Monkey Did It.
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
Author's note: A cute young turtle story based on something my nephew did when he was quite young, now he is in his twenties and would probably be embarrassed if he knew I was writing this. Ramica.
….
A six-year-old Mike sprawled on the floor, tired of playing by himself he glanced over to where Raph and Leo were in the midst of a game of checkers, a game that Splinter had been teaching them recently. Mike sprang up and ran over, in his excitement he accidentally kicked the game board sending bits and game pieces flying.
" Mike, be careful" Leo moaned, as he got up to gather the scattered parts.
" What do you think your doing" Raph grumbled annoyed. " You big doofus! Watch it!"
Mike fidgeted on his feet as he gave a little shrug, " I didn't mean to, I only wanted to play to." He insisted rolling his eyes and giving an innocent look.
" You can't play Mike checkers is a two person game." Leo reminded his brother.
" Well can't we play another game?" Mike badgered.
" No" Raph snapped simply, " Because you don't play fair."
" I do too!" Mike disputed.
" Do not!" Raph corrected.
Mike turned and yelled across the room towards Don, who was immersed in some boring book, that didn't even have pictures in it. " Donny I play fair, don't I?"
Don glanced up from his book " Umm, I don't want to answer that" Don decided in true diplomatic fashion.
" Why not?" Mike moaned, " It's a simple question."
Leo looked towards Raph " Should we set it up again?"
Raph sighed, he was expecting this to happen and glowered towards Mike, " Only if he stays far away while we play."
Mike gasped and turned away, feeling rejected he tried to hide his tears, he really hadn't meant to ruin the last game, " I know when I'm not wanted!" he muttered as he kicked out at the back of a chair stubbing his toe in the process.
Hurting in more ways then one, Mike headed, limping, to his bedroom " I'm gonna run away. Nobody wants me here anyways." He grumbled to himself.
He glanced around his room trying to figure out what to take with him. He started at the most important area first, the toy box, all the while feeling very hurt and hard done by, as he thought about running away and making the others regret their actions.
Going through his toy box, he found many wonderful toys and quickly forgot his plans to run away, as he was distracted by toys that, he had forgotten about for some time, stopping to play with this one or that one. Then he found one of his favourites buried in a corner of the box.
It was a tiny monkey puppet; Mike could place one hand inside the puppet and use his hand to make the monkey's mouth open and close.
Mike remembered getting this toy; Splinter had found it for him, for his birthday about a year back. Mike laughed as he saw his old friend.
He jammed a hand inside the puppet causing it's mouth to open and shut.
" What is that monkey? You want to play a game?" Mike asked.
The monkey puppet nodded.
" You want to play with me?" Mike grinned.
Again the monkey puppet nodded.
" All right. We can have fun together, and I know a great game we can play." Mike decided suddenly a big smile on his face.
Moments later Mike emerged from the bedroom and headed back to the living room, he could see Leo and Raph still playing their game, perhaps it was a second game by now, Mike didn't know and didn't really care.
He also noticed Don had left the living room and left his book lying open face down on the cushion of the couch. Mike went over and sat down on the empty area and clicked on the TV with his free hand, while his puppet very casually moved towards the book.
Don came from the kitchen and came to sit beside Mike, giving his brother a sympathetic smile, then he glanced down noting his book was missing, frantically he looked around on the floor for his book, a scowl coming to the young turtle's face.
Mike turned away from the TV " What's the matter Don?"
" My book. I left it here. At least I thought I did." Don muttered uncertainly.
Mike shook his head " I didn't see one when I sat down" He insisted giving his biggest, sweetest, most innocent expression he could.
" Hmmm," Don made a noise low in his throat before looking towards his other two brothers " Did one of you move my book?" He asked.
" We haven't moved from here" Leo replied.
Raph watched as Leo jumped a few of his men and got in place to be kinged, he snorted.
" Well someone must have moved it. I don't see it here." Don insisted placing both hands firmly at his side and glaring at Leo and Don.
Mike smirked a bit as he sat back on the couch.
" Maybe it fell on the floor," Leo suggested.
Don rolled his eyes " I all ready checked. Enough game playing what did you do with it?" He demanded.
" Aw come off it Don we didn't touch it!" Raph snapped. He hated to be accused of things he hadn't done.
" Someone had to it can't just walk off" Don retorted sharply, " I was in the middle of a good part too" he lamented.
Leo groaned, " Come on Raph, let help look for it."
" Why? He lost it!" Raph, said gesturing towards Don.
" No. I didn't. It was right here." Don insisted firmly.
" Mike you help us look too." Leo decided.
" Hey, I was playing in my room I don't know what happened with it." Mike stated as he turned to watch the cartoon, he giggled as Bugs bunny once again got the best of Elmer Fudd.
" Mike it won't hurt to help us" Leo pleaded.
" You wouldn't let me play with you earlier." Mike reminded Leo as he stuck his tongue out at his brother, " but now you want me to help. Well I don't wanna." Mike declared.
" Maybe if I deck ya, you'll feel like it." Raph growled.
" Oh leave him alone, in the mood he is in he won't be any help to us anyway" Leo muttered.
Mike shrugged, " All right I will look in the kitchen," he decided quickly as he jumped off the couch and headed towards the kitchen to get a glass of water.
Moments later Raph found the book tucked under a cushion on the sofa " Here's your stupid book" he tossed it towards Don. " Now can Leo and I maybe finish our game?"
" Thanks for your help guys." Don replied thankfully as he settled back on the chair.
" Mikey, we found Don's book" Leo yelled.
" Oh that's good." Mike replied emerging from the kitchen.
Leo realized they had been sort of ignoring Mike felt slightly bad, quickly offered. " Maybe after Raph and I are finished you and I can play a game Mike."
" Thanks but I don't wanna now. Monkey and I are playing a game." Mike informed his brothers.
" Okay." Leo smiled and arched an eye ridge towards Raph who raised his hand over his mouth to laugh.
" Wait a second Leo, some of the game pieces are missing now" Raph declared suddenly pointing to empty spaces where there had been none before.
Leo scowled " That wasn't nice of you Don to take parts of the game while we helped you find your book" Leo harrumphed.
" I wasn't even over there. But I saw Mike go that way before heading out to the kitchen." Don answered quickly as he glanced up from his story.
" Why are you trying to blame me?" Mike moped " Why is everything always my fault around here?"
" Cause you and Raph are usually the ones to get into trouble" Don replied.
" Uh-uh you and Leo get into trouble too." Mike pointed out, "Just last week you got into trouble for mixing some stuff up that Sensei didn't want you touching" Mike reminded Don.
"I was trying to make something" Don muttered ducking his head back in his book, " I didn't know that it would do that."
" We all get into trouble Mike but when you get into trouble it is usually because you have played some joke that isn't funny" Leo said as he looked over at Mike, " Raph gets into trouble for getting into fights with the rest of us or for going after the weapons in the dojo."
Raph glared at Leo, " You get into trouble for being a busy body and tattle tale not to mention all your lying lately."
Leo shrugged, " Point is we all get into trouble and I have learned my lesson about lying to Sensei" he grimaced a bit as if in memory of what sensei had him do.
" So this is more your sort of thing Mike? Are you playing a joke on the rest of us?" Don wondered looking over to Mike.
Mike shook his head, " Not me. Monkey did it."
"Put you control the monkey Mike" Don declared.
" No I don't. The monkey does it because monkeys are like that." Mike said beaming a huge smile, " it just can't be helped."
" Well maybe I can put a stop to the monkey" Raph grinned maliciously.
" Its my monkey Raph." Mike yelped jumping to his feet and preparing to run.
Leo quirked his eye ridges upward " Not for long, we just want to teach the monkey a lesson." He lunged after his brother kicking the game board and sending the other pieces all over.
Leo went one way Raph another as the two brothers quickly sandwiched Mike between them, Mike fell to the floor tucking the monkey puppet under his plastron and huddling in a ball as his two brothers pummelled him.
" Give it here!"
" Hand it over Mike"
" You can't hold on to it forever."
" Oh yes I can its mine!"
Suddenly Splinter returned from his scavenging trip, his eyes narrowed as he saw three young turtles in a melee on the floor and Don jumping on the couch egging his brother's on while Mike howled and screamed at his brothers.
The checkers game was strewn all about the floor and parts of it were probably lost making the game useless.
The rat's hair bristled and he thumped the end of his walking stick on the floor.
" Will someone please tell me what the meaning of this is?" he snapped sharply.
Instantly the room fell quiet, not so much as a peep could be heard as Leo, Raph and Don turned to face their father/mentor with meek faces.
Mike got to his feet rubbing fresh bruises and sniffing a bit.
The turtles looked from one to another but didn't answer.
Splinter laid his ears back, his tail twitched in fury, and his muzzle wrinkled.
" Very well, then I am going make myself some tea, you will sit down on the chairs and be silent, not moving or talking, or doing anything until I return" Splinter ordered, " By then I hope to have an answer of your behaviour."
The four young turtles slowly and uneasily perched on the couch eyeing one another with trepidation and uncertainty as they watched Splinter depart towards the kitchen.
" Its all your fault Mike." Leo insisted.
"Is not." Mike shot back.
"Yes it is" Raph agreed.
"Hey you were beating on me," Mike pointed out his voice rising slightly above the whisper they had all been using.
Splinter's sharp ears had heard the first whisper and he gave a command " Silence!"
The turtles instantly obeyed glancing anywhere and everywhere but at each other, but still huddled close to one another as if gathering strength from the others near them.
Splinter returned with his cup of tea and saw the four silent humble turtles, now arranged in typical monkey fashion
Leo had his hands over his eyes being the monkey who saw no evil.
Don had his hands over his mouth being monkey who spoke no evil.
Raph had his hands over his ears being the monkey who heard no evil and Mike was sitting with a bored look on his face and his hands held out to the side, being the monkey who had no fun.
Splinter smiled inwardly trying to keep the light look from crossing his face. He instead raised his teacup and took a sip, then almost gagged.
He glared at the turtles one of them had obviously changed the sugar in the bowl for salt.
He sat the cup down on a table making a mental note, to change the contents in the sugar bowl as soon as possible.
He then turned and crooked a finger at Mike, " Michelangelo come with me into the dojo."
" Yes Master" Mike mumbled as he stood up and took a last longing look towards his brothers as he followed after his master.
Mike entered the dojo, he glanced up at the rodent, never quite realizing how tall or intimidating Splinter happened to be unless he was in trouble, like right now. He swallowed and tried to smile but it failed miserably.
" Do you wish to tell me what happened?" Splinter demanded.
" Um, well the others wouldn't play with me, so I uh played with monkey."
" Monkey?" Splinter asked, his nose twitched at the words.
Mike withdrew his puppet from his belt. " Monkey. Monkey played tricks on the others."
" What sort of tricks did the monkey play?" Splinter enquired.
" Um. Monkey hid Don's book, and hid the checker pieces."
Splinter nodded, " Did monkey also, and happen to switch the sugar for the salt?"
Mike glanced down at his feet, the toes on his left foot making slow lazy circles as he placed his hands behind his back.
" Uh I think so." Mike confessed uneasily.
" I take it your brother's didn't like that."
" I didn't play those games Monkey did. Monkeys are very mis…mischefious Master" Mike stumbled over the difficult word.
" Yes, they are" Splinter had to agree.
He rather liked Mike's playful ways, and this new creativity of Mike's to let the monkey play tricks, was clearly a wonderful example of how ingenious the young turtle was. Still such pranks and shenanigans lead to trouble and would have to be nipped in the bud.
So Splinter silently considered his options while keeping the young turtle pegged under his steely glare.
" You know Michelangelo, since that Monkey belongs to you, it is up to you to see he behaves as a proper member of our family. You are responsible for the monkey just as I am responsible for you." Splinter began, " In other words my son, if monkey misbehaves and causes trouble then you will be punished, because you must make the monkey mind."
Mike scowled a bit.
" Do you understand?" Splinter asked.
" Oh yes Master I understand" Mike assured his Sensei, " I don't think the monkey will act that way again."
Splinter smiled " I am sure he won't. Now return the game pieces to your brother and apologize to all of them for Monkey's bad behaviour."
" Do I hafta?" Mike moaned.
" I could make you do far more then that for letting the monkey be so bad" Splinter hinted.
" Ah, that's okay. I think I can do that. Thanks Master." Mike replied as he edged towards the door.
Splinter smiled " I thought as much." He said as he watched the young turtle scramble out of the dojo. 'Monkey did it.' Splinter sighed, ' Now that is original. Ah kids!' Splinter had a feeling that the monkey was going be the best-behaved child in the whole lair.
The End