The Tooth Fairy is a fantasy figure of early childhood in Western and Western-influenced cultures. The folklore states that when children lose one of their baby teeth, they should place it underneath their pillow or on their bedside table, and the Tooth Fairy will visit while they sleep, replacing the lost tooth with a small payment.
A 2013 survey found that American children receive an average of $3.70 per tooth. According to the same survey, only 3% of children find a dollar or less and 8% find a five dollar bill or more under their pillow. I believe my grandchildren, Brady and Eva, reaped $5.00 a tooth. At $5.00 a tooth some kids might decide to expedite the process.
The Tooth Fairy, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, made regular stops at the house where I grew up. I always believed Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were “boys” and the Tooth Fairy was a “girl.
My requirement as a child was to place my tooth under my pillow. Having done so, the following morning I’d find a nickel or a dime. Dimes mostly. I believe that if you asked my sisters they would provide a similar observation, but I expect that Sharron (three years younger) found dimes and quarters, and Jackie (seven years younger) found quarters for sure, perhaps the occasional fifty cent piece and eventually a dollar bill.
When Ruth and I had children of our own, the trio visited us. Ruth made a “tooth fairy pillow” for David to use. The tooth fairy pillow was in the shape of a tooth. It had a small pouch for easy access. I believe that pillow and the pouch were well received by everyone. A fairy can get bogged down if the tooth is not within easy reach. The pillow helped expedite the process for everyone.
She started to make one for Elizabeth and finished it in time to give to our granddaughter, Eva. Michael did get one of his own, but I’m not sure he received it in time for his first tooth. I know David’s was used by more than just him. When your three children are born forty months apart, there’s bound to be some overlap. Heck, Ruth and I washed diapers every day for seven years in a row. That’s overlap.
While Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny have one day to complete their work. The Tooth Fairy is on call every day. I know for a fact that the “fairy” is so busy that some stops get overlooked. I know that our three were missed a time, or two, but they all seemed to get caught up by the following day.
When I was about ten I lost two teeth on the same day. My older cousin Gene, had ratted out the myth of the three amigos during the holiday season the prior December. I played it cool and didn’t let anyone know that I had been supplied with the truth of the matter. I continued along like nothing had happened.
I placed the two teeth under my pillow and the next morning I found the same two teeth. A second night came and went with the same result. On the third morning I asked my mom if she had any idea why this was happening. She didn’t. And then she offered up a strange request. She wanted me to help her strip my bed so she could change my sheets. I never did that.
As we removed the bottom sheet, coins started flying. They bounced and slid across the wood floor like ball bearings in a pinball machine. After I was done collecting my haul, I had six quarters.
Mom said, “The money must have gotten lost in the sheets”.
“Yea, but why did the fairy leave the teeth?”
“Maybe her bag of teeth was full.”
We never spoke of the tooth fairy again. I did have to start stripping my own bed though.
Five years prior, when I was five and my cousin, Gene, was nine, we were “play wrestling” in my Grandma Barner’s living room. It was one of the many family gatherings we had to celebrate somebody’s something. My mom and dad, Aunt Ruth and Uncle Harry, my grandparents, and others sat on couches and chairs to watch “the match”. Their attendance insured we wouldn’t get too wild. At one point I jumped on Gene’s back. He was standing, but bent over, and I jumped like I was going to ride a horse. As soon as I hit his back a tooth fell out of his mouth. I jumped off and started to cry. I didn’t mean to hurt him, but clearly I had. The single tooth shining bright on the carpeted floor was clear evidence of that.
My Aunt Ruth said something like, “It’s Ok.”, but that didn’t help. And then Gene said, “It’s Ok. My tooth was loose. I’ve been trying to pull it myself. You just helped it out.” And then he hugged me. He hugged me until the tears stopped.
I miss those hugs.