In Spain, tradition says that when a child drops a tooth, he must put it under his pillow so that during the night El Ratoncito Pérez comes to leave some coins next to his fallen tooth.
For years, parents have maintained this legend, being we who deposited these coins with the fallen teeth of our children, but … Where does this legend come from exactly?
Well, in fact, we must go to Madrid, to Arenal street 8, very close to Puerta del Sol. In this place was the Pastry shop called Carlos Prast. The basses of this confectionery were the home of Mouse Perez.
This story dates back to 1886, when at the death of King Alfonso XII, his widow, Maria Cristina, ruled the country waiting for his son, the future king, to be crowned at 16 years of age, in 1902.
The future king seemed to have a very delicate health and was very spoiled by the queen. When Alfonso, the future King, turned 8, he dropped a tooth in the future and this worried him a lot, because he was very apprehensive. So his mother asked the writer Luis de Coloma, to write a story about this fallen tooth to reassure Prince Alfonso.
In that novel, Coloma tells that there was a small mouse called Pérez who lived next to a King called Buby I (Buby was Alfonso’s nickname) and that once he lost a tooth, he put it under his pillow and mouse Pérez went to visit him and so King Buby I had a new friend.
The story continues… .. I invite you to read the book.