This idea was submitted to the Guide Mailing List by Lori Purvis.

Pre-story prep: take a not-too-ripe banana, using a long darning needle, pierce the skin at the side and push the needle through the fruit of the banana all the way to the skin...yes, this is hard to describe! Here's what you *want* to have happen... When you peel this banana you want it to fall into many slices. All the way down the banana, about every half inch, push the needle through the peel, moving it from side to side in order to make a "slice". Try to keep the skin completely intact! Optional: put a smiling face on using a black marker.

Story: (this is just one version... you can modify it to use it in your circumstances)

I brought my friend Banana Scout with me to our campfire today. Doesn't he look nice? I really enjoy Banana Scout's company. Did you know he went to Scout Camp this year? Yes, but he didn't enjoy himself a lot. All the Scouts at camp made fun of him. They said nasty, hurtful things to him. Can you imagine what they might have said? (ask for suggestions of what was said, e.g.., You have too many freckles! You're not a nice yellow color like me! You're too small!)

Well, I can tell you that this did not make Banana Scout very happy. Look at his face... doesn't he have a nice smile? He didn't let any of the Scouts know that they were hurting him. Did you know words could hurt? Has anyone ever hurt you with words? Banana Scout just kept smiling and tried not to feel hurt but inside... well, he wants us to know how he felt inside. (begin to peel the banana)

Sometimes when we say things that are not nice the people we say them to look just the same as they did before but inside they begin to feel like Banana Scout did...can you see what the mean words did to Banana Scout? (by the time you are half finished peeling, the banana will fall apart into many slices...help the children to reflect on what hurtful words can do and what we can do to prevent our friends/fellow campers from feeling hurt inside.)

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