It happened every evening. Jason knew that his mother would call him soon. It always went like this: “Jason, it’s time to stop playing and come brush your teeth!”
Jason didn’t like brushing his teeth at all. He would much rather continue playing with his building blocks or looking at his picture book.
But soon that would all change.
One day, Jason took a big bite of an apple and one of his teeth got stuck in it. He was filled with dread.
“What happened to my tooth? I have a gap now. Will I get a new tooth?” Jason asked.
Thankfully, his mom was there to help him calm down. She explained that a bigger and stronger tooth would grow back in its place. This new tooth would stay forever, provided it was cleaned properly.
“If you want, you can show your baby tooth to the tooth fairy!” suggested Jason’s mom.
“What’s a tooth fairy? And what is she going to do with my tooth?” Jason asked. He had become curious. But his mom told him to be patient and he would find out for himself.
So Jason decided to part with his tooth. That night, he put it in a little box by the window before bed. Then he waited. He had resolved to stay awake until he could see the tooth fairy with his own eyes.
“I wonder what she looks like. And how she gets into my room.” The more questions Jason had, the more sleepy he became.
He fell asleep and missed the arrival of the tooth fairy.
When he woke up, his tooth was gone. Instead, there was a small note in the box.
“Mom, my baby tooth is gone!” he said excitedly. “But there is a note in its place!”
His mother rushed over to read the note to him.
Dear Jason, I am the tooth fairy and I found your baby tooth tonight. Thank you for this great gift. The first tooth a child loses is always the most precious. I want to give you something in return. Listen carefully. Do you see the many stars in the sky at night? I will take each of your baby teeth and turn them into stars in the sky. But for this to work, they must shine brightly so they can be seen from afar. Make sure you always clean your teeth well and put your lost teeth in this box for me. In return, I will give you dreams about the most exciting adventures you can imagine!
Now Jason could hardly wait to lose his next tooth. But until then, he made sure to take care of his teeth so they would shine. Every evening, as he happily brushed his teeth, he looked out the window at the stars twinkling in the sky.
