I do not own the Smurfs.

99 Sons and One Daughter

"Doesn't it freak you out sometimes, having all those little guys depend on you?"

Papa Smurf had been completely truthful when he had given Master Winslow his answer. But what he did not tell the strange and kind giant was that it was not by any means easy looking after one hundred Smurfs.

...

"Get back here Greedy Smurf!"

Baker Smurf raced over the lush green grass, weaving through the multiple mushroom houses and trying to catch up to the crook that had snagged his fresh batch of smurfberry cookies. He waved his wooden rolling pin angrily and shouted out what would happen if he ever caught the pilfering Smurf.

Greedy Smurf hastily crammed as many cookies as he could in his mouth, crumbs falling down his chin as he ran. He really tried not to be tempted by the delicious pastries Baker set on his windowsill to cool, but really. Baker should know better by now.

"Greedy!" Baker hollered as the other started to get farther away from him. "Come back here!"

"You're in for it now, Greedy!" Handy teased as he sped by. Greedy shot the builder Smurf an annoyed glance and yelped as he crashed into another Smurf. He looked up in surprise and smiled sheepishly.

Papa raised a white eyebrow and glanced up. Baker hastily skidded to a stop and shoved his rolling pin behind his back. "Good morning Papa."

"Good morning indeed." Papa crossed his arms and stared at Greedy in exasperation. "Breakfast has just passed, Greedy Smurf! Surely you can't be pestering Baker so soon."

Greedy shrugged his shoulders, embarrassed. "I can't help it Papa! Baker's treats are so smurflicious!"

Baker smiled slightly at the praise but remembered he was supposed to be mad. "Flattery will get you nowhere!"

"I'm really sorry!" Greedy looked at Papa Smurf pleadingly. "I won't do it again!"

Papa stared at Greedy knowingly. "That's what you said last time, and the time before that. Are you going to give me Smurf's Honour this time?"

Greedy slumped, knowing very well he could not; he would only end up breaking his Honour moments later. "No, Papa."

"Your honesty is appreciated, Greedy," Papa said gently. "But now I think you should help Baker smurf a new batch of cookies."

Baker stared at him in disbelief. "But Papa! He'll just smurf everything we end up making!"

"I'm sure Greedy will behave. I won't be there when you're baking, and I certainly won't be there to see you smurf him on the head when he gets out of hand."

Baker grinned mischievously at Greedy, who yelped, "I promise I'll be good!"

"Come on then; we got a lot of smurfing to do." Baker grabbed Greedy by the arm and dragged him away. Papa watched the two go and shook his head.

He continued his morning rounds through the village. Every Smurf greeted him cheerfully as he walked past. The sun was shining and the birds were singing, but that didn't mean the day would be perfect.

"Papa!"

Papa Smurf turned around and stumbled back slightly as the blonde Smurfette wrapped her arms around him. "What's wrong, Smurfette?" he asked in concern, stroking her blonde hair soothingly.

"J-Jokey-"She could not explain further as she burst in tears. Papa looked sternly at the sheepish prankster that had hurried after Smurfette in hopes of comforting her.

"Jokey Smurf..." Papa said warningly. Jokey gulped and rocked back on his feet.

"I didn't mean it, really! I was just smurfing around!" Jokey exclaimed. "I just gave her a present and...I forgot it was the one that smurfed smurfberry juice when it was opened."

Papa gently pushed Smurfette back a little and noticed that bright purple-red stain that covered the front of her dress. "It was my n-new dress that G-Grace made for m-me!" Smurfette blubbered.

"Why don't you go and change?" Papa suggested and gave the only girl in the village a nudge for her house. "I'll see what I can do about the stain."

"T-thanks P-Papa Smurf." Smurfette wiped her eyes and hurried back to her house without looking at Jokey.

"I'm really sorry!" he called after her. He then turned to see Papa Smurf frowning at him. "Have I mentioned I'm really sorry?"

"What have I told you about your gifts?" Papa asked sternly. Jokey sighed.

"Don't smurf them to Smurfette..." he muttered. "She's the only girl in our village and therefore deserves to be treated a bit more sensitively."

"Correct. We seem to be a bit low on firewood. I'm sure you wouldn't mind smurfing some more." Papa gave Jokey a pointed glance. Jokey groaned but complied. Papa ran a hand through his beard and sighed. That one was going to be the death of him someday.

"Aarrgghh!"

Correction. This one is going to be the death of me someday.

Brainy shrieked as he sailed overhead and slammed into the grassy ground, rolling a bit on impact. Papa would have been concerned if he had not heard his little Smurf begin to whine immediately after he landed. "Papa Smurf!"

Papa watched as Hefty, Gutsy and Grouchy ran up to them. A few of the surrounding Smurfs were whistling with admiration. "That's some distance," Farmer commented as he wheeled a wagon of vegetables along the dirt path. "Gotta be some kinda record."

The trio just grinned and Papa Smurf stared at them all in exasperation. He knew the three did not pick on Brainy because they disliked him; oh no. They did not smurf Brainy around with malicious intents or because they hated him.

It was simply because Brainy was the only one who could really be a pain in the smurf so much that he needed to be knocked down a notch or two. He meant well, but sometimes the bespectacled Smurf just didn't know when to smurf up.

"What did you do now, Brainy?" Papa asked as he turned around to face his apprentice. Brainy pushed himself to his feet and adjusted his glasses, an offended look on his face.

"But Papa! I just got smurfed halfway across the village and you're asking what I did?"

"Don't play innocent Brainy, it doesn't work for you," Hefty teased.

Brainy huffed and crossed his arms. "I was only trying to advise them how to properly lay the wooden planks for the bridge. And then they used me for Smurf Ball practice."

"I needed to practice my aim." Grouchy grinned slyly as his two companions chuckled. Papa rolled his eyes but could not help the smile that crossed his face.

"It's not funny!" Brainy wailed. "I could have been flattened!"

"Aye, that might help shrink yer big head!" Gusty laughed.

Brainy scowled and started to storm off. "Aw, come on Brainy!" Hefty hollered. "You know you deserved it!"

The intellect refused to acknowledge them. Grouchy smirked. "He's playing 'high and smurfy again'. Know what that means?"

The other two laughed and charged towards Brainy. The intellect turned around to see what the commotion was and yelped in panic. He tried to scramble away but he was not the most athletic Smurf in the village. He was tackled to the ground and pinned down.

"Papa! They're invading my personal space!" Brainy tried to wriggle free, but it was no use.

"Coward!" Gutsy teased. "Cannae even fight yer own battles!"

Papa couldn't help but laugh as Brainy became a victim of their insistent poking and tickling. The majority of the Smurfs considered Brainy the annoying little brother that bugged you constantly but you still loved. The greatest example was Grouchy, Gutsy and Hefty; they loved nothing more to pick on poor Brainy and were quick to keep the eager Smurf out of trouble.

Having no reason to interfere, Papa continued on.

"Papa!"

Papa was nearly smurfed down by Harmony as he raced forwards, his trumpet clutched in his grip. "What's the matter Harmony?"

Harmony panted and struggled to speak. "Clumsy...smurfed...his ankle..."

Papa immediately followed Harmony further down the dirt path and came across Clumsy. He was rocking back and forth on the ground, whimpering and clutching his ankle with a crowd of concerned Smurfs around him. Papa knelt down beside him and carefully hoisted him up. "What happened Clumsy?"

"I tripped," Clumsy mumbled, embarrassed. Papa resisted the urge to chuckle and with the help of Harmony escorted Clumsy to his house.

"Do you want me to smurf Doctor Smurf?" Harmony questioned as Papa made Clumsy comfortable in his bed.

"No, no. I can manage." Harmony nodded and bid Clumsy goodbye before scurrying off. Papa used a quick spell to summon his small medical kit and carefully bandaged up Clumsy's sore ankle.

"Thanks Papa." Clumsy smiled sheepishly. He propped his sore ankle on a pile of pillows.

"No trouble at all," Papa chuckled. "I'll send a Smurf for some ice and then get Brainy to smurf you your dinner. I'll be back with a potion that'll help with the pain."

Papa went back to his lab and brewed the simple potion. He brought it back to Clumsy and the accident-prone Smurf guzzled it down. After a few seconds, his eyes began to drift close. The potion also made him sleepy.

Papa smiled softly and closed the curtains before letting Clumsy rest.

He had once heard Gargamel remark sarcastically that there was nothing weird about having ninety-nine sons and one daughter. As he thought about it, he decided that it wasn't weird at all.

Every single Smurf was his child, and he was very happy to be their Papa.