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.
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Copyright © 2020 by Peggy Stuart
Nice story: It's true that children learn to take care of others and their future children by playing with dolls...Clara
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