‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

#291: The Tooth Tree and the Slow Pokes

The Tooth Tree sprouted within a minute. 

Dragon Little and Dragon Father looked at it, standing on the barren sand of Tooth Island. 

The sprout thickened into a massive vine, multiplied into multiple vines, and all the vines skyrocketed upwards, meshing into each other, jutting out, then getting entangled again, as if in a competition to get higher faster. 

A doorway opened in the sky, a bright light and seemingly a tear within the fabric of space. I knew, of course, that although it appeared to tear space apart, the fabric of the dream was unbroken - this was just the dream creating what Dragon Father was imagining. 

The big vines sprang into the hole in space and then came to rest. 

Branches appeared on the vine, strong branches. At the end of each, instead of green leaves, were white leaves in the shape of human teeth. 

Dragon Father looked at Dragon Little. 

“Ready to meet the Tooth Fairy?” 

Dragon Little jumped on to the vine and immediately climbed. “Don’t be a slowpoke!” 

Dragon Father jumped after her. He climbed quickly, passing her. “Who’s the slowpoke now?” 

She doubled her efforts, and he, seeming to try hard, allowed her to pass. “You’re such a slowpoke!” she shouted down to him. 

“Oh, yeah?” 

He quickly passed her again. 

“Who’s the slowpoke now?” he yelled down, but was quickly passed. 

“You’re the slowpoke now!” she shouted, the second she passed him. 

Within half an hour, they had climbed atop the Tooth Tree. 

“Ready to see the Tooth--” Dragon Father began to ask, but Dragon Little just jumped in.

“Come on, slowpoke!” 

Tomorrow I will tell you of the fun day Dragon Little had with the Tooth Fairy. 

—Told by The Red Dragon

#292: The Tooth Fairy

#290: The Secrets of Tooth Island