I did this off the cuff with my son. He kept grinding his teeth like he wanted them gone. After weeks of refusing to stop I told him "Better not grind your teeth or the Tooth Collector will hear you, and come take your teeth." He got very quiet. Then wanted to know more. So here's what has emerged over the last year as this has become the favorite monster of my household. The Tooth Collector is a raggedy, antlered monster who leaves under the roots of an old tree. Upon hearing a kid grind his teeth, the Tooth Collector pulls himself up from the earth. His mouth is filled with hundreds of teeth he's collected, and hundreds more rattle against his skeletal frame as macabre beads. His eyes flare like old coals in a gust of wind as he stumbles toward the sound that calls to him. Make sure you're inside, especially around dusk and dawn. And if you hear a knock at the door, listen close for the sound of rattling teeth ere you dare to turn the latch. Little boys who fail to hear this wisdom will gum their food to the end. And when you lose a tooth, don't drop it! He'll hear. Leave it on the back porch, just to be safe. If it's gone in the morning, you'll know you made the right call. My son demands Tooth Collector stories all the time now.