Lily and the Smile Kingdom A Fun Bedtime Story About Brushing Teeth
Tommy Tony
In a little yellow house at the end of a flower filled lane lived a six year old child named Lily. Lily loved many things: bouncing on her bed, drawing purple dragons, chasing soap bubbles, and eating strawberry jam on toast. But there was one thing Lily did not love at all.
Brushing her teeth.
Every morning, when the sun peeked through her curtains, Lily would groan and hide under her blanket like a sleepy turtle. Every night, when the moon rose high and silver, she would say, “I’m too tired,” and shuffle past the bathroom sink as quietly as a mouse.
Her toothbrush, a blue one with shiny stars, stood in a cup by the mirror and waited. Her toothpaste, striped like a tiny minty rainbow, waited too. But Lily hardly noticed.
“One quick brush,” Mama would remind her.
“Just two minutes,” Papa would say.
Lily would puff out her cheeks. “My teeth are fine,” she insisted. “They can brush themselves.”
Now, Lily did not know it, but inside her mouth was a wonderful place called Smile Kingdom.
Smile Kingdom was bright and pearly and smooth. It had thirty two tiny towers waiting to grow one day, though for now only a child sized set of shining tooth castles stood proudly in two neat rows. The Front Tooth Twins guarded the gate. The Pointy Canines stood like brave knights. The Flat Molars worked hard in the back, grinding and chewing every crunchy carrot and slice of apple Lily ate.
At the very center of Smile Kingdom lived Queen Gleama, ruler of the Teeth. She wore a sparkling crown made of morning dew and polished pearl. Every day she walked along the Enamel Walls, making sure the kingdom was clean, strong, and glowing.
For a long time, everything in Smile Kingdom was peaceful.
Then the Sugar Bugs arrived.
They were not giant bugs with wings and claws. No, they were much smaller and sneakier. So tiny that no one outside Smile Kingdom could see them. They loved sticky jam, sweet biscuits, and little bits of food hidden between teeth. They wore crumb colored boots and carried tiny shovels and hammers.
“Ho ho,” snickered the leader, Captain Plaque. “What a fine place for a feast.”
One bug hopped onto a back molar. Another slid between two teeth. A whole troop of them tiptoed into the dark corners where no tongue could reach.
“Dig here!” cried Captain Plaque.
“Nibble there!” shouted another.
Soon they began building sticky, grimy bridges and making gloomy gray patches on the shining enamel walls.
Queen Gleama rang the Bell of Sparkle at once.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
The Tooth Knights came running. The Front Tooth Twins polished the gate. The Canines stood tall and growled bravely. The Molars tried to shake off the bugs. But the Sugar Bugs only laughed.
“They forgot to send the Brush Knight!” squealed Captain Plaque. “And where is Sir Floss? And Lady Water?”
The bugs knew a secret: Smile Kingdom stayed strong only when Lily brushed her teeth well every morning and every night. The toothbrush was not just a brush. In Smile Kingdom, it became Brush Knight, a sweeping hero with soft bristles like a hundred tiny brooms. Floss was Sir Floss, who slid between the tight spaces where crumbs liked to hide. Water rushed through as Lady Water, washing away loosened bits and leaving freshness behind.
But because Lily had skipped brushing again and again, none of those helpers had arrived.
That night, after eating toast with jam and falling asleep without brushing, Lily had the strangest dream.
She found herself standing before enormous white gates that shone in the moonlight. Above them, written in glittering letters, were the words: WELCOME TO SMILE KINGDOM.
The gates creaked open.
“Oh!” gasped Lily.
Inside, she saw rows of gleaming tooth castles, but something was wrong. Some of the walls were smudged. Sticky shadows clung to corners. Tiny bugs in crumb colored boots were marching around with wheelbarrows full of sugar crystals.
A silver trumpet sounded.
Queen Gleama hurried toward Lily, her crown a little crooked. “At last!” she cried. “Lily, we need your help!”
“My help?” Lily asked. “But I’m only me.”
“You are the Keeper of Smile Kingdom,” said Queen Gleama. “Everything here depends on what you do outside.”
Just then, the Front Tooth Twins rushed up. “Captain Plaque is building a Sticky Fortress near the Back Molar Hills!”
“The left side is under attack!” barked a Canine Knight.
“And there’s jam in the Chewy Caves!” moaned one of the Molars.
Lily’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know my teeth were a whole kingdom.”
“They are,” said Queen Gleama kindly. “And they work for you every day. They bite, chew, smile, and help you speak. But they must be cared for.”
Captain Plaque leaped onto a crumb pile and pointed at Lily. “Too late! She never brushes long enough! Charge!”
The Sugar Bugs cheered and banged their tiny tools together.
Lily took a step backward. “What do I do?”
Queen Gleama lifted a shining hand. “Call the heroes.”
“How?”
“Say these words,” said the queen. “Brush, brush, morning bright. Brush, brush, sleepy night. Floss and water, clean away. Help my happy teeth today!”
Lily felt a little silly, but she said the words anyway.
At once, the ground trembled.
From the far end of the kingdom came the thunder of hooves.
Brush Knight burst through a sparkling archway, riding a foamy white horse. His cloak was striped blue and silver. In his hand he carried the Great Bristle Banner.
Behind him came Sir Floss, thin and nimble, with a silver ribbon coiled at his belt. Lady Water flowed in laughing swirls, twinkling like a stream in sunshine. Close behind marched the Minty Breezes, who chased away stinky smells wherever they blew.
“For Smile Kingdom!” cried Brush Knight.
“For clean corners!” shouted Sir Floss.
“For fresh rivers and shining walls!” sang Lady Water.
The battle began at once, though it was not a scary battle. It was a scrubbing, sweeping, splashing kind of battle.
Brush Knight zoomed in circles, whisking away sticky patches from the Front Tooth Gate and the Molar Hills. His soft bristles swished up and down, round and round, carefully cleaning every side.
“Not so fast!” yelled Captain Plaque, clinging to a syrupy blob.
Sir Floss slipped gracefully between two tight teeth, where three Sugar Bugs had hidden with biscuit crumbs.
“Oh dear,” said Sir Floss. “No hiding here.”
Zip! Slide! Sweep!
Out came the crumbs, and away tumbled the bugs.
Lady Water washed through the kingdom in clear sparkling streams. She carried off loosened bits of food and cooled every tired tooth.
The Minty Breezes danced through the lanes crying, “Fresh and clean! Fresh and clean!”
Lily laughed with delight. “Again!” she shouted, and pointed toward a shadowy corner near the back.
Brush Knight nodded. “Excellent spotting, Keeper Lily!”
Together they worked and worked until every tooth castle gleamed. The Enamel Walls shone like moonlit snow. The Sugar Bugs dropped their tools and fled toward a dark crack near the edge of the kingdom.
Captain Plaque shook his tiny fist. “We’ll be back after sweets!”
Queen Gleama lifted her chin. “Not if our Keeper remembers her brushing.”
All the teeth cheered.
Hip hip, hooray!
The Front Tooth Twins sparkled so brightly that Lily had to shield her eyes. The Molars sighed with relief. The Canines saluted. Queen Gleama placed a tiny pearl badge in Lily’s hand.
“For courage,” she said, “and for learning.”
Lily looked down at the badge. “I’m sorry I didn’t help before.”
The queen smiled. “Now you know. Brushing in the morning sweeps away the bugs and bits that gathered in the night. Brushing before bed protects the kingdom while you sleep. And when you brush gently and carefully, every part of Smile Kingdom grows stronger.”
Lily nodded. “I’ll remember.”
The queen leaned closer. “Two minutes. Front, back, top. Nice little circles. And don’t forget the hard to reach places.”
“And floss?” Lily asked.
Sir Floss bowed deeply. “When someone helps you, I take care of the tiny gaps.”
Lily giggled.
The kingdom bells began to ring again, but this time they played a happy tune. As the sound floated around her, the pearly gates shimmered, and the dream began to fade.
When Lily opened her eyes, morning sunshine was pouring across her blanket.
For one second she lay still, remembering the sparkling gates, the Queen, and the grumpy Captain Plaque.
Then she sat bolt upright.
“Mama!” she called. “I need to brush my teeth!”
Mama blinked in surprise. “Right now?”
“Right now,” Lily said seriously.
She raced to the bathroom, picked up her blue starry toothbrush, and squeezed on a pea sized bit of toothpaste. Then she brushed the front, the back, and the tops of her teeth in careful little circles. She brushed for a full two minutes. She even brushed her tongue. That night she brushed again before bed, and the next morning, and the next night too.
Day after day, Lily kept her promise.
And inside Smile Kingdom, wonderful things happened.
Brush Knight visited every morning and every night. Sir Floss came often to patrol the narrow spaces. Lady Water kept the rivers clear. The Minty Breezes twirled through clean, fresh streets. Queen Gleama’s crown shone brighter than ever.
As for the Sugar Bugs, they still peeped in from time to time, especially after sweets. But they never stayed long, because Lily knew exactly what to do.
Soon everyone noticed her shining smile.
“Your teeth look so healthy,” said Papa.
“What a bright grin,” said Mama.
At school, Lily smiled wide in class photos and when she laughed with friends. She could crunch apples, nibble carrots, and beam like sunshine without a worry.
Sometimes, just before bed, Lily would look at herself in the mirror and whisper, “Good night, Smile Kingdom.”
And if she listened very carefully, she could almost hear tiny happy voices whispering back, “Good night, Keeper Lily.”
From then on, brushing her teeth was no longer a boring chore. It was a heroic mission, a daily adventure, and a promise to the little kingdom that depended on her.
So Lily’s teeth stayed strong, her smile stayed bright, and Smile Kingdom remained the cleanest, happiest kingdom of all.
And they all lived sparklingly ever after.
🤔
Story Questions
Test what you learned from this tale!
What was the one thing Lily did not love to do?
Lily did not love brushing her teeth.
What was the name of the magical place inside Lily’s mouth?
The magical place inside Lily’s mouth was called Smile Kingdom.
Who was the ruler of Smile Kingdom?
Queen Gleama was the ruler of Smile Kingdom.
What did the Sugar Bugs like to eat?
The Sugar Bugs liked sticky jam, sweet biscuits, and little bits of food hidden between teeth.
Who was the sneaky leader of the Sugar Bugs?
The sneaky leader of the Sugar Bugs was Captain Plaque.
What heroes help keep Smile Kingdom clean?
Brush Knight, Sir Floss, and Lady Water help keep Smile Kingdom clean.
Why was Smile Kingdom in trouble?
Smile Kingdom was in trouble because Lily kept skipping brushing her teeth, so the Sugar Bugs could make sticky, grimy patches.
When should Lily brush her teeth to protect Smile Kingdom?
Lily should brush her teeth every morning and every night before bed.
How long did Queen Gleama say Lily should brush her teeth?
Queen Gleama said Lily should brush her teeth for two minutes.
What lesson did Lily learn at the end of the story?
Lily learned that brushing and flossing help keep her teeth clean, strong, and healthy.
