing!" Farmer shouted at Nabby as he was picking up the vegetables that got knocked over.

Inside Handy's workshop, Handy listened to Nabby's idea of a personal servant. "Well, I don't know about smurfing up another Clockwork Smurf," Handy said, "but I do have some sections of tree trunks outside my workshop that Timber didn't know what to smurf with them. Maybe with them I can smurf up something." - "And soon over the course of the next few days, Handy was busy at work smurfing with the tree trunks and smurfing them into something based on Nabby's idea for them," Narrator said. "Of course, not every Smurf was fond of the idea of all these machines, and while Hefty didn't like them because they smurfed too much work away from his fellow Smurfs, Farmer didn't like them for another reason."

And as Empath and Handy watched Narrator's story unfold, Farmer was packing up all his tools into a wagon, looking very upset, while the Smurflings were watching.

"Gee, Farmer, why are you smurfing up all your equipment, and where are you smurfing with them?" Sassette asked.

"I'm smurfing someplace where I can actually hear my vegetables grow, my little Smurflings," Farmer said. "All this noise pollution from the machines is making my poor little firefly sick, causing her to flash on and off constantly. Besides, it just isn't healthy for my poor vegetables."

"Maybe Handy can smurf up a machine that can smurf all the farming for you, Farmer," Snappy suggested.

"Over my smurf will I let him smurf up some mechanical doohickey for smurfing up vegetables and fruits and smurfberries, Snappy," Farmer said vehemently. "Would those machines even know how to smurf the farming properly without making things worse?"

"I don't know, Farmer, but you could at least let Handy try," Slouchy said.

"He's smurfed enough trouble in the village, and I hope for your sakes that whatever else he's smurfing doesn't smurf anymore trouble than you're capable of handling," Farmer said as he finished up the loading of his wagon.

"Can we smurf with you, Farmer?" Nat asked. "You'll be awfully lonely out there in the forest smurfing all by yourself."

"I'll be fine, Nat, don't you be worrying about me," Farmer said. "Now you be good little Smurflings and smurf care of yourselves. If there's anything that you need, you can come smurfing for me. I'll let you know where I'll be smurfing."

The Smurflings watched as Farmer pulled his wagon and headed out of the village, wondering what's going to happen to him and hoping that nothing terrible happens. And then they heard a commotion going on from the center of the village.

"Holy hickory nuts, what's smurfing on?" Nat wondered as he and his fellow Smurflings saw the crowd of Smurfs.

"If only those grown-up Smurfs would let us see," Snappy said, trying to jump high enough to see over the heads of the adult Smurfs.

"It sounds like Handy's smurfing us another new invention, from the smurfs of it," Slouchy said.

As the Smurflings struggled to get a better view, the adult Smurfs saw clearly what Handy's new invention was in the form of: tree trunks that were now given arms, legs, eyes, mouths, and other sorts of appendages. They were all in wonder as to what these inventions were supposed to do.

"My fellow Smurfs, we are now entering into a new era of the smurfomatic machine servants that will make smurfing our everyday jobs a thing of the past," Handy announced. "I now smurf to you...the Machine Smurfs!"

Every Smurf gasped. "The Machine Smurfs?" they said in unison.

"I hate the Machine Smurfs," Grouchy said.

Handy stood on a stool next to one of the Machine Smurfs and opened a hatch. "On this historic occasion, all it smurfs is a single smurf of the switch that will smurf a shock to the world of Smurf. Drumroll, please."

Drummer provided the drumroll as Handy flipped the switch inside the Machine Smurf. The Smurfs watched as the drumroll continued on for a minute to see what the Machine Smurf will do. However, it just kept standing there.

Brainy stepped closer to the Machine Smurf to briefly examine it. "So?" he asked, sounding unimpressed.

"It does not smurf," another Smurf said.

"Ha! I knew it!" Brainy said with some mockery. "I knew that this wooden thing wouldn't smurf! Handy was just smurfing your hopes up, thinking that he could smurf up another modern miracle with this block of wood! Smurfly ridiculous, if I smurf so my..."

Suddenly the Machine Smurf kicked Brainy in the behind and sent him flying over the crowd until he landed on his head.

"At least there's something that the Machine Smurf could do right," another Smurf said, which made some others laugh and clap their hands in applause.

Soon the Machine Smurf was moving its arms and legs, and then without warning it plowed its way right through the crowd of Smurfs, heading straight toward a Smurf house. The Machine Smurf caused slight damage to the house as it was knocked on its back, frantically moving its arms and legs, unable to go anywhere.

"I don't understand it," Handy said as he went over to the Machine Smurf and turned it around to open one of its hatches. "It should be smurfing perfectly. Maybe there's something inside the machine that I overlooked." He looked and then spotted something inside the machine that made him reach in and pull it out. "Oh, it was my smurfdriver! I was wondering where it had smurfed to."

Suddenly the Machine Smurf righted itself and stood bowing to the Smurfs, acting as if ready to receive instructions.

"Now it's behaving smurfectly," Handy said. "Machine Smurf, I want you to smurf me a hot chocolate and a baba au smurf, if you please."

The Smurfs watched as the Machine Smurf headed into Greedy's kitchen, and then minutes later came back out carrying a baba au smurf on a plate and a steaming pot of hot chocolate along with two cups. It gave Handy one of the cups and poured hot chocolate into it.

Handy took a sip and smiled at the quality of the job that was performed. "HOT CHOCOLATE FOR EVERYONE! AND THIS ROUND'S ON ME!" he shouted, raising his cup up high as his fellow Smurfs cheered and congratulated him.