THE TOOTH FAIRY

 

The author, who has been living with her family among the Navajo Indians, included this note with her story: "My daughter was very upset because she lost her tooth. She felt she was very ugly. Then I had a dream about a fairy who took me flying with her to show me some things. I told this dream to my daughter and three days later, her baby brother got a new tooth. My daughter was very pleased, feeling that she had given him his first tooth. Thus this story came to me." Mrs. Stemmerman notes that in addition to getting stories for her children from dreams, she is also learning from the Indians how to gain knowledge in dreams, especially how to locate plants needed to heal someone.

One afternoon after school, Kathy was sitting on the floor watching television and eating a large, shiny, red apple. Her eight-month-old baby brother was crawling all over her, trying to get her pretty apple.

Kathy said, "No, John, you cannot have my apple. You do not even have any teeth."

About then, Kathy bit into her apple once more and out fell her front tooth. She began to cry very loudly.

Mother said, "Do not cry. All children have to lose their baby teeth. I am sure the tooth fairy has a good use in mind for yours."

Kathy said, "What would they want with my teeth? Anyway, I do not believe in tooth fairies."

Mother told Kathy, "Put the tooth under your pillow tonight and we shall see what happens."

That night Kathy very carefully tucked the tiny tooth under her pillow. She really was  not sure if she believed in fairies or not.

While Kathy slept, she saw a tiny  fairy  come  flying  into