The next morning, Daniel told Mom he had left a note but it was not answered. She suggested it may take a few days for the Tooth Fairy to respond, and after checking with me we figured out the note said:
"Please may I have a toy."Well, I had a dilemma; keep or break with tradition. After a lot of heavy thought, I responded with the following letter:
The next day I asked him if he got a note from the Tooth Fairy and with a little disappointment in his face he said he had. I asked him what he thought and he said, "I think you wrote it." I asked him what made him think that, and he responded, "Because that's the kind of silly note you would write."Dear Daniel,
Thank you for your recent letter. I am always glad to hear from the many children who lose their teeth and allow me to keep my job. Although I understand and appreciate your
request for a toy to honor the loss of your tooth, I unfortunately will have to
decline. You see, there are so many other opportunities for children to get
toys; such as birthdays, Hannukah, and Christmas, that if I also started to give
out toys when children lose their teeth then it would diminish, or make less,
the enjoyment you get from those other events. And we should keep them special,
as they are.
Please know that I have been doing this job for a very long time and feel comfortable that the
"cash for cuspids" program is the best approach. Of course, you can always use
the money you receive to buy yourself a toy, or anything else your gentle heart
desires.
I hope you are not angry with me for saying "no" to your request, but rather you should think of it as me continuing to say "yes" to the wonderful tradition we have established over these many years.
Besides, it is much easier to slip money under your pillow than a bicycle.
Keep smiling.
- The Tooth Fairy
