Much of Billingsly’s attention was on the pillow under which Lisbeth had placed her tooth. He felt quite sure that the Tooth Fairy would come to take account and he did not want to miss her. He had something very important to say to her. He knew that he had to be very watchful because she could come and go in the blinking of an eye. He was very, very lucky to have seen her the first time, and it had happened only because Lisbeth had taken the tooth to school and the Tooth Fairy had been fritting around trying to find it.
He had not seen her the way he had seen Marmaduke or Princess Lila; all he’d seen was a faint, flickering light over Lisbeth’s pillow. However, the Tooth Fairy believed he’d seen her and he was quite content to let her think that he had. If he kept his attention fixed on the pillow, he believed that he’d know when she was there.
“Hello.” The voice from somewhere behind his right ear took him completely by surprise.
“Oh, there you are,” he said, recovering quickly.
“Where am I?” Now the voice was behind his left ear, teasing him, proving that he did not really know where she was.
“Well,” said Billingsly. “I was not expecting you to creep up behind me like that.” Meanwhile trying to catch a glimpse of her.
“I never creep,” she said. And now he could see the faint flickering light a few inches in front of him.
“I was expecting to see you over there at Lisbeth’s pillow,” Billingsly told her.
“I’ve already been there,” she said. “I’ve seen the tooth and made a note of it. You were too busy looking out into the garden to notice. Anyway, I just wanted to say ‘Hello’ before leaving.”
“That’s very kind of you,” said Billingsly. “Are you in an awfully great hurry?”
“I’m always in an awfully great hurry,” the Tooth Fairy replied.
“Have you any idea how many children have each lost a tooth today? Can you imagine how many pillows I’ve already checked and how many more are still to be done?”
“Well, I suppose so. But … ” from Billingsly.
“But, what?” She seemed impatient to be gone.
“It’s like this,” he began. “I need to ask a favour of you.”
“I never grant favours,” she said. “Favours are very much like wishes and granting them is the job of the Wishes Fairy.”
“I understand,” Billingsly said. “But, you see, I’ve never met the Wishes Fairy and I have no idea how to get in touch with her, so I was wondering if you’d be kind enough to have a word with her for me.”
“Oh dear,” said the Tooth Fairy. “I’m not sure I can help you there. She and I are not on the best of terms, and you might even say we’re not on speaking terms. She thinks that I sometimes encourage children to change their minds about things they’ve already wished for and she would not listen when I tell her I do not. I’ve tried to explain to her that children change their minds without any help from me, it’s just the way they are. Anyway, she’s usually in a bad temper so I’d rather stay out of her way.”
“Oh dear,” said Billingsly, unhappily.
The Tooth Fairy flitted about in front of him and he was afraid she’d just disappear before he could say what was on his mind.
“What was it you wanted me to say to her?” She asked, her voice kind and helpful.
“It’s like this … ” Billingsly paused, gathering his thoughts. He knew that she was impatient to be gone, so he wanted to say what was on his mind quickly and clearly. “I’ve been hearing stories about toys which were once loved and cared for being discarded and abandoned … ”
“Oh, I see,” the Tooth Fairy interrupted him. “You’ve been talking with those toys in the mirror.”
“Dear me!” Billingsly exclaimed. “How did you know about them? I thought it was my secret.”
“Secret indeed!” said the Tooth Fairy, and she seemed to be highly amused at the idea. “Everybody knows about them. Anyway, no one keeps a secret from me. Didn’t I mention before that I know everything about everything? I know that they’ve been trying to get you to join them and I also know that you’d rather stay where you are with Lisbeth.”
“Oh, yes,” said Billingsly. He could think of nothing else to say.
“Now I understand what it is you want from the Wishes Fairy and, believe me, I’d like to help if I could, but she’d never want to help if I asked her and she’d never grant a wish from a toy. She only deals with children.”
“But … ” from Billingsly.
“Don’t interrupt while I’m thinking,” chided the Tooth Fairy. “You shouldn’t spend your time wishing. Isn’t it much better getting surprises?”
“Surprises?”
“Can’t you be silent for a moment? Yes, I said surprises. Sometimes, just to be difficult, or perhaps just to prove how clever she is, the Wishes Fairy grants someone’s wish even before they wish for it and then it’s called a surprise.”
“But … ” began Billingsly.
“No buts. Just think about it. Weren’t you very surprised when Lisbeth’s father returned to the toy shop for you? And hadn’t you sort of wished that he would?”
“Yes,” answered Billingsly.
“And weren’t you surprised when he accepted you even though the sales lady showed him your ear?”
“Yes. Yes.”
“And weren’t you surprised when Lisbeth accepted and loved you just as you are?”
“Yes, but … ”
“There. Don’t you see what I mean? All those happy surprises. Isn’t that so much better than wishing? Now you have a little girl who loves you and is your friend. That should be enough for today and remember, every day is today, and every tomorrow is a surprise.”
“Yes,” said Billingsly. “But just suppose … ”
“Don’t waste time supposing,” she said. “Just be happy with what you have.”
And with that she was gone.
About the Author
E. R. Braithwaite was born in British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1912. Educated at the City College of New York and the University of Cambridge, he served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Braithwaite spent 1950 to 1960 in London, first as a schoolteacher and then as a welfare worker—experiences he described in To Sir, With Love and Paid Servant, respectively. In 1966 he was appointed Guyana’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations. He also held positions at the World Veterans Federation and UNESCO, was a professor of English at New York University’s Institute for Afro-American Affairs, taught creative writing at Howard University, and was the author of five nonfiction books and two novels. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 104.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 by Edward Eustace Braithwaite
Cover design by Mauricio Díaz
ISBN 978-1-4804-5739-3
This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
345 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com
E. R. BRAITHWAITE
FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA
Find a full list of our authors and
titles at www.openroadmedia.com
FOLLOW US:
Billingsly Page 5