Pippa

There was a tapping sound that echoed down through the downstairs hall. The dolls, who were all in the living room, turned to look.

"I think someone's knocking," said Jolena, listening intently.

"It sounds like someone with vinyl knuckles," said Emil, whose hearing was different from that of the other dolls because of the hearing aids in his special glasses. Sometimes he notices things the other dolls don't.

"That explains why they didn't ring the doorbell," Mandy observed. "The doorbell is very high up. It's too high for dolls to reach. It must be a doll at the door. Maybe it's our new family member!"

Billy put down his Legos. "I'll get it," he said, as he jumped down and ran to the door. He opened it, which isn't easy, because the door knob is so high up, but dolls have ways to do that. He looked out the door, but he didn't see anyone. 

Then he looked down.

There, just on the other side of the storm door, stood a very little doll. "You're tiny!" Billy exclaimed.

"No," said the very little doll. "Tiny went to New York. I saw her last in London." Then the little doll held out her hand "I'm Phillipa," she said, "but you can call me Pippa. Howdy-doo!"

Billy shook Pippa's hand. "Nice to meet you, Pippa" he said. "Come in and meet everyone else."

Because Billy was the first one to the door, he made the introductions, the way he had been taught to do.

"I'll make tea," Jolena said after they had all been introduced, and then she disappeared into the kitchen.

Billy helped Pippa get up on the couch. She needed help, because she was smaller than the others.

"Well," said Mariah, "You must be our new addition. We were told you were different. Now we know how you're different from the rest of us." Pippa introduced her teddy bear to Marmalade, while Mariah and Billy looked at each other. They were both thinking that Pippa was not what they had been expecting. 

"I didn't know," Pippa said, "that all of you would be so much bigger than I am!"

"May I see your hands?" Mariah asked, and Pippa put one hand into Mariah's, while she held out the other one.

"Our hands are alike," Mariah concluded. "Your fingers are just like ours. You have two fingers stuck together on your right hand. Your hands and fingers are just like ours, only smaller."

Pippa looked at her right hand. Then she looked around at the other dolls' right hands, which they were holding up for her to see.

"You have blue eyes, like Jolena," Charlotte said.

The dolls turned and looked at Jolena, who had just brought the tea.

"Pippa," Jolena said as she passed out the cups and poured the pretend tea, "I also see you have blonde hair like Charlotte and me."

"You know," Veronika said, looking intently at Pippa and then around at the other dolls, "Pippa looks a lot like Mandy, don't you think?"

The dolls all looked intently at Pippa and then at Mandy, trying to decide if Veronika was right. Pippa looked at Mandy, too.

"She does!" Emil agreed. 

"She looks like Mandy with blue eyes and blonde hair," he said.

"And no freckles!" Mandy added.

"I love your freckles!" Veronika exclaimed. "Your freckles are part of who you are."

"Do you love my freckles, too?" Billy asked, looking at Veronika. 

"Of course I do!" Veronika said. "You wouldn't be Billy without them!"

"Well," said Pippa, "I may be like all of you in some ways and several of you in other ways, but it's clear I'm different from all of you in one important way. All of you are much bigger than I am."

"That is only a problem," Veronika said, "because we are going to have to find clothes that with work for you until I can sew something and Mandy can knit you a sweater that fits."

When the dolls had finished pretending to drink their tea, Charlotte suggested, "Come with me, Pippa! Let's go see what we can find, so you can change your clothes." 

Charlotte came up with a cardigan that was a little snug on Jolena. With the cuffs turned up, it wasn't too bad. Emil's pants that went through the hot-water wash and were a little too tight to fit his feet through. They still a bit big in the waist for Pippa, but not too long with the cuffs turned up so she doesn't trip.

For sleeping, they came up with a T-shirt. It will do for now for the littlest doll in the family.

"When I grow bigger," Pippa said, "I can share clothes with the rest of you, and they will fit."

"No, sweetie," Charlotte said. "Dolls don't grow. You will always be the size you are now. Don't worry, though. We will buy and make you some clothes that will fit just fine."

Pippa thought about that for a moment. "Well, that's OK," she said. "I'm sort of already used to being this size, and I will have clothes that are all mine. I will just have to be patient."

While Charlotte was upstairs finding clothes for Pippa, Billy turned to Mariah. "Howdy-do?" he asked her.

"It means, 'How do you do,'" Mariah explained. "Who knows where she picked that up!"

"We're going to have to teach Pippa the elbow bump," Billy said. "We aren't supposed to shake hands anymore."

Pippa will have lots of time to learn all that, and more.

Cast--
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

Pippa: Götz Little Kidz Lotta
Marmalade: Purrrfect Cats from KTL

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz and Little Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any organization that supports pediatric cancer research and treatment.

"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.


Like our Facebook page: The Doll's Storybook

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

Copyright © 2020 by Peggy Stuart