The Little Mouse


The Little Mouse, or :fr:Petite souris|La Petite Souris, is a fairy tale legend popular in most Francophone countries, most notably in France, and Wallonia. The legend of the Little Mouse ties in with that of the Tooth 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 his/her pillow with coins.

Origin

Similar legends exist in Hispanic culture, such as Ratoncito Pérez, as well as most South-Asian cultures from India to Japan. 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 17th Century in France, to a story penned by Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, baronne d’Aulnoy named The Little Good Mouse. Her story spoke of a fairy who transformed herself into a mouse to be able to defeat an evil king. The fairy, in her mouse form, hid herself under the pillow of the king and caused all his teeth to fall out.

In popular culture

Many interpretations of the Little Mouse or :fr:Petite souris|La 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: