A Hair-raising Adventure, Part Two

The boys were in the dining room, looking at the computer.
"I sort of like this darker one," Emil said.

"That's a little darker than the color you have now, Emil," Billy said, "Is that what you had in mind?"

"Yes, Billy," Emil said. "I thought darker would be good. I put Charlotte's black sweater on my head to see if I liked it, but it was a little too dark. I think this one would be better."
"Should we ask for these two, then?" asked Billy.
"Yes, let's," Emil agreed.

"OK!" Billy exclaimed. "It's fun to get to choose. We didn't have any say about our hair at the factory, but I like my original color. I think I'll stick with this one. It's pretty close to the same thing."

The boys went to tell The Writer which wigs they wanted her to order. She came and looked at the computer screen to check and make sure the wigs they wanted would fit and were suitable, and then she placed the order. Then the hard part started. The boys had to wait.
The Writer told them it would take five days to a week. Each day the boys went to look out the workroom window to watch for the mail to arrive.
They looked on Monday.
They looked again on Tuesday.
On Wednesday they were at the window again, watching for the mail. Each day, the mail came, but not their wigs.
On Thursday they climbed up to the windowsill in the workroom again to watch for the mail.

Because the boys were looking out the window, they got to see some workmen putting down a new surface on the street. That was interesting.

It was fun to watch the people working. If they hadn't been watching for the mail to come, they would have missed it! This was the only window in the house where you could see them working. They stood and watched until the men stopped working.

Finally, on Friday, the package came. There were two boxes inside, along with some air pillows. The writer gave each boy a box, and they sat down to open them.

It was like getting a present! The Writer helped each boy put his wig on over his hair, to see how it would look, and they went to have a look in the mirror.

Both boys were happy with the new look. Billy took a photo of Emil in his new wig.

Then he showed Emil how to take his photo with his new wig.

The photos would be good to look at while they were going through the scary part. Now they were ready to take the next step. They took off the wigs and put them back into the boxes.
"We're in this together," Billy said, as the boys shook hands.

Billy went first. The Writer had to wet his hair around the edges to unstick it and remove the glue she had used. Then she began to cut. Billy would have closed his eyes tightly if he could have. He couldn't even wear his sleep mask, because it would be in the way.
Some of the girls peeked through the door of the workroom while The Writer was at work, removing all the old rooted hair from the boys heads. They knew it didn't hurt, because there was no yelling, but they were worried about the boys.

When the haircut was finished, their heads both looked like this.

They were happy when it was done, and they each had a new wig.
The boys went back to the bathroom mirror to see how they looked.

"We look pretty good," said Emil.
"We look almost like real boys," agreed Billy.

"Are you happy now?" Emil asked.
"Yes," Billy replied. "Now there's only one thing I wish."
"What's that?" Emil asked.

"Now that I look almost like a real boy," Billy said, "I wish I were a real boy."
The Writer was standing close to the door, listening. She made a mental note to get a copy of Pinocchio for the boys to read.

Cast--
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London

Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz or Classic Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to a charity that supports pediatric cancer, such as CURE Childhood Cancer, St. Baldrick's Foundation or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM Pacific Time.


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Copyright © 2020 by Peggy Stuart

A Hair-raising Adventure

"I wish I looked more like a real boy," Billy said as he looked at his image in the mirror.



"I think you look like a real boy," Emil said, "except you're smaller, and real boys don't have elbow and knee joints you can see."

"It's my hair," Billy said. "They gave me girl hair at the factory."

"They didn't know I was a boy, and they didn't hear me when I tried to tell them. They put me in a dress. Dresses are for girls."

"I was wearing a dress, too, I think," Emil said, "and I know I had long hair, but I didn't see myself before someone came and got my box. I've seen pictures since then, though."

"They took me somewhere," Emil remembered. "They changed my clothes and gave me a haircut, and they gave me my special glasses, so I could see and hear. I've only seen myself like this."

"Your hair looks better than mine," Billy said.
Emil looked at Billy's hair. "The hair comes straight out from the roots around your neck, and then the hair is bent to be closer to your neck. How is mine?"

Billy looked carefully at the bottom of Emil's hair around the back of his neck. "I think your roots come straight out, too," he said. For some reason, though, your hair looks more real. It lies flat against your head."

Billy looked some more. He was thinking. "You know," he said, "It may be because the band that holds your glasses on holds your hair down. I'll bet that's it."

"I think you're right," Emil agreed. "The Writer puts glue on the back of your head, and then puts a thick rubber band around your head to hold your hair down."

"Yes," Billy said, "and then I have to keep that rubber band around my head all night or until she needs me for photos. She always mumbles about how she wishes she didn't have to do that," he added.

The boys left the bathroom and went to see what the girls were up to. They found Mandy, knitting on the windowsill where the light was good. She was working on a very big project. Mandy looked up when the boys came into the room.

"You look sad, Billy," Mandy said. "Is something the matter?"

Billy didn't say anything. He just kept on looking sad as the boys climbed up on the windowsill to sit next to Mandy.
"Billy is sad that he doesn't look like a real boy," Emil explained. "It's because his hair sticks out in the back, right above his neck, and around the sides, too."

"It's because the roots come straight out of my head," Billy sighed.

Mandy looked. "Yes," she said. "They made your hair like a girl's. Most girl dolls have long hair, so children can practice brushing it. It works for girls, but not as well for boys, especially boys who like their hair short."

"You don't have to be unhappy about it, though," Mandy told him. "If you don't like your hair that way, there's a way to make your hair look more like a real boy's hair."

"There is?" Billy asked. The two boys looked at Mandy.
"Yes," Mandy said. "You could have a wig."

The boys weren't sure they knew what a wig was, so Mandy explained that some dolls have rooted hair, like theirs.

She showed them her roots. She explained that little clumps of hair had been pushed down inside their heads. "They use a machine for that," she said.

"Some dolls have wigs glued onto their heads," Mandy explained. "Jolena's friend Gabi is visiting," she said. "Gabi has a wig." They found the girls in the workroom, and Gabi let Mandy show them her wig up close.
The boys could see rows of little clumps of hair that were sewn into some netting. It made a sort of a hat that fit over Gabi's head and was glued down.

"Some dolls have hair that's just part of their heads," Mandy went on. "Their hair is just molded to shape and then painted to look like hair." She found Mariah's doll and showed them.

"At least we didn't get hair like that!" Billy exclaimed. "That doesn't look real at all."
Mandy put Mariah's doll back on the shelf.
"Well," Mandy said. "at least it never needs brushing. It always looks tidy."

"You can have a wig, if you like," Mandy told Billy. "You can even pick it out. I'm sure The Writer would let you order one, and then she will cut all your hair off and glue the wig on for you."

"That sounds scary," Billy said. "I mean, I really want to look like a real boy, but having all my hair cut off and then having something glued onto my head...."

"I know what!" cried Emil. "I'll do it too!" Then we can both have new hair. We'll go through it together! I know I won't be afraid if you're doing it, too, so maybe you won't be afraid if we both do it."

"You're a great friend," Mandy said, and Billy agreed.
"All right!" Billy said. "Let's do it!"

"Let's go find The Writer," Mandy said. "Let's see what she says. If it's OK, then you can pick out your wigs."

To be continued....


Cast--
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz or Classic Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to a charity that supports pediatric cancer, such as CURE Childhood Cancer, St. Baldrick's Foundation or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM Pacific Time.

Image on Mariah's shirt used with permission with thanks, from Free To Be Kids, where human-size shirts with this image are available.


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Copyright © 2020 by Peggy Stuart

Masks

"Look what I have!" exclaimed Jolena as she came into the living room from the front hall.

The other dolls looked up. Jolena's voice sounded slightly muffled in their heads, but of course, they could understand her.

"What do you have on your face, Jolena?" asked Billy.

"I'm wearing a face mask," was the muffled reply. "Our teacher wants everyone to start wearing face masks at school," Jolena explained. "He gave me masks for all of us."
Jolena showed the other dolls what she had in the basket she was carrying.

"Mariah," Jolena said, "I think the lavender one would be right for you, since you're wearing lavender."

Mariah came and took the lavender mask from Jolena. "Thank you," she said. "It's pretty!"

"I don't have a pink one, Charlotte," Jolena said. "Maybe we can get you a pink one later."

"That's OK," Charlotte replied. "I'll just pick out something blue to go with this one. Thank you!"

"What do you have for the boys?" Mariah asked.

Jolena rummaged in her basket and pulled out a bandana. That's sort of a big handkerchief. "The boys can wear these," Jolena said.

"Wow!" exclaimed Billy as he took his. "We can look like bandits! Thanks!"

"We can pretend to rob the stagecoach," Emil suggested.

"You will have to wait a long time for a stagecoach to come through here," Charlotte pointed out. "They aren't used anymore, except at special places where you can see what life was like long ago. Besides, it's wrong to rob anyone. Robbing is stealing. It's when you make someone give you their money or their stuff. We don't do that."

"Bandits aren't the only ones who wear their bandanas like that," Mariah suggested. "Cowboys wear their bandanas like that to keep from breathing in the dust from the trail."

"How do you know about that?" Billy wanted to know.
"I read," Mariah replied.

"Jolena," Charlotte said, "Did Teacher say why he wants us to wear these?"

"Yes," Jolena replied. "It's because lots of children are starting to wear masks when they go out places. The masks keep the germs, like viruses, from getting out into the air for others to breathe."

"That's how children get sick, isn't it?" Emil asked.

"Yes," Jolena agreed, "from breathing in germs from other people and from touching things that have germs on them. That's why they have to wash their hands before they eat or touch their faces," she added.

"But we don't breathe," Billy pointed out. "We don't get sick, either, except just pretend. Why does Teacher want us to wear these?"

"What's a doll's job?" Jolena asked the boys.

"To teach children and give them someone to look after," Billy said.

"And to set a good example for children," Emil added.

"Yes," Jolena agreed. "It's also to help children feel comfortable when they experience something new. When children see dolls wearing masks, they know it's OK to wear them, too."

"Also," Charlotte added, "they might want to have masks for their dolls to wear, too, so it teaches them how to look after others."

"When children look after their dolls," Mariah pointed out, "they are learning how to look after their own children someday."

"I have an idea," said Billy. "Let's take Brownie out for a ride. We can take turns riding her and pretending to be cowboys!"

"That will be fun," Emil agreed. He enjoyed riding Brownie.

The girls helped each other put on their masks, so they could see how they looked in them.

Charlotte's voice sounded muffled when they looked at themselves in the mirror, and she said, "It's good to have a purpose, and this is fun."

Cast--
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Brownie: Götz Pony Brown Beauty

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz or Classic Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to a charity that supports pediatric cancer, such as CURE Childhood Cancer, St. Baldrick's Foundation or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM Pacific Time.


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<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/19832501/?claim=j3fj3mbb8kt">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Copyright © 2020 by Peggy Stuart