At The Mercy Of Thy Enemy/Part 1

Empath's personal journal.

''Today is Mother Nature Day, and on that day the Smurfs honor her by helping her take care of the forest while she is off doing other things. This usually means cleaning up the junk that other beings like humans have left in the forest that would otherwise pollute our home as well as that of our animal friends. Since Papa Smurf is too busy in his laboratory to oversee the observance of Mother Nature Day, he has left this smurf in charge of getting the Smurfs to work together in cleaning up the forest. While this smurf does not like having to always clean up the forest after other beings, this smurf has been impressed with the importance of doing so by this smurf's fellow Smurfs over the years to the point where this smurf feels it is just as much this smurf's duty to protect the forest from polluters as it is to protect the Smurfs from various types of dangers.'' - It was a beautiful morning on which the Smurfs woke up to participate in the events of Mother Nature Day. Empath led a group of Smurfs out into the forest with birds carrying large sacks between them for collecting various bits of garbage they happen to find.

"I hate collecting garbage," Grouchy said as he helped with the cleanup of the forest with a group of Smurfs.

"I hate it too, Grouchy, but at least it will help keep the forest clean while Mother Nature's busy smurfing other things," Hefty said.

"Why can't humans learn to smurf up after themselves?" Grouchy asked.

"Humans are fallible creatures, Grouchy, prone to the temptations of sin and evil in this fallen world," Tapper answered.

"It certainly doesn't make cleaning up after them any easier," Smurfette said as a couple of her animal friends in the forest lifted up an old discarded boot.

"Things could smurf a whole lot worse," Nat said as the Smurflings also helped with Puppy assisting them. "Gargamel could still be smurfing in the forest with his traps and whatever else he may use to capture us Smurfs."

"I hate Gargamel's traps," Grouchy said.

The birds flew a sack full of garbage over to a designated spot near the village where it was all dumped into one big pile. "Stand back, every Smurf," Empath warned, as his star mark glowed with increasing power being channeled into his right fist. Then with a downward thrust, Empath pulverized every single bit of garbage in the pile in one swift motion until it was nothing more than formless particles of debris.

The Smurfs that stood near the pile coughed for a bit until the dust had settled, and they saw for themselves what Empath did with the pile. "Incredible what Empath's power could smurf with a pile of garbage," Dreamy said as he was holding Baby Smurf in his arms.

"Looks like you should consider smurfing contact lenses, Brainy," Jokey said, as he saw that his friend now had a thick layer of dust covering his glasses.

"This is nothing that a good cleaning can't handle, Jokey," Brainy said, as he took out a cloth from his pocket and wiped clean his glasses. "What smurfs me is why can't the humans treat the forest as a sacred thing like we do, so that we don't have to keep smurfing this thing year after year for Mother Nature."

"It is interesting that your people would treat the forest surrounding your village as 'a sacred thing', given that the Psyches treat it as merely a source of supplies for our sustenance and stability," Polaris Psyche said.

"Well, if you Psyches actually smurfed time in the forest surrounding your village, maybe you would understand the whole issue a bit better," Brainy said.

The Smurfs reconvened around lunchtime to take a break for Greedy's meal. They seemed pleased with their efforts thus far in the day as they sat down to a relaxing meal of sandwiches and potato chips, with smurfberry soda to wash it all down.

Empath and Polaris sat down with Tapper and Duncan as they ate their meals together. "What this one does not understand, Tapper, is why you believe that believers in your God should care for this world, given how your Scriptures say that He is going to destroy it and create a new world for them to live on," Polaris said.

"It is simply because this earth belongs to the Almighty as well as everything that is in it, my fellow Polaris," Tapper responded. "It is not because we worship the creation, but rather we worship its Creator, and that nature serves as a witness to God's existence and power, so that people who live in this world apart from knowing Him will be without excuse."

"That surprises this smurf to think that God cares as much for His creation as He does for the people He has created to be part of that creation," Empath said. "This smurf would think that the parts where even the creation worships its Creator were just metaphorical."

"It's hardly the case at all, my fellow Empath," Tapper said. "Revelation 11:18 says that God will destroy those who destroy the earth, so if this earth matters just as much to the Almighty as does the humans He has smurfed in His image, would He not bring into judgment them by whose actions against the world by polluting the land, air, and sea they commit murder against another human being?"

"Why humans would want to destroy their own world, I have no idea, unless they just want to destroy each other," Duncan said. "Of course, Gargamel seemed plenty okay with the idea of destroying the forest in order to destroy us, which he has smurfed a few times before Empath returned home."

"But there was one time where his destroying the forest was smurfed by accident, and that accident led him into smurfing with us for a while, my friend," Tapper said.

"This one would be interested in knowing how it came about that your adversary became a temporary member of your village, Tapper," Polaris requested.

"This smurf would also like to hear the story myself," Empath added.

"Oh, very well, then," Tapper said. "Mind you, some elements of this story are from Narrator to fill in all the details, but here's how it happened on a day about two years before Empath smurfed home for good." - As Tapper began to tell the story, Empath and Polaris saw that Papa Smurf was with a few Smurfs inside Handy's workshop with something that he has created for Baby Smurf: a toy set miniature of the entire Smurf Village, complete with miniature versions of all the Smurfs that were in it.

Papa Smurf chuckled as he saw Baby Smurf playing with the new toy set. "Why, Handy, that's about the smurfiest thing you have ever smurfed," he commented.

"Why, thank you, Papa Smurf," Handy said. "I figured that something like this could help him develop into a young Smurf like us someday."

"Oh, Baby Smurf just loves the new play set," Smurfette said as she watched him play, squealing with delight.

"When you're a little Smurfling, the world is full of wonder," Papa Smurf said, pleased to see Baby Smurf enjoying himself.

"I can't wait to see what the little bairn will grow up to be, Papa," Duncan said. "Maybe he will become a great warrior like me."

"Or perhaps a great bartender like me, my fellow Duncan," Tapper said.

"Or maybe the greatest intellectual mind that has ever smurfed, second only to my greatness," Brainy boasted.

"You, the 'greatest intellectual mind'," Duncan scoffed. "You can't even get one Smurf to listen to you before he smurfs you the boot because you're so boring."

"Well, that's because they're just jealous of me, Duncan," Brainy said. "I'll show every Smurf that Brainy Smurf is an intellectual giant and a legend in his own time."

Just then, Tracker suddenly appeared outside Handy's workshop. "Papa Smurf, come with me quickly," he said. "There's something wrong with the river."

"What do you mean, Tracker?" Papa Smurf asked.

"The fish that are in the river...they're smurfing rather peculiar," Tracker said, sounding very worried.

Papa Smurf could see that this was an urgent matter. "We'd better smurf into this immediately."

"You're absosmurfly right, Papa Smurf," Brainy said. "As you always say..."

"Brainy, you and Clumsy take care of Baby while I'm gone," Papa Smurf said, as he, Handy, Smurfette, Tapper, and Duncan followed after him and Tracker.

"But Papa Smurf..." Brainy tried to object as he saw the village leader leave with the other Smurfs.

"Gosh, Brainy, aren't we lucky?" Clumsy said with a giggle. "We get to stay and play with Baby Smurf."

"Lucky? LUCKY?" Brainy griped. "It's always the same thing...every time something exciting happens, you and I get stuck with didey duty."

"Oh, golly, Brainy, nothing's more important than taking care of Baby...is there?" Clumsy asked.

"Hmmm, if only Papa Smurf were more cognizant of my exceptional talents," Brainy said to himself as he looked outside through a window to be alone with his thoughts. "But oh no...I have to take care of Baby!"

To be expanded on.