Short Stories » Waiting For The Tooth Fairy

Waiting For The Tooth Fairy

Angelica was about six years old. At that age, she thought she knew just about everything in the world. She could count up to hundred, knew her alphabets, read a little and what not. However, what she did not know was about the tooth fairy. This story is her encounter with the tooth fairy.

One morning, Angelica was brushing her teeth, when she felt one or her teeth wobbling and she was a bit taken aback. She stopped brushing and felt the teeth with her fingers and she was surprised that it was wobbly and lose. Angelica was alarmed. She could not believe what was happening to her teeth.

She ran screaming to her mother.

“Mother,” she cried, “why is some of my teeth wobbling?”

But her Momma was the least worried and in fact, she was smiling. She explained to Angelica that the present teeth in her mouth were baby teeth or milk teeth. Now that she was growing up, these teeth would all fall off and be replaced by a stronger set of permanent teeth in their place.

Then her momma said, “Now, let us have a look at your tooth.”

She touched Angelica’s lose tooth and said, “It is wobbly and lose alright, but it is not ready to drop. I think, we will have to wait for few more days.”

Within few days, the tooth became very lose and finally it just about was delicate. Angelica’s mother got worried that she might accidentally swallow her tooth. Therefore, she decided to pull it out herself. However, Angelica was scared. The thought of her losing her teeth petrified her.

She thought it was going to hurt very badly. Therefore, on the day that her mother had planned to remove her tooth, she ran into the garden and hid there. Her mother was searching for her frantically. Finally, when she found her, she burst out laughing. She tried to pacify Angelica, but she shut her mouth and looked the other side.

Therefore, her mother decided to play a trick on her. She said, “It is sad that you will not let me extract your tooth. Because, you are going to miss the present that the tooth fairy will bring for you, in exchange of for your baby tooth.

Now Angelica liked presents and did not want to miss one. Therefore, she asked her mother more about the tooth fairy. “Who is this tooth fairy? And, why does she bring presents?”

“Ah, now that’s a story, I forgot to tell you,” said her mother. “She is a tiny person, who brings presents to those children, whenever they lose their baby or milk teeth. However, you have to put that tooth under your pillow at night, before you go to sleep. The fairy comes at night, takes the tooth, and leaves a present in its place,” told her mother.

“Will I also get a present,” asked Angelica?” “You should, if you place your tooth under your pillow tonight. Besides, the fairy is a very busy person and she has to visit many places. And, if she gets the time, I am sure she will also leave a present for you,” told her mother.

Now, she was all set to remove her tooth. Within seconds, her mother had extracted the tooth. She had hardly felt any pain. However, when she put her fingers where the tooth was, there was a slight numbness.

She carefully washed the extracted tooth and put it in a box. Before she went to sleep that night, Angelica tucked the box under her pillow. She was too excited to sleep and lie wide-awake. However, she remembered that her mother had told her, that the tooth fairy never comes, until all the members of the house are fast asleep. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when Angelica woke up, she could hardly contain her excitement. The first thing she did was to reach under her pillow and check the box containing her tooth. She was surprised to note that her tooth had gone and in her place was a tiny silver thimble. It was tiny, exquisite and it was just thing that a fairy would bring.

She ran downstairs shouting, “Mother” while clutching her new present. “The tooth fairy visited my room last night, and see what she brought me.” Her mother said that the thimble was beautiful and hearing that, Angelica face beamed.

Angelica, then asked mother, “Will I get a present every time I place a tooth under my pillow?”

“Certainly,” said her mother.

“I wish my other teeth will also drop out soon, then I will get even more presents,” said Angelica. She checked her other teeth, whether any of them were shaking or wobbly. But to her dismay, all of them were firmly rooted. She tried to slowly shake them with her fingers, but it was of no use.

Seeing this, her mother started laughing, and said, “Well, you got to be patient. They will all slowly drop in time.”

But being patient was not one of Angelica’s plus points. Soon, she came up with an idea. She softly crept up to her Grandfather’s bedroom in the night. She wished him goodnight and took his set of false teeth from the bowl he used to keep, before going to sleep. She was very happy, as there were a number of teeth so she was sure to get many presents from the tooth fairy.

She tucked the box with her grandpa’s teeth and quickly dozed off. Next morning, she woke up hoping that there would be a number of presents. However, her hopes were dashed, when she noticed that there were no presents. However, she quickly composed herself, and thought she might come the next day, as she might have been busy.

She went down for breakfast, and everyone was searching for Grandpa’s teeth. She felt a bit guilty but didn’t say a word, and quickly dashed off to school. When she returned that evening, the mood in the house was still gloomy.

“We haven’t been able to find grandpa’s teeth. Grandpa has not eaten anything since morning, but soup,” said her mother. She felt even more guilty when she heard this. However, she pushed those thoughts and quickly went to bed, hoping that the fairy will come that night.

She woke up in the morning to find that there were no presents. She burst into tears and hearing her wail, her mother rushed into her room. “What’s the matter?” asked her mother.

She took out her box, gave it to her mother, and narrated the entire tale. She apologized profusely and hung her head in shame.

Her mother did not punish her, but started laughing instead. She told her that the tooth fairy would not come, since Grandpa’s teeth were false.

However, her grandfather was so happy that he got her teeth back that he gave her a special present. Grandpa gave her a music box, and under the circumstances, she was thrilled to receive any present.