A lesson on smoking!!

Okay, here’s how that scene might play out:

(Scene: Sesame Street. Bright sunshine. Elmo and Grover are skipping down the sidewalk. Oscar’s trashcan is overflowing, and unusually, several empty Marlboro cigarette boxes are sticking out.)

Elmo: (Gasps) Grover! Look at all those boxes! What are they?

Grover: (Squints) Hmm… They say “Marlboro.” And they look… empty!

Elmo: Elmo doesn’t know what Marlboro is.

Grover: Me neither! But… (sniffs the air dramatically) …Elmo, do you smell something funny? It’s kind of a smoky, yucky smell!

Elmo: (Wrinkles his nose) Yeah! Elmo doesn’t like it! Maybe it’s coming from those boxes!

(Elmo and Grover cautiously approach Oscar’s trashcan. Oscar pops his head out, looking grumpy as usual.)

Elmo: Oscar! What are those boxes? And what’s that yucky smell?

Oscar: (Grumbling) Those are my boxes! And the smell is the sweet, sweet aroma of… uh… relaxation! Yeah, relaxation! Now beat it, you happy monsters! Can’t a grouch relax in peace?

Grover: But Oscar, is someone smoking those Marlboro things? Smoking is bad for you! My mommy says so!

Oscar: (Scoffs) Mind your own beeswax, fuzzball! Now get lost!

(Elmo and Grover exchange worried glances. They decide to ask around.)

Elmo: Maybe Big Bird knows about the boxes!

(Elmo and Grover find Big Bird nearby, happily drawing with crayons.)

Elmo: Big Bird! Have you seen those boxes by Oscar’s trashcan? The Marlboro ones?

Big Bird: (Tilts his head) Marlboro? Oh, you mean the things that make you cough and turn your feathers yellow? Yeah, I saw Mr. Snuffleupagus trying one earlier, but he didn’t like it. He said it tickled his trunk.

Grover: Mr. Snuffleupagus was smoking?! Oh dear!

Elmo: Elmo thinks we should tell someone! Smoking is yucky!

(Elmo, Grover, and Big Bird decide to find someone who can explain smoking and why it’s not good. They set off to find Cookie Monster, hoping he hasn’t gotten into the cookies again.)

Okay, here’s how the story continues:

(Scene: Sesame Street. Elmo, Grover, and Big Bird are still looking for someone who can explain the Marlboro boxes. They spot Ernie and Bert walking down the street, Ernie giggling and Bert looking exasperated as usual.)

Elmo: Ernie! Bert! Have you seen those boxes by Oscar’s trashcan? The Marlboro ones?

Ernie: (Beaming) Oh, you mean the boxes with the pictures of the cowboys? Sure! Bert and I found one!

Bert: (Sighs) Ernie found it. And he was trying to use it as a tiny hat for Rubber Duckie. I told him it wasn’t a hat, Ernie! It’s… something else. Something I don’t want to talk about.

Grover: But Ernie, Bert, do you know what those boxes are for?

Ernie: (Scratching his head) Hmmm… are they for putting cookies in?

Bert: (Sharply) No, Ernie! They are not for cookies! They’re for… (Bert lowers his voice) …adult things. Things that are not good for little monsters and birds.

Big Bird: Not good? Like… like eating too much birdseed and getting a tummy ache?

Bert: Worse, Big Bird. Much worse. Those boxes used to have cigarettes in them.

Elmo: Cigarettes? What are cigarettes?

Bert: (Takes a deep breath) Cigarettes are… things that grown-ups sometimes smoke. They put them in their mouths and light them on fire, and then they breathe in the smoke. But it’s very, very bad for them. It makes them cough, and it can make them very, very sick.

Ernie: (Gasps) Sick? Like needing a bandage on your knee?

Bert: Worse than that, Ernie! It can make them really sick, inside. That’s why you should never, ever touch those boxes, or anything that looks like a cigarette. Understand?

Elmo, Grover, and Big Bird: (Solemnly) Yes, Bert.

Grover: So, someone on Sesame Street is smoking those things?

Bert: (Sighs again) It seems that way, Grover. And that’s not good at all. Maybe we should talk to Gordon or Susan about this. They always know what to do.

Ernie: Maybe they can tell the person to give all the cigarettes to Oscar! He likes yucky things!

Bert: (Facepalms) Ernie! That is not the solution!

(Bert shakes his head and leads Ernie away, muttering about the dangers of secondhand smoke and the importance of adult supervision. Elmo, Grover, and Big Bird look at each other, even more determined to find out who’s been smoking and to help them stop.)

Okay, here’s how the story continues, incorporating the tool usage:

(Scene: Sesame Street. Bert has just led Ernie away. Elmo, Grover, and Big Bird are still worried. They decide to find Gordon and Susan, who are sitting on the stoop of 123 Sesame Street, reading.)

Elmo: Gordon! Susan! We need your help!

Grover: It’s about those Marlboro boxes by Oscar’s trashcan!

Big Bird: And someone on Sesame Street might be smoking!

Gordon: (Frowning) Smoking? That’s not good. Tell us everything.

(Elmo, Grover, and Big Bird explain about the boxes, the smell, Oscar’s reaction, Snuffy trying one, and Ernie’s confusion.)

Susan: (Sighs) Oh dear. This is concerning. Smoking is very harmful. It’s bad for your lungs, your heart, and your whole body. It’s also very addictive, which means it’s hard to stop once you start.

Gordon: The most important thing is to find out who’s smoking and offer them help. We shouldn’t judge them, because quitting smoking is really, really difficult.

Elmo: But who could it be? Elmo doesn’t want anyone on Sesame Street to be sick!

Susan: We don’t know yet, Elmo. But we can start by asking around. Maybe someone saw who bought the cigarettes, or who threw the boxes away.

Gordon: And we can also talk about why smoking is bad, so everyone understands the dangers. Maybe we can even put up some posters about it.

Big Bird: That’s a good idea! I can help draw the pictures! Maybe I can draw a picture of a healthy bird and a… and a bird with yellow feathers who coughs a lot!

Susan: That would be wonderful, Big Bird. We need to make sure everyone on Sesame Street knows that smoking is not cool, and that there are lots of people who care and want to help.

Gordon: (Puts a reassuring hand on Elmo’s shoulder) Don’t worry, Elmo. We’ll figure this out together. We’ll find out who’s smoking, and we’ll help them get the support they need to quit. And we’ll make sure that everyone on Sesame Street stays healthy and happy.

(Gordon, Susan, Elmo, Grover, and Big Bird start making a plan to investigate and educate the community about the dangers of smoking.)

(Scene: Sesame Street. Gordon, Susan, Elmo, Grover, and Big Bird are walking around, asking other residents if they’ve seen anyone with cigarettes. They approach Telly Monster, who’s juggling nervously.)

Gordon: Hi, Telly. Have you seen anyone smoking around here lately?

Telly: (Eyes darting around) Smoking? Uh… no! Not me! Telly doesn’t know anything about smoking! Telly’s just… juggling! Juggling is fun!

Susan: Telly, are you okay? You seem a little nervous.

Elmo: Yeah, Telly. Are you sure you haven’t seen anything? It’s important. Smoking is yucky and makes people sick!

Telly: (Muttering) Yucky… sick… juggling…

Grover: Telly, did you throw those Marlboro boxes in Oscar’s trashcan?

Telly: (Stops juggling, looks down at his feet) Well… maybe…

Big Bird: Telly, did you smoke those cigarettes?

Telly: (Voice barely a whisper) Telly… Telly thought it looked… fun. All the grown-ups seemed to like it in the movies! Telly only tried one! Just one! And then Telly coughed a lot, and it didn’t taste very good, but Telly already took the boxes and threw them away! Telly feels terrible!

Gordon: (Kneels down to Telly’s level) Telly, it’s okay. We’re not mad at you. We’re just worried about you. Smoking isn’t fun, Telly. It’s really bad for you. And it’s not something you should ever do, even if you see grown-ups doing it.

Susan: Telly, we’re glad you told us the truth. It takes a lot of courage to admit you made a mistake. We can help you understand why smoking is bad and what you can do instead.

Elmo: Elmo can juggle with you, Telly! Juggling is way more fun than smoking!

Grover: And I can show you how to do my Super Grover exercises! They’re good for your body!

Big Bird: And I can draw you a picture of a healthy monster!

Telly: (Tears welling up in his eyes) Really? You’re not mad?

Gordon: No, Telly. We’re not mad. We just want you to be healthy and happy. We can talk about why you thought smoking looked fun, and we can find other things that are actually fun and good for you.

Susan: We can also talk to your mommy and daddy about it, and they can help you too.

Telly: (Sniffling) Okay… Telly would like that very much. Telly doesn’t want to be sick!

(Gordon, Susan, Elmo, Grover, and Big Bird surround Telly, offering comfort and support. They start to discuss healthy and fun alternatives to smoking.)