A lesson about Peer Pressure.
It was presentation day at school.
Poko and his friends sat in class and listened while Sunny the Badger talked about her family.
"We used to live in a Communist country." Explained Sunny. "Which means that everybody has to share their stuff with everybody else."
"What about underwear?" Giggled Orson the Hedgehog from the back of the class.
"No, silly!" Laughed Sunny. "We don't have to share underwear, although we do share clothes with our siblings sometimes. Our great leader encourages us to never waste anything."
"Thank you, Sunny!" Said Mr. Wolf, the teacher, coughing nervously. "That sounds very interesting. Who's next?"
Angela the Squirrel got up next and gave the same boring presentation she always did - showing off her collection of walnuts and talking too fast for anybody to understand.
Mr. Wolf looked more at ease, and dozed off in his chair again.
At recess, Poko went looking for Sunny the Badger.
Alexander the Duck tagged along, because he didn't have anything better to do - and because the voices got worse when he was by himself.
After searching for a while, they found Sunny hiding behind the utility shed, smoking a cigarette.
"Why are you smoking that cigarette, Sunny?" Asked Alexander, quite surprised. "Don't you know cigarettes are very bad for you?"
"Is that what they told you?" Sunny wondered.
Alexander wasn't sure how to answer that question, he just shuffled his flat feet nervously.
Sunny cocked her head to one side. She squinted at Poko and Alexander suspiciously.
"Are you here to spy on me?" She asked.
"Of course not." Said Poko, reassuringly. "We are completely trustworthy."
"Then don't listen to the propaganda!" Hissed Sunny. "Nothing is safe!"
"She's right, Poko." Moaned Alexander, beginning to shake violently.
"Nothing is safe! The Ancient One hungers ..."
"Calm down, Alexander." Said Poko, sternly. He reached out and scratched the back of Alexander's neck to make him docile. "What were you saying, Sunny?"
"The Establishment is rotten." Sunny explained. "It has to be uprooted and burned in the fires of revolution before new life can flourish."
She shook her head sadly, flicking her cigarette butt into the dirt and gesturing in the direction of the school yard. "I'm wasting my time out there. They won't listen. They never listen until it's too late."
"That's not true, Sunny." Said Poko quietly. He kicked dirt over the cigarette butt and buried it out of sight. "I'm listening."
End of Chapter 4