Jack’s tooth

One morning, Jack was getting ready to go to school.  He took a shower and then he bent over the sink to brush his teeth.  When he looked up at himself in the mirror, he discovered that one of his front teeth was gone!  But where?  He didn’t remember it being loose and he never lost a tooth yet.  He was told by his family that the day would come when he would lose all of his baby teeth, because it happens to everyone, but he never believed it.  He was really shaken up.  “I’ll be the only kid in my class missing a tooth and worse, if I lose my teeth, I’ll look just like Grandma,” Jack thought.

There was no way he could go to school today with his front tooth missing.  All the kids would laugh at him.  He put his toothbrush and tooth paste away and then went downstairs to tell his dad that he wasn’t going to go to school today.  His dad asked him why he didn’t want to go to school.  He opened his mouth and showed his dad where the tooth was missing.  His Dad smiled and said, “Oh wow, you lost a tooth!  That is great!  But that’s no reason for you to stay home from school.” 

Jack said that all the kids would laugh at him.  His dad came over and sat next to him.  He put his arm around Jack and said, “No one is going to laugh at you.  Every one of those children at school will either lose their baby teeth or already have.”  Jacked looked up at his dad and said, “Do you mean that?”  “Yes, I do!” said his Dad.  “That is part of growing up.  Everyone, when they are young, lose their baby teeth.  I lost my baby teeth when I was young.”  Jack gave a smile and said, “Thank you Dad for telling me that.  I feel much better now.  I guess I will go to school today.”  Jack’s Dad said, “Good, now eat your breakfast.  Your bus will be here soon.”

Jack got on the bus and sat down next to one of the older kids.  The older kid looked at him and started to laugh.  He said, “Hey everyone, Jack lost a baby tooth.”  All the kids turned in their seats to look at Jack.  They all started to laugh too.  Jack felt really bad that they were laughing at him.  He thought to himself, “I should have stayed home!”

Another kid turned and looked at Jack.  “That’s okay, Jack.  Don’t pay any attention to them.  The same thing happened to them too, so I don’t know why they are laughing.  I lost four teeth already and they all came back!”  The boy opened his mouth wide and pointed to his four new teeth.  He told Jack that these were the teeth that he would keep forever.  He also told Jack that he still has more teeth that have to fall out before he is all done.  He thanked the older boy for telling him about his baby teeth falling out.  It really did make Jack feel much better to know that everyone loses their baby teeth.  He was starting to think that that maybe he will show others where his tooth was missing.

When he got off the bus and went into his classroom, the first thing he did was to show his teacher where his tooth fell out.  His teacher, Mrs. Bell, said “That’s great Jack!  That is just a sign that you are growing up.”  Jack smiled and went back to his desk.  When everyone was seated, Mrs. Bell said “Children, we have good news today.  Jack has lost his first tooth!”  All the kids clapped and a lot of them told Jack that they had one or two baby teeth they had already lost.  Losing a tooth was making Jack feel like a big kid.

 Jack’s friend, Tommy, asked him what the tooth fairy left him.  Jack didn’t know what he was talking about.  “What do you mean?  Who is the tooth fairy?”  Tommy said, “The tooth fairy is someone that will take your tooth and leave a gift in its place.  You put your tooth under your pillow at night and in the morning you find a gift.  Are you saying the tooth fairy took your tooth and didn’t leave you anything?”  Jack said, “I didn’t leave my tooth under my pillow because I don’t know where my tooth is!  I only know that it came out, but I don’t know where!”   Tommy said, “Well you better try to find it so you can put it under your pillow so the tooth fairy will leave you a treat.”  Mrs. Bell said, “All right children, I know it’s exciting, but no more talk about Jack’s tooth.  We need to start class.”

After school, when Jack got home, he told his dad all that happened in school and how that now he feels like a big kid for losing a tooth.  His dad was very happy to hear that everything turned out okay.  Then Jack asked his dad about the tooth fairy.  He told him the same thing that Tommy told him in school.  He asked his dad if he could help him find the tooth  so he could leave it under his pillow for the tooth fairy.  His dad said, “Sure!  Let’s start by looking in your bedroom.  It has to be around here somewhere.”

They looked all over Jack’s bedroom and the bathroom and then the rest of the house but they couldn’t find the tooth!  Jack was getting worried.  If he couldn’t find the tooth, he wouldn’t be able to leave it under his pillow for the tooth fairy.  “Please, let’s just keep looking, Dad,” Jack said as he pulled the sheets off his bed then felt something hit his foot.  He stooped over to pick it up and sure enough, it was his tooth!  It must have fallen out when he was sleeping!

How happy Jack was!  Now he could put the tooth under his pillow tonight and the tooth fairy would come, take the tooth and leave a treat.  He was so excited he could hardly wait to go to bed!  Jack’s dad put Jack’s tooth in an envelope that had “For the Tooth Fairy” written on it, then gave it to Jack who immediately put it under his pillow.  That evening, Jack climbed into bed early.  He tried to fall asleep but he kept listening for the tooth fairy.  Finally, he fell asleep and the next thing he knew, it was morning.  He jumped up out of bed, lifted his pillow and sure enough, there was a different, bigger envelope under it.  Jack ran into his dad’s bedroom and said, “Dad, look what the tooth fairy left me!”  His dad sat up in bed and said, “Well open it and let’s see what the tooth fairy left you.”  Jack was so excited he could hardly open the envelope, but when he finally did get it opened and shook it upside down, a note and a Hershey’s candy bar fell out!  Jack was so happy!  He could hardly wait to get to school so he could tell Tommy that the tooth fairy left him a big candy bar.

Jack’s dad said, “Do you want me to read the note to see what the tooth fairy said?”  Jack said, “Yes, please!  I never got a note from a tooth fairy!”  His dad opened the note and here is what it said: “Jack, I am so proud of you that you are taking such good care of your teeth.  As everyone told you, losing your baby teeth is part of growing up.  Your second set of teeth will last you forever if you take good care of them like you did your baby teeth.  You are doing a great job!  Keep it up!  Now remember, not too much candy.  I’ll be back again when your other baby teeth fall out, and remember Jack, they will fall out!”

Jack thought for a moment, then told his dad, “I was sad and scared when I first lost my tooth, but now I am kind of glad that I lost it because I got to know about the tooth fairy and I got a candy bar too!”  Jack’s dad smiled, then told him to get ready for school so he doesn’t miss his bus.  Today was going to be a great day because he had a lot to tell his friends about.  He was one happy kid, all because of a little tooth.

I hope that your baby teeth falling out will or did make you as happy as they made Jack.  Remember to keep brushing all your teeth every day!