It wasn't until later that he remembered his pillow.īeneath it was a long thin box tied with a red ribbon. On Christmas morning, Alfred tumbled out of bed and ran downstairs. The last thing Alfred saw that night was her hand moving past his face. 'Then you shall,' answered the Tooth Fairy. Only the nicest children in the world remember the magical things, they knew. The Tooth Fairy and Santa looked at each other. 'Will I remember this?' he asked, yawning again. 'Merry Christmas, Alfred,' chuckled Santa.Īlfred gazed up at them. 'Goodnight, Alfred,' said the Tooth Fairy. But I'll cherish my tooth always, Alfred Peter Wannamaker.' 'That was very generous.'Īlfred smiled, then yawned in spite of himself. Alfred's tooth was inside Santa's happy smile. 'That's wonderful!' He smiled at Alfred and hugged him, saying, 'Thank you, thank you!' over and over. 'Right in.here!' she said, then opened her wings. 'Alfred,' said the Tooth Fairy, 'if it's not under your pillow, I can't leave you a coin.' Alfred had always loved finding that coin under his pillow. 'You can have my tooth if you like,' Alfred said. 'There,' she said, holding up Santa's very old tooth. The Tooth Fairy washed her hands, then folded her wings around Santa. The Tooth Fairy sat down beside Santa at the table. 'Alfred, I'll need a chair and a sink,' said the Tooth Fairy. 'Well, we're going to take care of it right now,' she said, 'or it will only get worse.' A hundred years, give or take,' sighed Santa. 'How long has it been since someone looked at these?' she asked. 'I have children to visit!' grumbled Santa as the Tooth Fairy pried open his mouth. 'I thought as much,' said the Tooth Fairy. 'Bad tooth,' said Santa, wincing as he drank some milk. 'Cookies? Anything but cookies!' groaned Santa. A moment later, Santa stood there, a sooty cloth wrapped around his head and jaw.

She floated out of the fireplace and landed on her feet. 'In this case,' replied the Tooth Fairy, 'it's slenderness that counts.'Īlfred tugged the Tooth Fairy's glowing hand and out she nudged, away from Santa.

'I've always wanted to see you.' He dragged a chair into the fireplace and stood on it. 'Can you see us now, Alfred?' asked the Tooth Fairy. They were squashed together about fifteen bricks up. Back in the fireplace, he switched it on and looked up. He put his tooth in his pajama pocket and grabbed his little red lantern. 'Somehow,' giggled the Tooth Fairy, 'we both arrived at the same moment. 'Are you all right?' Alfred was concerned. 'Yes, Alfred, it's us.' Santa sounded very unhappy. 'Santa, Tooth Fairy, is that you?' he called. The lovely voice in the dark said, 'It's little Alfred.

'Why are you so grouchy?'Īlfred peeked up inside. 'By being sensitive,' answered a lovely, laughing voice. 'Well, how was I to know?' asked a grumpy voice from up in the darkness. Now he was glad, because somebody was inside the chimney. It had been his idea never to light logs on Christmas Eve. They grew louder as Alfred did his fastest bump slide down the stairs. Daddy had said it was the chimney.Īlfred jumped up and ran downstairs. Alfred tried to remember what that big bulge was doing there. The thumping was coming from the big bulge in the wall. Later that night, Alfred tucked his tooth under his pillow and fell asleep. 'Mommy,' he asked, 'do you think they know each other?' 'I think that's a good idea,' agreed his mother.Īlfred stood on a kitchen chair and made sure everything was ready. 'I think I should put some extra cookies and milk out,' said Alfred. 'Mommy,' he asked, 'does the Tooth Fairy use the chimney, too?' Only Odds could tell a tale in which the Tooth Fairy gets stuck in a chimney with Santa Claus! Just click on the Print This Article button at the bottom of your screen and you're on your way.Īlfred Peter Wannamaker's tooth came out on Christmas Eve. After you've sung the Christmas carols and hung the stockings, why not read a special Christmas story to your kids? It's a gift for you from master storyteller Odds Bodkin.

Toothfairy and santa claus poems