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Stinky Stevie - Why do feet smell? |
by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
Once upon a time there was a foot named Stevie. Stevie was one of two feet, as most feet are, and her buddy on the left was named Stella. Stella and Stevie were alike in a lot of ways -- most of their friends said they looked like a mirror-image of each other -- but there was one way in which Stevie and Stella were really different: Stevie was really stinky.
Stevie didn't understand why she was such a smelly foot, but she thought it had something to do with sweat. Stevie and Stella ran around outside a lot on hot days, and always got really wet and sweaty. They had learned in Science Class that sweat was the body's natural way of cooling off, but Stevie still didn't know why it always made her smell badly! Clearly it wasn't doing the same thing to Stella, so one day as they came back inside from a hot afternoon playing soccer, she decided to ask Stella about it.
“Hey friend,” Stevie said to her left. “I need to ask you a question.”
“Sure!” replied Stella.
“Are you really sweaty right now?”
“Of course I am!” Stella said. “It's 90 degrees outside!”
“Okay,” said Stevie. “Then why aren't you smelly, like me? I smell like a foot!”
Stella laughed. “Stevie, you are a foot!” she joked.
“I know, but so are you, and you don't smell like one!”
“You're right,” Stella said, answering Stevie more seriously now. “That's because I make sure to shower every day, especially when I've been outside running around a lot in the heat.”
Stella explained to Stevie that the smell she complained about was caused when all of the sweat she produced as a natural way of cooling down mixed in with the bacteria living on her skin. Bacteria are tiny critters too small to see which live naturally in lots of different places, including the surface of your skin. Having some bacteria on your body, Stella explained, was normal. But having too many could be bad and could cause you to get sick, in addition to causing you to be more smelly when you're sweaty!
“So that's why I make sure to take a bath every day,” Stella explained to Stevie. “Keeping off the extra bacteria make me healthier and less smelly.
“Wow!“ Stevie exclaimed. “Thank you so much for teaching me about that! Now I'm going to make sure I start taking a bath every day too, so that I can be more Stevie and less stinky!”
Stevie didn't understand why she was such a smelly foot, but she thought it had something to do with sweat. Stevie and Stella ran around outside a lot on hot days, and always got really wet and sweaty. They had learned in Science Class that sweat was the body's natural way of cooling off, but Stevie still didn't know why it always made her smell badly! Clearly it wasn't doing the same thing to Stella, so one day as they came back inside from a hot afternoon playing soccer, she decided to ask Stella about it.
“Hey friend,” Stevie said to her left. “I need to ask you a question.”
“Sure!” replied Stella.
“Are you really sweaty right now?”
“Of course I am!” Stella said. “It's 90 degrees outside!”
“Okay,” said Stevie. “Then why aren't you smelly, like me? I smell like a foot!”
Stella laughed. “Stevie, you are a foot!” she joked.
“I know, but so are you, and you don't smell like one!”
“You're right,” Stella said, answering Stevie more seriously now. “That's because I make sure to shower every day, especially when I've been outside running around a lot in the heat.”
Stella explained to Stevie that the smell she complained about was caused when all of the sweat she produced as a natural way of cooling down mixed in with the bacteria living on her skin. Bacteria are tiny critters too small to see which live naturally in lots of different places, including the surface of your skin. Having some bacteria on your body, Stella explained, was normal. But having too many could be bad and could cause you to get sick, in addition to causing you to be more smelly when you're sweaty!
“So that's why I make sure to take a bath every day,” Stella explained to Stevie. “Keeping off the extra bacteria make me healthier and less smelly.
“Wow!“ Stevie exclaimed. “Thank you so much for teaching me about that! Now I'm going to make sure I start taking a bath every day too, so that I can be more Stevie and less stinky!”
This story is adorable and informative. I read it to my curious kindergarteners and they loved it (although they were concerned as to why a person would wash only one foot at a time)! Keep up the great work!