Once upon a time, there was a little toothbrush. She lived in a special cup in the bathroom, next to the big brushes. Morning and evening, the big brushes took turns going off to clean teeth, then returned wet and clean, smelling of toothpaste. But the little brush sometimes stood in the cup all day long, completely dry. And then the big brushes would start laughing at her:
Look, nobody needs her, nobody uses her to clean their teeth! Perhaps your bristles are scruffy? Or your handle is crooked and uncomfortable? Or maybe you're just ugly, and nobody wants to be friends with you? Then we won't be friends with you either!
The little toothbrush stood there and couldn't even cry, because she was so dry. And she thought:
But I'm good, I'm pretty, my bristles are straight, and my handle is comfortable. Why don't they use me to clean teeth?
But sometimes they did take her. They'd wet her with water and put her back, but they wouldn't clean any teeth. Probably just to trick the grown-ups. And then the big brushes would laugh again:
Look, she doesn't smell of toothpaste! You must be too frightening to clean teeth with. We don't want to be friends with you!
And sometimes it happened that the little brush was used to clean teeth, but ever so quickly. And when the little brush returned to the cup, she was wet and smelt of toothpaste. But the big brushes laughed again:
Why did you come back so quickly? It must be horrid to clean teeth with you! Ugh, we won't be friends with you if you're horrid.
The little brush stood all night long feeling terribly sad. Everyone was asleep, the toys were having fluffy dreams, various objects in the house were quietly dozing. And only the little toothbrush gathered up all the droplets she had and quietly cried into the sink: 'Drip... Drip... Drip...'
But one day they took her, wet her under the tap, put toothpaste on her, and cleaned the teeth for ages! The little brush got to meet every single tooth, even the ones right at the back that she'd never seen before. And one of those back teeth told her what had happened. It turned out that a tiny piece of sweet had stuck to him and sat there for several days. The brush and paste hadn't come to visit, so the piece had made a proper hole in the tooth!
The tooth hurt terribly, he couldn't even sleep. Then a doctor came, treated him, and explained that if they didn't use the brush, he would get ill again. So now every morning and every evening, the little brush came to visit them and cleaned each tooth with fragrant toothpaste.
The big brushes saw how well and thoroughly she worked, and began to praise her:
Well done you! You look after every tooth, you don't forget anyone. We're very proud of you! Let's be friends!
And everyone was very, very happy. The teeth didn't hurt anymore, and the brushes didn't quarrel or pick on those who didn't work well. The little brush no longer felt lonely, because morning and evening she met all her tooth friends, who told her lots of interesting stories.
What do you think—does your toothbrush know all your teeth? And is she friends with the other brushes, or does she cry at night whilst everyone's asleep?
The brushes will be happy,
The teeth will be glad,
If we don't forget
To brush twice a day!
