Billy lived in a big, loving family in a small town with his mom, dad, and grandma. The boy was very active, so all day long he did nothing but play outside with his friends—playing soccer, riding his bike, running to the river to swim and frolic.
Every time it came to lunch or dinner, Mom had to spend hours calling the little boy to eat, especially if Mom had made soup or stew—Billy just couldn't bring himself to love this healthy and filling food. But there were exceptions, when the boy would drop his games and race home. This happened when Grandma came from the city and brought her grandson treats—chocolate bars, lollipops, and hard candies.
One day, on one beautiful afternoon, when Billy was playing with his friends, Grandma once again returned from her trip. The little boy knew that every Saturday Grandma always delighted him with something sweet.
Without finishing his game and seeing Grandma getting off the bus, Billy rushed to meet her, shouting:
Grandma, my favorite, did you bring me something yummy and sweet?
Grandma answered him with a smile on her face:
Of course, my dear grandson, I brought you chocolate bars and candies, I stocked up for a whole week. But you can't eat too many of them, otherwise your tummy will hurt and your teeth will quickly get cavities.
But that wasn't going to stop him. That very evening, Billy secretly snuck into the kitchen and quietly stuffed a whole pile of candies into his shirt. He settled comfortably in his soft, warm bed and started gobbling them up one after another. He ate all the candies and fell asleep.
And the boy had a very strange but interesting and colorful dream. He was running across a green field with his friends and suddenly, turning around, he saw a beautiful palace with bright signs. His friends ran past and disappeared unnoticed, but Billy lingered, becoming very curious about what was inside this palace.
Slowly approaching the palace, he saw colorful gates decorated with the boy's favorite candies, and he felt drawn there. Gathering all the sweets and immediately swallowing them, Billy decided to go further—maybe he could find something else tasty.
Suddenly he saw a clown standing in the center of the palace. On his back he carried a huge bag, and he gave each child who approached a big candy. Without thinking long, Billy decided to approach—after all, he was also a child and they would surely give him some treat.
Seeing the boy, the clown laughed and said in a cheerful voice:
And who do we have here, such a little one? What's your name?
Billy.
The boy answered.
And who do you live with, Billy? Where are your parents?
At home—Mom, Dad, and Grandma.
Billy, do you like sweets?
Of course I do, all kids love candy and chocolate.
We play a very interesting game here with all the children. Don't you want to play with us?
Of course I do, it's very fun here.
Billy answered.
If you want to get a candy as a gift, you must tell us a poem, sing a song, or dance a dance. Are you ready?
The clown enthusiastically explained the rules of the game.
I agree, we learned lots of songs and poems in kindergarten.
Billy answered eagerly.
After reciting his favorite poem, the boy received as a gift a big lollipop, which he loved most of all, and decided to look around a bit—maybe he'd see something else interesting. Everything around sparkled, bright signs of candy stores beckoned the little boy, but he had his candy and decided just to walk around. Suddenly he saw a little boy sitting by a door.
Billy approached him and asked:
Hi, I'm Billy, what are you doing here? Did something happen to you? Why are you so sad?
Hi. I'm so sad because my tooth hurts really badly. Mom is about to take me to the doctor, and I'm really scared.
The little boy answered.
What happened?
Billy asked.
I ate way too much candy, thinking it was healthy and tasty. Turns out, candy is bad for you, and it can ruin our teeth.
Don't talk nonsense. Candy isn't bad at all, it's the healthiest and tastiest food. We don't need stews, soups, and meatloaf!
Billy protested.
Billy got angry and walked on. Gradually his big lollipop got smaller, and finally he finished it.
What should I do?
Billy thought and went searching for candy. Suddenly he saw the clown he had met just recently.
Delighted, the boy ran up to him and said:
I finished my big candy, can I have another? I'll sing you a very beautiful song.
Of course you can.
The clown answered.
Billy sang a song and received a huge chocolate bar.
Immediately unwrapping it, the boy walked on.
And suddenly he saw a boy and a girl sitting by the swings, crying.
What are you doing here? Why are you crying? Did something happen to you?
Yes, our teeth hurt, and our moms are about to take us to the doctor, so we're scared.
Oh, don't tell me it's from candy!
Billy protested.
Yes, yes, exactly from candy and chocolate.
The children shouted in unison.
Oh, you're all so annoying. Everyone keeps saying the same thing—you can't eat candy, your teeth will hurt. It's all lies!
Billy shouted even louder, turned around, and ran away from them.
And then, after finishing his candy, Billy felt that his tooth was also starting to hurt, more and more.
Could those kids have been telling the truth? Could candy really be that bad?—Billy wondered.
The boy decided to go home so the pain wouldn't get worse. But with each minute his tooth began to hurt more and more. And then on his way he met that same clown again.
Billy rushed to him and said:
Clown, help me, tell me why do little kids' teeth hurt?
Don't you know? Little boys and girls can't eat lots of candy and chocolate.
The clown said, surprised.
Then why do you give them to me if you're so smart?
Because until children understand for themselves, they'll never believe their parents, grandmas, and grandpas. But when your tooth hurts, you immediately understand that eating too many sweets is harmful. That's how I help little children understand this.
And then Billy woke up. Fortunately his teeth were completely healthy, but the boy was so scared that they would hurt that he immediately ran to the kitchen, gathered all the candies, and gave them to the adults.
