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To save: Click here if you would like to download Skits. Click here if you would like to download the Entire Set. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you are like me, you are probably tired of forking out a lot of money for curriculum that is just not worth it !!! I know that many of you have good ideas and quality programs, but you need some new and fresh ideas to use every once in a while. God has put on my heart to write down some of the best ideas we have had in the past 15 years, to pass them on to others. Jesus said, "Freely ye have received, freely give", and being the God didn't charge us for the ideas He gave, we aren't going to charge, but give to others what He has given to us. We also suggest, and ask that you come up with your own names in the place of the names you will find on the following pages. This will allow for your Children's Church to be unique, and fitted to your own personalities and characters. If every church had a puppet with the same name, yet they all looked and sounded different, this would seem strange to a child who might visit your church on one particular Sunday. If you have enjoyed this curriculum, please feel free to duplicate it and give it to others. This ministry's purpose is to get kids to Jesus, and to get the words of Jesus to the kids. Also, if you have any ideas you would like to share, please send them in, and we gladly will pass them on. Peter says in II Peter 1:12-15 that he continually put the people in remembrance of God's truths even though they already knew them and were established in those truths, so that when he would go on to be with the Lord, the people would have those truths firmly and deeply rooted in their minds. In the same way, we in the Children's Ministry need to continually put our kids in remembrance of Jesus and His truths, even though they think they know it all and are established in those truths, so that when they leave our Sunday School, they will always have these truths firmly and deeply rooted in them, and be able to stand strong in the faith of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you have found this curriculum helpful, or if you haven't, please email us and let us know what you think. Your opinion is not only desired, but needed. clunky@fishersofkids.com Now, God bless you as you minister unto God's children.
Dan Harris
Teacher A is out leading the singing when Clunky comes up frantically yelling and asking Teacher A for help because a fire had started back behind the stage. Teacher A tells Clunky not to panic, but then begins to panic herself and rushes back to see what has happened. While she is doing this, Clunky starts laughing because he knows it is just a lie and that there is no fire, he just wanted to see her panic. He begins to imitate her to the kids when she comes out and asks him about the fire. Clunk tells her that he was just kidding, that there really is no fire, he just wanted to see her panic. She angrily tells him that he should not kid about things like that, and Clunk leaves saying how grouchy she is. Teacher B is out telling a story when Clunky comes up again, frantically yelling and asking Teacher B for help because a fire had started back behind the stage. Teacher B also tells Clunky not to panic, but then begins to panic herself and rushes back to see what has happened. While she is doing this, Clunky starts laughing again, knowing it is still just a lie. He begins to imitate her to the kids when she comes out and asks him about the fire. Clunk tells her that he was just kidding, that there really is no fire, he just wanted to see her panic. She angrily tells him that he should not kid about things like that, and Clunk leaves saying what a big fuddy duddy she is. (This happens with as many teachers as you wish, each teacher getting mad at Clunky.) After Clunky has gotten the last teacher, they all come up front and begin to talk about Clunky and what he has done, making fools of them. Clunk comes running up and tells them that this time there really is a fire and that it started in his stuff. All of the teachers just look at him and say, "Yeah, right." Clunk is really frantic telling them that he lied to them, but that this time there really is a fire. Again they don’t believe him telling him that they are not going to fall for it this time, and just turn their backs to him. Clunk runs back behind to stage when all of a sudden we see smoke coming from the back and realize that this time there really is a fire. The teachers run to the back and put out a fire, but not soon enough to save Clunky’s stuff. They then explain to Clunk the importance of being someone who tells the truth. Clunky comes up and asks one of the teachers for permission to go out cross-country triking. The teacher tells him no, because his tricycle wasn't make for that. But while the teacher is talking, Clunky is ignoring him and starring at Naomi (one of the kids in your children’s church). The teacher tells him to quit starring at Naomi, and repeats what he said, but again Clunk isn't paying attention. The teacher asks him if he is staring at Naomi again, and Clunky says no, at Hannah (another kid in your children’s church). The teacher asks him if he heard anything he said, and Clunky says, "What? Oh yea, sure." Clunky then leaves. Later in the service, Clunky comes running in jumping up and down, complaining that he fell into cactus. He begs the teacher to help him pull out the needles. While the teacher is pretending to pull the needles out, he asks Clunky how he fell into the cactus. Clunky tells him that he made too wide a turn while he was cross-country triking. The teacher begins to ramble on, telling Clunky that he doesn't talk just to hear himself talk, but that when he talks and has something to say, and because there is something important to what he is saying, and… While the teacher is rambling on, Clunky is rolling his eyes and looking around. The teacher stops and asks him if he is listening to him and Clunky looks at the teacher and says, "What? Oh yea, sure." Clunky thanks the teacher for pulling out the needles, and leaves. Clunky comes back up later in the service and asks the teacher if he can go play on the jungle gym. The teacher begins to tell Clunky (again he is rambling) that the jungle gym is broken, that one of the bolts is loose and that he is going to go to the store after church to get a new bolt, but that until he does it will be unsafe to play on the jungle gym, and that if he plays on it, it will probably break, and he will get hurt. But again, while he is talking, Clunky is looking at the ceiling. The teacher asks if he is listening to him, and Clunky says, "You know, we really need to paint the ceiling." The teacher shakes his head and walks out. Clunky shrugs his shoulders and leaves also. A few minutes later, we hear the sound of Clunky playing on the jungle gym and the sound of him falling off. Clunky comes running up to the stage screaming. The teacher asks him what happened, and Clunky says, "I was playing on the jungle gym…" The teachers interrupts Clunky and tells him that he told him not to play on it. Clunky says now he knows why, and that he thinks he might have broken his arm. The teacher tells him that he needs to pay more attention and listen when people talk to him. He tells Clunky to go out to his car, and he will drive him to the doctors. Clunky and the teacher leave. The skit begins with Clunky coming up with
a soccer ball and wearing a soccer uniform. The teacher comes up
and asks Clunky if he is going to play ball down by the old lot with some
of his friends? Clunky tells her no, "I am going to the State All
Star Puppet Soccer Tournament." The teacher tells Clunky that she
thought he had quit the All Star Team. Clunky asks her why she would
think that he quit, and she says, "Well, mostly because you never once
went to practice." Clunky tells her the reason he made that State
All Star Team in the first place is because he is an All Star, which is
why he didn’t have to practice. He tells her that practicing would
just foul up his natural God-given talents. The teacher asks him
when he is leaving, and Clunky tells her not for about an hour, "So I decided
to get out my play-book and go over some of the plays." Clunky pulls
up his book and then blows the dust (flower) off it. He tells the
teacher that he needs to go and read, but that the next time she sees him,
he will be the Outstanding Player of the State All Star Puppet Soccer Tournament.
Later in the service, the Puppet All Star
Coach arrives, “My name is Coach Devaney, I am here to pick up Simon RePeter
for the State All Star Soccer Tournament.” The teacher calls up Simon,
who is excited to go. The coach asks Simon if he has his permit slip,
and Simon gives it to the coach. As they are ready to leave, the
coach says, “So is my star forward ready for the game?” Clunky comes
up and says, “I will be in a minute.” Clunky leaves and Simon and
the coach just look at each other. The coach then asks Simon, “Are
you ready for the game Simon?
The coach and Simon grab their things and head out. Clunky just stands there stunned. The teacher comes up and begins to talk to Clunky. Clunky tells her how unfair it is, but she explains to Clunky the concept of faithfulness, and how important it is to practice and work together. She tells him that it is the same with Christianity, that it is not good enough to just say we are Christians, but that we need to be faithful and live as Christians. Clunky realizes what she is saying, and picks up his play-book and decides to start getting ready for next year. 64. TURNING BAD INTO GOOD (4:3) (Before service, make a short badly made video of Clunky stealing candy from a store. Shoot it from high looking down at Clunk as if it were a store security camera.) At the beginning of the service, Clunky comes up and tells about the new job he got down at the corner store, and how cool it is. He also boasts on how good an employee he is. He then leaves so that you can start the service. Later in the service, the store keeper comes to church and asks for Clunky. Clunky comes up, and the store keeper tells him that he is fired for of stealing. Clunky plays innocent and says he didn't do it, but the store keeper tells Clunk that the hidden security camera recorded him taking some candy, and asks the person in the back to play the video. (Show the prerecorded video.) He tells Clunky he thought being he was a Christian he could be trusted not to steal, yet alone lie, and that his opinion of Clunky and Christians has been lowered. He tells Clunk that he is sorry and then leaves to go back to the store, telling Clunky that he will never get another job in this town. Clunk follows the store keeper off stage trying to say it was a set up, that it was someone who looked like Clunk but that it wasn't him. Clunky comes back up and tells you that it was a set up. You just look at Clunk and tell him that it wasn't a setup, but that he did something wrong and luckily got caught. Clunk looks at you and says, "Luckily?" and you say, "Yes, luckily!" Clunk, not knowing what to do, asks for your advice. You tell Clunky that he needs to return to the store, admit to his mistake, apologize for lying, and then not only apologize for taking the candy, but pay for it. Clunky asks you, "Why should I do all that when I am already fired?" You tell him that he needs to do it because it is the right thing to do as well as the Christian thing to do. Clunk agrees and leaves. Clunky comes back later in the service happy and tells you that it worked. When asked what he means, Clunk tells you that he apologized and paid him the fifty cents for the candy bar. He says, "The store keeper told me I didn't have to pay for it, but I told him that I felt bad for stealing and that whether or not he would have me back, I just had to pay him for it. I then told him that if he would take me back, I would not only not steal anymore, but would be the bestest and hardest worker he has ever had." Clunk tells you that the store keeper told him that he has never had anyone actually come back like that and apologize and even pay for the wrong that he did. Clunky says that the store keeper gave him his job back, and wants to sit down and talk to him more about this Christianity stuff. You tell Clunk that the Bible says that God can bring good out of all situations even when we do wrong. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 Clunky and Simon come up arguing about whose turn it is to have to clean the bathroom. Clunk starts getting really mad at Simon and starts calling him a bugar-head. Simon asks Clunky not to call him that name and Clunky says, "What name? You mean, bugar-head? Bugar-head, bugar-head, bugar-head." The teacher comes up and asks what this is all about, and Simon explains. The teacher then tells the boys that is no reason to get into an argument, and certainly no reason to call names and asks Clunk to apologize. Clunky does so, and then leaves with Simon still arguing about the bathroom. Clunky and Simon come up fighting.
Clunky is still calling Simon a bugar-head, and Simon is getting madder
and madder at Clunky, telling him, "Say you’re sorry." Clunky says,
"You’re sorry."
Later in the service, Clunky comes up with Simon still following him, promising to make it up to him, and asking what it is he can do. Clunk tells him he can make it up to him by quit promising to make it up to him. Clunky is getting irritated by Simon and tells him to just leave him alone, but Simon persists. Clunky, continuing to get madder, starts to call Simon a bugar-head again. Simon starts to get mad at Clunky, but calms himself down and tells Clunky that he forgives him and is going to make it up to him even more. Again the teacher comes up and talks to Clunky about the harm of calling names. Clunk tells the teacher he has a good excuse, because Simon won’t stop. But to pacify the teacher, Clunky once again half-heartily apologizes to Simon. Simon tells him he is forgiven and continues to be nice to him as the two of them leave, Simon still irritating Clunky, and Clunky again calling him names. Clunky comes back up to the stage and quickly apologizes before the teacher says anything. Later the teacher comes up and tells the class that she has promised that she would let one of the boys, whoever has been the best behaved, help her with a special project. She calls both of them up and reminds them. Simon hangs his head down knowing what he has done, throwing the book at Clunky and then bugging him, and is sure that he will not be picked. Clunky on the other hand is confident he will be picked. But to the surprise of both of them, she picks Simon. Simon asks why she could pick him? Clunky asking the same question reminds her that Simon is the one who threw the book, while he only called a few names. The teacher agrees that what Simon did was very very wrong, but he repented and quit doing it even though he had more opportunities, while Clunky, even though what he did wasn’t as bad, continued to do it. Clunky desperately apologizes and says that now he will change and tells Simon to bug him just so he can prove it. Simon starts to bug him and for a moment Clunky is fine, but as Simon continues, Clunky begins to get irritated and calls him a bugar-head again. Clunky now realizes what he has been doing, and this time apologizes for real, promising Simon that he won't call him that name anymore. Clunky then leaves. Simon asks the teacher if it would be OK if she would let Clunky help also since he has now truly repented. The teacher says yes, and Simon leaves to go find Clunky, and to give him the good news. Clunky comes up wearing a disguise. The teacher comes up and asks, "What are you doing Clunky?" Clunky replies, "Clunky, who's Clunky?" The teacher continues to talk to the so-called stranger until he sneezes and knocks off his fake nose and glasses. The teacher then asks again what he is doing. Clunky tells her that there is a new kid in school who has challenged Clunky, so he is running away and trying to hide so that no one can find him. The teacher tells Clunky that she is happy that he doesn't want to fight the new kid, but that he can’t run away and wear a disguise all of his life. Clunk then tells the teacher that he isn't running away because the new kid wants to fight, because the new kid is way smaller than he is and he could beat him up in a minute. The teacher then asks him what did the new kid challenge him to, and Clunk tells her a race. He explains, "I was talking to one of the kids in school and telling him that the Bible says, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, when the new kid challenged me on it, saying that it wasn't true. He said that there is no such thing as God and that if there was he wouldn't and couldn't help anyway. I told the him that it was true and so to prove me wrong, in front of the whole class the new kid challenged me to a foot race around the school yard. That is why I am hiding. The new kid was the 3rd grade champion in the whole city of Phoenix and there is no way I could beat him." The teacher then begins to talk to Clunk and encourage him in the Lord. She tells Clunk that she knows he is fast because she has seen him chasing the girls after church, and that she remembers when Bully came to church and how fast he was at running away from him. She then tells him that if he would run that fast, she is sure that he could beat this new kid, and besides, Clunky does have God's help whether the new kid believes it or not. Clunk is encouraged and tells her, "Hey, I am kind of fast, ain't I?" and decides that he will give it a try. He tells her that he better hurry because the race is supposed to start in about 10 minutes. Clunky leaves. Later in the service, Clunky comes back in riding on the shoulders of two other puppets. They come to the stage and then accidentally drop him. After Clunky gets up, the teacher asks him what this is all about. Clunky tells her, "I went to the school and got there just in time, huffing and puffing because I had to run the whole way. I asked the new kid if I could have a minute to rest, and he told me that I not only could have a minute, but that I could have five, and then he would give me a 30 second lead. I told him that I didn’t need a lead, and he told me that he could beat a stupid blue kid with even one foot tied behind his back. I went over to the swing set and got down on my knees and said a little prayer. Not asking God if he would let me win, but that he would be with me and let me do the best I could do." (The teacher can interrupt and ask questions or make comments anytime during this discussion.) She asks Clunk what the new kid did when he saw him praying, and Clunk tells her, "He just laughed at me." Clunk continues, "Well, when it was time for the race, Simon RePeter who was the starter shot the gun, which accidentally squirted water into the new kid's eye. I started to run and I got off to a lead. I got to the first turn and looked behind me to see how far ahead I was when I saw that the new kid hadn't started yet, he was just leaning on the swing set. I stopped and asked him if he wanted to start over, but he told me that he was just waiting for me to get a bigger lead so that he could beat me, so I turned and started running some more. I got to the next corner and looked behind and saw him coming, and boy was he fast. It seemed like his feet didn't even touch the ground. When I got to the play ground equipment I turned to look again to see how much he caught up, when I accidentally tripped and fell down. By the time I got up he was just a couple of feet behind me, and that is when it happened. For some reason I started thinking that he was after me to beat me up and I began running faster than I ever had before. When I was just a little ways away from the end I could see that a lot of the kids were cheering for me, even some of the cute girls who usually won't even talk to me, and that made me run even faster. Then I remembered all that you told me and the verse that says I can do all things, and it made me run even faster faster, and I ended up beating the new kid by a mile, there was no contest." The teacher is impressed and reinforces to Clunky that what he said to the other boy in school is true. That God can and does help us with certain situations and that we just need to trust in him. Clunky leaves with the other puppets to go celebrate his victory. Clunky comes up and goes over his list of who he is going to give presents to, and what he is going to give them. He calls up one of the teachers and asks for their help. The teacher comes up and Clunk explains what he is doing. He says that he is going to give hugs to all the boys in Children's Church, and kisses to all the girls, and he hopes that some of the girls will come back for seconds. He then goes over his list, and asks if she thinks what he is getting everyone is appropriate. The teacher tells him yes and then asks what he is going to get Edword. Clunky tells her that he is not going to get Edword anything this year. The teacher asks why not, and Clunky tells her that he is not going to get Edword anything, because every year when he does, all he gets from Edword is a stupid card. "If Edword isn't Christian enough to buy me a cool toy for Christmas, then I am not going to get Edword anything either." The teacher explains to Clunky that Edword doesn't have a lot of money and that is why he doesn't give very many presents. Clunky says, "Excuses, excuses. I don't have a lot of money either, but that is why I have been saving up." Again the teacher tries to explain to Clunky, "You live with Pastor Dan and don't have to pay rent and bills. You also don't have to buy groceries and all of that stuff. While on the other hand, Edword lives in an apartment and has to pay for things like rent, the electric bill, the water bill, the trash pick-up bill." Clunky interrupts her and asks, "You have to pay a bill to have your trash picked up?" She tells him, yes and continues, "Then there is the telephone bill, (Clunky interrupts again and tells her he does have to help pay for that bill, especially when he makes long distant calls to people he doesn't know in Japan.) the gas bill and so on." Clunky doesn't realize how many bills there are for someone to have to pay and decides that he will put Edword back on his list, and that he is going to give him an extra special present besides. Clunk leaves to go get ready. Later in the service, Edword comes
up and tells the kids that he got a telephone call from Clunky asking him
to hurry up and come over to Children's Church. He looks around and
sees Clunky coming up with a present. Edword asks what the emergency
is and Clunk explains that there is no emergency, he just wanted to make
sure that he got his present to Edword before he left to go to his grandma's
house. Edword thanks him, but then tells him that he doesn't have
any presents for Clunky, just a homemade card. Clunk takes the card
and thanks him for it. Clunk opens his card and reads it.
Clunky tells Edword that is one of the
best cards he has ever gotten, and that he is going to put it at a special
place when he gets home. Edword asks, "Do you really mean it?"
Clunk says sure and then tells Edword to open his present. Edword
opens his present which it is a really cool toy, and then thanks Clunky.
Clunk then tells him to open his card. Edword does, and a five dollar bill
falls out. Edword reads the card.
Edword puts down the letter and tells Clunky that is one of the nicest Christmas presents he has ever gotten. He tells Clunky that one of his friends is going to have a Christmas party and asks Clunk if he would like to go. Clunk says yes and they leave to go get ready. Clunky comes back up and reminds the kids to meet him after church by the drinking fountain so he can give the boys their hugs, and the girls their Christmas kisses. The teacher comes up and calls for Clunky to ask him if he could help her with something. Clunky comes up and tells the teacher that he would love to help if he could, but he can't because he has somewhere to go in 1/2 an hour and he has to get ready for it. The teacher asks what, and Clunky tells her that he is going to run in the USA Junior Puppet Olympics. The teacher asks him what race he is going to run and Clunk tells her the 400 yard dash. The teacher tells him that she didn't know he was so fast. Clunk tells her it is from all the training he does. "All the training?" she asks him. Clunk tells her yes by running away from bullies after school and running after the girls in school. The teacher asks him what he needs to do to get ready, and Clunky, eating a bag of potato chips, tells her that he needs to warm up. She tells him the first thing he needs to do is to lose those potato chips. Clunky exclaims, "I can't, they are my good luck chips. Every time I eat them I win." She asks him how often this has happened and he tells her never yet, but beginning today, every time he eats potato chips he is going to win. Clunky leaves to get ready. The teacher comes back up later in the service and wonders how Clunk is doing getting ready for his race. She calls Clunky up who is now eating some cookies and drinking soda. The teacher asks him, "I thought you told me you had to prepare for your race? What are you doing eating all those cookies and drinking soda?" Clunk tells her he is getting ready. He finished eating the entire bag of chips and now he is eating the cookies and soda because every time he eats cookies and soda before a race he wins. Again she asks him how often this has happened and again Clunky tells her never yet, but beginning today, every time he eats cookies he is going to win. She tells him that he can’t get ready for an important race and eat all of that junk food. Clunk tells her (Clunky stops every once in a while and turns so that he can politely burp. He turns back around and says excuse me and continues with what he is saying) that his body is different, his body thrives on junk food, kind of like how Popeye thrives on spinach. The teacher tries to warn him but to no avail. Clunky tells her that he has to leave and tells her that if she wants, she can listen to the race on the radio, station PUPT. Clunky leaves. Later in the service, the teacher comes
up and tells the kids that she is curious about how Clunk is going to do
in his race. She goes over to the radio (tape recorder) and listens
to see what happens. (You can either have a prerecorded tape or someone
behind the stage with a microphone calling the race.) The race goes
something like this:
She turns off the radio and tells the kids that Clunk is going to be very disappointed. Later in the service, the teacher comes back up and tells the kids that she heard Clunky coming in. She wants to talk to him so she calls him up. Clunk comes up and she asks him how the race went. Clunk tells her that it was a close race but he lost. He tells her that there was a false start and everyone was cheating. He also tells her that he was in the lead for most of the race, but that the other kids were ganging up on him pushing and tripping because they knew how great he was. The teacher tells him that she listened to the race on the radio and that is not what she heard. Clunk tells her, "Who are you going to believe, some stranger on the radio or me? Never mind, forget I asked." The teacher tells Clunky, "I hate to tell you I told you so, but I told you so. You ate nothing but junk, and when it came time to run your race, you had nothing inside of you and you lost." Clunk tells her that he has learned his lesson, from now on he is only going to eat alfalfa sprouts, whole wheat bread, and those yuckie rice Styrofoam cakes. The teacher tells him that he doesn't have to quit eating potato chips entirely, but he can't live on them and expect to do good. The teacher then asks Clunk if he wants to go get a hamburger after church. Clunk says sure and they both leave. Clunky comes up wearing a disguise. You ask Clunky what he is doing and he tells you that his name isn’t Clunky, it is Bud. You play along with him and say, "Well, Bud, it is nice to have you in church this morning." Clunky doesn’t pay attention to you and is looking around nervously. Again, you say, "Hey, Bud, it is really nice to have you visit our church today" and this time grab Clunky by the shoulder. Clunk looks at you and says, "Are you talking to me?" You say, "Your name is Bud isn’t it?" Clunk says, "My name isn’t Bud, its … oh, wait, yeah, my name is Bud." Clunky then sneezes, knocking off his hat and disguise. You tell him that you thought it was he, and then ask him what he is doing. Clunky tells you he is hiding from the Pastor. He tells you that he was pulling up to the church parking lot this morning on his tricycle, when he saw Hannah driving up. (Hannah is one of the girls in children’s church that Clunky likes and teases.) Clunky then tells you that while he was staring Hannah, he accidentally ran into Pastor’s car with his tricycle. You tell him that he needs to be more careful when he is riding his trike, but it was an accident, and you are sure Pastor will forgive him if he will just go talk to him. Clunky tells you he tried to go and talk to him. He says that as he was walking down the hall to Pastor’s office, he stopped in front of his office door and took the gum out of his mouth. He tells you that he didn’t want the pastor to think he was impolite or rude. He says that he then noticed his shoe lace was untied, and while he was bending over to tie it, Pastor came out and didn’t see him and tripped over him. Clunky tells you that he was going to try and help Pastor, but as he was trying to help him up, he realized that the gum was still in my hand, so he let go of Pastor’s hand causing him to fall down backwards, banging his head against the wall. Clunky tells you that is when he ran and hid. "So after he fell down, you turned and ran the other direction down the hall?" "Not quite" says Clunky, "his office is at the end of the hall, and the only way out was through him." "So you jumped over Pastor and ran away?" "Boy," says Clunk, "jumping over him would have probably been a good idea. Actually, I kind of more like ran over him." You tell Clunky that you can understand why he would be worried, but again, all those things were just accidents. You tell him that if he would just go to Pastor and apologize, you are sure Pastor will forgive him. "Beside," you tell him, "it would be a shame to have to wear a disguise and cover such a handsome face for the rest of your life." Clunky realizes you are right about both facts, that Pastor will probably forgive him, and it would be a shame to cover such a handsome face. "That would be punishing all the girls in children’s church if they couldn’t see my face again." Clunky decides that you are right, and decides to leave to go practice what he is going to say to Pastor. (Take time to think of some other funny things that can happen to Pastor.) Clunky and Simon come up talking about Clunky’s tummy and how out of shape he is getting. Clunk tells Simon he is not that out of shape. Simon says, "Clunky, you stopped to rest twice when we came up the steps." Clunky says, "So!" And Simon says, "But there are only three steps." Clunky admits that Simon is right, and decides to go on a died. "No more all-you-can-eat pizza lunches, no more Twinkies at 2:00 am, and no more sneaking food out of the dog’s bowl." "Out of the dog’s bowl?" asks Simon. "Hey, I was desperate" replies Clunky. Simon and Clunky leave to go start his diet. Later in the service, Clunky gets a phone call from someone. They ask if he wants to join them for lunch after church. Clunky asks where they are going, and they tell him to the All-You-Can-Eat Pizza and Hot-dog Buffet. Clunky begins to tremble, and says he probably shouldn’t go because he is on a new diet. They tell him, "Come on Clunky. Its not as much fun going when you are not there. We love watching you go up for sevenths, and then having the pizza manager ask you to leave cause you have eaten too many pizzas." Clunky gives in and says he will go, but that he is only going to go up for seconds or thirds. Clunky hangs up the phone and gets ready to leave when Simon comes in. Simon asks Clunky if he wants to come over to his house for some yummy soup and salad, "I even have some cake for afterwards. We don’t want to rush too much into your diet and make it no fun at all." Clunky tells Simon that is tempting, but that he already has plans. Simon asks where, and Clunk tells him. Simon says, "Clunky, if you go there, you know you will be a piggy." Clunk says, "Hey!" Simon says, "I just mean, if you go there, you will eat a lot because pizza and hot-dogs are your favorites." Clunk says, "Listen, I got will-power. When I set my mind on something, it gets done. Its like a steal trap, nothing gets out!!?" Clunk says, "I gotta go." Simon follows yelling, "You have to flee temptation Clunky. Run Clunky, run like the wind." Later in the service, Simon comes up wondering about Clunky. We hear groaning, panting and heavy breathing in the background, and Simon asks, "Clunky, is that you?" Clunky comes waddling in, stuffed (have a small pillow under Clunky’s shirt to make him look chubbier). Simon says, "What happened to you?" Clunky answers, "It was terrible. At first I did good by going to the salad bar, but when I got the smell of the hot-dogs with mustard, and ketchup, and mayonnaise, and onion and relish, and chili, and peanut butter …" Simon interrupts, "Peanut butter?" Clunky, "Oh yeah. And then the pizza began to call me, ‘Clunky, Clunky’ it called. ‘Eat me, eat me.’ And I just couldn’t resist anymore." "Oh Clunky," says Simon, "you should have run." "I couldn’t." said Clunky. "By the time I realized what I was doing, I was already on my sixth helping, and going up for my seventh. And I was in no condition to walk, let alone run." Simon tells Clunky, "I hate to say I told you so, but if you put yourself in a place to be tempted, you will almost always fail. Even with great will power like yours." Clunky agrees as he and Simon leave. Teacher A comes up looking for Clunky. Clunky comes up and she asks him if he could do her a favor. Clunky tells her that he would do anything for her. She tells him that she has a lot of heavy boxes and asks him if he could help her carry them out to her car. Again Clunky tells her that he would be more than willing to give her a hand. Teacher A leaves to go pull her car around satisfied that she has help. Later in the service, Simon RePeter comes up looking for Clunky. Clunky comes up and Simon asks him for a favor. Clunky tells him that he is his favorite buddy, and would do anything for him. Simon asks Clunky if he would help him paint signs for the children’s church, "We really need to have them done before the service lets out." Clunky says, "No problem, buddy old pal. Not to worry, I will be there to help." Simon leaves to go get the paint, also satisfied that he has help. Pastor Dan comes in and says that they are short handed in the preschool and asks if the kids have seen Clunky. He tells them that the little preschoolers just love him, cause they like feeling smarter than one of their helpers. Clunky comes up and Pastor Dan asks him if he can go down and help with the preschoolers. Clunky says, "No problem. I love to help with those cute little preschoolers. You can count on me." Pastor Dan leaves satisfied that he now has enough help in the preschool. Teacher A, Simon RePeter, and Pastor Dan all come back up on stage looking for Clunky. Teacher A tells them that Clunky promised that he would help her carry boxes out to her car, "My car is out front, but now I can’t find Clunky." Simon tells her that she must be mistaken, because Clunky promised that he would help him paint the signs before church lets out. Pastor Dan tells them that they both are going to have to wait, because he needs Clunky for the preschool and he promised him that he would help. "Besides," says Pastor Dan, "the preschooler already have a book picked out that they are going to read to Clunky." They all stare at each other and then call for Clunky. Clunky comes up playing and asking what they want. They all begin to tell him that he promised to help each of them, but then didn’t. Clunky tells them that he forgot. Simon tells Teacher A that he will help her carry the boxes to her car if she will help him paint the signs. She agrees. Clunky then asks Teacher A if they are still going out to lunch after church? She tells him no, that instead she is going to take Simon, and then leaves. Clunky looks at Simon and tells him that beings he doesn’t have lunch plans, he could use a ride home from Simon, and tells him he will even play ball with him. Simon tells him, "You promise to play ball just like you promised to help paint the signs? Yeah right, like I can believe you. Besides I am going to lunch with Teacher A." Clunky then looks at Pastor Dan, and before he even says anything, Pastor Dan just laughs and walks out. Clunky is now mad at everyone, and Teacher B comes up. He asks why he is upset, and Clunky tells him that everyone is being mean to him. When Teacher B asks Clunky why they are treating him like that, Clunky looks at her innocently and tells her, "I have absolutely no idea." Teacher B then asks him if it could possibly be because Clunky promised all of them that he would help them, and then didn’t. Clunky tells Teacher B that he didn’t purposely not help them, but just forgot. Teacher B explains to Clunky the importance of keeping your word. That you are only as good and trustworthy as your word. If people cannot believe and trust your word, then people cannot believe and trust you, and that we as Christians, especially need to keep our word. 72. THOU SHALT NOT COVET (2:7) One of the teachers calls up Clunky. She tells him that Pastor Dan gave her an envelope with twenty dollars in it. Clunky takes the envelope and starts jumping up and down in excitement. She asks Clunky what he is so happy about, and Clunky tells her, that he is going on vacation and the twenty dollars is for souvenirs. Clunky tells her that he has been working hard for the last month mowing lawns and cleaning toilets to earn money, and now he is going to take his twenty dollars and buy cool souvenirs. She tells Clunky that she is excited for him. Clunky tells her that he has to leave to start packing. Clunky and the teacher leave. Later in the service, Simon RePeter comes up with a new baseball glove. He shows it to the kids and tells them that he got it for free by going to a baseball game. He is excited and calls up his best friend Clunky to show him. Clunky comes up and Simon shows him the glove. Clunky looks at the glove and asks him, "Where did you get that awesome baseball glove. I got to have a glove like that." Simon tells him they are not for sale, that you can only get it by going to a baseball game, "They hand them out to the first two hundred puppets who show up." Clunky offers him a dollar for it, but Simon refuses, telling him that it he can get one later for free. Clunky tells him he can’t wait, that he has to have it now, and then offers him, two, then five and finally ten dollars for the glove. Simon tells him, "Boy Clunky, if you want it that bad then I guess I will sell it to you for ten dollars." Clunky and Simon leave to go get the ten bucks. While they are gone, Big Birtha comes up and shows the kids a "Johnny Money" autographed baseball ("Johnny Money" is a fictitious baseball player). While she is showing it to the kids, Clunky comes up with his new baseball glove. He is excited about the glove and shows it to Birtha. Birtha tells him the glove is nice, but then shows him the "Johnny Money" autographed baseball. Clunky tells her that Johnny Money is his favorite player, and asks if he can touch the ball. Birtha tells him if he touches the ball, she will touch his nose with a knuckle sandwich. Clunky offers to buy it for a dollar. Birtha tells him that it isn’t for sale. Clunky offers her two dollars. Birtha asks him, "What part of ‘not for sale’ do you not understand?" Clunky offers her five and she says no. He then offers her twenty, and Birtha says she will take it. Clunky remembers that he already spent ten and offers her the other ten. Birtha accepts and they leave to go get his ten dollars. Clunky asks, "Do you think I can hold the ball on the way to get the ten dollars?" Birtha answers, "Do you want that knuckle sandwich?" Pastor Dan comes up and calls for Clunky. Clunky comes up, and Pastor Dan asks him if he is packed and ready to go? Clunky tells him almost. Pastor Dan asks Clunky if he packed the twenty dollars in his suitcase. Clunky tells him, "Not exactly." Pastor Dan asks what not exactly means, and Clunky tells him how he bought a really cool baseball glove from Simon, and a "Johnny Money" autographed baseball from Birtha. Pastor Dan asks how much it cost him and Clunky says, "Oh, just a few bucks." Pastor Dan asks how many a few is, and Clunky tells him, "Ummm. Twenty." Pastor Dan reminds Clunky that they had plans to go to a baseball game in a couple of weeks and Clunky would have gotten a baseball glove then for free. Clunky tells him that he just needed it now. Pastor Dan tells him that he can get a free autographed baseball of Johnny Money signed just for him then also. Again Clunky tells him that he just had to have it now. Pastor Dan tells him that he needs to learn to follow the tenth commandment. Clunky says, "I never told a lie." Pastor Dan tells him, "That is the ninth commandment. The tenth commandment is ‘Thou shalt not covet.’" Pastor Dan then asks him what he is going to do when he wants to buy souvenirs on his vacation? Clunky tells him he has a good idea, that he can borrow another twenty dollars from Pastor Dan, and he will pay him back later. Pastor Dan tells Clunky he has a better idea. He can start doing chores like washing his car, mowing the lawn and cleaning more toilets to earn some money. Clunky sighs and leaves to go clean the toilets. The teacher comes up and tells the kids that they are going to have a special treat today. She tells them that for the last two months, she has been trying to talk Clunky into singing a solo in Children's Church, and now he has agreed to do it. She calls for Clunky. Clunky comes up, and the teacher asks him if he is ready to sing this morning. Clunky tells her that he is a little nervous, but he thinks he is ready. The teacher tells him that he will do fine, and that she will have him sing sometime in the middle or towards the end of the service. Clunky and the teacher leave, but Mr. Sin stops Clunky and says, "I hear you are going to sing in Children's Church?" Clunky sheepishly says yes, and Mr. Sin tells him, "Please let me know when you are going to sing." Clunk says sure, and Mr. Sin says, "That way I will know when to leave the building. Singing in church is stupid." Clunky says, "Very funny." and Mr. Sin leaves laughing. Just then, Big Birtha comes in and asks Clunky what Mr. Sin is laughing about. Clunky tells her that he, is going to sing a solo in Children's Church, and Mr. Sin wanted to know when, so he can leave the building. Birtha says, "You are going to sing a solo?" Clunky says, "Yea, I promised Teacher A that I would." Birtha says, "This is just me, but I think singing in church is kind of girlish." Clunky says, "But you are a girl." Birtha then gets defensive, and says, "Hey, I may be a girl, but that doesn't mean I have to be girlish. Besides, you ain’t a girl, but if you want to sing a sissy song in front of everyone, well be my guest." Birtha leaves as Simon RePeter comes in. Simon asks Clunky what Birtha is upset about and Clunky tells him, "You know Birtha, she gets mad at everything." He then tells Simon that he is going to sing a solo in Children's Church thinking surely Simon will understand. Simon says, "Well Clunky, this time I kind of agree with Birtha and Mr. Sin. I mean you are a nice guy and the best friend I have, but you are not the greatest singer in the world, and I would hate to have you make a fool out of yourself in front of all the kids in Children's Church." Clunky asks him if he really thinks he will make a fool out of himself. Simon tells him, "Not to brag, but I am a way better singer than you, and I wouldn't get up and sing a solo for Children's Church." Simon leaves, and Clunky leaves with him. Later in the service when it is time for Clunky to sing, Teacher A calls him up and asks him if he is ready. Clunky tells her that he has changed his mind, that he doesn't want to do it any more. Teacher A asks why not, and Clunky tells her all of the things that Mr. Sin, Birtha and Simon RePeter told him. Teacher A then asks Clunky, "But what do you want to do? I have heard you singing around the church a lot, and I think you are a good singer. I also know you have had a desire in your heart to sing, but it is up to you, you can listen to all of them or you can sing." Clunky decides that she is right, "Besides, if I am going to make a fool out of myself, which I do a lot, at least this time it will be for Jesus." Clunky leaves the stage so that Teacher A can introduce him. Clunky comes up and sings his solo. Teacher A tells him that he did a great job and asks the kids if they think he did a good job too (the kids will always say yes). Birtha comes up and pats him on the back and tells him that she thought what he did was really cool. She leaves and Mr. Sin comes up and tells him that he should be ashamed of himself. Birtha yells from the back ground, "I thought he did great, and if you don’t leave him alone, I am going to beat you up." Mr. Sin leaves, but comes back up and tells him, "I thought it was stupid" and then runs off again. Simon then comes up and apologizes to Clunky and tells him not to listen to Mr. Sin, "I am very proud of you. I think that you were very brave and cool for singing, and I also think you did a really really good job." Clunky, Simon, and Teacher A all leave. Clunky comes up with a new friend named Ronald, both are wearing the same color baseball cap or shirt. He introduces Ronald to the Children's Church and tells the kids that he is a new friend at school and that he invited him to come to church with him. He tells the kids that Ronald is the coolest kid in school. Ronald tells the kids, "Yep, that's me, and I am going to make Clunk here the second coolest kid in school." Clunky tells Ronald that he wants to introduce him to his best friend in the world, and then calls for Simon RePeter. Simon comes up, and Clunky introduces the two of them. Both are polite, but obviously a little cautious about each other. Simon tells Clunky and Ronald that he hates to leave, but that he has to go help one of the Sunday School teachers. He apologizes and then leaves. Ronald tells Clunky that if he is going to be the second coolest kid in school, he is going to have to get rid of dorky friends like that. Clunky tells him, "Simon is kind of different, maybe even a little on the peculiar side, but he is the best friend anyone could ever have. You’ll get used to him after a while." Ronald tells him that he is going to have to make new best friends, and that people like Simon are a bad influence. Clunky leaves to show Ronald around. Later in the service, Simon comes in telling the kids that one of the teachers told him that Ronald was looking for him. Ronald comes in, and Simon asks him what he wants. Ronald says, "I am sorry to tell you that Clunky is no longer your friend. He said to tell you that he doesn’t want to hang out with you anymore." Simon can’t believe it. Ronald says, "It is true, he asked me personally to talk to you because he just didn’t have the heart to tell you himself." Simon leaves saddened, while Ronald leaves very pleased. Later in the service, Clunky comes back up with Ronald and they are talking about what they are going to do after the service. Clunky asks Ronald if Simon can come too. Ronald says, "I don’t think so." Clunk tells him, "Come on Ronald, just give him a chance and you will see how cool he really is." Ronald again tells him he needs to quit hanging around with him. Clunky says, "But Simon is my friend." Ronald says, "Not anymore. I kind of told Simon that you don't want to hang out with him anymore." Clunky asks why he did that, and Ronald tells him, "I did it for your own good. I knew you wouldn’t do it, so I did it for you." Clunky tells Ronald that he needs to keep his nose out of who his friends are. Ronald again tells Clunky the only way he is going to become cool, is if he loses these nerdy, dorky, Christian friends of his, and starts hanging out with friends of Ronald’s. Clunky tells him, "Well, maybe I don’t want to hang around with your friends, and maybe I don’t want to hang around with you anymore either." Ronald says, "Do you realize what you are saying? If you lose me, you lose any chance of being the second coolest kid in school. You also lose any chance to being popular with all of the girls, any chance being able to hang around the cool kids at recess, and any chance of being invited to all the cool birthday parties." Clunky tells him, "Well first of all, I am one of those dorky, nerdy Christians you are talking about. Secondly, I don’t want to be the second coolest kid in the school if being cool means being like you. And for your information by the way, the coolest kid in school isn’t even you, its Simon. And thirdly, Simon is twice the friend you could ever hope to be. And even if I never get invited to any of those so called cool birthday parties for the rest of my life, I will always be invited to Simon’s, and Simon has the funnest and way coolest birthday parties in the whole wide world. So why don’t you take your cool friends and hit the road." Ronald tells Clunky, "I should have known, only stupid heads go to church." Clunky responds, "Then you must go every week!!" Ronald leaves disgusted, telling Clunky, "You are going to regret this." Clunky yells back, "The only thing I am going to regret is inviting you here in the first place." Clunky looks at the kids and says, "OK, I also regret eating cold pizza and ice-cream for breakfast this morning." Clunky is still standing there when Simon comes up. Simon looks at Clunky and then says, "Oops, I am sorry, I will leave." Clunky tells him not to leave and Simon says, "But Ronald told me that you didn’t want to hang around me any more." Clunky tells him, "Ronald lied. Besides, I am no longer friends with Ronald." "How come?" asks Simon, "I thought you wanted to become the second coolest kid in the school. And won’t you miss out on all of those cool birthday parties?" Clunky answers, "Ronald wanted me to quit being your friend, and to start hanging around him. I said to myself, ‘Myself, which is more important, to be able to go to the cool birthday parties, or to have Simon RePeter as my bestest friend?’ Pastor Dan won’t let me go to most of those birthday parties anyway, so here I am bestest buddy. Just kidding. Actually, the only birthday parties I want to go to are the parties of the kids who are my friends like you. Besides, I already am the second coolest kid in the school, and you are the first coolest, my bestest buddy in the whole wide world." Simon tells Clunky, "No, you are the coolest kid in school, and you are the best friend a kid could ever have." Clunky asks Simon, "Hey, what is polite, brown, fury, nice and a better friend than you?" Simon says, "I don’t know, what?" Clunky says, "I couldn’t think of anything either." Simon then tells Clunky, "This is one of those times you just want to give your bestest friend a hug." Clunky says, "Not in front of all the girls." Simon says, "Come here bested friend so I can give you a hug." Clunky starts to run from Simon, jokingly saying, "If you don’t stop this I am going to call Ronald back." Clunky leaves with Simon following him. Clunky comes up with a new friend named Bart. Clunky dresses like him and talks like him. The teacher asks Clunky to introduce his new friend. Bart interrupts and tells Clunky, "I thought you said this place was cool and fun. This isn't cool or fun. Come on, lets blow this popsicle stand." Bart leaves, but the teacher stops Clunky for just a minute to talk to him. She asks where he met this new friend, and tells him to be very cautious about hanging out with kids like Bart. Clunky tells her, "Bart is the coolest kid in the whole school, and if I hope to be 1/2 as cool, I need to hang out with kids just like him." While the teacher tries to talk to him, Bart comes back up and asks, "Are you coming?" Clunky asks where, and Bart says to the store to get some candy. He then asks Clunky if he has any money. Clunky says no, so he tells Clunky to ask the teacher. Clunky asks the teacher, and she tells him to ask her after church. The teacher's purse is sitting by the stage, so Bart whispers loudly in Clunky's ear and tells him to take it and run. Clunky tries to talk him out of it, but Bart tells him that if he wants to be cool, he needs to do what he says. Clunky and Bart take the purse and then run out. Later in the service, a Police officer comes in looking for the teacher. (If you have someone in the church that is a police officer, that works best. Otherwise you can have someone play a plain clothed police officer with a badge.) He tells her that he was driving down the street and noticed two boys running down the sidewalk carrying this purse. He tells her, "I pulled over and told the boys to stop. One of the boys kept running, but one of them did what I said." He calls for the puppet to come up and asks the teacher if she knows who this boy is. It is Clunky. The teacher tells the police officer that she knows who the boy is. The police officer asks if she wants him to take Clunky down to the police station and book him. The teacher looks at Clunky and says, "No thank you, I will take care of it." The police officer then tells Clunky, "The boy you were hanging around with is a not a very good kid. He causes problems, gets into trouble a lot, and has been down to the police station a number of times in just the last couple of months. You need to quit hanging around kids like that, and start hanging around with kids like the kids here at church." The police officer leaves. Clunky tells the teacher that he is sorry and that he has learned his lesson, "From now on, I am only going to hang around good kids." The teacher tells Clunky that she will talk to him afterwards about his punishment. Clunky tells her, "I have already spent time in the slammer, what other punishment do I deserve?" The teacher responds, "Slammer? He didn't take you to jail." Clunky says, "No, but he put me in the police car while everyone was watching, and it made me feel bad." The teacher tells Clunky that they will talk about it after church. Clunky apologizes again and leaves to go find Simon RePeter. The teacher comes up and calls for Clunky. She asks him if she can get the pencil back that she loaned him earlier. Clunky begins a long line of lies, telling the teacher, "I set the pencil down, and one of the kids took it. Then a monster came out and ate him. And then a giant pickle ..." The teacher interrupts Clunky and tells him, "Clunky, it is no big deal if you lost the pencil, I just needed to write something down, and thought you might have it." She then explains that lying is a very bad thing, and that he needs to always tell the truth. Clunky tells her, "I'm sorry, I just began to panic and that's why I started telling lies. Actually, the pencil is back behind the puppet stage." Clunky then tells the teacher that he will never lie again, no matter what. The teacher thanks Clunky, and they both leave to go get the pencil. Later in the service, we hear Clunky behind the stage talking to Pastor Dan. Clunky asks Pastor Dan a question, but before Pastor Dan can answer it Clunky says, "Boy, has anyone ever told you that your breath stinks?" Pastor Dan says, "Then don't stand so close." Clunky asks if he is going to answer his question, and Pastor Dan says, "No, because I don't want you to have to smell my baaaaad breaaaath." Clunky walks away mumbling something about how telling the truth makes people get mad. He then runs into Simon RePeter, and Simon asks him if he wants to come over and play after church. (Simon RePeter is a hairy puppet). Clunky tells Simon, "Has anyone ever told you that when it rains out, you smell like a dog?" Simon tells Clunky, "That's not very nice to say Clunky." Clunky says, "But its the truth. And not only do you smell like a dog, you kind of even look like a dog." Simon tells Clunky that he is being mean. Clunky tells him, "Well at least your breath doesn't smell like a dog's like Pastor Dan's does." Pastor Dan yells from the back, "I heard that." Simon says, "I was going to ask if you wanted to come over and eat pizza, but if I smell like a dog, then I won't cause I know you wouldn't want to eat pizza with a doggy." Clunky tells him, "That didn't make any sense. Besides, I would eat pizza with anyone, including a dog." Simon leaves, and again Clunky mumbles something about how people just don't know how to take the truth. Later, we hear Clunky and Birtha behind the stage. (Birtha has a loud voice.) Birtha says hello, and Clunky says, "You know you don't have to shout every time you talk to people." Birtha asks what he means by that, and Clunky says, "Has anyone ever told you, you have a big mouth?" Birtha then asks, "Has anyone ever told you it hurts to get punched in the eye?" and then punches him. Clunky again begins to mumble about the truth. The teacher comes up on stage and calls for Clunky. Clunky comes up and asks what she wants. The teacher tells Clunky that she couldn't help overhearing what was going on. Clunky says, "It must be because of your big ears." The teacher then tells him, "Actually Clunky, that is what I want to talk to you about." Clunky asks, "Your big ears?" The teacher tells him, "No, your being mean." Clunky tells her, that he is just telling the truth like she told him too. The teacher tells Clunky that it is good to tell the truth, but sometimes it is not right. Clunky acts surprised and confused. The teacher continues to explain to Clunky that telling the truth is good, but that he needs to be loving and kind as well, "If telling the truth in a mean way hurts someone's feelings, then it is becomes bad." She asks how Clunky would it feel if everyone told the truth about him, like that he is short and bald and .... Clunky stops her, "OK, OK, I get the point. From now on, I will only tell the truth, and I will be loving and nice about it too." Clunky leaves to go apologize to everyone. We here Clunky telling Birtha that he is sorry she has a big mouth. Birtha says, "Oh yeah, how would you like a punch in the other eye?" Clunky runs past the puppet stage, stops and says, "I need to practice my apologizing." He turns to look for Birtha, and runs out screaming. Clunky comes up playing with Puppy. (Clunky's puppy's name is Puppy. Puppy always tackles Clunky and begins to lick his face.) He asks Teacher A if it would be OK if he went outside to play with Puppy. The teacher tells Clunky, "You need to stay in church right now, but afterwards I will go out with you." Clunky leaves. A couple of minutes later, Clunky comes back in crying hysterically. The teacher asks what happened, but Clunky is afraid. The teacher tells Clunky that it is OK, and convinces him to talk to her, so Clunky tells her that Puppy got run over. The teacher asks how, and Clunky tells her, "I kind of disobeyed and went outside to throw the ball with Puppy. But while we were playing, I accidentally threw the ball too far and it went out into the street, and Puppy ran into the street to get it. A car drove by just then and didn't see Puppy and ran him over." Clunky begins to cry hysterically. The teacher begins to comfort Clunky and tells him that she will go and help get Puppy. Clunky asks if they can have a funeral, and the teacher says yes. They both leave with Clunky telling the teacher that he will never be able to love another puppy again. Later in the service, Clunky comes back up with a shoe box (for Puppy's casket), wearing black and carrying an umbrella. The teacher asks Clunky what the umbrella is for, and Clunky tells her that he is not sure, but that everyone always carries an umbrella at funerals in all the movies. The teacher smiles. Clunky asks the teacher if she could say a prayer for the funeral. She says yes, and says a nice prayer thanking God for the opportunity to get to know and love and play with Puppy. When she is done praying, Teacher B comes up and tells Clunky that she heard what happened to Puppy, so she went down to the pound and bought him a new puppy. (The new puppy looks just like the old puppy.) The new puppy comes up and licks Clunky. Clunky says, "He is cute and everything, but he will never be like Puppy." Clunky hangs his head and leaves. The new puppy whimpers and leaves also. Later in the service, Clunky walks by the window with his head down and still moping. Teacher A decides that she needs to have a talk with Clunky and calls him back up. Clunky comes up still wearing black and carrying the umbrella. Teacher A begins to talk to Clunky and tell him that it is OK for him to be sad about losing Puppy, but that he needs to rejoice in the Lord. Clunky asks her, "How can I rejoice in the Lord when Puppy is dead?" Clunky starts to cry again. Teacher A pats him gently on the shoulder, and tells him, "It is OK to be sad about Puppy, but you need to rejoice for the other things you have." Clunky says, "Like what?" Teacher A says, "Like your friends and your family, your church, the kids in church, God and your new puppy." Clunky says, "The new puppy will never be able to replace Puppy." Teacher A tells Clunky, "It is true that the new puppy will never be able to replace Puppy, but the new puppy is very special too, and if you give him a chance and get to know him, you will love him also." She tells Clunky that he can either mope around and waste the rest of his life being sad about the bad things that happen, or he can rejoice in the Lord and be thankful for the good things he has, "You can either be a boring mope, or you can be a fun joy." Clunky decides he will give new puppy a chance. He calls for new puppy who runs in and jumps on Clunky just like Puppy used too. Clunky starts to laugh and giggle. He comes up with new puppy licking him. Clunky asks the teacher, "Do you think it would be OK if I name him Puppy II after Puppy?" The teacher tells him that is a good idea. Clunky starts to play with Puppy II and begins to laugh more as Puppy II continues to lick his face. Clunky asks Teacher A if it is OK for him to go outside and play with Puppy II. Teacher A says, yes, but not to play by the street. Clunky says OK and starts to leave. Clunky stops and says, "I am still sad about Puppy, but I understand what you mean. It is much better to be happy than to be sad all the time." Teacher A gives Clunky a hug, and Clunky leaves to go play with Puppy II. 78. KINDNESS, SHARING, ... (6:6) Simon RePeter comes up and he has one of Clunky's old books and some crayons. He tells one of the teachers that he found an old book behind the puppet stage, and asks if he knows who it belongs to, and if it would be OK if he sat behind the stage and colored while he listened to the Bible story. The teacher tells him that he has never seen anyone read that book, so it is probably OK for him to sit back there and color in it. Simon leaves to color. Clunky walks up and tells the teacher that he is bored, and asks if there is anything he can do? The teacher tells him no, but that Simon is sitting in the back and coloring in a book, and that if he is bored he can go color with Simon. Clunky agrees and walks back and looks at the book Simon is coloring in, and then angrily grabs it away from him and tells him that he can't color in that book. Clunky walks up to the stage with Simon following him. Simon asks why not, and Clunky tells him, "First of all, this is a reading book, and you are to read a reading book, not color in a reading book. Now if it were a coloring book, then you could color in it, cause you are supposed to color in a coloring book, but you are not supposed to color in a reading book, cause a reading book is for reading, and you're not supposed to read a coloring book, cause a coloring book is for coloring, and don't ask me to repeat that. And besides, this is MY favorite book. Secondly, it says right here in this book (Clunky pretends to be reading out of the book, but won't let Simon look. Have the book be upside down) 'This book is only for eight year old puppets named Clunky to read, and not Simons. P.S. Thou shalt not color in hitherto book.'" Simon wants to read it, but Clunky won't let him. Simon leaves crying. Clunky is now proud and happy, and repeats to the kids the thing he made up about coloring and reading, trying to justify his actions, when the teacher interrupts him. The teacher tells Clunky about loving and sharing, and the golden rule, and reminds him that it is an old book, and that he never even reads it. Clunky repeats the coloring in a reading book line, but the teacher just stares at him with his arms crossed. Clunky decides that the teacher is right, and calls for Simon to come up. Simon comes, and Clunky grudgingly gives him the book, and tells him that he can even color in it. Clunky then turns to walk away with a small sniffle, when Simon stops him and tells him that Pastor Dan just gave him two candy bars for his birthday, "I was going to eat them both, but being that you are willing to share your favorite book with me, I am going to share my candy bars with you." They both leave happy and excited, with Clunky realizing there is something to this sharing thing. Clunky and Simon RePeter come up with a brown package with one of the teacher's names on it. (The Package is from the "ACME Spy Company.") They call for the teacher and tell her that they have a package that came in the mail for her. Clunky tells her that he noticed that the package came from the "ACME Spy Company" and that he has been praying and saving up for a toy made by the "ACME Spy Company" for two years. The teacher said that she put her name in a raffle contest about a month ago for this really cool spy toy that sends secret messages, is also a walky talky, and has really cool spy games on it as well. Clunky tells her, "That's the same toy." She opens the package, and it is the toy that Clunky has been praying and saving up for. The teacher is excited. Simon is excited too, but Clunky is sad. Simon congratulates the teacher for the cool toy, and Clunky does too, but only half heartedly. The teacher asks the two puppets if they would like to watch her play? Clunky says no and then leaves. Simon tells the teacher that he is very happy for her, but that his bestest friend Clunky probably needs him right about now, "He has been praying and saving up for that toy for two whole years. Every day he shows me a picture of the toy that he cut out of a magazine and taped to his note book at school. He put his name in for that raffle too, hoping he would win. I am sure he is happy that you are the one who won it, he is just sad right now. I will come back later so you can show me the new toy if that is OK." Simon leaves calling for Clunky to wait up for him. The teacher looks at the kids and tells them that she has been saving up for this toy too, but she didn't know that Clunky wanted it so badly, "I wonder what Jesus would do in a situation like this?" She shakes her head and calls for Clunky and Simon. Simon comes up and says that Clunky is too sad to come up. The teacher then asks Clunky very sweetly to please come up. Clunky comes up with his head bowed in sadness. The teacher tells Clunky, "I heard about how you have been praying and saving up for this toy for two years, so I want you to have it." Clunky looks up and tells the teacher that he couldn't take it. She tells him that she insists. Clunky tells her that he has been praying and saving up for it, but that he couldn't take it, that he will just have to pray and save up some more. The teacher then tells him, "Well then how about we share it?" "Share it?" asks Clunky. "Yes." says the teacher, "I can't play with it all the time. And if I did, it wouldn't be fun anymore. So what if I play with it one week, and then you can play with it the next? Then we can both enjoy it." Clunky asks, "Would it be OK, if when it is my week, I share it with Simon?" The teacher tells Clunky, "I think that would be great." The teacher then asks the two boys if they want to watch her, and this time they both say yes. Clunky and Simon RePeter come up arguing
about who is the fastest puppet in the Children's Church. Simon tells
Clunky that he is a nice guy, and he likes him as a best friend, but that
Clunky is way too slow. Clunky argues that he is way faster than
Simon because he is used to running away from all the bullies in school,
as well as running after all of the girls. Simon tells Clunky, "And
you can never catch any of the girls." Clunky tells him, "I caught
Annie at recess on Thursday." Simon reminds Clunky that Annie broke
her leg two weeks ago, and is wearing a cast. Clunky says, "Well,
I can beat you in a race." Simon responds, "No way slow poke."
The teacher comes up and asks the kids what they are arguing about.
Clunky tells her that Simon "thinks" he is faster. Simon says, "Not
thinks, knows." The two puppets start arguing and the teacher tells
them to settle the question by having a race. She tells them to run
down the hall and back to see who is the fastest. Clunky is all for
it, but Simon says, "I am not sure we should." Clunky says Simon
is not sure cause Simon knows Clunky will beat him. Simon tells the
teacher that he is wearing his new church shoes, and besides, one of the
rules is not to run around during Children's Church. The teacher
tells him it is OK for this one time, and that he can take off his shoes
and run in his bear feet if he wishes. Simon agrees, and gets ready
for the race. The teacher tells the two puppets, "I will say, 'Get
ready. Get set. Go.' and at go, you two run down the hall,
tag the wall and run back. Whoever gets back first is the fastest
puppet in Children's church." The two puppets line up and the teacher
says, "Get ready." The two puppets stare at each other, as the teacher
says, "Get set." But then Clunky says, "Hey look a piece of candy
on the floor." and bends down to get it, as the teacher says, "Go."
Simon takes off, but Clunky comes up with the piece of candy and says,
"Hey, that's not fair." and takes off as well.
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