Friday, April 20, 2007

Ned the Tooth Fairy

Well today I lost a tooth. I know -- I'm 12 and I still have more teeth to lose. My teeth are soooooo weird. They take forever to fall out and even longer to grow back in. But today I have a story to tell. It's about a tooth fairy named Ned. Not just any tooth fairy. My tooth fairy.

Shortly after moving to Deerfield in 2001, Jacob lost a tooth. Of course Jacob, Sammy and I were worried that the tooth fairy would not know where to find us. Mom said that a new tooth fairy would take care of us since we lived in a new town. Being curious, as most kids are, we decided we had to find out EVERYTHING we could about the tooth fairy. Sammy and I wrote about a one page note each. Jacob (who HATES to write) wrote FOUR pages of questions! I didn't even know there were that many questions you could ask a tooth fairy. I thought for sure Jacob's questions wouldn't be answered, but sure enough, the next morning there was a note typed back from the tooth fairy and a buck for Jacob. We were soo excited!

The letter answered so much. I don't remember exactly what it said but I do remember some parts. It said: Dear Jacob, My name is Ned and I am a tooth fairy. I am 88 years old. I am a grandpa tooth fairy. I live in a castle made out of teeth. I brush three times a day. As a tooth fairy, there are different levels that you can be on, and I am on the 2nd highest...

Jacob, Sammy, and I were absolutely stunned by this letter. Through losing teeth, we came to love Ned and learn everything we could about him. I was obsessed. I begged Ned to take me to Fairy World with him. I wanted to go so bad. I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone about it, but he always said he couldn't take me. Hmm... I wonder why?

Every time we lost a tooth, we would leave notes under our pillows with the tooth and a plate of carrots and dip on the side. Ned was our Santa Claus. We completely believed everything. We believed up until 5th grade.

Then the unimaginable happened.

Jacob become suspicious about this "Ned" so he came up with a plan. He lost a tooth and decided not to tell Mom or Dad. The next morning at breakfast, Jacob slid his tooth across the kitchen table and said, "Mom, you're the tooth fairy!" When Jacob revealed his devilish plan, Mom finally confessed. Jacob and Sammy were laughing saying, "Haha! We figured it out."

Why was I not laughing at this? Because I was crying. I was full out bawling. I believed in Ned so much. I loved Ned so much. And then I find out it was my mom the whole time? I had never been so upset. And it's not like I'm really gullible. I don't believe in Santa Clause or anything like that. I don't know why I believed in the tooth fairy. I just did. I was so sad and mad at my mom. I said, "How could you do this to me!? You said you would never lie to me, and you have been lying this whole time about Ned!"

Eventually I got over it. I suppose having a mom who is an author should have clued me in to the fact that this might all be made up, but I never suspected a thing. I am still sad that Ned or any other tooth fairy isn't real. Now I think that my mom should write a story about Ned the Tooth Fairy, because I think younger kids would really like it.

By the way, my mom told me she freaked out a little when we believed for sooooo long that Ned was real because she started forgetting what she had made up. We would ask Ned certain questions, and Mom would have to remember what she wrote before so she wouldn't get found out.

Well I just thought I would share that little story with you all today. That's a wrap!

5 comments:

Jenny Meyerhoff said...

Hi Faith,
That's a great story! I just wanted to let you know that you don't actually need to stop believing in the tooth fairy.

I personally believe that tooth fairies are capable of parent mind control. So, even if your mom thinks she was being the tooth fairy, Ned was really behind the scenes directing all the action.

I know it might sound weird for a grown-up to believe this, but it's not any weirder than believing in magic. And everyone knows that's real!

I love reading your blog.
Jenny

Anonymous said...

Great story!

granny said...

Faith,

What a great story! I laughed out loud at the part where you are "full out crying" - sorry, laughing at your tears, but I'm sure you're over it by now. You are an excellent writer. Ned. That's a priceless name for a tooth fairy.

Happy Monday,
Granny

Anonymous said...

Dear Faith,

The story about your tooth fairy was wonderful. Jenny's comment about parent mind control and Ned is right on.
Have you ever asked your Mom how she found out who "her" tooth fairy was?
And don't you just have to love Jacob's cleverness with his tooth trick?
I think you are a great writer. Keep it up.
By the way, you paint a perfect picture of your Mom in your other blog. Singing and dancing around the house is in perfect character for the free spirit I know.

Bubbe

Brenda said...

Bubbe is talking about how, in third grade, I told my parents I knew the tooth fairy was fake because my friend, Jami Spector, caught her dad putting money under her pillow.

My parents refused to admit I'd discoverd the truth, so I put my next lost tooth under my pillow. (Who's going to say no to a buck?)

The following morning, I did indeed get a dollar. Along with it was a note that said, "Congratulations on your lost tooth. Love, Mr. Spector."

So crazy tooth fairy stories run in the family! Does anyone else have a tooth fairy story to share?