Children

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Lukie the Little Licking Lucky Lizard
By Darlene Lopez

Lollypops, ladybugs, licorice, lice, are all so tasty and all very nice. Well, they are to a lizard. Lukie, however, was not your ordinary lizard. He was a little lizard with a long tongue. He loved to lick and laugh at everything he looked at - especially when he went to the Lagoon Store with his mommy.
“I promise! I promise,” said Lukie, “I wont lick.” “Okay,” said Mother, “You can come with me to the
Lagoon Store, but I don’t want to see any licking.“
Mother and Lukie headed off to the store. When they arrived Lukie wanted to sit in his favorite basket, the one with the leaping lilies painted on it. The moment Lukie got into to the basket he could feel the desire to lick begin. His tongue began to unravel in his mouth and started to come out. He immediately shoved it back into his mouth. He could still feel his little tongue wiggling around. It was causing his whole body to wiggle.
“Lukie, what is wrong with you?” said his mother, “Sit still and quit your wiggling.”
She didn’t realize that little Lukie was having such a hard time controlling his tongue and his desire to lick.
Mother continued her shopping. Looking at her list she went down through the left-over aisle. She got lasagna (Lukie’s favorite) to make for lunch, and some lemon lime jello for dessert. As they continued little Lukie was licking his lips. He saw the lollypops and he desperately wanted to lick them. He remembered his promise to his mommy, but he couldn’t stop thinking of how he used to lick the lollypops and laugh every time he came in to the store. This made the desire much more strong. At that moment Lukie knew he needed help controlling his desire. He began to pray. He asked God for help and strength to keep the promise he made to his mommy.
So he decided to lounge in the basket, in hopes that this would help him. His mind would wonder about the ladybugs, licorice and lice. Yum! They were all so tasty and oh so nice. He could find them all at the Lagoon Store. The desire kept getting stronger, and little Lukie couldn’t stop licking his lips. He also couldn’t stop drooling!
He began to reach for the Lice when his mother smacked his hand and said, “Don’t you dare!” Lukie’s mother knew little Lukie was having a hard time keeping his promise but she still had lots more shopping to do.
Mother didn’t know what to do, so she got her lasso rope and decided to tie little Lukie’s lap to the basket in hopes he wouldn’t reach for anything else.
“Ah-ha,“ she said as she thought this knot would do the trick. However, little Lukie still wanted to lick. His mouth was getting very watery and the desire grew stronger and stronger.
“Oh, if only I could have one little lick then I would feel so much better, he thought to himself. He tried so very to keep his lips sealed and not allow his little long tongue to come out.
Then all of a sudden something caught his eye. “Hum, what is this?” he though, “I’ve never seen these here before.”
There in the aisle was a sign that read, “New lobsters for sale! Please don’t touch. Lobsters have been known to bite lizards.” Well little Lukie didn’t know how to read.
“What does that big sign say?” he wondered, “What do all those letters spell?” All he knew was those Lobsters looked lovely. He had never seen such creatures before. He was fascinated by them.
“Oh, if only I could lick them. I bet they taste good. I bet they can make me laugh more then lollypops. They have to be able to make me laugh. Look at those weird fingers. They probably tickle.” He said to himself.
He began to get a little closer to reach his head into the glass. “Hum! What is that?” he thought curiously.
Meanwhile, Mother was purchasing some lavender for the other lizards in the family and she wasn’t paying much attention to Lukie. Lukie just couldn’t take it anymore.
“I want to touch but my lap is tied with a lasso. I can’t move my legs. The only option left is for me to have a taste. So, I guess I must choose,” thought Lukie.
He opened his mouth and his tongue rolled out over the glass and into the lobster tank.
“Awe! Yes, this is it,” he thought, “I’m going to get a lick! YES! YES! YES!” Then all of a sudden, SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! Mother looked over and grabbed Lukie just in time before the lobster bit little Lukie’s long tongue.
“You lucky little lizard,” she said. As you can guess the lobster was the one with the last laugh. From that day on little Lukie always asked before he licked anything again. At the Lagoon Store, little Luke learned a lesson. It is better to have self control then to be bitten by a lobster. Sometimes it’s hard to have self-control, but with God all things are possible. So the next time you’re having a hard time ask God to help you and He will.

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