The tooth fairy is a delightful creature who brings a gift of cash and brightens an otherwise ordinary childhood day.

Some adults complain about the tooth fairy, but these are people who have lost the capacity to have fun and think no one else should have any, either.

On the other hand, children of all ages love the image of the tooth fairy, with gossamer wings and sparkling wand, magically producing coins and leaving them under pillows in the middle of the night.  What does the fairy really look like?  Where does she get the money?  How does she know when I’m asleep?  Look, she left something!  The mystery and the joy of it are irresistible.

Childhood is not always easy, and losing teeth can be a small but bothersome trial.  When the tooth is wiggling, it hurts.  When it finally comes out,  the taste of blood and the feel of the empty space are unpleasant.  The whole thing is repeated over a course of five or six years.  To make up for this inconvenience, lots of cultures provide compensation in the form of entertaining stories about a tooth fairy or similar creation.

According to Tinkertank, many Spanish-speaking countries have the tooth mouse, or “raton de los dientes.”  The Italians and Irish also have a tooth mouse, called Topino in Italy and Annabogle in Ireland (bogle is similar to our bogie).  These creatures take away the discarded teeth.  In Scotland the mouse is also a fairy, a sort of mouse-fairy compromise.  The Scottish mouse fairy comes up with the cash, like our tooth fairy.  In Asia, children wish for their new teeth to be like mouse teeth, which are considered very healthy.

In a French fairy tale of the eighteenth century, a mouse turns into a fairy and hides under the pillow of an evil king, giving him his comeuppance by knocking out all his teeth.  There’s more tooth fairy history and lore at http://www.tinkertank.org/HolidayToothyDay/ToothFairyHistory.html.

When I was growing up, the going rate for a tooth was a nickel, and, since you could buy a large Milky Way with a nickel, that was really cool.  My parents were excellent tooth fairies, and never missed leaving the nickel on the proper night. 

When my kids were growing up, the price had gone up to a quarter, which didn’t really keep up with inflation.  And unfortunately, while we were raising four boys and both working full time, we sometimes forgot to leave the quarter under the pillow.  In the morning I would hand the disappointed boy a piece of paper and say, “The tooth fairy left you this IOU, and says she’ll bring the money tonight.”

But nevertheless, the tooth fairy and the other happy and elusive beliefs of childhood add charm to our lives and a pleasant glow to the day.