“Guess what!” Veronka exclaimed as she came into the workroom, waving a letter around as if she were trying to shoo a fly away.
Pippa, Pauly and Pam looked up from the game they were playing on the daybed under the window.
The other dolls who were in the workroom looked up from their the books they were reading at the big table.
“What?” Emil said, knowing that Veronika would tell them, and they didn’t really have to guess. It’s like when some asks, “How are you doing?” and they just mean “Hello” and don’t really want to hear that you fell at the playground while playing on the monkey bars, and your head fell off and rolled away, and that you’re still so embarrassed.
Veronika turned the big swivel chair she uses for the sewing machine so it faced the table and climbed up on it, still holding the letter in her hand.
“Dolly and Gabi sent us a letter. They are coming home!” she told them excitedly.
“Who are Dolly and Gabi?” Nico wanted to know.
“They used to live with us, but they left us before you moved here,” Mariah explained, closing her notebook, because she knew they would be talking for a while, and she wouldn’t get any more writing done.
“They went to work as models in a yarn shop,” Mandy told Nico. “That’s a store that sells yarn for human people and dolls who can knit to make things with.”
“They sell tools, too, like knitting needles and crochet (kro-SHAY) hooks,” she told them, “and they sell patterns. The shop has displays of finished sweaters, hats, scarves, shawls and other things to make using the yarn they sell. Dolly and Gabi have been showing off some things you can make for dolls using yarn from the shop.”
Mandy knows all about Yarn shops, because knitting is one of her favorite things to do.
“Dolly wore a pullover and a skirt made from The Writer’s patterns,” Jolena put in, because she knew Nico’s real question was about Dolly and Gabi, and why they were in the yarn shop. “Mandy made the sweater and Veronika made a skirt to go with it, and Gabi wore a dress Mandy knitted for her.”
“The store sells our books,” Mariah added. “People could buy the yarn and the book, so they could give the finished sweater or dress to a child for their dolls along with the book to read.”
“When are they coming home?” Mandy asked, hoping she might get to go along and maybe pick out some yarn to buy for a new project.
Veronika looked at the letter. “It says June 27th is when the owner and the other people who work in the yarn shop will be changing the displays. They can come home then.”
“We should have a party!” Billy exclaimed, glancing at Jolena, because he knew if they had a party, she would be the one in charge of the refreshments.
“Let’s do!” Pippa exclaimed excitedly.
Everyone wanted a party for Dolly and Gabi's return!
The dolls always clean the house when they know they will be having a party. Pauly came over to help Emil and Billy dust the shelves and all the things that were sitting on them.
Then they ran the robot vacuum cleaner. Pauly got to have a ride, because he isn’t heavy.
Mandy and Charlotte cleaned the bathrooms.
Jolena baked some oatmeal cookies for the dolls to pretend to eat.
She also made some punch for them to pretend to drink.
Soon it was time for The Writer to go and pick up Dolly and Gabi. Mandy was going along, because she asked nicely and because she wanted to visit the yarn shop again.
The other dolls waited patiently in the living room.
They listened for the sound of the car in the driveway.
They listened for the sound of the garage door going up.
They listened for footsteps on the front porch and front door opening.
When they heard all that, they exploded from the couch.
There was Mandy with Dolly and Gabi.
After the greetings were done, they all went to the living room to have refreshments, where Veronika introduced the two working dolls to Nico, Pam, and Olivia.
Then Mandy showed everyone the yarn she had bought at the yarn shop.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with the dolls’ voices, as Dolly and Gabi heard about all the things they had missed and talked about all the things they had seen and heard in the yarn shop.
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
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
"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 1:00 PM Pacific Time.
Copyright © 2025 by Peggy Stuart
