Bedtime Story (4/11/2015)

This week's story is dedicated to the memory of my lovely dentist, who passed away at the start of October.  

Daniel And The Tooth Fairy

Daniel watched his twin sister, Lucy, as she excitedly twirled around the living room.  "The tooth fairy's coming!"  She sang, as she danced.  She flashed her brother a big, gappy grin.  "Look!"  She squeaked, pointing at the space where her tooth had once been.  "My wobbly tooth is finally out and now I'm going to get a coin from the tooth fairy!"

Daniel pushed his own wobbly tooth with the tip of his tongue.  It moved, but it didn't fall out.  He sighed and pulled a face at his sister.  "I don't care," he grumbled.  "Fairies are for girls, anyway."

Lucy laughed.  "I am a girl!"  She raised her eyebrows at him.  "You're just jealous, because you're saving up for that cool helicopter like the one Charlie next door has, but if your tooth doesn't fall out, you won't get a coin!"

Daniel folded his arms.  "I'm not jealous," he protested.  "I don't even believe in fairies.  Like I said, they're for girls, not boys."

Lucy frowned.  "So, if your tooth fell out tonight, you wouldn't put it under your pillow?"

Daniel shook his head.  "No," he declared.  "I'd chuck it in the bin."  He narrowed his eyes at his sister.  "Fairies don't exist!"

"Well, I'm going to prove that they do," Lucy insisted.  "I've already put my tooth under my pillow and when I wake up tomorrow, there'll be a shiny coin there instead.  Fairies do exist and they aren't just for girls!  And with that, Lucy skipped out of the room.

Daniel listened to her footsteps on the stairs, getting further and further away.  Then he hurried out of the living room and into the corridor.  He stood on his tiptoes to see his reflection close up in the mirror on the wall and he pressed his wobbly tooth with his finger.  It wobbled this way and that way, but it didn't come out.  Daniel pushed harder and the tooth wobbled even more, but still it didn't fall out.  He blew out an angry puff of air and stomped upstairs.

Lucy was in her room with the door open.  She was sitting on the edge of her bed, reading a book all about the tooth fairy.  "Hey, Daniel?  Did you know that the tooth fairies use the teeth we lose to build beautiful castles in Fairy Land?"

Daniel's lip curled up in a snarl.  "Don't be so stupid."

Lucy slammed her book shut.  "Are you really telling me that you don't believe in the tooth fairy?"  

"Yes!"  Daniel shouted.  "They're a stupid lie that girls tell, that's all.  Boys don't believe in silly things like that."  He turned on his heels in a huff and walked straight into the door in his rush to storm out of the room.  "Ouch!"  Daniel's hands flew to his mouth.

"Daniel!"  Lucy jumped off her bed and rushed to her brother.  "You're bleeding," she told him.  "Are you alright?"

Daniel moved his hands away from his mouth to reply, but Lucy spoke before he had a chance.  "Your tooth has fallen out!"

Daniel stared at the floor.  "But where did it go?!"

Lucy smirked.  "I thought you weren't bothered?"  She teased.  "You don't believe in the tooth fairy, remember?  It's just a stupid lie that girls tell."

Daniel swallowed and fought to resist the urge to hunt for his missing tooth.  "That's right," he snapped.  "The tooth fairy is for girls and I don't believe in all that nonsense."  And with that, he rushed across the corridor into his own bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Daniel didn't come out again until it was time to clean his teeth at bedtime.

"The tooth fairy is going to be busy tonight, isn't she?!"  His mum laughed.  "Two children in the same house, losing a tooth on the same day!"

"She's only coming for my tooth," Lucy corrected, as she went to clean her own teeth.  "Daniel says the tooth fairy is only for girls.  Besides, he doesn't know where his tooth went!"

"Didn't you look for it?"  Daniel's mum asked.  

Daniel simply shook his head.  "Lucy's right," he said in a small voice.  "I don't care about all that rubbish."

But later that night, when the lights were out and everybody was in bed, Daniel crept out of his room.  He tiptoed across the corridor to Lucy's bedroom and very carefully turned the doorknob.  He sneaked into the room and dropped to his hands and knees, feeling along the floor in the darkness for anything that felt like his tooth.  After several minutes of fumbling and finding nothing, Daniel's eyes began to prick with tears.  He wanted that tooth!  He wanted a coin.  He wanted that cool helicopter!  With a sad sigh, Daniel tiptoed back to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Sneaking to the window, Daniel leaned against the windowsill and gazed out into the black, starry night.  "Are you out there, Tooth Fairy?" He whispered.  "I want to say sorry.  I'm sorry I said you were only for girls.  And I'm sorry I called you a lie.  I was just cross.  But I've lost my tooth and I really did have one and I would have put it under my pillow, but..."  Daniel's voice trailed off and a single tear trickled down each cheek.  Slowly, he crept back into bed and huddled up under the covers.  Soon, he was fast asleep.

"Daniel!  Wake up!"  Lucy's voice woke him early the next morning.  "Daniel, look!"  His bedroom door burst open and Lucy appeared at his bedside, waving a little pink pouch.  "The tooth fairy came and I've got a pound!"

Daniel sighed, but managed a smile.  "Congratulations."

Lucy smiled, hugging the little pouch close to her chest.  "You said the tooth fairy didn't exist, but I knew she did!"

Daniel nodded.  "You were right," he said, sadly.

"Mum and dad are up already," Lucy told her brother.  "I'm going downstairs to show them."  And with that, she rushed out of the room just as quickly as she'd arrived.

Daniel lay back down in his bed.  His heart felt too heavy for his chest and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep.  He wrapped his duvet around himself and pulled his pillow down as he curled into a ball.  But as he moved the pillow, his hand brushed against something.  Daniel sat bolt upright and tossed his pillow onto the floor.  There, right where his pillow had been, was another little pink pouch.  But next to that was a piece of paper, neatly folded into a square.  Daniel picked up the pouch.  He could feel that there was a coin inside and a smile appeared on his face.  He grabbed the note and hurriedly unfolded it.  There, in perfect handwriting, written with a gold, sparkly pen, were the words:

"I heard you talking, late last night.

Your tears were such a sad, sad sight.

I found your tooth, so you needn't worry.

I'd have stayed to say hi, but I was in a hurry!

I have teeth to collect from all round the world;

Every boy and every girl.

So, in future, don't be angry or glum.

There's magic out there for everyone."

Daniel practically flew out of his bedroom and down the stairs.  By the time he reached the kitchen, where his parents and sister were having breakfast, he was out of breath.

"How did you sleep, Daniel?"  His mum asked, with a smile.

"Fine," Daniel said, holding out the pink pouch.  "Look!  The tooth fairy came for me, too!"

Lucy frowned.  "But you don't even believe in the tooth fairy.  You said it was just for girls..."

"Oh, Lucy," Daniel tutted as he sat down at the table.  "Of course I do."  He gave her a smile.  "It doesn't matter whether you're a boy or a girl.  If you believe in it, there's magic out there for everyone."  He took a deep breath and slipped the pouch into the pocket of his pyjamas.  "Now, come on.  Let's eat breakfast and then we can go to the shops.  I've got a helicopter to buy!"

THE END