The Words of the Exler Family
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The Words of the Exler Family |
Pudgie
asks a scowling Wudgie to take a walk with him.
Once upon a time, there lived in the land of Goobie a tiny little Wudgie-Goob. He lived all alone in a tiny little house, which looked very much like a small pumpkin. It also looked very much like a can of tomatoes. It really depended on which direction you were coming from.
Now, Goobies are very small and round, like oranges. They have tiny arms and legs and can't run very fast at all. So some of them waddle when they're in a great hurry, which can be very embarrassing. Wudgie waddled a lot.
His friends, the very few he had, called him Wudgie-Woo. But his real name was WudgieWumpalumpaloopa R. Wundee-Woo. Sometimes it took from morning until sunrise the next day to greet him. So for those who had other things to do, "Wudgie-Woo" was much easier to say. Some Goobies who were very busy just called him Wudgie.
Now Wudgie was an odd little Goobie. He was as grumpy and sulk) as a tiny little Goob could possibly b€
He didn't like anything.
He didn't like his house, he didn't like his breakfast and he didn't like his dinner. Sometimes he liked his lunch, but this didn't happen very often.
He didn't like his chair and he didn't like his bed. He hated his pillow and could barely look at his shoes, he hated them so much. And he didn't like anybody. He didn't even like Pudgie, the nicest and most loving Goobie in the whole village. There was very little that Wudgie liked. And so he always had a mean little look on his face.
Now since Goobies have very big faces and very very small arms and legs, it was clear to everyone that Wudgie was just a grumpy Goobie. And so Wudgie spent most of his time all alone. After all, who wants to be friends with a sulky little Wudgie-Goob?
One lovely spring day, Wudgie's front door opened very slowly. Out poked Wudgie's head. He looked around at the bright blue sky. He looked at the brightly colored flowers waving gently in the breeze. He looked at the birds playing and singing in the trees. And he felt the warm spring breeze gently blowing through his hair.
Wudgie was just about to put one foot out the door when a little yellow butterfly flew down and tried to land on his nose. Wudgie quickly drew in his head and slammed the door. He leaned against the door and sighed a big sigh. And he almost began to cry. Then he sighed a little sigh, a very small and sad one.
"Why me?" he said. "I hate everything!" he cried. And he flopped down in his chair with a loud noise. He had the grumpiest look on his face that a Goobie could possibly have.
Then he remembered how much he hated his chair, and quickly jumped out of it. He though he'd better go outside and take a walk, just to rest his face. Being sulky and grumpy all the time was very hard work.
So little grumpy Wudgie-Woo the Goob took a little walk through the town. He shuffled along kicking his feet into the dirt. He grumbled grumpily and tried not to waddle. All the other Goobies who happened to be taking walks that fine spring day were very surprised to see Wudgie. Some took off their hats and nodded politely. Some pretended that they didn't see him and began to chase the butterflies, waddling mightily and bumping into each other.
Wudgie's head hung down and he started to grumble even more, if that was possible. And he waddled so badly he almost fell down. Soon Wudgie came to a small empty field and sat down on a little stone, next to a bubbling stream. He felt so sorry for himself that he covered his eyes with his hands and started to cry. When he was done, he looked up.
There sitting next to him on a daisy was Pudgie.
"Hello, Wudgie" Pudgie said kindly.
Wudgie just scowled at him and told him to go away.
"It's such a nice day," said Pudgie, "I thought maybe we could take a walk together." Pudgie moved closer to Wudgie and put his arm around him.
"What do you think?" Pudgie asked.
Wudgie kicked his foot into the dirt a bit, and then said "okay" in a quiet little voice.
So Wudgie and Pudgie started off together through the flower-covered fields. Pudgie bounced up and down and Wudgie waddled from side to side. Even though they were different Wudgie hoped maybe, just maybe they could be friends.
"Would you like me to tell you a story?" Pudgie asked.
"I don't know..." Wudgie said. "It's a beautiful story about love. Do you know what love is?"
"No, I don't. What is it?"
Pudgie began to tell him all about love. How you feel a wonderful feeling in your heart. And how you see the beauty in everything. And how you want to care for everybody and everything in the world.
"But where does love come from?" asked Wudgie.
"Love comes from Heavenly Father. It's everywhere, just like Heavenly Father is everywhere. And just like air is everywhere. Love is all around us. In the trees and flowers, in the birds, the butterflies and the bees. Love is in the stones, in the mountains and in the lakes. Love is in the clouds, in the sky, in the sun and the moon. And love can be in people, too, if they want it to be."
"You mean love can be in me, too?" asked Wudgie.
Wudgie was getting excited. He was getting so excited that he started to waddle very badly. He fell flat on his face in a big mud puddle, and it wasn't until Pudgie helped him to his feet that his question could be answered.
"Yes, Wudgie. Love can be in you, too," said Pudgie, as he tried to wipe off the mud from Wudgie's nose. "All you have to do is pray to Heavenly Father and ask him to fill you up with love. You see Heavenly Father is in you, too."
Wudgie stood there, his face dripping and covered with mud. But he didn't mind at all. He was actually smiling. Then he started to laugh! Then he started to glow all over!
"You mean, I can be a good and loving person if I pray and talk to God? And... and ask God to fill me with love?" Wudgie was so excited he started to hop from one foot to another.
"Yes, Wudgie. I talk to God every day. God helps me with so many things. And God helps me to help other people, too. God cares so very much about us. God cares about you, too, Wudgie. Heavenly Father doesn't like to see you so unhappy."
"Really?" Wudgie was thinking very deeply about all this.
"Of course. And if you are unhappy, it makes others unhappy."
Yes," answered Wudgie very slowly. "I can see that. And I can see now how wonderful love is. And how much I need it."
Pudgie nodded his head.
Wudgie looked at him with tears in his eyes and coughed a little. Then he ho-hummed a bit.
"But more than this, I can see how much I need to give love."
Pudgie's eyes grew big and he laughed with wonder and happiness. Wudgie laughed too and threw his arms around Pudgie.
Together they danced a little dance of joy and friendship. Then hand in hand, they went home. Pudgie was bouncing up and down and Wudgie was waddling from side to side, but they didn't care.
After that very special day, Wudgie and Pudgie became the best of friends. Wudgie made other friends, too. It was an amazing thing. Wudgie's heart just grew and grew, and pretty soon people started to say that Wudgie was the most loving Goobie in town! Instead of Wudgie-Woo, the Goobies began to call him "01' Wudge."
Well, guess who the happiest Goobie in town is?
You're right. It's Wudgie-Woo the Good.