Young Ninja Turtles: A Lesson in Temptation
5-year old Michelangelo sat on a chair across from little sister, Alexandra,
and swung his feet back and forth.
"It's so pretty," Alex cooed, eyeing the small charm sitting on the shelf.
Michelangelo nodded. He wanted so much to play with the medallion. But
it was a very precious momento that belonged to Master Splinter. All of the
Turtles were forbidden to touch it.
"What are you doing?" Leonardo's chirpy 5-year old voice piped up from
the doorway. His eyes were squinted in a suspicious fashion.
"Nothing," Mike and Alex replied in unison.
Leo's mouth turned up into an evil grin. "You guys want to play with
Splinter's medallion don't you?"
Alex eyed Michelangelo. Slowly she nodded her head.
"I don't understand why we can't just touch it," Mike huffed. "It's not like
we'd break it or lose it or anything."
"It's something very special to Master Splinter," Leo stated matter-of-factly,
sticking his beak in the air.
Alex snickered. Out of the 5 Turtles, Leonardo was the boot kisser. He
was also somewhat of a nark.
"Come on Alex," Mike scowled. "Let's go play Dungeons and Dragons."
He grabbed his sister's hand and tugged her toward the bedroom. Leonardo
waited until they were gone before turning back to the medallion. He secretly
understood why his brother and sister were so fascinated with the forbidden
treasure. Suddenly something inside Leo snapped. He hurried to the shelf and
grabbed the medallion, clasping it firmly in his hand he rushed from the room.
********************************************************************************************
In the privacy of the bathroom Leonardo modeled the medallion in front of
the mirror. He turned from side to side, admiring how it looked on him.
"Some day this will be passed on to me," He said out loud. "Since I am the
oldest."
Leo twisted the chain around his neck and to his surprise it broke. The
medallion slipped off and hit the metal sink with a clank. Leo watched, amazed,
as the charm slid down the drain. Panicking, Leo hurried from the room. He put
the empty chain on the shelf and ran to hide in his room. He was sitting on the
floor when Donatello came in.
"Hi Leo," Donnie grinned. His smile faded when he saw the look on his
brother's face. "What's wrong?"
"I…" Leo started, embarrassed. In his short 5 years of life he had prided
himself on not getting into trouble, and being the good son. "I lost Splinter's
medallion!"
"Oh no!" Donnie gasped. "Where is it?"
Leonardo broke into sobs. "I took it off the shelf and was playing with it
and it fell down the drain!"
"You're gonna be in trouble when Master Splinter finds out," Donatello
pointed out.
Leo nodded meekly. As if on cue Master Splinter could be heard from the
outer room.
"Alexandra! Michelangelo!" he hollered.
Donatello and Leonardo scurried to their feet to see what was going on.
********************************************************************************************
Alex skidded to a halt next to Mike. "Yes Master Splinter?"
Splinter held up the empty chain. "Were you and Michelangelo playing
with my medallion."
"No!" Michelangelo shook his head. "We didn't touch it!"
"I saw them playing in your room master splinter," Raphael spoke up.
"I have told you turtles many times that this is not to be touched or played
with," Splinter continued. "Alexandra, Michelangelo, come with me."
Leonardo wanted to cry out. He wanted to let his master know that it was
he who had lost the medallion. But his fear of losing his identity as the good son
kept him from doing that. He watched Splinter lead his brother and sister into his
room with guilt cobwebbing his brain.
********************************************************************************************
A few moments later Michelangelo and Alexandra reappeared. Tears were
streaming down both of their faces and they were crying. Leo noticed that
Alexandra was rubbing her bottom. Slowly she and Michelangelo retreated to
their bedroom.
"Let this be a lesson to all of you," Splinter started. "That you should not
play with things that do not belong to you."
Donatello and Raphael nodded. Leonardo hung back, ashamed.
********************************************************************************************
That night Leonardo didn't sleep well at all. He kept dreaming of what had
happened earlier. How Alex and Mike had been punished because of him. He
woke up sobbing. Slowly and quietly he got out of bed so he wouldn't wake
Raphael and hurried to his sensei's quarters.
"Master?" Leonardo whispered.
Splinter looked up. "Come in my son," he smiled. "I had a feeling you
would be coming."
"You did?" Leo asked, surprised.
"Do you have something to tell me?" Master Splinter questioned.
Leo hung his head in shame. "Master I was the one who lost your
medallion! I took it off the shelf and played with it and it fell down the drain! It was
my fault that Mike and Alex were punished!" By the time he was done, Leo was
sobbing.
"I am glad you came forward my son," Splinter said softly, taking his young
son in his arms. "I had a feeling that you were behind it."
"Then why did you punish Alex and Mike?" Leo sniffed.
"Alexandra and Michelangelo's punishment was more for the mess they
made in the kitchen," Splinter replied. "But I knew that one of you had played with
my medallion, and that I was going to need to coax that party to come forward."
"Am I going to be punished?" Leo sighed.
Splinter eyed the young turtles. "You've punished yourself my son. And
you have learned from it have you not?"
"Yes," Leo nodded. "I have."
"And what have you learned?" Splinter questioned.
Leo blinked. "That when you say not to play with something, I shouldn't
play with it. That if I do something wrong I should tell you about it right away."
Splinter nodded approvingly. "Guilty is a powerful force Leonardo. Do not
forget it."
Leonardo gave his master a hug. "Good night sensei."
"Good night my son," Splinter replied. He watched his oldest son bound
back to his room. Splinter blew out the candle next to his bed and settled in for a
long night's sleep, ready for what the next day with 5 young turtles would bring.
And the moral of the story is: If you get into trouble it is better to fess up right
away. Because guilt is a worse feeling than the feeling you get when you do
something wrong.
The End.
5-year old Michelangelo sat on a chair across from little sister, Alexandra,
and swung his feet back and forth.
"It's so pretty," Alex cooed, eyeing the small charm sitting on the shelf.
Michelangelo nodded. He wanted so much to play with the medallion. But
it was a very precious momento that belonged to Master Splinter. All of the
Turtles were forbidden to touch it.
"What are you doing?" Leonardo's chirpy 5-year old voice piped up from
the doorway. His eyes were squinted in a suspicious fashion.
"Nothing," Mike and Alex replied in unison.
Leo's mouth turned up into an evil grin. "You guys want to play with
Splinter's medallion don't you?"
Alex eyed Michelangelo. Slowly she nodded her head.
"I don't understand why we can't just touch it," Mike huffed. "It's not like
we'd break it or lose it or anything."
"It's something very special to Master Splinter," Leo stated matter-of-factly,
sticking his beak in the air.
Alex snickered. Out of the 5 Turtles, Leonardo was the boot kisser. He
was also somewhat of a nark.
"Come on Alex," Mike scowled. "Let's go play Dungeons and Dragons."
He grabbed his sister's hand and tugged her toward the bedroom. Leonardo
waited until they were gone before turning back to the medallion. He secretly
understood why his brother and sister were so fascinated with the forbidden
treasure. Suddenly something inside Leo snapped. He hurried to the shelf and
grabbed the medallion, clasping it firmly in his hand he rushed from the room.
********************************************************************************************
In the privacy of the bathroom Leonardo modeled the medallion in front of
the mirror. He turned from side to side, admiring how it looked on him.
"Some day this will be passed on to me," He said out loud. "Since I am the
oldest."
Leo twisted the chain around his neck and to his surprise it broke. The
medallion slipped off and hit the metal sink with a clank. Leo watched, amazed,
as the charm slid down the drain. Panicking, Leo hurried from the room. He put
the empty chain on the shelf and ran to hide in his room. He was sitting on the
floor when Donatello came in.
"Hi Leo," Donnie grinned. His smile faded when he saw the look on his
brother's face. "What's wrong?"
"I…" Leo started, embarrassed. In his short 5 years of life he had prided
himself on not getting into trouble, and being the good son. "I lost Splinter's
medallion!"
"Oh no!" Donnie gasped. "Where is it?"
Leonardo broke into sobs. "I took it off the shelf and was playing with it
and it fell down the drain!"
"You're gonna be in trouble when Master Splinter finds out," Donatello
pointed out.
Leo nodded meekly. As if on cue Master Splinter could be heard from the
outer room.
"Alexandra! Michelangelo!" he hollered.
Donatello and Leonardo scurried to their feet to see what was going on.
********************************************************************************************
Alex skidded to a halt next to Mike. "Yes Master Splinter?"
Splinter held up the empty chain. "Were you and Michelangelo playing
with my medallion."
"No!" Michelangelo shook his head. "We didn't touch it!"
"I saw them playing in your room master splinter," Raphael spoke up.
"I have told you turtles many times that this is not to be touched or played
with," Splinter continued. "Alexandra, Michelangelo, come with me."
Leonardo wanted to cry out. He wanted to let his master know that it was
he who had lost the medallion. But his fear of losing his identity as the good son
kept him from doing that. He watched Splinter lead his brother and sister into his
room with guilt cobwebbing his brain.
********************************************************************************************
A few moments later Michelangelo and Alexandra reappeared. Tears were
streaming down both of their faces and they were crying. Leo noticed that
Alexandra was rubbing her bottom. Slowly she and Michelangelo retreated to
their bedroom.
"Let this be a lesson to all of you," Splinter started. "That you should not
play with things that do not belong to you."
Donatello and Raphael nodded. Leonardo hung back, ashamed.
********************************************************************************************
That night Leonardo didn't sleep well at all. He kept dreaming of what had
happened earlier. How Alex and Mike had been punished because of him. He
woke up sobbing. Slowly and quietly he got out of bed so he wouldn't wake
Raphael and hurried to his sensei's quarters.
"Master?" Leonardo whispered.
Splinter looked up. "Come in my son," he smiled. "I had a feeling you
would be coming."
"You did?" Leo asked, surprised.
"Do you have something to tell me?" Master Splinter questioned.
Leo hung his head in shame. "Master I was the one who lost your
medallion! I took it off the shelf and played with it and it fell down the drain! It was
my fault that Mike and Alex were punished!" By the time he was done, Leo was
sobbing.
"I am glad you came forward my son," Splinter said softly, taking his young
son in his arms. "I had a feeling that you were behind it."
"Then why did you punish Alex and Mike?" Leo sniffed.
"Alexandra and Michelangelo's punishment was more for the mess they
made in the kitchen," Splinter replied. "But I knew that one of you had played with
my medallion, and that I was going to need to coax that party to come forward."
"Am I going to be punished?" Leo sighed.
Splinter eyed the young turtles. "You've punished yourself my son. And
you have learned from it have you not?"
"Yes," Leo nodded. "I have."
"And what have you learned?" Splinter questioned.
Leo blinked. "That when you say not to play with something, I shouldn't
play with it. That if I do something wrong I should tell you about it right away."
Splinter nodded approvingly. "Guilty is a powerful force Leonardo. Do not
forget it."
Leonardo gave his master a hug. "Good night sensei."
"Good night my son," Splinter replied. He watched his oldest son bound
back to his room. Splinter blew out the candle next to his bed and settled in for a
long night's sleep, ready for what the next day with 5 young turtles would bring.
And the moral of the story is: If you get into trouble it is better to fess up right
away. Because guilt is a worse feeling than the feeling you get when you do
something wrong.
The End.
