La, la, la la la la, smurf it all day long.
La, la, la la la la, smurf along with me.
La, la, la la la la, simple as can be.
The next time you're feeling blue,
Just let this song begin.
Smurfy things can come to you,
So smurf yourself a grin.
As Empath heard the "smurfsong" being sung out, he noticed another Smurf among them who also wasn't singing along. It was Grouchy. He was trying to work on a project of his own and was now holding his hands over his ears, seeming as if he really did not want to hear the "smurfsong", let alone want to sing it.
"Hey, Grouchy, why aren't you smurfing along with us?" Harmony asked as soon as he finished the bridge section of the song. "You're not a Smurf unless you really smurf yourself into singing along with the rest of us!"
"I hate singing along with the rest of you!" Grouchy shouted. He threw his project onto the floor and just walked out of the house, apparently very irritated.
"Well," Poet fumed, "that Smurf just has no appreciation for the fine art of music and poetry smurfed together in perfect harmony."
"And he doesn't even finish what he smurfs on, either," Sculptor added.
"Mon ami, everyone's a critic when it comes to smurfing a true artist's masteurpiesa," Painter responded in a very cultivated French accent. "M'sieu Grouchy is perhaps the worst critic of all because he can't even smurf a masteurpiesa."
Harmony decided to continue playing.
La, la, la la la la, now you know the tune,
La, la, la la la la, you'll be smurfing soon.
Empath listened as the rest of the "smurfsong" was played and sang along to, but as much as he tried to get himself into the music, he couldn't help again noticing Grouchy's reaction and its effect on every Smurf present. It seemed that Grouchy would rather be anywhere than actually doing anything with his fellow Smurfs, even if the activity had no purpose other than to expend time and energy on trivial pursuits.
Jokey had just ran into Empath and Papa Smurf as they left the arts and crafts center, seeming like he had something urgent to tell either of them. "Thank smurfness I finally smurfed up with you, Empath," he announced, stopping briefly to catch his breath. "Since you're the new Smurf around here, I thought I might as well smurf you a present."
Empath noticed that Jokey's package looked like the same one he was carrying since they greeted Empath hours ago. He wasn't sure what was so important about the package that Jokey wanted to give him. He looked at Papa Smurf as if to ask.
"Smurfing presents to one another is one of the things that makes us Smurfs," Papa Smurf answered. "It shows how much we care about others."
Empath seemed to understand that. "This smurf would be honored to accept your present, Jokey," Empath responded, sounding curious about the whole thing. "Of course, this smurf wishes to know what it is inside the package that you are willing to give this smurf."
"Oh, I can't tell you what's inside," Jokey told him, looking like he was hiding a secret. "It's a surprise, Empath. You have to open it to smurf out."
Empath looked at Papa Smurf, who inexplicably took a step back from Empath, as if he knew what was inside the package but also wasn't going to tell Empath. Whatever that meant, Empath knew there was only one way to clear up the mystery of this package.
He took off the ribbon and opened the lid of the package to see what was inside, when all of a sudden it exploded on him. He was left holding the remains of the box, his face smudged up and wearing a slight expression of shock. "Great Ancestors!" Empath exclaimed. "What happened? Did this smurf accidentally destroy your gift?"
Jokey finally burst out laughing, enjoying the look on Empath's face. "I told you, Empath," he said between laughs. "It was a surprise, and you fell for it!"
After Jokey had walked away, Empath turned to Papa Smurf, puzzled. "This smurf does not understand why Jokey would give somebody a present that would explode when it is opened," Empath stated.
Papa Smurf had to restrain himself from laughing at Empath before he answered. "That would be humor, Empath -- one of the many things that makes us Smurfs. Sometimes we need the gift of laughter to make sure we don't smurf things in our lives too seriously."
Empath still looked puzzled. Somehow at that moment he couldn't make the connection between what he saw as an outright deception and the act of laughing at it.
Papa Smurf realized Empath wasn't ready to understand that concept. He gently took what was left of Jokey's present out of Empath's hands and discarded it. Off in the distance, they could hear Jokey attempting to lure another Smurf to open another gift box, followed by yet another explosion. But this time Jokey wasn't laughing afterward.
"I just can't stand a Smurf that has no sense of humor," he snarled, sounding as if the gift box exploded on him instead. "That's the last time I try to smurf a joke on Grouchy!"