Austin and the Really Rude Robot

Austin felt sad, lonely, and blue. He had been at home and away from his school friends for a week. The first few days he was too sick to care but he was almost well now. Mom wouldn’t let him go back to school yet, though. He still had a little fever, but really he felt fine. “Rules are rules”, said Mom. “Maybe you can go back to school tomorrow.” 

Mom was too busy doing her work to play with Austin. What could he do? He was tired of his toys and books. “I know,” he said to himself, “I will build a robot.” 

So Austin gathered up some really neat pieces of junk he had been saving. Then he sneaked in and snicked off with some of Mom’s tools. She was busy working on the computer and didn’t see him.

Back in his room, Austin began to cut and fold and wire and screw and glue together a robot. At last he was finished and he sat back to admire his work. He wound the robot up to make it wave its arms. Instead, the Robot opened its mouth.

“Hey, stupid, what’s for lunch? I’m hungry.” the robot said.

Austin’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t make the robot to talk! Besides, that was a really rude way to ask for something to eat.

Just at that moment the robot began to whirr and clunk and it moved over to the chair where Austin was sitting. Thunk. It kicked Austin in the knee. “Hey, dummy, I told you I was hungry. Lets eat!” it said.

“Ow!” said Austin.

Mother called from the other room, “What’s going on in there?”

“Oh nothing,” replied Austin, who didn’t want Mom to see her tools all over his floor.

“Get in the kitchen, now!” demanded the robot. “If you don’t get me something to eat and double quick I’ll take this screwdriver in and show your Mom!”

“But I don’t know what robot’s eat,” said Austin.

Again Mom called out, “What’s all the noise about? I can hardly think what I am doing.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Austin called back. “I’ll be quieter.”

He turned to the rude little robot and said “Shhhh. You will get us in trouble. I’ll get something to eat.”

Austin quietly went into the kitchen and made a peanut butter sandwich and got a glass of milk and brought it back to his room. “Here ya go,” he said.

“Ugh!” said the robot. “That food looks yukky.”

“Have you ever eaten peanut butter?” asked Austin.

“Of course not, stupid, you just made me! I haven’t eaten anything.”

“Well how do you know you don’t like it if you haven’t even tasted it?” asked Austin.

“I just know, that’s how.” replied the robot.

“And you forgot to say thank you,” said Austin. “For that matter, you didn’t even say please.”

“So what, big boy?” asked the robot as it looked at Austin with a mean look.

“Look, Buddy, you are a very rude robot. We don’t allow rudeness around here. Politeness is easy and doesn’t even cost a thing!” said Austin. He thought to himself, “Oh, my goodness! I am beginning to sound like my mother!”

“So whaddaya going to do about it?” demanded the rude little robot.

Austin picked up a screwdriver and a hammer and brandished them at the robot. “You keep it up and I’ll show you rude!” he said. 

The robot glared and backed away. He backed into Austin’s bookshelf and a book fell on his head. “Ouch!” screamed the robot. “That hurt!”

“Poor Buddy,” said Austin sympathetically. “Be still, now, and I will help you feel better. Now you see what it is like when you hurt someone. It hurt me when you kicked me on the knee.” 

“Yes,” sniffed the robot. It’s eyes were beginning to fill up with tears.

Austin put a band aid on the robot’s head and patted it on the back. “There, that should make you feel better.”

The robot just sniffed some more.

“And what do you say?” asked Austin.

“Thank you,” sniffed the robot.

“OK, we can be friends,” said Austin. “I am going to wind you up and you can wave your flags.”

Austin played with Buddy for almost an hour. He began to feel hungry. “Hey, Mom, I’m hungry!” Austin shouted. Then he looked at Buddy.

Buddy frowned and whirred.

“Oh,” thought Austin. “I almost forgot. I have to be a good example for Buddy.”

Then Austin said, “Mom, I am hungry. Will you please fix me something to eat?”

“Sure,” Mom called back.

While Mom was fixing dinner, Austin picked up all her tools and slipped them carefully back into her toolbox. Then, taking Buddy by the hand he went into the kitchen. Politely, he introduced his little friend. “Mom, this is Buddy. May he please eat supper with us?”

“Sure,” Mom laughed. “As long as robots eat sushi.”

“Sushi!” Austin exclaimed. Then he looked at Buddy and it seemed as if Buddy was frowning. “I mean, well, I have never eaten sushi before but I will be happy to try it and I am certain Buddy will too. I am teaching him to be a polite little robot.” Buddy just made a whirring sound.

After supper, Austin told his Mom, “Sushi isn’t so bad after all.” 

Buddy said, “whirrr?”

Austin laughed and said. “thank you, Mom.”