Shall we tell the fairy?

When your milk tooth falls off, what do you do with it? Here’s a look.

Illustration: K.G Rangarajan

Hello! I am Liani, the eagle and I am back again to tell you about something I saw in my most recent visit to Greece. As usual, I was enjoying the sun on my back and the gentle breeze against my face as I surfed the skies. And then, something caught my eye. I saw a little girl about seven or eight throwing something onto the roof of her house. I wondered what she could be throwing. So I swooped down and landed on the roof. Imagine my surprise when I found a tooth!

I asked her why she was throwing the tooth on the roof. She said children in Greece do this, for good luck. They make a wish that their adult teeth will be strong.

This gave me something to think about. So, I flew around a few other countries. In Botswana too, the children threw their teeth on the roof. Then they ask the moon to bring them new teeth. Brazilian children follow the same custom. Though some of them preferred to throw the tooth outside for the birds. But the birds are selective. They will take the tooth only if it has no cavity.

For good, strong teeth

I found that in Afghanistan the children throw their teeth into a mouse hole, because they want the rodent to give them strong teeth like the ones they have! However, things were done differently in China. Here the kids put their teeth from the upper jaw at the foot of their beds and the lower teeth on the roof. They do this to make their permanent teeth grow faster.

In Argentina, the children put their tooth in a glass of water. At night, the El Ratoncito, a little mouse, drinks the water, takes the tooth, and then leaves some coins or candy in the empty glass!

In the western world it is the tooth fairy that takes care of the fallen tooth. She comes in at night and takes away the tooth and leaves some coins under your pillow.

The children in Egypt are careful with their teeth. They wrap it in a tissue and take it outside. They then throw it in the sun, asking it to take their “buffalo tooth” and give them a “bride’s tooth”. In most middle eastern countries too this is followed. They believe that the sun will make their new teeth bright and strong.

But by far, the most fascinating tradition was the one I saw in Nigeria. First, I watched a little boy. He held his tooth and eight stones in one fist. Then he closed his eyes, said his name aloud and counted to five. He said, “Oh! I want my tooth back!” And before I knew it he had thrown everything up into the air and run away as fast as he could. I followed him and then asked him if girls also followed the same ritual. He said, “Oh yes, they do. But then hold just six stones in their fist not eight like us!”

So, what are you going to do with your tooth?