Smurfette's Frog Prince/Part 2

Back in the Smurf Village, Poet had stepped out of Printer's shop with Brainy and Clumsy, each carrying a huge stack of paper. "I can't thank you fellow enough for helping me deliver these sheets of paper to my studio," Poet said to the two other Smurfs.

"Well, I can't believe you would need all these sheets just to smurf your poetry," Brainy said, sounding annoyed that he agreed to help Poet out.

"Uh, yeah...aren't you running out of words that rhyme?" Clumsy asked.

"This is not just for poems, my friend," Poet answered. "Soon I'll be embarking on my most ambitious project yet...an epic novel filled with action, adventure, and intrigue. All I need now is a subject big enough to write about."

"Poet, Poet, Poet," Brainy chided, "don't you realize that you're looking at him? In fact, I already have the title for the story...Brainy Smurf: The Star, The Smurf, The Legend."

"Funny, I would think that title belongs to Empath," Clumsy said.

"Oh, Clumsy, what would you know about smurfing good literature?" Brainy said. "Besides, Empath has already been smurfed as a monumental legend more times than we can smurf. I just personally feel in my smurf of smurfs that there is room for more than one great legend in the Smurf Village, and in own humble opinion, I believe that I, Brainy Smurf, qualify as one of the greatest modern-day legends in all of smurfdom, and furthermore..."

Suddenly a group of Smurfs rushed quickly past the three Smurfs toward the center of the village, knocking over Brainy and causing him to dump his pile of sheets onto the ground. "Uhhh...what in the name of Smurf is going on?" he asked.

"M'sieu Brainy, come and see the talking freug that Smurfette has smurfed into the village," Painter said, briefly stopping in his rush to inform the three Smurfs.

"Oh my gosh, did you heat that?" Clumsy said, sounding very excited. "Uh, by the way, what is a 'talking freug'?"

"Maybe we should join the other Smurfs and find out for ourselves," Poet suggested. "This may be the subject that I've been smurfing for." - In the center of the village, the Smurfs gathered around Smurfette and the Smurflings as they told Papa Smurf about the frog they have found in the forest. Everyone looked in wonder at the frog, including Empath.

"So you see, Papa Smurf, this isn't really a frog at all," Smurfette said. "He is a prince."

"This smurf can sense that there is a magic spell cast upon this creature, so whatever he was before he became a frog, it would seem to confirm Smurfette's claim," Empath said.

"Oooh, it's a prince," most of the Smurfs said in unison.

"I hate princes that are smurfed into frogs," Grouchy said.

"Please, Papa Smurf, you've got to help him," Smurfette said as she looked into the frog's eyes, finding herself again captivated by him.

"Well, maybe you should smurf your story from the beginning," Papa Smurf said. "That way we can find out if we are able to help you in any way possible."

The frog sighed. "My name is Prince Theodore, and I live in a beautiful castle on the other side of the forest...at least I did until a few days ago. That was when my court magician Morlock had called me into his chambers. He said that he had come across a most unusual spell, and so when he opened a box, I saw a frog jump out of it. He told me me to keep an eye on the frog, and as I looked, he sprinkled some powder on it, and instantly it transformed into me...I mean, into my appearance. Suddenly he blew a handful of the same powder onto me, and at that moment I was transformed into a frog."

"What did this Morlock intend to do with you and this frog that he changed into your former appearance, Prince Theodore?" Empath asked.

"Morlock intended to take control of my kingdom through his diabolical creation," Prince Theodore answered. "I watched helplessly from a cage as he tried to teach the frog how to act and speak like me, even though I knew that a frog could never act or speak like a human. I was desperate to escape, so I hopped around in the cage until it fell unto the floor and broke apart. Morlock tried to catch me, but I hopped out of a window and into the moat, which I had forgotten was so far down from the window of the magician's chamber that I didn't think that I would survive. From there I had fled into the forest, and I have been on the hop ever since."

"Oh my smurfness," Smurfette cried out, feeling her heart going out to the prince as she saw him shed a tear.

"And to make matters worse, tonight is the night that I was going to get married," Prince Theodore added. "Oh, it's all too frightful."

"Papa Smurf, you've got to help him," Smurfette said.

Papa Smurf stroked his beard as he listened to the story and thought about what he had heard. "Hmmm, perhaps there is a counter-spell that I cound find in one of my spellbooks."

"Oh, I'd be ever so grateful," Prince Theodore said with a smile.

"I'll start smurfing into it right away," Papa Smurf said. "Empath, I may need your help in my laboratory to smurf through my library of books. Meanwhile, I'm leaving the care of the prince in your hands, Smurfette."

"This smurf acknowledges, Papa Smurf," Empath said as he joined Papa Smurf.

"I'll make sure that your stay in the village will be very smurfy...your royal smurfiness," Smurfette said, giving the prince a respectful curtsy.

As the other Smurfs departed from the scene, Poet continued to stand there with Brainy and Clumsy looking at the frog prince in wonder. "Oh, what a story!" Poet exclaimed. "It has everything that I was hoping to write about...action, adventure, intrigue." He then raised a finger in the air as inspiration had struck him. "At last, I have found my subject!"

"But Poet, what about me?" Brainy complained as he saw Poet head off into his studio.

"Gosh, Brainy, I guess he'd rather write about a frog," Clumsy said.

Brainy snorted at the thought. "There's just no accounting for literary taste in the village." - In Papa Smurf's laboratory, Empath scanned through as many books as possible while Papa Smurf looked through one that he had just opened on his lectern to see if he could find a reference on frog prince spells.

"Papa Smurf, this smurf senses that a good deal of the Smurfs are expecting this smurf and Smurfette to marry someday soon, but this smurf doesn't feel like this smurf is ready to ask her the question, even though this smurf does have some strong feelings for her," Empath said.

"And what exactly are you hoping to ask of me concerning this situation, Empath?" Papa Smurf asked.

"This smurf was just wondering when you would think would be the right time for this smurf to ask Smurfette to marry this smurf, Papa Smurf," Empath asked.

"Well, since you and Smurfette had just met each other, I'd say that you should both smurf each other some time so that you get to know each other better and that you would allow Smurfette to be to smurf for herself whether she wants to smurf closer to you or not," Papa Smurf said.

"That's what this smurf wants to do, Papa Smurf," Empath said. "However, this smurf realizes that this smurf is in competition with all this smurf's fellow male Smurfs for Smurfette's heart and that this smurf isn't sure of how to handle the competition."

"That's just part of smurfing with being in love with Smurfette, Empath," Papa Smurf said. "The best thing you can smurf is to be a friend not only to Smurfette, but also to your fellow Smurfs, to make sure that their happiness is more important to you than your own. You may find that what you sacrifice may be worth what you will gain from it in the long run."

"If seeing Smurfette happy is worth the risk of this smurf not ever marrying this smurf, Papa Smurf then this smurf will see to it that her happiness is this smurf's utmost concern regardless of who she marries," Empath said. He then sensed a book on the shelf and pulled it out. "This smurf believes that this book may be what you're looking for."

"Thank you, Empath," Papa Smurf said as he took the book from Empath's hands and opened it to the pages. "Let's see...frog jumps...frog legs...ah, here it is: frog princes."

"Hopefully this will be the spell that will change our human guest back to his normal appearance, Papa Smurf," Empath said.

Suddenly Sassette rushed into the laboratory. "Pappy Smurf, Smurfette says that I should take this stool for the prince," she said as she looked at the stool with a blue top near a table. "Can I smurf it, Pappy? Please, can I?"

"Oh, well, all right, Sassette," Papa Smurf said.

As Sassette rushed out the door carrying the blue-topped stool, Brainy had walked into the laboratory. "Papa Smurf! Empath! You've got to smurf out here quick! I think Smurfette has smurfed over the edge!"

"This smurf will handle this, Brainy," Empath said. He left the laboratory and went over to where a throne had been erected in the village, with Prince Theodore sitting on it wearing a royal cape and crown while Nat and Slouchy were waving fronds that were being used as royal fans.

"Oh, your smurfiness, I hope you like the royal throne that Handy built, and the cape I had Tailor to sew, and the crown that Smithy had smurfed," Smurfette said as she bowed before the prince.

"Oh, Smurfette, you certainly know how to treat royalty," Prince Theodore said, sounding grateful and honored.

Empath joined the Smurfs that have gathered around the throne, with Snappy bringing cream puffs from Greedy's kitchen and Sassette bringing the stool from Papa Smurf's laboratory for the prince's feet. Empath could sense that some of his fellow Smurfs enjoyed giving their visitor the royal treatment.

"This smurf hopes that everything in the village is satisfactory, Prince Theodore," Empath said. "It is not often that we have royalty paying us a visit even under the circumstances that have befallen you."

Prince Theodore smiled as he ate one of the creampuffs from Snappy's tray by just tonguing it like a frog. "It's great to see how you Smurfs will go out of your way to make me feel like I'm at home here," he said. "I just wish that I could have serve in my court all the rest of my days."

"If Morlock is the only way that we can get to break this spell, rest assured that this smurf will not stop until he is forced to make you human again," Empath said.

Suddenly Poet had rushed out of his studio with a stack of paper. "Here it is, my fellow Smurfs...the first half of my epic novel about the Frog Prince," he announced.

Prince Theodore looked at Poet astounded. "You've written that much about me already?"

"Of course," Poet answered. "When Poet Smurf gets inspired, he writes all night and never gets tired. Now if I only knew how everything is going to smurf out, I could finish my masterpiece. I just hope that the ending will be a happy one."

"I'm sure it will be, Poet," Papa Smurf said as he and Brainy just joined the Smurfs around the throne.

"Oh, Papa Smurf, did you discover the counter-spell?" Smurfette asked, sounding excited.

"It's all right here in this book, Smurfette," Papa Smurf said as he opened the book and read from it. "It smurfs here that the spell can only be broken by the one who loves him the most."

"Oh, that just sounds so romantic," Smurfette said.

"Gee, Prince Theodore, who is the one who loves you the most?" Nat asked out of curiosity.

"It must be my fiancee, the lovely Lady Jasmine," Prince Theodore said, clutching his heart as he felt himself being swept away by the very thought of her.

"Hoppin' horntoads...we'd better find her," Sassette said.

"I'm afraid it's no use," Prince Theodore said. "Jasmine lives in my palace which Morlock has placed under heavy guard."

"That shouldn't be a problem, your grace," Smurfette said. "We'll fly you in there on Feathers, and Empath can help you smurf in there without being detected."

Empath nodded as he heard Smurfette mention him. "This smurf would be honored to help restore your position on the throne and be reunited with your loved one, Prince Theodore."

"Remember, my friend, that you must receive your kiss as soon as possible," Papa Smurf warned. "Eventually, Morlock's spell will take away your voice as well, and then you'll be all frog."

Prince Theodore gulped. "Th-th-that doesn't sound very good."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Smurfette said as she raced toward Feathers. "Come, your smurfiness, we've got to smurf you back to your castle right away."

"Hey, wait for me," Sassette called out as she followed Smurfette and the prince. "I want to come too. I was the one who found him."

"I've got to come along and find out how my story ends, Empath," Poet said.

"This smurf will permit it, as long as we keep ourselves out of sight as much as possible," Empath said. "The last thing we need are humans to find out that we even exist."

"Here, Brainy, guard this with your life," Poet said as he handed the stack of sheets to Brainy before he rushed off with Empath to join Smurfette, Sassette, and the prince.

"Whatever you say, Poet Smurf," Brainy said, sounding disgusted of the thought of having to play second-fiddle to a frog prince.