Disclaimer: I do not own the Smurfs. Please don't sue me or steal my story. Thanks!

NOTE: I started writing this story in response to a special request from a friend. It was meant to be a quick one-shot in which Brainy's arrogant ways get turned against him, but it insisted on growing! And then, I started weaving in a few more requests... Now I'm not sure how many chapters it'll have. Still, I figured I'd start putting it up anyway. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Lessons Never Smurfed

By Rowena

1. The Explosion

The explosion rocked the entire Smurf Village, from roof to root-cellar. Smurfs came running from all corners, calling out to each other in alarm and confusion. Even Lazy woke from his nap and looked around.

"Oh! What in the world was that!" Smurfette exclaimed.

"I don't know, Smurfette," Hefty said, "but I think it came from Papa Smurf's lab!"

A growing crowd of Smurfs gathered in the clearing before Papa Smurf's red-and-yellow roofed mushroom house. Thick, purple-black smoke curled out the windows, up the chimney, and through the narrow crack under the door. The Smurfs could hear Papa Smurf's angry shouts coming from inside, loud enough to rattle the shutters.

"Brainy, I told you: TWO drops of lava juice. Not TWELVE. TWO!"

"I know, Papa Smurf, but I thought if I just increased—"

"You didn't think, Brainy. You never think! You just do! That's the trouble!"

"I'm sorry, Papa Smurf. I really am! I certainly didn't intend—"

"'Sorry!' 'Sorry!' That's all I ever hear from you, Brainy!"

"Sorry, Papa Smurf. But, I—"

"No, no, you can save your 'sorries' and your 'buts'. It's not going to work this time. This time, Brainy Smurf, you have finally smurfed the limit. In fact, after the stunt you just pulled, I am seriously considering dropping you as my apprentice."

"Papa Smurf! But you can't—"

"I most certainly can! I am smurf up to here with your stubborn, prideful, empty-headed arrogance. I need a Smurf who can smurf directions. A Smurf who knows better than to RUIN my experiment and nearly smurf us both to Kingdom Smurf!"

"But Papa Smurf, I didn't mean…"

"You meant to do just what you did! You thought you knew better than your old Papa Smurf, and don't you dare smurf me otherwise."

"I… I'm sorry… I'll clean it up—"

"You're not touching my equipment. Get out, Brainy. Out, OUT, OUT of my sight, before I smurf something you'll regret!"

"OK, OK, Papa Smurf, I'm going! But, before I leave, can I just say in my defense that—"

The Smurfs gathered outside took a step back as Papa Smurf's singed door burst open and a soot-stained Brainy came shooting out, soaring over their heads with a pained yelp. Papa Smurf lowered his kicking foot and shouted after him, "And I don't want to see your spectacled blue face near my lab again until you can smurf me exactly what you did wrong!"

Papa Smurf slammed his door shut, disappearing back into his smoky, shattered lab. The gathered Smurfs stared at each other for a moment, then burst into cheers.

"Ooh, hoo!" Hefty laughed, "At last, that blowhard Brainy got what he deserved!"

"Yeah," Handy agreed, crossing his arms over his overalls. "A swift, sharp kick in the pants."

"My Smurfs. I never knew Papa Smurf had it in him," Poet said with some wonder.

"Me neither," Greedy said, licking pink frosting off the smurfberry cupcake in his hand. "But after an explosion like that one, even our level-headed Papa Smurf's entitled to lose his temper, I think."

"I hate explosions!" Grouchy stated.

"Uh, yeah, me too," Clumsy said. "Poor Brainy. He must be smurfin' pretty low about now."

"Humph! I don't feel bad for him one bit," Smurfette said. "I say it's about time Papa Smurf put his foot down where Brainy's concerned."

"Yeah," Hefty said. "Papa Smurf's always gone way too easy on the little smarty-pants, if you ask me."

"I hate smarty-pants!" Grouchy proclaimed.

"You have said it, mes amis," Painter said. "Our Brainy, he needs to learn he does not always know best!"

"Brainy doesn't know anything. Anything really useful, anyway. All he does is criticize the rest of us," Handy said, and shook his head. "I'm smurfing back to work. Call me when it's lunch time, OK, Greedy?"

"I always do, Handy," the chef said, scarfing down the last of his cupcake.

In less than a minute, the crowd had dispersed and the Smurfs had returned to their chores. No one gave another thought to the argument between Brainy and Papa Smurf until the next morning…when Brainy didn't show up for breakfast.

To Be Continued...