| The Little Mouse | |
|---|---|
 The Little Mouse as depicted in 'Les Secrets de la Petite Souris des dents de lait'. | |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Undetermined |
| Origin | France |
| Nationality | French |
The Little Mouse, orLa Petite Souris, is a fairy tale legend popular in most Francophone countries, most notably inFrance, andWallonia. The legend of the Little Mouse ties in with that of theTooth Fairy, the difference being that in this case, a little mouse sneaks in while the child is asleep, and replaces the lost baby tooth kept under their pillow with coins.[1][2][3]
Similar legends exist in Hispanic culture, such asRatoncito Pérez,[4] as well as most South-Asian cultures fromIndia toJapan. It was said in lore and mythology, that if the lost baby tooth of a child was found by an animal, the adult teeth that would follow would bear resemblance to the teeth of that animal. Hence, a mouse was often the animal of choice, because rodent teeth are sharp, and keep growing.
The most feasible origin of this legend, at least in the francophone context, dates back to 18th Century France,[5] to a story penned byMarie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, baronne d’Aulnoy namedThe Little Good Mouse (or 'La bonne petite souris'). Her story spoke of a fairy who transformed herself into a mouse to be able to defeat an evil king. The only mention of teeth in this story is when the fairy makes herself invisible and pushes the evil king from the top of a tree, making him break four teeth.[6]
Many interpretations of the Little Mouse orLa Petite Souris have appeared in French popular culture. The mouse is often used to make children less frightened, particularly regarding concerns they may have about losing their baby teeth. In French-language media, the little mouse has also starred as the central character of quite a good number of children's books, including:
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