In a deep, warm valley called Philip's tummy, lived a very hard-working little character. She was not a fairy or a pixie. She was a small, cheerful little broom named Fiber. Her handle was made of a sturdy stalk, and instead of bristles, she had hundreds of fine yet strong fibers that danced with her every move.
Her home and workplace was a long, winding path that snaked through the entire tummy. “Good morning, little path!” Fiber would greet it each morning and cheerfully get to work. Her task was very important. She swept and cleaned all the leftover food to keep the path clear, ensuring Philip’s tummy was tidy and felt good. When Philip ate vegetables, fruit, or dark bread, Fiber could feel her own fibers growing stronger, brimming with new energy. “Swish, swish!” echoed through the tummy as she joyfully swept.
One day, Philip had a party. In his tummy, it was a huge event! Pieces of sweet, creamy cake, white rolls with ham, and heaps of candy started to fall from above. Fiber was happy that Philip was having fun, but when she looked at the path, her breath caught in her throat. Sticky piles of white flour and sugar were scattered everywhere. They formed a thick, gooey mass that stuck to the walls of the path.
"This must be tidied up!" Fiber told herself resolutely and got to work. But her little broom just slid helplessly over the sticky surface. "Oh, this is harder than I thought," she sighed. She tried again, harder. She gripped her handle with both hands and pushed with all her might. But the sticky mass just sucked her in, and her fine fibers clumped together. She was weak and tired.
Outside, Philip also felt that something was not right. His tummy felt heavy and bloated; he didn’t want to run or laugh. He just sat and scowled.
Fiber sat down on a small pebble and looked sadly at the mess. "What now? I can't handle this alone. I'm too weak."
Suddenly, she heard a gentle splashing. Large, clear drops of water were rolling down the path. Philip had drunk some plain tea. "Hello, Fiber! Do you need help?" one of the drops asked. "Yes, please!" Fiber cried out hopefully. "This sticky pile is impossible to sweep." The water drops eagerly set to work. They surrounded the sticky mass and began to wash it gently. The mass softened a little and wasn't so sticky anymore, but it was still too heavy and big. Fiber tried to move it, but in vain. It was progress, but it wasn't enough. "Thank you, little drops. You've helped me, but I still need more strength," she told them gratefully.
Philip's mommy noticed that her little boy wasn't feeling himself. "Philip, would you like a crunchy apple? It will clean out your tummy," she said, handing him a beautiful, red apple.
Philip took a bite. Crunch! And down into the tummy floated the first piece of apple. Fiber immediately perked up. From the piece of apple, hundreds of strong, colorful threads were released. They were much stronger than her own fibers. They quickly ran to her and began to weave themselves into her broom. One, two, ten, a hundred! Suddenly, her broom grew thicker and stronger. The fibers tensed and glowed with new energy.
"Wow! I can feel the power!" Fiber cheered. Philip ate another piece, and another. With each piece, her broom became firmer and more powerful. Now she wasn't just an ordinary little broom. She was a super-broom!
She stood up, grabbed her new, strong handle, and eagerly charged toward the sticky mass. "And now you'll see!" she exclaimed. "SWISH! SWOOSH!" echoed through the tummy. The strong fibers from the apple cut into the sticky pile like little helpers. With one powerful sweep, Fiber tore off a large piece and pushed it further down the path. Then another, and another. She worked quickly and with joy. She no longer got stuck; her new fibers pushed everything away. In a short while, the entire sticky mass was gone, and the path in the tummy was clean and smooth again.
Fiber, tired but happy, smiled. She looked at her broom, which was now full of strong apple fibers. "There you have it, friends," she said to herself. "For a proper cleanup, you need proper tools."
Philip suddenly felt much better too. His tummy stopped hurting, and he suddenly felt like getting up and running to his friends. He smiled at his mom and said, "Mom, that apple was great!"
The next morning, when Philip woke up, he had a slice of dark, whole-grain bread with butter for breakfast. When the first bite arrived in the tummy, Fiber once again felt a surge of energy. More strong, brown fibers were released from the bread and joined the apple ones.
"Excellent!" Fiber laughed and eagerly began her morning sweeping. "With a super-broom like this, cleaning up every day will be a joy!"
And so, Fiber learned that even though she was small, with the help of the right food, she could do great things. And Philip? He discovered that a crunchy apple or a slice of dark bread did a much better job in his tummy than a sweet cake.
What do you think, children, will you notice on your next trip to the store which foods would give the little broom Fiber the most strength? Try to find at least three with your parents.