Peter. He closed his fist tightly around the tooth.
Henry sat in his fort. If a tooth wouldn’t fall out, he would have to help it. But what to do? He could take a hammer and smash one out. Or he could tie string around a tooth, tie the string around a door handle, and slam the door. Eek! Henry grabbed his jaw.
On second thought, perhaps not. Maybe there was a less painful way of losing a tooth.What was it the dentist always said? Eat too many sweets and your teeth will fall out?
Horrid Henry sneaked into the kitchen. He looked to the right. He looked to the left. No one was there. From the living room came the screechy scratchy sound of Peter practicing his cello.
Henry dashed to the cupboard where Mom kept the candy jar. Candy day was Saturday, and today was Thursday. Two whole days before he got into trouble.
Henry stuffed as many sticky candies into his mouth as fast as he could.
Chomp Chomp Chomp Chomp.
Chomp Chew Chomp Chew.
Chompa Chew Chompa Chew.
Chompa…Chompa…
Chompa…
Chompa…
Chew.
Henry’s jaw started to slow down. He put the last sticky toffee in his mouth and forced his teeth to move up and down.
Henry started to feel sick. His teeth felt even sicker. He wiggled them hopefully. After all that sugar one was sure to fall out. He could see all the comics he would buy with his dollar already.
Henry wiggled his teeth again.And again.
Nothing moved.
Rats, thought Henry. His mouth hurt. His gums hurt. His tummy hurt.What did a boy have to do to get a tooth?
Then Henry had a wonderful, spectacular idea. It was so wonderful that he hugged himself.Why should Peter get a dollar from the Tooth Fairy? Henry would get that dollar, not him.And how? Simple. He would trick the Tooth Fairy.
The house was quiet. Henry tiptoed into Peter’s room.There was Peter, sound asleep, a big smile on his face. Henry sneaked his hand under Peter’s pillow and stole the tooth.
Tee hee, thought Henry. He tiptoed out of Peter’s room and bumped into Mom.
“AAAAGGGHH!” shrieked Henry.
“AAAAGGGHH!” shrieked Mom.
“You scared me,” said Henry.
“What are you doing?” said Mom.
“Nothing,” said Henry.“I thought I heard a noise in Peter’s room and went to check.”
Mom looked at Henry. Henry tried to look sweet.
“Go back to bed, Henry,” said Mom.
Henry scampered to his room and put the tooth under his pillow. Phew.That was a close call. Henry smiled.Wouldn’t that crybaby Peter be furious the next morning when he found no tooth and no money?
Henry woke up and felt under his pillow. The tooth was gone. Hurray, thought Henry. Now for the money.
Henry searched under the pillow.
Henry searched on top of the pillow. He searched under the covers, under Teddy, under the bed, everywhere.There was no money.
Henry heard Peter’s footsteps pounding down the hall.
“Mom, Dad, look,” said Peter.“A whole dollar coin from the Tooth Fairy!”
“Great!” said Mom.
“Wonderful!” said Dad.
What?! thought Henry.
“Should I share it with you, Mom?” said Peter.
“Thank you, darling Peter, but no thanks,” said Mom.“It’s for you.”
“I’ll take it,” said Henry.“There are tons of comics I want to buy.And some—’
“No,” said Peter.“It’s mine. Get your own tooth.”
Henry stared at his brother. Peter would never have dared to speak to him like that before.
Horrid Henry pretended he was a pirate captain pushing a prisoner off the plank.
“OWWW!” shrieked Peter.
“Don’t be horrid, Henry,” said Dad.
Henry decided to change the subject fast.
“Mom,” said Henry.“How does the Tooth Fairy know who’s lost a tooth?”
“She looks under the pillow,” said Mom.
“But how does she know whose pillow to look under?”
“She just does,” said Mom.“By magic.”
“But how?” said Henry.
“She sees the gap between your teeth,” said Mom.
Aha, thought Henry.That’s where he’d gone wrong.
That night Henry cut out a small piece of black