She comes in the night and helps herself to freshly fallen out teeth, leaving a shiny coin - or fresh bill - in its place under a pillow. Yes, it's the mysterious Tooth Fairy who always seems to elude children who are eager to catch a glance.
We asked our readers for their favorite memories of the anticipation of waiting for her, the attempts made to get a glimpse of her and the best gifts she left.
From trying (very hard) to lose teeth to signs and notes, our readers responded with funny and touching stories indelibly left on their memories.
Here are some of the best we received:
"It has been a long time since I have had a visit from the Tooth Fairy. One memory that does stick out in my mind is being jealous that my sister lost a tooth. I had one that just wasn't loose enough to come out yet. If she was getting a visit from the Tooth Fairy, then I wanted to as well. I tried everything. I wiggled, ate an apple, tied a string on it and pulled. Nothing seemed to work.
It was getting late. I was out of ideas. I remember finding a tiny white rock that I thought best resembled a tooth. I waited until my parents were in bed to tell them, so they wouldn't look in my mouth and tell me just to put it under my pillow. The next morning, I was awakened by my sister yelling about the dollar bill she had gotten from the Tooth Fairy. I jumped up, excited to find mine, but found a note instead. "Dear Holly, I only pay for teeth that you have lost. I'm sorry your tooth hasn't come out yet, but I'm sure I'll be back soon." Signed, the Tooth Fairy.
I was embarrassed, so I didn't say anything to anyone. Needless to say, I never tried anything like that again."
Holly Norton, North Attleboro
"My daughter Katie, now 19, asked me one day if God went on dates. I asked her who would he date and she said the Tooth Fairy."
Joanna Mayers, Attleboro
"Like many families, mine has always followed a tradition that when you lost a tooth, a special trinket was put under your pillow, and upon waking up, the tooth was gone. In its place was $1.
Being a money-hungry child, I would try and try to yank each wiggly tooth out. As soon as I felt a tooth start to wiggle, I would bite into any apple, hard candy or gum. The real pleasure became pulling the tooth out, not the magic of the fairy who left the money.
If memory serves, my teeth never wanted to fall out. I had to try every trick in the book. Because tying my tooth to a string and the door seemed too much of a hassle, I always resorted to pulling the tooth out on my own.
I would twist and tug on it, hoping each night it would fall out. When the tooth did indeed come out, I would run my tongue over the new gap, success! I had finally done it.
That night, I would place the tooth in my tooth box, and try to fall asleep.
Although it's been years since I lost my last baby tooth, I still feel excited every time someone mentions the magic of the tooth fairy."
Courtney Panasuk, Attleboro
"Everyone knows the tooth fairy and how she flies into your room and takes your freshly fallen out tooth. When I was six years old, I lost my very first tooth. I was excited at the thought of the tooth fairy giving me money and was hoping to catch her in the act.
The failed attempt attempts of my friends trying to catch the tooth fairy only fueled my determination. I brought my tooth home and showed my parents, who then put it in my tooth box and told me to leave it under my pillow. The hours dragged on - I could not wait to see the Tooth Fairy. I rushed through supper, my bath and my teeth brushing. Finally, it was bedtime. As my mom tucked me in, I filled her in on my plans. She just laughed and told me to go to sleep.
I stayed up for what seemed like years, before I saw a shadow. This is it, I thought, I will catch the Tooth Fairy. As the shadow grew, I knew I had her, until the shadow became nothing more then my dog coming in to sleep with me. Disappointed, I went back into bed.
I tried to stay up, but the sandman was viciously putting me to sleep. I don't remember what woke me up first, the barking or the movement from my pillow, but I saw a shadow and this time it wasn't Max.
I knew I had her this time. She had nowhere to go and couldn't run. I ran to the light, but when I turned it on there was no one there. She'd escaped.
I ran to my pillow and found a $5 bill and a note that read, "Better luck next time." So she'd gotten away this time, but I vowed the next time I lost a tooth, I would be prepared and catch the tooth fairy!"
Alison Gilardo, Attleboro
"Yes, my children and I believed in the tooth fairy. When I was about seven I thought all the teeth the fairies took they used to make false teeth for older people, but my fondest memory was when my daughter, Valerie, lost her two front teeth the same day. She was so excited because she was hoping she would get at least a dollar instead of her usual fifty cents. The reason for this is because she had been saving her allowance and any extra money she could earn so she could buy her own catchers glove.
Valerie very carefully wrapped her teeth in a tissue and put them under her pillow before going to school so they wouldn't get lost. Some how, while I was out picking up her brother Dennis from day care, the dog had gotten into her room and tore everything apart pillows, stuffed animals, papers and any thing else he could find. I was trying to clean up the mess when Valerie and the boys came home from school. Valerie ran in crying, "Oh No! My teeth were under my pillow." We looked every where but couldn't find them.
While the kids were eating dinner, I went in the parlor and wrote a short note to her from the Tooth Fairy stating that she had so many stops to make that she decided to visit any child that was in school early. I left it on top of her jewelry box with two dollars in it. I knew before the night was over she would see it because she opened it all the time to hear the song it played.
Around 7:30 p.m., she came running out of her room, "Mom! Dad! The tooth fairy took my teeth early and left me two dollars that must be how Rags got into my room, but now I have enough money to buy my own catchers mitt for Sunday's game."
I really wish I had a video camera that night so I could have caught the expression on her face, she is 47 now and she still has that catchers mitt."
Jean Beland, Attleboro
"I finally lost the baby tooth that I had been working on for what seemed like months. It was right before bedtime and I was ecstatic. The Tooth Fairy always left me a crisp new dollar bill in return for a tooth. I put the tooth under my pillow and fell asleep, confident that I would find my dollar bill in the morning.
I woke bright and early the next day, and threw my pillow aside to reveal my tooth box - the special golden box that I put my baby teeth in at night. I opened it slowly, basking in the anticipation and excitement and found my tooth.
"The Tooth Fairy never came to my house last night!" I thought, and ran downstairs to my parents, crying that the Tooth Fairy had forgotten me. My parents told me not to worry and to put the tooth back under my pillow before I went to sleep.
All day I wondered how the Tooth Fairy could have forgotten me. I made a sign saying "STOP HERE TOOTH FAIRY!" and put it in my window, to make sure she noticed it as she flew by. I went to sleep that night, wondering if she would remember me this time.
The next morning, I carefully lifted my pillow, wary of what might be there. I slowly opened the box, and found not one, but two dollar bills! I grabbed them excitedly and then noticed a small piece of paper.
It was a note from the Tooth Fairy! In the most elegant writing my small eyes had ever beheld was a letter, explaining why the Tooth Fairy had not been able to make it to my house. I was so excited! I was the only person I ever knew who received a letter from the actual Tooth Fairy.
I forgave the Tooth Fairy right then for forgetting me. I loved the Tooth Fairy even more after that, because I knew that she would never forget me again, and I never forgot her."
Brianne Akers, Attleboro
"When I was a kid I knew about the Tooth Fairy tale, but it was not a big deal for me because I was losing my teeth. (It was a big deal because) I did not know if I would grow a new tooth. In Haiti, where I'm from, it is much different. When I lost my first tooth, I remember my aunt told me to go outside and throw it far away just like I was throwing it to the wonder, and say, "Tooth Fairy, Tooth Fairy here's a bad little tooth I send you. Please send me a beautiful one." That was it.
When I came to the United States, it was even better because you got money when you lost a tooth. I adopted the same idea for my children by putting money under the pillow and taking the tooth to make them believe that the Tooth Fairy had taken it. It was fun to do. To this day, I still have my children's teeth!"
Darlene Galliote, Attleboro
"Many years ago in my country, Ecuador, when I was little, I learned something about the Tooth Fairy. My mom told me that when I lost my tooth, I had to put it under my pillow because the mouse was going to come during the night, pick up the lost tooth and replace it with a new tooth. But, I did not believe it. When I came to the United States, I heard something about the Tooth Fairy again, but like my daughter says, "I do not believe it" because she knows that that the person who puts the money under her pillow is her dad. But I respect all the people who still believe this fun story."
Gloria Ortega, Attleboro
"When I was asked to write about the Tooth Fairy, I was like what can I say? We all lost teeth, but the more I thought about it the more I was thinking how I looked like a vampire. I had my two front teeth out and one of my other teeth was knocked out, which left me with my eye teeth. I looked so funny because my dad made all the boys get brush-cuts when we were little. So just to give you a picture of what I looked like, I was nine or ten years old, I had three teeth out and a brush-cut that showed my widow's peak. It was the dead of winter and I had no tan or any color. So when asked about the Tooth Fairy, I don't have a story about him or her but I do have a funny story about myself."
Wayde Wilson, Attleboro
"Losing teeth is something we have all been through and I can still recall the great satisfaction and excitement of feeling that coin under my pillow in the morning.
These sentimental emotions and the joy on our children's faces the morning after a tooth fairy visit will ensure that the story and tradition will be carried on for many generations."
Lillian Tavares, Foxboro
"Many years ago, when I lived in Guatemala as a child, I remember when my sister and I were losing our teeth. I was a big cry baby, and my sister was the opposite. I used to pray to God to leave my teeth in place because I didn't want to experience that pain.
My sister, Zeily, is younger than I and every time she had a loose tooth, she was very excited. She knew that every time she lost one "the little mouse" (Tooth Fairy) would come and leave money under her pillow.
Even though my mom talked about the little mouse, and how he comes for teeth because he needs a lot of them, I cried every time I had a loose tooth - I didn't care about the mouse or the money. Thank God, for my mom and her wonderful stories about the little mouse, because thanks to that, I got through that period of my life. I think that stories like the tooth fairy, or the little mouse, are never going to die. That is wonderful because some day I will be talking about the little mouse with my grandchildren!"
Haydee Morales, Attleboro