In the evening, when everyone is asleep, tiny fairies fly out of their hiding places and visit our homes. They look for children’s bedrooms and slip quietly through the window. Then they peek under the pillow and slip under the pillow, hoping to find a tooth that has fallen out. But it’s not always easy for the fairy. She doesn’t always take the tooth with her. Sometimes it’s just not possible, just like what happened one night long ago.
That night, the tooth fairy quietly flew into Annie’s room. Annie was a little girl with pigtails who had just lost her first tooth. Excited that the fairy would come for it, she hid it under her pillow. Annie tried to stay awake to see the fairy, but of course, she eventually drifted off to sleep.
In the middle of the night, the fairy arrived. She fluttered her wings gently and landed unnoticed on the bed next to Annie. The little girl was breathing steadily, fast asleep, unaware of what was happening. The fairy slipped under the pillow and quickly found the tooth. But as soon as she picked it up in her tiny hands, she gasped and dropped it in surprise.
“Oh dear, what is this? Not like this! Don’t children know how to brush their teeth properly these days?” complained the fairy. The tooth was so dirty that she couldn’t pick it up. She would stick to it.
In the morning, when Annie got up, the very first thing she did was look under her pillow. To her surprise, the tooth was still there. Next to it, she noticed a little note. It said:
Dear Annie, I’ll be happy to take your tooth, but first you need to wash and clean it properly. I believe you are a clever girl, so I know you will take care of it. And most importantly, from now on, brush all the teeth in your mouth thoroughly. That way, I can collect them right away as soon as they fall out. And don’t put it off! Otherwise, I won’t even come back for this one.
Annie was ashamed. The fairy was there, but when she saw the dirty tooth, she left empty-handed. How embarrassing! What must the fairies think of Annie now! But Annie didn’t give up – she wanted to make things right. She took the tooth and cleaned it carefully until it sparkled. Then she brushed all the teeth in her mouth for a long time with her toothbrush.
That evening, before bed, she put the polished tooth under her pillow. She quickly fell asleep. And sure enough – by morning, it was gone! Annie was overjoyed. The fairy wasn’t angry after all. She returned and gave Annie a second chance.
From then on, the little girl with pigtails has been brushing her teeth diligently. She didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of the fairy ever again. Plus, the boys at kindergarten told her that her smile was much cuter now. Could it be because she has beautifully clean and white teeth now?