Lily was a brave little girl, but even brave girls get a little nervous sometimes. Tonight was one of those times. Tonight, Lily's wiggly tooth was finally loose!
All day, she'd gently tugged at it, peeking in the mirror to check its progress. Finally, as she ate her yummy dinner of mashed potatoes and peas, it popped right out! She carefully placed it under her pillow, a tiny bit scared but mostly excited.
Lily knew the Tooth Fairy would visit. She'd heard stories from her older sister, Maya, about sparkling wings and a gentle touch. But what if the Tooth Fairy didn't come? What if she was scared of the dark?
As the moon peeked through her window, casting long shadows across her room, Lily snuggled deeper under her covers. Suddenly, a tiny tinkling sound! Lily peeked out from under her blankets. There, fluttering near her pillow, was a tiny fairy with shimmering wings and a kind smile.
The Tooth Fairy, whose name was Twinkle, gently scooped up Lily's tooth. 'Thank you,' she whispered, her voice like the chiming of tiny bells. 'This tooth is quite special. I will use it to make a star shimmer even brighter tonight!'
Twinkle then left a shiny quarter on the pillow. 'Remember,' Twinkle said before she fluttered away, 'being brave doesn't mean you're never scared. It means doing what's right even when you are.'
Lily felt a warmth spread through her. She wasn't scared anymore. She had been brave enough to let go of her wobbly tooth, and the Tooth Fairy had shown her kindness and the magic of believing. She snuggled her quarter, feeling happy and safe, and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of sparkling stars and twinkling fairies.
The next morning, Lily woke up with a bright smile. She knew that even though the Tooth Fairy was magical, being brave and responsible were also special things, making every night a little bit more magical.
And that's how Lily learned that even the bravest among us need a little bit of magic and belief to shine our brightest. Sweet dreams!