Karius And Backtus (1955)

[Music] [Applause] [Music] Welcome. Welcome. Our [Music] play is about two characters. We call them carious and bactus. Might live in your mouth more exactly your teeth. You may have heard them called tooth decay and bacteria. They are so small that you can only see them with a microscope. If you listen closely, you will hear them at work. La [Music] Aarius, wait a minute, I have to rest. We've been chipping and chopping and working all day. Elliot, our house is big enough already. >> No, no, practice. It must be much bigger. We are getting so much delicious ice cream, sugar, and candy every day. We are getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Come on, back to work. Right. You're right. Back to work. [Music] >> But curious. Now what? >> Now what? >> I've been thinking. No. What? Why don't we build ourselves another house? We could build one up there. That's better than down in this hole. >> Not me. We're so much safer down here. Suppose that awful tooth gets after us again. Golly, never. That's the worst thing that could happen to us, don't you think? And Joe never brushes his teeth. Have to worry about that. Oh, yes. That was weeks ago. No, no, no. He won't brush for at least 2 weeks. >> All right, you can build where you like. Not me. I'll stay here. >> Oh, I'll have a much nicer house than you in that miter tooth over all the other teeth. Yes, a house with a view. When lots of our friends are here with houses in all his teeth. When there's a whole town in Joe's mouth, then I can sit like a king in my house and look down on the whole town. >> You're just a little kid. I'm not so sure there'll be many of us. It all depends on whether we get enough candy. >> Candy, candy, candy. We get so much candy. Bags and bags of it that we're always stuffed. >> It hasn't always been that good. I can remember the time when Joe never ate candy and sweet things. Never. Golly, I thought we'd die of hunger. >> You always talk about sad things. You're always so gloomy. Oh, Joe's never going to use a brush. And things will keep getting better. >> Oh, look. Here comes dinner. >> Oh, it's probably only vegetables. >> No, look, Carrie. It's cookies with lots and lots of frosting. >> Hooray. Hooray. >> Hooray. Hooray. Hooray. Another lucky day. Life down here is very dandy with delicious sugar candy. Cookies cookies every hour. Help us build our toothy car. All this frosting is so nice. And today we've had it twice. That was act one. Our little characters are very happy. [Music] But Joe, the owner of the teeth, isn't very happy because Carious and Bactus are hacking holes in his teeth. [Music] They're spoiling his teeth and giving him a toothache, and that hurts. Now, here is act two. The time is 2 days later. Bactus is looking for his friend. Come inside with me now please and we will see what will happen. Hello. Hello Carrie. Where are you? Where are you? >> Don't bother me. I'm very busy. >> What are you doing? >> I'm digging an underground tunnel from my house to yours. >> Hey, that's a very good idea. How's everything with you? >> I love my new home a lot. I have a wonderful, wonderful view. Oh, yes. White teacups as far as the eye can see. >> What's that funny noise? >> Oh, Joe's making a fuss. >> Can you hear what he's saying? >> Ouch. My teeth hurt. >> He's saying, "Oh goodness, my teeth hurt. I think he's a crybaby. >> Back this. I'm going to tease him a bit. I'm going to hammer. >> Watch this now. Back this. Listen to him scream a bit. [Music] >> Hear him? >> Yes. He said ouch. Ouch. Do it again, Carrie. Again. Again. >> Okay, listen. >> Mommy. [Laughter] >> You should take better care of them, Joe. >> Who was that? >> It was Joe's mother. Joe's mother. >> What did she say? >> She said, "You should take better care of your teeth, Joe." Oh no. Bactus. No. Nope. Suppose he starts using that horrible toothbrush. >> Curious. We must trick him out of brushing his teeth. Wait a minute. We'll tell him not to do what his mother says he should. >> Joel, don't do what your mother says. Don't do what? [Music] >> He's going to anyway. I hear the water running. Oh, help. Here comes the brush. Help carry us. >> Come on down here. It's safer than up there. >> Help. Help. Help. [Applause] What a fooy bath. That awful toothbrush. It almost got me that time. >> Oh, what a horrible noise. >> He stopped at last. Do you think it's safe now? >> Be careful. >> Oh, what a mess he's made here. >> What's the matter? >> Not a bit of candy left. >> All that was so sweet and good. All our lovely sticky food. Not a crumb of cake to lick. What a very dirty trick. >> Nothing more to eat today. Now it's all been brushed away. Nothing soft and nothing sweet. >> Nothing left for us to eat. My friends, that was act two. Made a good beginning by brushing his teeth. But brushing his teeth didn't take care of the holes in them. No. [Music] Then Joe's mother gave him some very, very good advice. You'll see what happens in act three. It takes place in the dentist office. >> What are you? What? So, we'll get some nice juicy sweets to eat soon. >> I don't know. Doesn't look like it. >> I've been thinking. Let's talk to Joe. What do you think? >> Talk talk. >> If we shout, maybe he'll listen. >> Okay, let's shout loud. >> We want candy. We want candy. Hey, >> open please. >> What was that? >> It was a man talking. Who is he? >> What did he say? >> He said, "Open your mouth." >> That's funny. >> Maybe it was the baker who said, "Please open your mouth. Please." Look, Joe's opening his mouth. >> Oh, I hope they're frosting. Oh, dear me. How long is he going to keep his mouth open without some food coming in? >> Yeah, what a bright light. Gh. Can't see. It's like the sun's shining. >> What is it? >> I don't know. Let's climb up and have a better look. See anything? >> Oh my dear, there's a huge lamp just outside Joe's mouth. It's 10 times bigger than the sun. >> Come on. Can you see anything else? >> I see a man in a white coat. Who is he? >> Little help. It's a dentist. The dentist. >> Are they dangerous? >> Dentists. They're our worst enemies. >> I'm scared. >> Quiet. What's that noise? >> It's a big ugly shiny thing. Harious. >> Help. It's the drill. >> It's coming closer and closer. Carious. What are we going to do? Help. It's coming here. >> Look, curious. Now he's going in our houses. >> Oh, I'm so furious. >> Let's bite the drill. >> It's too hard. >> Then we can bite his fingers. All of his fingers. Yeah, Draculus, that wouldn't help either. >> We could jump into his mouth and hammer on his teeth. See how he'd like it. >> Can't fight the dentist. >> I wish there weren't a single dentist in the whole wide world. Now he's spraying water. A into our houses. >> How awful. What's he doing now? >> He's filling up my lovely house. >> Hey, stop it. Stop it. Hey, Dennis, stop that. Stop it. Stop it. >> Oh, dear. Dear, >> it's too late. >> Gone. My lovely house. There it went. My house with a view and all. No more place to live. Oh dear. Dear. Oh, >> and now my big house is all gone, too. >> Not even a teeny hole left. Everything's gone. Where are we going to spend the night when all the teeth are smooth and tight? >> Oh, I'm so mad. So mad, so mad. To lose one's home is awfully sad. >> And we are so very small. We can't fight the drill at all. We could just sit down and weep for we have no place to sleep. [Music] Now Joe's at home again. The holes in the toothache are all gone. Yes, but what about Carus and Bactus? Bad, bad, bad. Now you'll see what happens to them. [Music] These are bad times, Bactus. >> Yes, guys. Bad. Bad times. >> We're finished. >> Nothing sweet to eat. No home. >> Bad. >> Bad. Maybe we can sleep in this corner tonight. I'm tired. >> I'm too hungry to sleep. >> Darius, he's opening his mouth. Look, tweet something. >> Want to bet? Let me climb up and look. See anything? >> It's a Oh, not that, please. >> Not the toothbrush. >> What did you say? >> It's the toothbrush. >> And there are no holes to hide in. >> What should we do, Caris? Help. Help. Help. >> We'll have to run away. >> Try to hide, Carrie. >> Oh, yes. But where? Where? Where? >> Help. I would look out without feeling the brush is keeping me away. >> Well, that's the story of Carious and Bactus or tooth decay and bacteria. The toothbrush cleaned them out of Joe's mouth and they were washed down the drain and out to the ocean. [Applause] But they're just waiting around to find some other teeth to make holes in and cause pain. They can get into anybody's teeth and they make big cavities out of the little holes so they can get into them. Joe surely doesn't want them back. And he knows now that he has to use his toothbrush after every meal and before bedtime so that there are no places for Carious and Bactus to hide.