All children love fairy tales, even kings. At the end of the 19th century, for an 8-year-old Spanish king, the writer Luis Coloma Roldán composed a story about a mouse who brings children a coin in exchange for a fallen baby tooth. This story was known and loved by all Spanish children. Many other books have been written about the tooth fairy with the grey hair and the long tail, and several cartoons have been made. The building of the pastry shop, where the legend has it that the rodent wizard lived, now houses the Pérez Mousy Museum. Its amusing exhibit is one of the best children's attractions in Madrid. Pérez himself will meet you at the entrance.
What fun it is to visit the mouse! He lives in a biscuit box with his wife and children Alfonso, Elvira and Adelaide (Alfonso is the name of the little king who received this tale as a gift). Mousey Perez has an unusual hobby: he collects milk teeth. You can see part of his collection in the museum — it contains, among other things, the teeth of celebrities.
Pérez, the mouse's house museum, consists of two rooms. There are many drawings of the Spanish Tooth Fairy and other exciting exhibits in showcases. Guided tours of Casa Museo de Raton Perez are conducted in Spanish, but the charm of this fairy tale character can be felt without words. The museum is a great place to get a lecture on dental care — but what fairy would trade a bad tooth for money?
If you haven't seen The Adventures of Perez the Mouse before a tour, you might want to do so after a trip to Madrid with your child. The Casa Museo de Raton Perez website recommends visiting the museum with children over five years old.
