Getting Physical

One afternoon Smurfette was in Hefty's gym with Baby Smurf doing exercises to a tune of a song playing on a record player. Smurfette was dressed in an aerobic workout suit and had a pair of small lightweight dumbbells in each hand that she was doing arm lifts and curls with, while Baby Smurf was doing the same with a pair of baby-sized dumbbells. The two of them were enjoying themselves when Hefty entered the gym, looking like he needed a break from his work.

"Oh, hi there, Smurfette," Hefty said when he noticed Smurfette with Baby Smurf. "I didn't think I would ever see you smurfing in here."

"Just wanted to smurf some exercises while I was watching Baby Smurf," Smurfette said. "I hope you don't mind, Hefty."

"My gym is your gym, Smurfette...you're free to use it anytime," Hefty said. "In fact, I might as well join you for some exercising myself."

"Really?" Smurfette asked as she saw Hefty go into another room to change his clothes. "I wouldn't mind having a partner to exercise with. After all, we're both good friends."

"Well, get ready for a real workout, Smurfette," Hefty announced from the other room. "You may be smurfing for breath by the time we're through."

"We'll see about that, Hefty," Smurfette said.

Soon Hefty emerged wearing a tank top, shorts, and a pair of shoes. He switched the music to a tune with a faster beat and soon both he and Smurfette were picking up the pace as they went through the routines together.

"You know what, Hefty?" Smurfette said in the middle of their workout. "Back when Woody and Laconia got married, I imagined what it would be like to marry you out of all the Smurfs in the village."

"I imagine being married to you all the time, Smurfette," Hefty said.

"Well, the thing about what I imagined it to smurf like was that all you wanted to do once you smurfed me to your home was have me smurf exercises with you," Smurfette said, laughing.

"You sure have an interesting imagination, I can smurf you that," Hefty said.

"I just never imagined smurfing up an interest in smurfing exercises back then, Hefty," Smurfette said. "Now it's like I smurf myself in best shape possible."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Smurfette," Hefty said.

Suddenly Smurfette fell over and landed right on top of Hefty, who also fell over right on his back. "Oops, sorry, Hefty," Smurfette said, giggling.

"That's no problem, Smurfette," Hefty said, smiling. "Just smurf your time."

Smurfette carefully got herself off Hefty. "Now that was a real workout. I'm glad that you were here to help me smurf up a sweat."

"I'm just curious what has smurfed on your interest in wanting to do exercises all of a sudden, Smurfette," Hefty said as he picked himself off from the floor.

"I just wanted to smurf myself into shape, Hefty, like you're always suggesting that I should smurf," Smurfette said.

"You're not doing this because of Empath?" Hefty asked.

"Why would you think he's the reason I want to smurf myself into shape?" Smurfette asked.

"Only because I see you smurfing yourself out trying to be the Smurfette that he would want to marry," Hefty answered.

"Okay, maybe he is part of the reason," Smurfette said. "It's just that, back when Laconia and Woody were getting married, I was expecting to find the perfect Smurf to marry from among you and I ended up smurfing to the realization that I myself am not perfect. I don't want to be the kind of Smurfette that any of you Smurfs might regret marrying, especially Empath."

"And you think all this changing yourself is going to make you the perfect Smurfette for any Smurf to marry?" Hefty said.

"I thought you'd be happy that I'm smurfing up the idea of smurfing exercises, Hefty," Smurfette said.

"I am happy, Smurfette," Hefty said. "I just feel that the best thing you can smurf is to just be yourself. I don't think that you really need to change yourself for any Smurf."

"I just don't feel happy smurfing my old self anymore, Hefty," Smurfette said, sounding sad.

"If you feel changing yourself is going to make you happy, then do it," Hefty said. "But don't forget that there are those who love you just the way you are."

Smurfette sighed. "Thanks, Hefty. I'll try to remember that." She then reached down to pick up Baby Smurf. "Anyway, it was fun smurfing exercises with you. Maybe we can smurf this again some other time."

"Yeah, sure, anytime," Hefty said as he watched Smurfette leave the gym. He then grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his brow before he turned off the record player.

Just then, Duncan and Tuffy entered the gym. "Hey, what was Smurfette smurfing in the gym with you, Hefty?" Tuffy asked.

"We were just smurfing exercises together, that's all," Hefty answered.

"Smurfing exercises?" Tuffy said with some disbelief in his voice. "I get the feeling you were smurfing more than that to smurf all hot and sweaty in here."

"Empath may not like what you're implying with that statement, laddie," Duncan said.

"Look, I don't have to explain all my actions to you, Gutsy," Hefty said. "It was just me and Smurfette with Baby Smurf smurfing exercises together. There was nothing else smurfing on in here. You got that?"

"You don't have to smurf that tone with me, Hefty," Duncan said. "If what you're telling is the truth, then I will believe you and leave it at that."

"Hmmm, I wonder if Smurfette would go jogging with us if she's so interested in smurfing herself into shape?" Tuffy said.

"One smurf at a time, laddie, one smurf at a time," Duncan said.