"Look, Dad! A giant toothbrush!" William pointed excitedly at a toothbrush stand taller than their car! It was right in the middle of the Street Market, piled high with colorful toothbrushes that smelled like bubblegum and strawberries.
Dad chuckled, "That's quite a toothbrush, William. Maybe a giant uses it to brush his giant teeth!"
William giggled. He loved coming to the Street Market with Dad. There were so many colors, smells, and sounds! People were everywhere, calling out about their fruits and vegetables. William loved trying new things, especially if they were bright red like his favorite superhero cape.
"Do you think giants like to brush their teeth?" William asked, picking up a tiny green toothbrush that had a mermaid on it.
"Well, everyone should brush their teeth, even giants," Dad said, winking. "It keeps your teeth clean and strong, just like a superhero!"
William pretended to brush the teeth of a nearby watermelon with his mermaid toothbrush. "This mermaid looks like she has a secret," he whispered to the watermelon.
Suddenly, a gust of wind whooshed through the market, sending stalls flapping and fruit tumbling. William held onto his hat! When the wind died down, he noticed something strange. A small, shimmering seashell sat where the giant toothbrush stand had been just moments before.
William gasped. "Dad, look!"
Dad picked up the seashell. It felt strangely cold in his hand. "That's odd. It feels like…"
Before Dad could finish his sentence, a wave of glittery mist poured out of the shell! William and Dad coughed in surprise. When the mist cleared, a beautiful mermaid with long, flowing blue hair and a shimmering green tail sat smiling at them.
“Thank you for finding my seashell phone,” the mermaid said, holding up the shell. It was glowing softly now. “I accidentally dropped it while watching the market. You humans have such interesting snacks!”
William, who loved anything to do with monsters and magic, wasn’t scared at all. "Are you a real mermaid?" he asked, his eyes wide.
“Of course, I am! My name is Coral. I live in the ocean, but I love visiting the market through a secret underwater tunnel." Coral pointed to a nearby fountain, water cascading down its sides. "It’s my first time seeing a giant toothbrush though! Do humans use it to brush giant teeth?”
William and Dad laughed. "No, Coral," Dad explained. "We use toothbrushes to keep our own teeth clean and healthy. It's very important."
"Interesting," Coral said, tilting her head. "We mermaids don't have toothbrushes. We sing our teeth clean!" She opened her mouth and sang a series of beautiful, high-pitched notes. Her teeth did sparkle!
“Wow!” William exclaimed. He wished he could sing his teeth clean too. It seemed much more fun than brushing!
"Maybe you can teach us your song, Coral," Dad suggested. "We could sing our teeth clean together!"
Coral's smile widened. "That sounds like fun! But first," she said, pulling out a handful of shiny pearls from a pouch, "I want to trade these for one of those giant toothbrushes. Maybe I can convince the other mermaids to try brushing too!"
William and Dad spent the rest of the afternoon at the market with Coral, listening to her amazing underwater stories and learning about mermaid life. They even traded a giant toothbrush for some of Coral’s beautiful pearls.
As they walked home later, William's head was full of singing mermaids and giant toothbrushes. He decided that even though brushing his teeth wasn't as magical as singing, it was still important. After all, he wanted to have a super smile, just like a mermaid! That night, he brushed his teeth extra carefully, humming a little mermaid tune as he did.
