Bedtime Story About Bacteria

Hedgehog Boulle was asked to learn a new topic "Bacteria" at school. But before that, the hedgehog read an article about critical thinking on the Internet. He learned that all the facts can be refuted. We should constantly doubt the information received. There are too much unverified and false information is constantly spreading in social networks and group chats. Therefore, it is quite possible that an information in books is just bedtime story about bacteria but not true.

Story about bacteria for children

In the evening, dad came home and saw a hedgehog lying on the couch and watching cartoons.

“Boulle l, have you learned the lessons?” Dad asked.
“No. I think scientists are wrong about bacteria.”
“What do you mean? “
“I opened the textbook, and it says that bacteria live everywhere. On vegetables and fruits, in the earth, on the volcano and deep in the ocean. It says that if you take all the bacteria in the world and put them together, then their weight will be more than the weight of other living organisms! I immediately realized this is fake!“
“But scientists have proved it! They did research.“
“Dad, scientists are constantly proving something, and then they refute their evidence. I think reading the bedtime story about bacteria for children makes no sense to me. I'd rather watch cartoons.

Dad wanted to argue, but his stomach rumbled. He decided to have dinner first, and then discuss the benefits of studying with his son. Bull did not want to eat vegetable salad at lunch.
“There isn’t any facts about vitamins in the salad. We don’t see bacteria, we don’t see vitamins either. How do you know that they exist? Why do I need to eat vegetables? I'd rather eat meat.“
“Scientists have done research!“ - objected mom.
“I do not trust any imaginary scientists.“
“Good, then trust me.” When I eat vegetables, I feel cheerful and active! - said mom.
“Perhaps this is auto-suggestion! - objected Bull. - Okay, I'll go to sleep.“
“Have you brushed your teeth? “
“I do not think that they really need to be cleaned so often. Twice a day. What for? “
“Because the bacteria live in your mouth! “ - said dad. “Do you know that they breed by division? Constantly divided into two, getting into a favorable environment. And if you don’t clean your mouth of bacteria now, in the morning they will have a whole army on your teeth. A thick yellow coating forms.“
“I do not believe! - said Boulle and went to his room.

Interesting Facts About Bacteria

The hedgehog quickly fell asleep in his cozy bed. Waking up, Boulle saw that his legs had become very tiny. Everything around was very small. Hedgehog could not understand where he is. Suddenly, one half separated from Boulle, and a copy appeared in front of him. Another little Boulle.
“Who are you? “ He asked himself.
“I'm a bacterium. So are you.“
“Wow! No way! I thought we did not exist! “
“How cant we exist? Here we are! “
“I thought I am a hedgehog.“
“ You are no! The hedgehog is sleeping now. And we are in his mouth. On his teeth. It’s good, humid, warm. Therefore, in twenty minutes, there will not be two of us here, but there will be four of us. And then eight, and then sixteen. We were very lucky that he did not brush his teeth in the evening. “

Boulle scratched his bacterial nape and wondered how he could overcome this invasion of bacteria. There was information how to deal with them in the textbook, but he did not read about it. Then he decided that he just needed to escape from his own mouth. But Boulle was so tiny that his mouth seemed to him a whole huge country and he could escape from there for a very long time. During this time he would have spread hundred times.

Suddenly the hedgehog woke up.
“Oh, it was just a nightmare! I’ll go and, just in case, brush my teeth!“

Since Boulle woke up early, he managed to read about bacteria and found out that various diseases occur in children and adults happens because of them. For example, tuberculosis. To overcome a huge army of bacteria, you need to drink antibiotics. But sometimes it’s enough just to brush your teeth and hands. The hedgehog also found out that viruses are not bacteria, they are much smaller. Bacteria are the most ancient inhabitants of the planet, because scientists have found evidence of their existence 3 billion years ago. Scientists called the harmful bacteria microbes.

In the morning before the lesson of natural science, Boulle discussed a new interesting topic with his friend.

“Have you learned all about these bacteria? But what about our protest against the system? What about critical thinking? “ - asked the pig Lara.
“Lara, let's be honest with ourselves! We were just too lazy to learn lessons. That was nothing about critical thinking. “
“The system broke you. “
“To overcome the system, you need to begin to understand what the system believes in! “
“You said that only bedtime stories about bacteria and viruses are written in the book! “
“But then I found out that the scientist Louis Pasteur proved that these bacteria still exist!” When people did not know about them, they did not wash their hands and therefore were constantly ill. And then they began to observe hygiene, began to hurt less and live better. “
“But bacteria are not visible!”
“But they can still be seen under the microscope.”
“Maybe the microscope is also lying. “
“Lara, you know, Pasteur did not just understand that bacteria harm a person, he also came up with vaccinations. Remember, that doctor gave us an injection in the arm? Because of it we do not get sick now? So before he came up with vaccinations, people were sick much more often. “

Lara looked at her watch. Five minutes remained before the lesson, and she ran to read the information about bacteria in the book.

The bedtime story about bacteria has come to an end! Have you brushed your teeth before going to bed today? Have a good night!
Author - Rita Surzhenko