Landie And The Loose Tooth

Landie And The Loose Tooth

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"Ohhhh, noooo!" cried Landie, jumping out of bed. "I have a loose tooth."

"Wiggle it," said her Mother.

"Pull it," said her Father.

“No!” Mark yelled. "I'll pull it." Mark was always mean.

Landie jumped back into bed and pulled the covers over her head. "Help! Go away. Leave me alone."

Landie poked her head out like a turtle. "I don't want to pull it. I want it to stay in."

"Why?" asked her Mother.

"Why?" asked her Father.

"That's dumb." said Mark.

"If I pull it,” said Landie, “I'll have a hole in my head. Everyone will laugh."

"You already have a hole in your head. Dum-da-da-da-dum." said Mark. He jumped up and down. 

"I know," said Landie. "I'll stand on my head. Then it will grow back in."

"That's weird," said Mark, standing on his head, too.

"This isn't working," said Landie, wiggling her tooth. "Now what am I going to do?"

Mark made a fist. "I'll knock it out." Landie ducked. "Mother. Help!"

"I know," said Landie. "I'll tape it in."

Landie taped her loose tooth to the tooth next to it. Then, she taped it to her top lip AND to her bottom lip.

"You look dumb," said Mark "Mmmmmmm," said Landie. Mmmm. Mmm.” "What did you say?" asked Mark.

"I said," said Landie, pulling the tape off her mouth, "This isn't working."

"I know," said Landie. "I'll wear my hair in front." She flipped her long hair over her face.

"Hey," said Mark. "That looks pretty good."

Landie tried to stick her tongue out at Mark. "This isn't working," said Landie as she picked hair out of her mouth.

"I know," said Landie. I'll tie it in."

Landie found some purple string. She tied the string to her tooth.

Then she tied one end of the string to her left ear. She tied the other end to her right ear. "String face!" yelled Mark. “Purple string face! You look dumb."

Landie looked in the mirror. "I do look dumb," said Landie, untying the string. "What am I going to do?"

“Wear a sack on your head!” said Mark, crossing his eyes.
"I know what!," yelled Landie. "Ow," said Mark. "That hurt my ears." 

Landie put a piece of Big Bubble Bubble Gum in her mouth. She chewed, and chewed, and chewed. Then she chewed some more.

"It's ready," said Landie. She stuck the gum to her tooth. "There," she said. "Now my tooth won't come out."

"You still look dumb," said Mark.

"Mark, Landie, come eat." called their Mother. "Landie, take the gum out of your mouth so you can eat." "It's holding my tooth in." said Landie. "Take it out," said Landie's Mother. She took it out.

"Landie," yelled Mark. "Where's your tooth?"

Landie touched her mouth. "Oh, no," she screamed. "It's gone."

"It's stuck in the bubble gum." said Mark

"Maybe I can stick it back in," said Landie.

She tried, and tried, but her tooth kept falling out.

"Time for school," said Mother. "I can't go," said Landie. "Everyone will laugh." "No one will laugh," said Mark, laughing.

Landie threw a pillow at him.

He kept laughing.

Landie kept her mouth closed at school. When Patty asked if she could borrow a marker, Landie said, "Mhmm."

She wasn't going to open her mouth.

Mrs. Riley, Landie's teacher looked right at her. "I hope she doesn't call on me," thought Landie. "Landie, will you read next?" said Mrs. Riley.

Landie put her hand over her mouth and began to read.

"I can't hear you," said Mrs. Riley. "Please move your hand." Landie slowly moved her hand.

"Look," said Patty. Landie lost a tooth."

"Can I see?" asked Justin.

"That's neat," said Michael. 

"Well," said Mrs. Riley, "I guess you are the first one to lose a tooth. You may put a star on our tooth chart."

At the end of the day, Landie had learned lots of things. She had learned to drink her milk through a straw, right through the gap in her teeth. She could make whistling noises without opening her mouth.

After school, Landie was showing Mark how she could stick her tongue out the hole where her tooth used to be.

"I feel something," said Landie.

"That's dumb," said Mark.

"Mom," said Landie. "I feel something. What is it?"

"That's your new tooth growing in," said Mother.

"Oh, no," said Landie. "I don't want it to grow back in."

"Why not?" asked her Mother.

"It will anyway." said her Father.

"Ayyy ya!" shouted Mark, karate chopping the air. "I'll knock it out."

"I wonder," said Landie. 

"Maybe if I stand on my head, it won't grow back in."

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Landie And The Loose Tooth
by Dawna Crawford - Copyright 1997 - All Rights Reserved