One bright, sunny morning, Kiko was skipping back and forth across the meadow, hopping and frolicking. Kiko was a foal, and she had so much energy that it seemed she could jump all day long.
Suddenly, her mother the mare called to her:
Kiko, sweetheart, come and brush your mane. We haven't brushed it yet today!
“Brush again?”, thought Kiko with a grumble. She could wash in the pond, she liked brushing her teeth, and she could even put on her own horseshoes, but brushing was boring, unpleasant, and sometimes hurt.
Mom, said Kiko.
Yes, sweetheart, replied her mother.
Mom, if I don't brush it, will I still be pretty?
Of course you will, you are always pretty!
Then why brush at all? It's unpleasant and sometimes hurts. And it's boring!
If you don't brush, you will still be pretty, but untidy. And brushing is also good for your coat.
What does “untidy” mean?
It means messy and careless, replied her mother.
Kiko sighed and stood in front of her mother, who began brushing her mane.
When the job was done, Kiko galloped off to see her friends. The first one she met was Bubba the peacock.
Hello, Bubba the peacock!
Hello, foal Kiko!
Bubba, are you a handsome peacock?
Of course I am handsome, can't you see?
Why do you need such a fluffy tail?
When I fan it out, I look even more beautiful! answered Bubba.
“So when I brush my mane, I also look even more beautiful”, thought Kiko, and she trotted on.
Then she met Fiona the cat. She was sitting under a tree, licking her paw and running it over her head.
Fiona, are you grooming yourself? asked Kiko.
Yes, purr, answered Fiona.
Why do you do that?
That's how I look after myself and get rid of fleas that might settle in my fur.
“So brushing also gets rid of fleas when Mom brushes me”, thought Kiko.
That evening, as Kiko was falling asleep, she thought about everything that had happened.
The next day, when it was time to brush, Kiko asked her mother:
Mom, if I don't brush, will I become untidy, less pretty, and get fleas?
Well, fleas won't appear in just one day, replied her mother.
So if I skip brushing for one day, nothing bad will happen?
Yes, replied her mother, nothing bad will happen in just one day.
Kiko beamed and asked:
Mom, can this day be today? Can I skip brushing today?
Her mother thought for a moment and said:
All right, Kiko, you can skip brushing today.
Hooray! shouted Kiko, galloping off to her favorite meadow.
But tomorrow you must brush for sure! her mother called after her.
Definitely! Kiko called back from far away.
And she romped across her favorite meadow with a slightly tangled mane, tousled by the wind, a little untidy but just as pretty as ever.
