Tooth fairy
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Wiktionary, the free dictionary.The Tooth Fairy is a giving character in modern Western culture said to give children a small amount of money (or sometimes a present) in exchange for a tooth when it comes out of a child's mouth.

The Tooth Fairy is an example of folklore mythology which adults know is fiction, but which is sometimes presented to children as fact. Other prominent examples are Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. The realization or discovery that such stories are make-believe is considered a part of the child's growing up. Such realizations can also cause significant emotional pain in some children due to feelings of betrayal, while other children regard it as a small matter. Many adults remember clearly for their whole lives when and how they discovered the truth.

Many families participate in the roles of this myth even when the children are also aware of the fictionality of the supposed supernatural entity, as a form of play or tradition.

This tradition is present in several western cultures under different names, for example in Spanish-speaking countries, this character is called Ratoncito Pérez, a little mouse with a common surname. In Italy also the tooth fairy (fatina) is often substited by a small mouse (topino).

Tooth fairy… or rat?

In my grammar class, “El subjuntivo”, we have to find real-life examples of various grammatical structures in newspapers, magazines, advertisements, TV, etc. Someone found an example about toothpaste or something regarding teeth. This provoked a discussing about the Spanish tooth fairy. Well, in Spain, the tooth fairy doesn’t exist… Instead of placing a tooth under his/her pillow for the lovely tooth fairy, Spanish children anxiously await the arrival of “El Ratón Peréz” (Perez the mouse or the little mouse Perez).

I’m going to see if I can find more information on the tooth-snatching mouse (because I’m not sure if children receive money or if he just takes their teeth!) Our class found this very amusing – as I child, I would have been scared by the idea that some mouse would come visit my bedside to take my teeth!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth_fairy

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratoncito_Pérez



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Note added at 10 mins (2006-07-15 07:05:01 GMT)
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http://www.readingeagle.com/blog/madrid/archives/2006/04/tec...