Lorraine Williamson
My five-year-old granddaughter has a dentist appointment next week. After a tumble at a soft play area, one of her milk teeth became infected and now needs to be removed. She’s brave, but understandably nervous about the injection. What’s helping her through is the thought of a very special night visitor — Ratón Pérez, Spain’s answer to the Tooth Fairy.
Like many children across Spain and Latin America, she believes this tiny, kind-hearted mouse will slip quietly into her room while she sleeps, taking her tooth and leaving behind a small treasure. She’s even decorated a little box with drawings and sparkles — a gift for the Ratón — ready for when he comes. The idea has turned her fear into excitement, reminding us that childhood magic has a wonderful way of softening life’s little worries.
From palace story to Spanish tradition
While British children await a fairy with wings, Spanish children wait for a mouse in tiny shoes. The story of Ratón Pérez dates back to 1877, when author Fernán Caballero first mentioned him in a collection of Spanish folktales.
But it was in 1894 that he truly came to life. When the young King Alfonso XIII lost a tooth, his mother, Queen María Cristina, asked the royal chaplain and writer Luis Coloma to create a comforting story. Coloma wrote about a gentle mouse who lived in a biscuit tin with his family, darting through the pipes of Madrid each night to collect teeth from sleeping children — rich and poor alike — and leaving a coin in return.
This tale quickly spread beyond the royal palace, capturing the hearts of children across Spain. It taught kindness, generosity, and equality — a message that still resonates today.
A magical home in Madrid
Today, Ratón Pérez has his own home: the Casa Museo de Ratón Pérez, tucked away on Calle del Arenal, just a few steps from Madrid’s Puerta del Sol.
The museum is a delightful world in miniature, filled with intricate displays showing Pérez’s home — his biscuit-tin bed, his cosy kitchen, and the little tunnels he uses to travel unseen. Visitors can learn how the story began and explore how this humble mouse became part of Spanish and Latin American childhoods.
One of the museum’s most surprising exhibits features teeth attributed to famous figures, including Beethoven, Beatrix Potter, and Isaac Newton — a playful touch that adds to the museum’s magic.
Keeping the magic alive
For families in Spain, the story of Ratón Pérez is more than a bedtime tale; it’s a cherished rite of passage. Children decorate boxes, write letters, or draw pictures to leave beside their beds, trusting that the little mouse will visit while they dream.
As for my granddaughter, she’s already looking forward to waking up and finding what Ratón Pérez has left for her. Losing her first tooth may not have happened quite as nature intended, but she’ll still have the joy of joining her classmates in showing off her new smile — and a story to tell about the brave little mouse who came in the night.
Casa Museo de Ratón Pérez – Visitor Info
📍 Calle del Arenal 8, Madrid
🕒 Open 7 days a week (check seasonal hours)
🎟️ Guided visits available; advance booking recommended.
A little mouse with a big heart
From the palace of a young king to the bedrooms of children across Spain, Ratón Pérez remains one of the country’s most endearing legends — a reminder that magic often comes in the smallest of packages.