The Smurflings' Biology Lesson

Brainy was leading the Smurflings in a biology lesson at the Smurf Village schoolhouse one day.

"All right, you Smurflings, I hope you have studied in your books about the various parts of the body and what they're supposed to smurf," Brainy said as he pulled down a chart that had various organs displayed over the image of a male adult Smurf. He tapped the pointer toward an organ inside the head. "Now can any of you tell me what this organ is?"

Sassette raised her hand and was called to answer. "It's called the brain."

"Very good, Sassette," Brainy said. "And what is the brain supposed to do?"

"It is used for remembering things and for smurfing signals to the rest of the body through the nervous system," Sassette said.

"That's correct," Brainy said. "Now the brain is an important part of the body, because without it, you wouldn't know how to read or write or speak, you wouldn't be able to recognize things that you see, hear, feel, smell, or taste, and most of all, none of you would even have a chance to be as smart as me someday."

"Well, that's a relief," Snappy said, which made the other Smurflings laugh.

Brainy paid no attention to the comment and proceeded onward with his lesson. He tapped the pointer toward an organ in the chest area. "Now can any of you tell me what this organ is?"

Nat raised his hand and was called to answer. "It's called the lungs."

"Very good, Nat," Brainy said. "And what are the lungs supposed to do?"

"The lungs are for us to smurf in oxygen and to smurf out carbon dioxide," Nat added. "All living things need oxygen to survive or else they wouldn't be able to live."

"That's very correct," Brainy said. He tapped the pointer toward another organ near the chest area which was next to the lungs. "Now can any of you tell me what this organ is?"

Slouchy raised his hand and was called to answer. "That is the heart."

"Very good, Slouchy," Brainy said. "Now can you tell me what the heart is supposed to do?"

"It's supposed to smurf blood throughout the entire body," Slouchy said.

"Blood? You mean that reddish-purple stuff that smurfs out whenever I accidentally cut myself?" Sassette asked.

"That's exactly what blood is, at least for us Smurfs," Brainy said. "And what is blood supposed to do for our bodies?"

"Uh...carry nutrients throughout the entire body?" Slouchy answered.

"That's a good answer, Slouchy," Brainy said. He tapped the pointer toward an organ on the upper abdomen area below the chest. "Now can any of you tell me what this organ is?"

Snappy raised his hand and was called to answer. "That's called a spleen."

"Sorry, Snappy, but you are definitely wrong," Brainy said. "Does anyone else have the right answer?"

Nat raised his hand and was called to answer. "It's called the stomach."

"That's right, Nat," Brainy said. "And what is the stomach supposed to do?"

"The stomach is part of the digestive system, which digests the food that we eat and smurfs it down so that the body can smurf its nutrients," Nat added.

"That's the stomach?" Sassette said. "I thought our stomach would be much further down in our bodies."

"You mean down where your belly button is?" Slouchy said. "Naah, that would be where your intestines are."

"And tell me, Slouchy, what your intestines are supposed to do?" Brainy asked.

"Your intestines are supposed to absorb the nutrients of the food into your body before the solid matter smurfs out as waste," Slouchy said.

"So if that's how we smurf number two, then how do we smurf number one?" Snappy asked.

"I'm very glad you asked that question, Snappy," Brainy said as he pulled down another chart with organs drawn over a male adult Smurf's body and then tapped to a bean-shaped organ in the abdomen. "Now can any of you tell me what part of the body this is?"

Sassette raised her hand and was called to answer. "That would be the kidney."

"Okay, can you tell the class what it's supposed to do?" Brainy asked.

Sassette paused as she thought about the answer. "It's supposed to smurf water out of your blood which then smurfs to your bladder?"

"It's not water, Sassette...it is called urine," Brainy said.

"Oh, I get it...as in 'urine trouble' if Puppy decides to smurf his number on you," Snappy said, which made the other Smurflings laugh.

"Very funny, Snappy," Brainy said. "Now, class, are there any questions you would like to ask before we smurf up this lesson?"

Snappy raised his hand and was called to ask. "Yeah, how about a lesson on how babies are made?"

"You think Brainy even knows how babies are made, Snappy?" Slouchy asked.

"It's too bad he can't smurf us a demonstration, given how he is around Smurfette," Snappy said, which made the other Smurfings laugh.

"That is not an appropriate thing to say about your elders, Snappy Smurfling," Brainy said. "I happen to be very knowledgeable about what is called reproduction."

"Well, don't the charts show which organs are used for reproduction?" Snappy asked.

"Yes, they do, but I think that reproduction is a subject that we should handle in another session...when you're old enough to handle it," Brainy said.

"Old enough?!?" the four Smurflings said together.

"I thought that this was a biology lesson," Sassette said.

"I got an idea for a biology lesson...let's open up Brainy's head and see if he has a brain inside," Snappy said, which made the other Smurflings laugh.