On the meadow a bright, sunny morning had dawned, and Pippa was bouncing about back and forth, leaping and frolicking. Pippa was a foal, and she had so much energy that it seemed she could hop about all day long.
Suddenly her mummy called out to her:
Pippa, darling, come and brush your mane. We haven't brushed it yet today!
‘Brushing again,’ thought Pippa grumpily. She could wash in the pond, she liked cleaning her teeth, and she could even put on her own horseshoes, but brushing was dull, unpleasant and sometimes painful.
Mum,” said Pippa.
Yes, darling,” replied Mum.
Mum, if I don't brush it, will I still look lovely?
Of course you will, you always look lovely!
Then why bother brushing? It's unpleasant, sometimes painful, and so boring!
If you don't brush it, you'll still be lovely, but untidy. And brushing is good for your hair.
What does ‘untidy’ mean?
It means not neat and tidy,” replied Mum.
Pippa let out a sigh and stood in front of Mum, who began to brush her mane.
When the job was done, Pippa galloped off to see her friends. The first one she met was Percy the peacock.
Hello, Percy the peacock!
Hello, Pippa the foal!
Percy, are you a handsome peacock?
Of course I am, what do you think? Can't you see?
But why do you need such a fluffy tail?
When I fan it out, I look even more beautiful!” replied Percy.
‘So when I brush my mane, I look even more beautiful too,’ thought Pippa, and she trotted on.
Then she met Mabel the cat. She was sitting under a tree, licking her paw and running it over her head.
Mabel, are you brushing yourself?” asked Pippa.
Yes, purr,” replied Mabel.
Why do you do that?
I look after myself this way and get rid of fleas that might settle in my fur.
‘So I get rid of fleas too when Mum brushes me,’ thought Pippa.
That evening, as Pippa was drifting off to sleep, she thought about everything that had happened.
The next day, when it was time to brush, Pippa asked Mum:
Mum, if I don't brush for a day, will I become untidy, less lovely, and get fleas?
Well, fleas won't appear in just one day,” replied Mum.
So if I skip brushing for one day, nothing terrible will happen?
Yes,” replied Mum, ‘nothing terrible will happen in just one day.
Pippa beamed and asked:
Muuum. Could this be the day? Could I skip brushing today?
Mum thought for a moment and said:
All right, Pippa, you can skip brushing today.
Hurrah!” shouted Pippa, and she galloped off to her favourite meadow.
But you must brush it tomorrow without fail!” Mum called after her.
I promise!” Pippa repeated from far away.
And she galloped across her favourite meadow with her slightly tangled mane, which the wind ruffled, and she was a little untidy, but just as lovely.
