Teeth

 Midge walked around the house following her owner as she got ready to go leave and drive to work. Midge jumped onto the toilet lid and sat watching her owner as she brushed her teeth. She started at her tipping her head one way and then the other. She showed her teeth and her owner laughed at her.

“Do you want to brush your teeth, Midge?' asked her owner laughing. “Come on Midge, I have a nice treat for you that will help to clean your teeth.”

Midge leaped from the toilet seat and ran from the bathroom following her owner to the kitchen. She sat near her feet and waited as her owner pulled out this nice crispy cracker bone and handed it to her. Midge lay on the floor and chewed up the little cracker bone when her owner handed her one more. As Midge chewed up the next one, her owner prepared her bowl of fresh water and the other one with her daily food. Midge ate her breakfast and drank some water. She ran to the living room and jumped into the chair next to Snappy's tank.

“Hi Midge,” said Snappy.

“Hi Snappy,” said Midge. “Do you brush your teeth?”

“I don't have any teeth like you do,” said Snappy. “I have little tiny cone teeth. Most of the food I eat, I just swallow whole.”

“Oh,” said Midge. “You don't chew up your food?”

“Oh no,” said Snappy. “I just grab it up into my mouth and swallow without chewing it.”

“I chew my food before I swallow it,” said Midge.

“Do you brush your teeth?” asked Snappy.

“No,” said Midge grinning as she showed her teeth to Snappy. “Our owner gives me a cracker that is shaped like a bone and I chew it all up and she said it cleans my teeth.”

“You sure have big teeth,” said Snappy.

“They really aren't that big,” laughed Midge. “I guess they look big to you. You are so small.”

“I just have little things in the top of my mouth but they don't chew food,” said Snappy.

Midge watched out the window as their owner drove down the street on her way to work.

“Hi you guys,” greeted Booker-T. “What are you doing?”

“Hi Booker-T,” smiled Midge as she turned from the window and stood looking at Booker-T.

“Hi,” said Snappy. “We were talking about teeth.”

“Teeth?' asked Booker-T with a puzzled look. “Why are you talking about teeth?”

“I was watching my owner get ready for work this morning and she had this little brush that she was using on her teeth,” said Midge. “When I opened my mouth and showed my teeth, she laughed and asked me if I wanted my teeth brushed too.”

“Did she brush your teeth?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said Midge. “Not with a brush. She gave me a cracker that looks like a bone. She said it cleans my teeth when I eat it.”

“I don't get one of them,” said Booker-T. “Do you eat one of them every day/”

“No,” said Midge. “Only every other day.”

“Do you eat something to clean your teeth too, Snappy?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said Snappy. “I only have tiny little teeth on the top and I don't use them to chew like you do.”

“You don't chew your food?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said Snappy.

“How do you eat your food?” asked Booker-T.

“He just swallows his food whole,” laughed Midge.

“I tried that one time and almost choked,” said Booker-T. “I have to chew my food real good before I swallow it.”

“Me too,” agreed Midge. “I chew my food real good before I swallow it. Sometimes I try to eat too fast and that isn't good either.”

“Does Gabby have teeth?” asked Snappy?”

“I don't think so,” said Midge. “I think he eats his food like you do. He just swallows it.”

“Hey you two!” called Jake as he entered the room. “What are you doing?”

“Hi Jake,” said Midge. “We were talking about teeth.”

“Are we going to Melody's and swim in the pool?” asked Jake.

“I forgot,” said Booker-T.

“Why are you talking about teeth?” asked Jake. “That is a funny thing to talk about.”

“I watched my owner brushing her teeth this morning,” said Midge.

“My owner brushed mine one time,” said Jake. “The vet showed her how.”

“She brushed your teeth?” asked Midge.

“Yes,” smiled Jake.

“Did you like it?” asked Booker-T.

“It felt funny,” said Jake.

“What kind of brush did she use on your teeth?” asked Midge.

“It looks like the same one she uses on her teeth,” said Jake.

“Do you eat the little crackers that look like bones?” asked Midge.

“Yes,” said Jake. “She gives me one every afternoon.”

“I get one every other day,” said Midge. “I like them.”

“I want one,” said Booker-T.

“I know where they are in the kitchen,” said Midge. “Do you want one?”

“Can I have one?” asked Booker-T.

“Wait and I will go get you one,” smiled Midge as she turned to run out of the room.

In a few minutes, Midge returned carrying a small bone like cracker in her mouth and laid it down in front of Booker-T. “Try it,” said Midge.

Booker-T grabbed the cracker and bit down on it. “This is hard,” said Booker-T. “I guess my teeth aren't as strong as yours are.”

“Do you like it?” asked Jake.

“The little piece I was able to break off was good,” said Booker-T. “Thanks for letting me try it. You can eat the rest of it.”

“Okay,” said Midge. “Do you want some of it, Jake?”

“No,” said Jake. “That's okay, you can eat it.”

Midge chewed it up and made sure all the crumbs were off the floor.

“Do you want to go to Melody's now and swim?” asked Jake. “I saw her this morning outside and she asked me if we wanted to come and swim.”

“Lets go swim,” said Booker-T.

“Okay,” agreed Midge as she started to follow Jake. “We will see you later Snappy.”

“Bye you guys,” called Snappy. “Have fun.”

“Bye Snappy,” said Jake and Booker-T.

“I will be home later,” smiled Midge as she ran through the kitchen door on her way to the doggie door.