Martin had very crooked teeth. His dentist wanted to fix them. "You have to getbraces," he told Martin. "Your smile will be perfect!" Martin did not like this idea. He was scared of getting braces. He had heard they hurt a lot. They were also very expensive.

He went to his dad to get some advice. His dad told Martin to get them. He even paid for them himself. When Martin looked at his braces in the mirror, he was unhappy. "I look ugly now!" he remarked. "Stop being ridiculous," said his dad. "You already looked that way before they put the braces on!"