Bubble Bath Magic

Once upon a time, in a little village filled with wildflowers, there lived a girl named Millie. Millie had big, round eyes and a tiny upturned nose. She could have been the cutest little girl—if only she didn’t have one bad habit: she hated washing her face and taking baths!

Every morning, Millie’s mom called out, “Millie, time to wash your face!” But Millie would burrow under her blanket, pretending not to hear. Her face was always smeared with sticky trails of runny nose, like a tiny, transparent worm crawling from her nose to her mouth. Instead of using a tissue, she wiped it away with her sleeve—swipe! And just like that, another wet, messy streak appeared on her once-pretty dress.

“Millie, it’s bath time!” Mom reminded her every evening.

“Nooo! The water will go up my nose!” Millie would protest before darting away like a slippery little fish.

And so, Millie’s clothes got dirtier, and the dust on her face grew thicker. Her favorite yellow dress turned brown at the cuffs, and the hem was covered in mud, as if a bunch of playful piglets had rolled all over it.

Before long, the village children started avoiding Millie.

“Millie’s coming—run!” As soon as she approached, the kids scattered like frightened chicks.

“We don’t want to play with a dirty kid,” Peter said, wrinkling his nose.

“Your clothes are so gross!” Lisa added, pinching her nose.

Millie felt awful. She stood alone in the grassy field, watching the other kids laugh and play hopscotch and tag. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her dusty cheeks, leaving two winding little rivers behind.

That night, Millie stood in front of her bedroom mirror and gasped—there was a little mud monster staring back at her! Her hair was tangled like a bird’s nest, her face was as dark as if she had crawled out of a coal pile, and there was even a stain from last night’s soup on her shirt.

“Is… is that me?” Millie couldn’t believe her eyes.

She ran to her mom and buried her face in her mother’s warm embrace. “Mom, I want to be clean! I want to play with my friends!”

Mom’s eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky. “My sweet girl, you finally understand!” She kissed Millie’s dusty forehead. “Come on, let’s have a magical makeover!”

Mom filled the bathtub with warm, soapy water and sprinkled in fluffy white bubbles. Millie hesitantly dipped in a toe—wow! The water wasn’t scary at all! The bubbles were soft like clouds, and the warm water felt just like her mom’s loving hug.

“Millie’s getting clean, oh so fresh and bright~” Mom sang a silly little tune as she gently scrubbed Millie’s face with a soft towel.

When Millie stepped out of the bath, she smelled like sunshine and flowers! Her skin was rosy like an apple, her hair was smooth like silk, and the fresh scent of soap followed her wherever she went.

The next morning, Millie put on crisp white socks, a sky-blue dress, and let Mom tie a bright red ribbon in her hair. When she walked into the village square, all the children’s eyes grew wide.

“Is that Millie?” Peter’s jaw dropped.

“She looks like a little princess!” Lisa clapped her hands in delight.

From that day on, Millie became the most popular kid in the village. She learned to wash her face and take baths every day, and her clothes were always neat and tidy. And whenever she met a child who didn’t like getting clean, she would smile and say, “I know a really fun way to take a bath!”

And so, Millie and her friends grew up happily, always staying clean and bright. And every evening, from Millie’s home, you could hear a cheerful song: “Millie’s getting clean, oh so fresh and bright~”