For The Smurf Of Money/Part 6

"And so Handy smurfed a team of Smurfs to work on the new bridge, which smurfed some time as Handy wasn't used to smurfing things on a tight schedule," Trader said to Empath. "Meanwhile, Papa Smurf was starting to smurf better as he was now able to talk, and he was asking how things were smurfing in the village. For the rest of the Smurfs, though, they were now out of money and had to smurf to me in order to get more, so I had them smurf their houses on a mortgage, which meant they will continue to smurf in their own place by smurfing a monthly rent."

Empath pondered on what he had seen up until now. "This smurf wonders if this smurf would have had to deal with the same issue if this smurf was living in the Smurf Village at the time," he said.

"Truth to tell, Empath, I did smurf aside a bag of 100 coins for you for the day that you would smurf back from Psychelia," Trader answered. "I had even smurfed up a private savings account so that when you did smurf home, you would have smurfed interest from it being smurfed in a bank for a few years."

"Hmmm...well, that's very thoughtful of you, Trader," Empath said.

Then he saw that Farmer decided to go back out into the forest to find his lost coin. On his way there, though, he noticed that there was a Smurf standing in a booth right next to the completed bridge. "Stop! The right of passage across this bridge is one coin!" the Smurf in the booth said.

"Are you out of your smurfing mind?" Farmer said, sounding exasperated. "I will surely not be smurfing one coin just to cross a bridge and smurf another coin that I have lost."

"I just smurf here, Farmer," the Smurf in the booth said, sounding bored. "Smurf one coin or you cannot pass."

Farmer looked really steamed as he paid his coin and crossed the bridge. He reached the spot near the Great Oak where he had left the coin and noticed that it was still there, just lying on the ground waiting for him. He became a happy Smurf again.

But then Farmer noticed another coin, and then another, until he was following a trail of coins. "Surely another Smurf must have been smurfing out in the forest to smurf their stash away like I was trying to smurf," he said to himself. "Well, smurfers keepers, losers weepers."

However, at the point where the coin trail ended, a cage then fell upon Farmer and trapped him inside. Soon Gargamel appeared with his cat Azrael, seeing that they now have captured a Smurf.

"Well, well, well," Gargamel said, sounding pleased. "I can see that you wretched Smurfs have caught gold fever, which is how I have led you into this trap...with a bunch of shiny lead fake coins, made to look like gold so that you little blue dummies won't know the difference. And thanks to you, I will soon have all your gold. Your greed will be downfall...as it will be for all your friends."

Gargamel then took Farmer into his castle, where the Smurf was held high from the ground inside a cage, while the evil wizard was busy writing up something on a piece of parchment.

"There," the wizard said as soon as he was finished writing. "I have written a ransom note that they will surely pay me in gold for your safe return. And when they do, I will also capture them as well."

"Sweet mother of Smurf, Gargamel," Farmer shouted. "You will be the one who will pay for this!"

Then Gargamel went out toward his window. "Corbelius? CORBELIUS? Where are you, you miserable little bird? Come over here!"

A ragged black crow flew toward the window, looking rather bored and disintersted in anything that Gargamel wanted from him.

"Here, Corbelius, I have a little note for you to deliver to those despicable Smurfs," Gargamel said as Corbelius landed on the window sill. "There will be some seeds in it for you if all goes well."

Corbelius took the rolled-up note in his beak and flew off. Empath followed the bird as he flew over the Smurf Village and dropped off the note to one of the Smurfs below.

It was Trader who picked up the message and read it aloud. "It's from Gargamel," he said. "He wants us to deliver all our gold to him before dawn tomorrow at the Great Oak because he is smurfing Farmer Smurf hostage!"

The other Smurfs who heard the message read aloud were muttering to themselves. It seemed to Empath that the last thing they want to give up is their gold.

Then Papa Smurf came onto the scene. He was wearing a scarf and walking with a cane, being supported by Smurfette. "What's all this commotion about, my little Smurfs," he asked, still sounding rather weak.

"Thank Smurfness you're up and about, Papa Smurf," Trader said. "We smurfed this note from Gargamel."

Papa Smurf took the message and read it for himself. "'Be at the Great Oak at dawn with all your gold'? But we have no gold."

"We do have it now, Papa Smurf...as part of our money system," Trader explained. "I tried to smurf you this earlier, but you were sick."

"I see," Papa Smurf said as he stroked his beard in thought. "I am under no illusions, knowing that Gargamel will not smurf his end of the bargain, even if we're faithful to ours." He then turned to Zipper Smurf. "Go to Gargamel's castle and see what he may be smurfing for us. And be careful!"

"De inmediato, Papá Pitufo," Zipper said. He quickly rushed through the forest and found himself at Gargamel's castle, where he saw carefully through the window the evil wizard with a net, and Farmer Smurf hoisted high inside a cage.

"Behold, Azrael," Gargamel said. "Once they bring them all their gold, the net will close in on them, and I will be rich."

"You'll be rich, all right...rich in rat smurfings," Farmer shouted.

"Ay caramba!" Zipper said to himself. "Papá Pitufo is right! I have to go back and tell him!"

Zipper then rushed back to the village to tell Papa Smurf about the net that Gargamel was preparing to drop on the Smurfs.

"That's just what I thought he was going to smurf," Papa Smurf said. He took off the scarf and handed the cane to Smurfette, feeling his own strength returning to him. "I need some Smurfs who will smurf with me to the Great Oak."

"Papa Smurf, this is not safe for you in your condition," Smurfette warned.

"I'll be all right, Smurfette," Papa Smurf said. "I won't be smurfing this job alone. - Empath watched Papa Smurf and several other Smurfs hide out in a bush near the Great Oak, waiting until after nightfall for Gargamel to show up. He then appeared, hanging his net on some branches, ready to spring his trap on them at dawn. Gargamel seemed pleased as he finished his job and left. Then Papa Smurf had some of his Smurfs bring a ladder so that they could adjust the net trap themselves.

At dawn, Papa Smurf appeared at the Great Oak with some of his little Smurfs with a wagon full of gold coins from the First Smurf National Bank. Papa Smurf warned the others to stay on their toes as Gargamel appeared.

"So we meet again, my friends," Gargamel said, cackling. "Do you bring all the gold?"

"Here it is, Gargamel," Papa Smurf said, showing him the cart. "We smurfed our end of the bargain, now smurf us the prisoner."

"Why, certainly," Gargamel said, showing the Smurfs the cage that Farmer is in, with a cloth draped over it. "Just bring the cart closer."

"Agreed," Papa Smurf said. "We will smurf each other halfway."

As Gargamel and the Smurfs got closer to each other, the wizard started to worry about the trap. And then suddenly it sprang...snaring him instead of the Smurfs, who were now cheering, with Papa Smurf letting out a sigh of relief.

But as the Smurfs examined the cage, the cheering stopped. "It's empty, Papa Smurf," one of the Smurfs said.

Gargamel cackled viciously. "What were you thinking, you tiny blue fools? That I was actually going to bring you your companion? I have left him in my hovel with Azrael guarding him...and if I don't return, that Smurf will be my cat's meal for the day!"

"Quick, my little Smurfs!" Papa Smurf shouted. "Let's smurf to Gargamel's castle before it's too late!"

"Me and Brainy will smurf the money back to the village, Papa Smurf," Trader called out as Papa Smurf and a few other Smurfs headed for the castle. - At the castle, Farmer watched as Azrael chewed and clawed away at the ropes holding up the cage. "Azrael! You stupid beast! Stop it!" Farmer shouted.

But soon the rope broken and the cage broke as it fell to the ground. Azrael had already pounced on Farmer, pinning him to the ground with one of his paws, and lifting up another paw to strike at him.

"AZRAEL! SMURF YOUR PAWS OFF HIM!" Papa Smurf shouted as he arrived at the window with his Smurfs. They all poured into the room, with one Smurf striking Azrael directly with a stick before swiping at him with a paw.

"Wait! There's an easier way to get rid of the cat!" one of the Smurfs said. "Crazy, smurf to that funnel on the table!"

Crazy understood what his fellow Smurf wanted. He hopped onto the table and used the funnel as a megaphone, making convincing dog barking sounds that scared Azrael. He fled into an open chest, which the Smurfs closed the lid of and sealed shut so the cat wouldn't escape.

Every Smurf laughed as they saw Azrael fall for Crazy's sound effect trip. "What a cat...but a stupid cat!" one of the Smurfs said.

"Let's smurf back to the village," Papa Smurf said. "I've had enough of smurfing in this place."

"Thanks for smurfing to my rescue," Farmer said to one of his fellow Smurfs as they all ran out of the castle.

"It's all in a day's smurf, Farmer Smurf," that Smurf responded.

The Smurfs that remained in the village were glad to see Papa Smurf and the others return with Farmer, who was glad to see all his fellow Smurfs again as they crowded around him.

"And so, my little Smurfs, for the successful rescue of Farmer Smurf, I would like to smurf a little party for us to celebrate," Papa Smurf announced. This made the rest of the Smurfs cheer...except for Trader.

"Hold it, Papa Smurf," Trader said. "A little party? But who's going to pay for it?" This made the Smurfs let out a collective groan in frustration.

"I hate paying for parties," Grouchy said.

"As much as I hate to admit it, that's true," Party Smurf said. "Who's going to pay for the lamps?"

"And for the cakes?" Greedy asked.

"And for the music?" Harmony asked.

"And for the sarsaparilla ale?" Tapper asked.

"And what about smurfing admission?" Trader added.

Papa Smurf sighed, sounding disappointed. "It's too bad, my little Smurfs. Since this is the case, I'm afraid there won't be a little party after all."

And this made all the Smurfs walk away, sighing in great disappointment.

Smurf to Part 7