As I opened the door of the shop I heard the tinkle of a bell in the distance.

There was no one about, so I walked up to the counter and just waited.

It was quiet in the shop, it was a strange place, nothing was on the shelves and it had an air of emptiness. You know as if it was unoccupied and waiting for a new owner?

Looking at the card in my hand, I saw the simple inscription.

Come to The Gift Shop at 10.00 am and you will learn something to your advantage.

On the back was a small map with a small red x marking the spot where the shop was.

It was a strange place for a shop; down an alley, off the high Street. It appeared to be infrequently used, that alley, it had signs of neglect, rubbish on the ground, dusty cobwebs everywhere — yes it was strange place, this.

I heard a cough and looked up. There in front of me was a lady, she looked quite old with greying hair, metal-rimmed glasses and slightly plump features.

‘Hello, young man, can I help you?’

‘I…I don’t know, I have this card.’

I passed the card over to her.

‘Ah yes…you are prompt, well done.’

‘I don’t know why I came, but I thought that I might as well, as I had nothing else to do.’

‘It’s a good job you did come. Otherwise you would have missed out.’

‘On what?’

‘All in good time…now let me see.’

She disappeared under the counter, I could hear here rummaging about and mumbling to herself.

Suddenly, she was back up again with a pink folder in her hands.

‘Good, lets see what we can see, shall we?’

I just nodded, not knowing what she was talking about.

She blew some dust off the folder and opened it.

‘Hmm…yes, I see, goodness me, that’s wrong. Hmmm, ah well, it can’t be helped.

She looked up at me and smiled.

‘Well, that’s fair enough, shall we start?’

‘Pardon?’

She frowned. ‘I said shall we start; are you deaf or something?’

‘N…no, but I don’t know what you are talking about.’

‘You must.’

‘But I don’t, I promise.’

‘Hmm, you’re not pulling my leg are you?’

‘No.’

She sighed, I don’t really have much time for this, the next caller is due in half and hour. Look, did you or did you not ask the tooth fairy to make you into a girl?’

I looked at her as if she was mad…and then I remembered, far back in the dim and distant past. When I was six, a tooth came out and I put it under my pillow and I did ask to be changed into a girl.

‘Erm…yes, but I was only six.’

‘There you are then.’

‘Sorry, I’m still not with you. How can this have anything to do with me being here?’

‘Do you still want to be a girl?’

‘Yes…no…well, I suppose I do, but I can’t do anything about it, can I.’

‘No, you can’t, but I can.’

‘Look, is this a joke. I’m sixty years old, with a pot belly and a bald head. I have angina, no job, my wife divorced me ten years ago and I have no kids. I am up to my eyes in debt and I came here in the hope that I can find something out that will help me…now you say something about my past…I’m leaving.’

I turned to go.

‘Wait one moment dear, let me explain and then you are free to stay or go.’

I reluctantly turned back.

‘Good; now I’ll keep it short. When you were six you asked if you could be a girl; you left the requisite tooth under the pillow, as per your side of the contract. Your request went up to head office via the local tooth fairy. Unfortunately, the information we received was that you were sixty years old and not six. Regulations state that you can only have a wish granted other than money under the pillow, if you are seven and under; I assume that you found money under the pillow?’

‘Yes, sixpence.’

‘There you are then; according to head office, they satisfied the conditions. It was only when She asked for the audit that we found out that a number of errors had occurred; you were one of them.’

‘She?’

‘Yes, the big boss,’ Her eyes went skyward.

‘You mean God is a she?’

‘Of course, you don’t think a man could have enough sense to create the world do you?’

‘Oh.’

‘Anyway, I have been given the task to rectify mistakes; now do you want to be a girl or not?’

‘It’s a bit late now, isn’t it’?

‘It’s never too late…I ask again, do you want to be a girl?’

I thought about it; this was probably some big joke, candid camera or something; but still… I probably only have a few years to live, but why not humour her…I haven’t had a laugh in a long while and I may even get on the TV or something.

‘Yes please,’ I said…………………………………

Dawn woke up in the morning and looked under her pillow…it was there, sixpence just like Mummy promised. She jumped up and out of the bedroom, rushing to her parents’ room.

Throwing open the door, she rushed in and jumped on the bed.

‘Mummy…Daddy, I got my sixpence the Tooth Fairy came, after all!’

‘Dawn,’ said her father, yawning, ‘do you know what time it is?’

‘But Daddy, the Tooth Fairy came.’

‘That’s good, dear.’

‘Mummy, look…sixpence!’

‘That’s very nice, honey, now go back to sleep, it’s only five in the morning.’

‘Can I cuddle?’

Mummy smiled and Daddy groaned.

‘OK, if you don’t wriggle.’

Dawn slipped under the covers between her father and mother, still clutching her sixpence. She yawned and soon the three were fast asleep.

Dawn dreamt about the tooth fairy and a funny little shop down an alley….