The Wemmicks were small wooden people. These little wooden people were
           carved by a woodworker named "Eli." Eli's workshop sat on a hill overlooking the
           Wemmick Village. Every one of the Wemmicks were different. Some had big
           noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore
           hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the
           same village. 

           All day long, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing. They gave each other
           stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of dull gray
           dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen
           sticking gold stars or gray dots onto each other. The pretty ones, those with
           smooth wood and fine paint, always got shiny gold stars! But if the wood was
           rough or the paint was chipped, the Wemmicks gave dull gray dots. The talented
           ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over
           tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everyone
           gave them shiny gold stars! Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time
           they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got
           another star. 

           There were many other Wemmicks though that could do very little. They got dull
           gray dots! There was one little Wemmick and his name was "Punchinello." He
           tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others
           would gather 'round and give him dull gray dots. Sometimes when he fell, it would
           scar his wood, so the people would give him more gray dots. He would try to
           explain why he fell and, in doing so, he would say something really silly. Then the
           Wemmicks would give him some more dots!!! 

           After a while, Punchinello had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He
           was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water,
           and then people would give him more dull gray dots. In fact, he had so many gray
           dots that some people would come up and just give him one without any reason!
           "He deserves lots of dots," they would say. The wooden people would agree with
           one another. "He's not a good wooden person," they would say. After a while
           Punchinello believed them. "I am not a good Wemmick!" he would say. The few
           times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of gray
           dots. At least he felt better around them. 

           One day, Punchinello met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had
           no dull gray dots and did not have any shiny golden stars either. She was a wooden
           Wemmick and her name was "Lucia." It wasn't that people didn't try to give her
           stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick to her!!! Some admired Lucia for
           having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off.
           Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot.
           But they would not stick either!!! 

           "That's the way I want to be!" thought Punchinello. "I don't want anyone's
           marks!" So he asked the "stickerless" Wemmick how she did it. "It's easy," Lucia
           replied. "Every day I go see Eli." Punchinello asked,"Eli? Who is Eli?" She replied
           "Yes, Eli, He is the woodcarver. I sit in His workshop and spend time with Him."
           He asked Lucia,"Why do you do that?" Lucia told him, "Why don't you find out
           for yourself? Go up the hill and visit with Him. He's there!" And with that, the
           sweet little Wemmick named Lucia turned and skipped away. 

           "But He won't want to see me!" Punchinello cried out to her. Lucia didn't hear
           him, as she was too far away. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window
           and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other gold
           stars and gray dots. "It's just not right," he muttered to himself. Then he resolved
           to go see Eli after all. Punchinello walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill
           and stepped into the big Woodcarver Shop. His little wooden eyes widened at the
           size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his
           tippy-toes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm.
           Punchinello swallowed hard and thought to himself, "I'm not staying here!" and he
           turned to leave. Then he heard his name. "Punchinello?" said this voice, so deep
           and strong. Just then Punchinello stopped. The voice said, "Punchinello, oh how
           good it is of you to come! Let me have a look at you." 

           Punchinello slowly turned around and looked at the large bearded craftsman and
           said, "Sir, you know my name?" "Of course I do. I made you," Eli said. All of a
           sudden, Eli stooped down and picked little Punchinello up and set him on the
           workbench. "Hmmmmm," the Maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray
           circles all over him, "Looks like you've been given some bad marks." Punchinello
           explained,"Oh, Eli, I didn't mean to; really I didn't!!! I really tried hard not to." The
           Maker said, "Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, my child. I don't care
           what the other Wemmicks think." Punchinello asked, "Really? You don't?" Then
           Eli said, "No and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots? They
           are Wemmicks just like you. What they think really doesn't matter at all,
           Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."
           Punchinello laughed, "Oh, me special? How can I be special? I can't walk fast. I
           can't jump. My paint is peeling. I make silly mistakes all the time and I am not a
           beautiful Wemmick like some of the others. How could I matter to you?" Eli
           looked at Punchinello and put his hands on those little wooden shoulders of his and
           spoke very slowly, "Because Punchinello... you are mine. That's why you matter
           to me." Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this before or say
           anything so nice, much less his Maker! He didn't know what to say! 

           "Punchinello, every day I've been waiting and hoping you would come to see me,"
           Eli explained. Punchinello looked up at him and said, "I came because I met a
           sweet Wemmick girl who had no marks." Eli said, "I know. Lucia told me about
           you." So Punchinello asked, "Why don't the stickers stay on Lucia?" Eli said,
           "Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what anyone
           else thinks. The stickers only stick if you let them." Punchinello looked puzzled
           and said, "What?" Eli said, "Yes, the stickers only stick if they matter to you. The
           more you trust My love, the less you will care about those stickers." But
           Punchinello said, "I'm not sure I really understand. What you are saying?" The
           maker said, "You will, but it will take some time. You've got a lot of marks. So for
           now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care about
           you." Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the floor. "Now
           remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. "You ARE special
           because I made you, and I don't make mistakes." 

           Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think He really means it."
           And each time he remembered what Eli told him and each time he went to visit and
           talk with Eli, one of Punchinello's dots would fall off. They kept falling off and
           soon they were all gone!!!