A FAIRY STORY

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1926, Page 21

A FAIRY STORY

LAND OF HAPPINESS. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. The eagerness with which children of primer class age listen to stories, and the readiness with which they absorb th© detail of them lead me to think that we might with advantage make more use of this as a means of interesting children in the care of their teeth. The difficulty lies in the lack of suitable stories.—J. L. Saunders, ActingDirector, Division of Dental Hygiene. It was "felt, however, that with the talent available among the nurses of the Dental Hygiene Division of the Department of Health, combined with the daily experience they have in dealing with children, the defect referred to could be made good. A competition was accordingly started for the best children’s story sent in by dental nurses or lady dental surgeons on the care of the teeth and the prevention of decay. Dr. Ada Paterson and Dr. Elaine Gurr were asked and consented to act as judges. Nurse L. M. Leslie (of Beresford Street Clinic, Auckland), was awarded first place for her story, “Castles.” The second place went to Nurse K. M'Lean, Training Cfinie, Wellington, for her contribution, “Tire Punishment of Pamela.” The following were awarded “honourable mention”:— Nurse C. L. H. Bellamy (Danuevirke), Nurse J. Carroll (Te Kuiti), Nurse H. Cato (Temuka). What are considered the best of the stories will be published from time to time in the “Dental Nurses’ Journal.” .Following is the story which was awarded first place:— (By Lorna M. Leslie, Auckland.)

Molly and Peterkin were cosily tucked up in their little white beds. Such dear little beds they were, with their pretty, coloured quilts. Molly’s quilt was blue—just the colour of her eyes—but Peterkin’s was pink, because he was such a soft little fellow that he alw-ays maue you think of peach blossoms, and, of course, they are pink. “Mummy,” Molly called, “please eome and kiss us good-night.” Mother came at once and kissed their rosy faces. “Said your prayers, darlings?” she asked. “Yes, Mummy.” "Have you cleaned your teeth, too?” Peterkin looked at Molly, and Molly looked back at Peterkin. “No,” they whispered. “Jump out of bed and clean them.” Mother pulled back the bed-clothes. Peterkin shivered. i “Oh, Mummy, not to-night,” he begged- “Pleaee don’t make us clean them to-night.” “Yes,” Mother said firmly. ‘You must never go to bed with dirty teeth. Now, here are your dressing-gowns; so run along quickly and clean them.” Molly and Peterkin gave their teeth the tiniest brush, and then ran back to bed. “Wish there weren’t any 'toofbruehes’ in the world,” said little Peterkin. “So do I—horrid, nasty things,” said Molly. “Good-night, Peter dear.” Molly closed her eyes and thought that the best place in all the world was bed. A CHARMING AJDVENTURE. Then she found she wasn’t in bed at all. She was away out in a green meadow, that was simply covered with beautiful flowers. Birds were singing and the sky was very blue, while every now and then the dearest little stream would come rippling along over mossy stones. Peterkin was with her, and they were wandering about hand in hand. They both had their arms full of flowers, and were getting a little tired and hot, when they came to some bush. It was so cool in there that they sat down to rest for a while.

“Molly,” said Peterkin, peering through the trees, “what is that over there?”

Molly looked. At first she thought it was a silver-white cloud come eloee to earth —it looked so shimmering; but afterwards she knew it was a castle.

“Oh, Peterkin, let us go closer and see it,” she said.

They were creeping very quietly out of the bush, when suddenly from behind a tree came a soldier—such a fierce-looking soldier. Molly and Peterkin jumped with fright. “What are you doing here?” he asked in a very gruff voice. “Please, we wanted to see the castle,” the children answered.

“Have you a ticket from the Prin cess?” the soldier asked.

“Well, then, run away,” he shouted, and drew out a big sword. Peter clung to Molly, and they both were beginning to run as hard as they could when a gentle voice stopped .them. “Oh, let them stay,” it said. “They are such little children. I am sure they wouldn’t hurt the castle or our Princess. What is it, dears. The children thought they had never seen such a lovely lady. She was dressed all in green—the sweetest, tenderest green; even her little feet were in tiny green sandals. Her hair was all golden—the colour of ripe corn—and it hung down round her like a big cloak. CASTLE CALLED TOOTH. Molly touched it. It felt like silk. “What do you want, dears?” the lady asked again. “We would like to see the castle,” said little Peterkin. “Come along, then, and I will show you, but you mustn’t touch anything.” When they came near they saw that the castje was even more wonderful than they had thought. It was white and gleaming like the pearls Mother had at home, and they really couldn't look at the part on which the sun shone. It dazzled so much that it hurt their eyes.

Many more ladies were in the beautiful gardens which surrounded the castle. Some were dressed in green, some in red, some in yellow, eome in orange, but they all looked sweet. They were so clean and fresh and smiling. There were some men, too, in queer brown suits. The children felt a tiny bit afraid of them, but they only smiled

when they saw the lady who walked with Molly and Peterkin. “What is this beautiful place?” the children asked, as at last they stood before the shining walls. “Do you not know it?” she said. “Why, this is the castle called ’Tooth.’ We are all servants of this castle. Our names are ‘Fruit’ and ‘Vegetables.’ Yoti children who live in the wide-awake world have twenty castles each. Some of the older ones have twenty-four, and when you are grown up you will have thirty-two.” GOOD HEALTH. “We have castles like this?” “Yes, they can all be as nice as this if you only make use of us to care for them. Those funny brown men you saw are servants, too—they are crusts from the bread which you eat. They are ■ ver y good servants. Can’t you guess who was the soldier? He is the ‘Tooth-brush’-—the guardian of tne ‘Tooth.’ He keeps away the enemy—Decay.” “Oh!” breathed Molly and Peterkin together. “Who is the Princess?” asked Molly. “Her name is ‘Good-Health,’ ” was the answer. “She rules over the land of Happiness. If Decay came into the castle she would be killed at once. We love her so. We must guard her well.” “This beautiful land through which we. came is called Happiness asked Molly.

“Yes. You see, if you have not good health you cannot be happy, but you cannot have go_od health unless all your castles, which are teeth, are kept white and sound. The only way to do this is to use the toothbrush, eat all your crusts, and have plenty of fruit and vegetables. Good-bye dear little children; come and see us again.” “Molly, Molly, wake up! It’s morning.” Moll” opened her eyes, and found Peterkin tugging off the bed-clothes. “Oh,” she said. “It was all a dream.” "What was a dream?” asked Peterkin. “Come into my bed for a minute and I will tell you.” Peterkin snuggled close while she told him her wonderful dream. “So, now, Peter, we must always clean our teeth, mustn’t we?” “ ’Course,” said little Peterkin, “and we mustn’t forget to eat our ‘veges’ or our crusts either.” That is the reason why Molly and Peterkin have such lovely teeth.