Although few people have ever seen her, there is a beautiful fairy who visits children while they sleep, she trades a set monetary value at that time for their teeth. She has no name and is referred to only as the Tooth Fairy. Generally clothed in a beautiful blue gown, she carries a small gold wand that sparkles, and rains down tiny rainbow colored dust as she twirls it to draw out the tooth that awaits her magic touch.

Her history is as intriguing as she herself is. Some say that this mythical magical person, this Tooth Fairy, originated from France within a long ago told fairy tale. A fairy tale told in 18th century France depicts a tiny mouse who hides beneath an evil kings pillows, she does this so that she might knock out his teeth in the middle of the night, and thereby free the good Queen from his tyranny. The Tooth Fairy is believed to have evolved from a mouse offering a reward for teeth lost; into a beautiful fairy who offers rewards for lost teeth.

Although with a different storyline behind it, the early connection of a mouse to lost teeth existed also within India, Korea, Vietnam, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Spain as well as a number of other countries. In Spain it is a small mouse simply known as "el Ratoncito Perez" or "The Tooth Mouse" who places a coin under the child's pillow while they sleep. The tooth mouse offers a monetary exchange and then it takes the tooth away for it's own purposes. In Ireland this mouse is known as Annabogle while in Italy it is known as Topino.

In Asian countries it is traditional to throw an upper jaw tooth into the floor boards of the home, and a lower jaw tooth either within the rafters of the home, or onto the roof of the home. As the child tosses the tooth, he or she shouts a wish for the tooth that he or she throws, to be replaced by the tooth of a mouse. It is believed that this custom insures strong healthy teeth for a lifetime to come. This is based on the fact that a mouse's teeth continue to grow, and therefor remain healthy, throughout it's lifetime.

With the passing of time, the tooth mouse has in many countries magically transformed itself into a beautiful maiden with wings, and a magical wand to help her extract found teeth from under pillows around the world. This glittery sparkling fairy lives within the hearts and minds of children everywhere.

Indeed it is within the innocent wonder of children that mythical persons like the Tooth Fairy are able to come to life. Children provide the entry port for fairies and fairy tales, for mythical beasts and other magical beings to come to life. These special beings live within a child's world to enliven, excite and entice them into an adulthood filled with generosity and optimism.

May we never lose a child's ability to believe in miracles and dreams come true.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T ooth_fairy

http://www.tinkertank.org/Holi dayToothyDay/ToothFairyHistory .html

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