Once upon a time, in a gloomy, wet swamp, there lived an alligator named Alphonso. Alphonso had a reputation for being one of the most cunning hunters in the swamp. His sharp teeth were his pride and joy. He used them to catch prey and defend his territory against any intruders. But over time, Alphonso started to notice that his teeth were not as strong as they used to be. They were getting all dirty from his meals, and he had no way to get them clean. Unfortunately, as far as he knew, there were no dentists around to help him.

One day, Alphonso was swimming in the river and he noticed a small bird, an Egyptian plover named Benny, perched on a nearby tree. Benny had a thin, sharp beak that would be just perfect for cleaning teeth. Alphonso saw Benny and immediately had an idea. He called out to Benny and offered him a deal.

"Hey, Benny, I have a deal for you," Alphonso called out to him.

Benny was curious, so he flew down from his tree onto a log next to Alphonso. "What is it?" Benny asked..

"I will let you sit on my teeth and clean the leftover food from them every day, and in return, I promise not to eat you," Alphonso said.

Benny sat and pondered for a moment, and said, “So I can clean your teeth to get free food? Sounds like a plan! I’m in!”

“Great!” Alphonso cheered. “My teeth will be clean again!”

So, Alphonso opened his jaw nice and wide and Benny hopped inside. Benny could see all of the food that had been getting stuck in his teeth, and was very eager to eat it all. He thought that this was a very nice deal.

After that, Benny would stop by and clean Alphonso’s teeth every single day. He would pick every little piece of his leftover food from between his teeth, and they always ended up looking beautifully white and clean. Alphonso was happy, and of course, he kept his promise of not eating Benny.

Days turned into weeks, and Benny became an essential part of Alphonso's life. He was the only one who could clean Alphonso's teeth, and Alphonso was happy with Benny's services. Benny was also happy because he was able to get food easily and did not have to worry about being eaten.

But one day, while Benny was cleaning Alphonso's teeth, he accidentally slipped and pricked Alphonso's gums with his beak, and hard.

“Ow!” Alphonso yelled. “That hurt!”

And without thinking, Alphonso got angry and snapped his jaws shut, eating poor Benny in one swift motion.

Alphonso realized his mistake and regretted it. As time passed, he missed Benny's cleaning, so he went on a long search to find a replacement for Benny. However, he could not find another bird that could clean his teeth like Benny did. His teeth continued to get dirty from all the food stuck in them, and soon couldn't eat anything at all. Alphonso realized the true value of what he had lost when he broke his promise and ate Benny.