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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