"Say it!" Demanding.
"Finish your lunch, so that you may join your brothers."
"I don't wanna." Hopeful. "I want you to say it."
"Story time is later. Eat."
"Pleeeeease?" Downright annoying.
There were many things Splinter disliked. Rain, the putrid smell of sewage heated by the summer sun, the sound of early-morning garbage men making rounds, and lunch time. During the morning, things always seemed brighter and more do-able. The turtles, docile from just being roused, would go about their chores and then play when finished, awaiting a sparring partner. Come lunch time, however, it seemed that all Hell would break loose.
Leonardo would require constant supervision to ensure that whatever it was he felt he wasn't fully gasping was perfectly executed, all the while Donatello would rattle off question after question: 'can I have this?' 'what's that?' 'how does this work?' or the occasional, 'I'm not sure, but I think I did something bad. You'd better come take a look.' Being children, they quickly grew bored of any activity lasting longer than half an hour—an hour, if he was lucky, and frankly, he felt himself growing ragged and needing to enforce more naps and time outs than should have been necessary. When lunch was finished, the natural order would be restored, and he would breathe a sigh of relief. Raphael would be content to draw and Donatello and Leonardo would read together; Michelangelo would entertain himself other ways, more often than not naming his fingers, giving them back stories, and playing with the much the same a human child might dolls.
Michelangelo was a rock. When he set his mind on something he absolutely wanted, he would fight tooth and nail for it. An admirable quality in some. The sheer determination in his eyes was astounding. A proper scolding should have been in order for all the backtalk, but Splinter found himself hesitating. Sometimes it was easier to give in to demands. "If I say it, you must promise me that you will finish your lunch, and then do something productive."
"What's 'productive' mean?"
"It means using your time wisely. Busy yourself with something creative and safe. And quiet," he added.
"Deal." Easier said than done, Splinter thought, but his compliance was appreciated. "So, you will?"
Somewhere, Leonardo was attempting to referee a wrestling match between Donatello and Raphael. Knees and elbows were getting scraped, useable items trampled, and egos bruised. Then, who knew what. If only he could be in four places at one time. If only...
"Yes," Splinter answered wearily, his resolve crumbling like stale bread. Why Michelangelo loved this particular line from the story, he would never know. He hardly told the story, since it was a mouthful, but it was one the boys often requested. Whether it was that they genuinely enjoyed the story, or that they loved to hear him rattle off the main character's ridiculously long name, he did not know, and getting Michelangelo to sit through the entire story was a problem in itself. He would often lose interest and wander off during the middle, and come when his favorite part came up. Splinter wondered if he even knew how the story ended. He sighed, bracing himself.
"Kin-chan came running…" Mikey began, a smile spreading across his face. "There, started it for you."
"Kin-chan came running…'" Splinter repeated, taking in a deep breath. "'Waa! Waa!' he cried. Jugemu-jugemu Gokonosurikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kunerutokoroni-sumutokoro Yaburakojino-burakoji Paipopaipo-paiponoshuringan Shuringanno-gurindai Gurindaino-ponpokopino-ponpokonano Chokyumeino-chosuke hit me and gave me a lump on the head!'"
At this, Michelangelo laughed heartily, as he always did. "Go on!"
"'What?' said the mother. 'Our Jugemu-jugemu Gokonosurikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kunerutokoroni-sumutokoro Yaburakojino-burakoji Paipopaipo-paiponoshuringan Shuringanno-gurindai Gurindaino-ponpokopino-ponpokonano Chokyumeino-chosuke hit you and gave you a lump on your head? I'm so sorry! Honey, did you hear that? It seems that Jugemu-jugemu Gokonosurikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kunerutokoroni-sumutokoro Yaburakojino-burakoji Paipopaipo-paiponoshuringan Shuringanno-gurindai Gurindaino-ponpokopino-ponpokonano Chokyumeino-chosuke hit Kin-chan here, and gave him a lump on his head!'
"The father said: 'Really? Our Jugemu-jugemu Gokonosurikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kunerutokoroni-sumutokoro Yaburakojino-burakoji Paipopaipo-paiponoshuringan Shuringanno-gurindai Gurindaino-ponpokopino-ponpokonano Chokyumeino-chosuke did that? We'd better call Jugemu-jugemu Gokonosurikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kunerutokoroni-sumutokoro Yaburakojino-burakoji Paipopaipo-paiponoshuringan Shuringanno-gurindai Gurindaino-ponpokopino-ponpokonano Chokyumeino-chosuke in here and sort this out right now. Can I see this lump, Kin-chan?
The small boy exclaimed, 'It took so long to explain, the lump's gone down already!'"
Grabbing at his sides, Mikey fell to the ground, overcome with laughter. The others came running, curious to see what was so darn funny.
"Did he make you tell the Jugemu-jugemu story again?" Don asked, regarding his brother with an exasperated look while Leo poked at him with his toe.
"You still ain't done, Mikey?" Raph asked, smirking.
"We had a deal, Michelangelo," Splinter reminded. He reached down, scooping Mikey up by his underarms. "Now, finish your food," he said, and Mikey did, without another word.
Minutes later, Splinter let loose a sigh of relief as he watched the back of four shells happily bounce off. He would need to work on his disciplinary skills. This could not go on. At this rate, he wouldn't make it another year.
If you didn't catch on, Jugemu Jugemu is basically the Japanese version of Tikki Tikki Tembo/Ricky Ticky Tembo. I loved the story as a kid, and decided to incorporate it. Obviously, it is not mine. Let it stand for the record that I take no claims in owning it. Also, I suggest you check out videos of kids saying the tongue twister on you tube. It's adorable! I *think* got the quotation marks right.