Jolena and Mariah are waiting at the top of the stairs, too. They are very patient. They are dolls, and dolls know how to be patient. They are good at it.
They are patient, but they are excited, too. Can you guess why the dolls are excited?
The dolls are waiting patiently for a surprise. Mandy has gone out to get the surprise. She said that it comes in a box. She is going to open the box. Mandy has been gone a long time. It's cold out, and she took a basket with her, but no coat. There was a hat and a sweater in the basket, but she didn't put them on. What could be keeping Mandy?
Finally, the front door opened and Mandy came in with the surprise. Mandy and the surprise stood at the bottom of the stairs.
"Girls, this is Billy, our new brother," Mandy said as she put the basket down.
Billy looked up at the girls. "Hi!" he said.
"It's a boy!" exclaimed Mariah!
"It's a boy!" exclaimed Jolena!
"I got my birthday wish!" cried Charlotte! "A brother!"
With a nudge from Mandy, Billy started up the stairs to meet the girls. "I brought my puppy," he said, politely taking off his hat. "Her name is Freckles. I hope you don't mind."
"We love dogs," said Jolena. "Freckles will be a friend for Charlotte's puppy, Pee-air."
"It's Pierre," said Charlotte. "It's a French boy's name."
"Here's Pierre now," Mariah said, as the white puppy came down the stairs.
Freckles and Pierre sniffed each other and decided they were friends. Jolena offered to take Billy's hat and Freckles' leash."Now that the puppies know each other, let me introduce you to your new sisters," Mandy suggested.
"Jolena is the doll closest to you. Then that's Mariah next to her," Mandy said pointing to each girl.
"Next is Veronika, the one with the braids, and then Charlotte, with the puppy."
"And this is Pierre," Charlotte said, holding her puppy. "This is Freckles' new friend."
"What's in the basket, Mandy?" Veronika asked. "Are those Billy's clothes?"
"Well, yes and no," Mandy answered. "Maybe I should let Billy explain."
Mandy lifted the basket up to the next step while Billy told his story.
"At the factory, they dressed me in these girl's clothes," Billy explained.
"Why would they do that?" Mariah asked.
"They thought I was a girl," Billy answered.
"Why did they think you were a girl?" asked Jolena.
"I tried to tell them," Billy replied, "But they didn't seem to hear me."
"Maybe they just make dolls," suggested Mariah. "Maybe they don't really believe in us. You can only hear us talk if you believe in us."
"Yes, and I also think maybe they just didn't know any better," added Mandy. "All the dolls they make there are the same under their clothes. They need their clothes and hair to show if they are boys or girls. Some people even think all dolls are girls and that only girls play with dolls."
"I think that's a silly idea," Billy said. "Anyway, you can have these clothes, if you want them," he added, pointing to the basket. "They look like the kind of clothes girls like to wear."
"I'm so glad boy's clothes were ready and waiting for me when I got here," he added.
While Jolena, Charlotte, Veronika and Mariah looked through the basket, Billy paused and took a deep breath.
"And speaking of hair," Billy went on, "they also did this to me!"
Billy reached behind his neck and pulled out a long ponytail. It was attached to the hair on his head!
"I really wanted short hair," he said. "I need a haircut! I want it this short!"
"Your hair is as long as mine!" Charlotte exclaimed. Then she went back to looking through the basket. "Hey, there's a nice dress in here!"
"Long hair is pretty on girls, if they like it, " said Mandy, "but it's a lot of work to keep it from tangling when we play."
"Yes," said Mariah! "my hair needs brushing whenever I go from one room to another, because I want to always look lovely!"
"Long hair can be a nuisance sometimes," Charlotte agreed. "I have a very hard time keeping mine tidy. Just look at this!"
"I have to keep two pigtails in the front when I ski, or my helmet won't fit on my head," added Jolena.
Billy agreed. "I want to hang upside down from tree branches. How can I do that with hair in my face?"
They all agreed long hair was a lot of work and sometimes in the way. All except for Veronika. "I don't see a problem with long hair," she said.
One thing all the sisters could agree on was how nice it was going to be to have a boy in the family. Each girl gave their new brother a welcome hug.
"I have everything I've ever wanted," Billy sighed. "A home, a family and boy's clothes. Everything I ever wanted...except a haircut."It will come, Billy. You just have to wait. You are a doll, and dolls are patient. You are good at waiting.
