The Tooth Fairy Returns

March 8, 2016

Dear Gwenevere,

I was hoping you’d be awake when I came tonight.  I wanted you to see me, see my wings and my glow.  I have to get back to my friends and family we stay very busy but here is a story of the first time I met a human.  

While most fairies lived in a flower, under a mushroom or inside a hollow log,I live under the roots of a tree on the riverbank. I have plenty of playmates; the frogs and tadpoles and lizards that lived next to the river like to play with me.  I also help take care of the younger fairies learning to fly.

I like living by the river bank, I am able to find things that the humans have lost in the river. Fish hooks, beads, coins and other things that humans dropped wash up on the bank right in front of my fairy house. I love to pick up the trinkets and play with them. Each time she pick up a trinket, I can feel the memories associated with it. When I hold a marble, I can sense the enjoyment the marble once brought the child that owned it. I can hear the laughter of the child playing marbles with his friends.  I can understand how proud the little boy was when he won his first game of marbles.

As much as I liked all of the trinkets, there was one trinket that I desperately wanted above all the others: the baby tooth of a child. Every day, she checked the riverbank, hoping that a child’s baby tooth had washed up in the night. No tooth ever came.

Why did I want a tooth so badly? Well, children almost always very excited when they  lose a tooth. After all, losing teeth is big step in growing up! I wanted to hold a baby tooth and know how excited the child was when he lost the tooth.  I had to wait until I was ready before I could become a tooth fairy assistant.

One day, the I heard something while playing with her river friends. It was quiet at first, barely audible. As it grew louder, I understood what it was. It was the sound of children talking and laughing together, and they were getting closer!

“Humans!”. I quickly flew over to the roots of the tree on the bank and hid.

A few moments later, the children slid down the riverbank to the water’s edge. From my hiding spot, I could see three little girls, all barefoot. Two girls dipped their toes in the shallow water close to the bank, splashing one another and giggling. The last girl seemed afraid of the water, so she played in the soft dirt near me .I backed further into the shadows, hoping the little girl would not see me, but the girl was too close. The little girl saw me, and her blue eyes opened wide with surprise.

She reached out and touched my dress, as if she were trying to make sure that I was real. I froze, not knowing whether to try to speak or fly away.

Then the little girl whispered softly, “Are you a fairy?”

I nodded.

The little girl looked around the underside of the tree roots.

“Is this your house?”

When the little girl said ‘this,’ she displayed a slight lisp. The fairy wondered, Could she have a loose tooth? When she looked at the girl’s smile, she saw that one of her front teeth was definitely loose.

She flew close to the girl’s face and wiggled the tooth. The girl giggled.

“What are you doing, little fairy? Do you want to wiggle my loose tooth like all of the grown-ups?”

“I collect trinkets,” I replied, “and I’ve always wanted a child’s baby tooth.”

The girl wiggled her tooth. “Well,” she said, “I would give it to you, except it’s still in my mouth. When it’s out, you can have it, if you like.”

About then, the other two little girls noticed that their playmate had not been talking to them for a while. “Louise?” one girl called, “Why aren’t you playing with us?”

Louise looked over her shoulder and called back, “I was just looking at something. I’ll be there soon!”

Louise turned back to me. “If you want my tooth, I’ll leave it under my pillow for you when it falls out. Just come to my house and take the tooth whenever you can!”

The fairy barely had time to say “Thank you” before Louise ran off to play with the other girls.

I could barely contain her excitement. Finally, I could have a child’s tooth!

I quickly flew back to my fairy friends and told me Mama I had met a child.  She told me I was ready to become a tooth fairy assistant.

Then I thought about Louise, “ I must give a present to Louise in return!”  So I searched around in my trinket collection and decided upon a large silver coin with a man’s head inscribed upon it.

Later that night, I flew to Louise’s house, hoping that Louise had lost that wibbly-wobbly tooth.

Louise was sleeping soundly, snoring slightly. I hovered over Louise as she slept, peering into her mouth. Sure enough, there was a gap where the loose tooth had once been! I squirmed under Louise’s pillow and found the tooth.  I replaced the tooth with the silver coin. Then I flew out the window, back to my home, where I could remember Louise’s excitement every time I touched her tooth.

That is why we love to build our houses out of teeth.  teeth homes are the happiest homes a fairy can make.  

Since that day I have only seen a human child when they have been asleep.  But next time you’re out in the woods, or by a small river, look for me and I will be looking for you.

I love your fairy garden in your front yard.  It is a beautiful place and when it’s  quiet I like to come sit next to your fairy and feed the chickens and play with the puppy and curl up with the kitten.  I love to see all the flowers growing.  You sure know how to make a fairy feel happy.  

Sweet dreams my love.  I will see you someday if only in your dreams.

Love,

Willow Springs