The Doll's Storybook

Stories about dolls who live in our world. Although these stories are suitable for children, they should check with their parents before reading and always be careful online. Readers are invited to donate to a charity supporting pediatric cancer treatment and research. Images shown are taken by the author or from a free image website with attribution and appreciation. The author has no connection with Götz Puppenmanufaktur, but gives them credit for the amazing dolls they produce.

Friday, February 26, 2021

Getting Shots

"Where are the old people going?" Pippa asked as she joined Billy at the window.

"They're going to get vaccinated (VAK-sun-ay-ted)," Billy replied.

"What's vac-vaccinated?" Pippa inquired, saying the word carefully. It was a new word for her.

"A doctor or a nurse pokes them in the arm with a needle," Billy explained, "so they don't get sick."

Pippa thought about that for a moment. "Why don't they just pretend not to be sick?" she asked.

"Well," Billy began as the two dolls sat down on the windowsill, "dolls can pretend to be sick or not, but people can't do that. They just have to get well for real. Sometimes they stay in bed. They might stay home from school or work. Sometimes they have to take medicine."

"So," Pippa said, "if they get stuck with a needle they don't get sick? How does that work?"

"I don't know, exactly," Billy said thoughtfully. "Why don't we ask Mandy?"

Pippa thought that was a good idea, so they looked around for Mandy. They found her nearby in the living room, knitting on a big project.

"Hey, Mandy," Billy said. "The Writer and her husband have left to get vaccinated. I know it's to keep them from getting sick, but I don't know how that works, exactly. Why can't they just stick themselves with a needle, here at home?"

"That's a very good question" Mandy told him, "but it takes a special needle and some special liquid that goes through the needle and into their arms."

Pippa climbed up and sat on the arm of the rocker. "What does the liquid do?" she asked.

Mandy thought about how to explain how vaccines (vac-SEENS) work. "Once the liquid is inside the person's body, it shows the body what the germ is that needs to be destroyed. It's sort of like putting up a wanted poster for that bad germ."

"The vaccine tells the body what the germ looks like," Mandy went on. "Then it teaches the body to make antibodies (ANT-ee-bod-ees) that watch out just for that germ. If it comes along, they kill it."

Billy and Pippa looked at Mandy.

"I'm guessing," Mandy said, "you're probably wondering what antibodies are like. They're very tiny, like the germs they fight. They float around in the person's blood until they are needed. That keeps the person from getting sick from that germ."

Pippa climbed off the arm of the chair and settled down next to Mandy. "Why didn't the old people get vaccinated before?" She wondered.

Mandy was expecting that question. "They did," she said. "They have been vaccinated many times, starting when they were very young, but each vaccination (vak-sun-AY-shun) is only good for the sicknesses they are made to prevent."

"Some illnesses," Mandy went on, "are new, or the germs have changed so that the antibodies don't recognize them, so people need to get a new vaccine for the same illness."

"It's like the germ puts on a disguise!" Billy exclaimed. "Like the bad guys who robbed the bank!"

"That's right," Mandy agreed.

"Does it hurt?" Pippa asked. "When the old people get stuck with the needle, does it hurt them?"

Mandy laughed. "It hurts a little bit," she agreed, "but it's so much more pleasant than getting sick, and it only hurts for a second. Then they might have a sore arm for a day or so, but it isn't too bad."

"I remember when The Writer was sick," Billy said then. "We looked after her and did her housework so she could rest and get well. Why did she get sick, if she gets vaccinated?"

"Not all sicknesses have a vaccine," Mandy explained, "and only illnesses that can make someone very sick."

"That's very interesting, Mandy," Pippa said. "I'm glad we can just pretend to get sick if we want."

"Well," Billy said. "The old people will be gone for a while. What should we do while they're gone?

Cast--
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London

Pippa: Götz Little Kidz Lotta

Photo of vaccine by Hakan Nural on Unsplash.

You can follow The Doll's Storybook here.

Do you have questions or comments for us? Would you like to order an autographed copy of one of our books? You can email us at thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz or 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. We are not affiliated with St. Jude in any way other than these donations.

"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.

Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook and Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook are available from BookBaby and other booksellers worldwide, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Author's page on Amazon.

Royalties (net proceeds) go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. If you don't get free shipping elsewhere, buy from Book Baby. Half of the price goes to charity (specific information available upon request). Autographed copies of all three books are available from the author. (Multiple books to the same address have a discount on shipping.) To inquire, email thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

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

Friday, February 19, 2021

Hearing with Your Eyes

Pippa was puzzled. "Why are you waving your hands in the air, Emil?" she asked.

Emil looked up from the computer screen. "Hi, Pippa," he said. "I'm trying to learn to sign."

"To what?" she asked.

"I'm trying to learn sign language," he explained. "It's a way for people who can't hear to talk with other people."

"Is it hard to learn?" Pippa inquired.

"I think," Emil replied, "It's about like learning any other language. You learn the sign for a word and how to put the signs together in the right way. I'm learning Signing Exact English, because that's the kind of sign language people use here."

"Is it as hard to learn as Hebrew?" Pippa wanted to know. "Charlotte told me yesterday that she is learning Hebrew, because she wants to know what the prayers mean when she's in the synagogue (SIN-ah-gog). That's where she goes to worship."

"I know," Emil replied, "and Mariah is learning Arabic, so she can understand the prayers she says in the mosque (MOSK). They told me about it. They showed me what they were learning."

"I thought it looked like fun," Emil added, "so I decided to learn a language, too."

Pippa climbed onto Emil's chair, so she could see better.

"I think sign language might be easier," Emil said after Pippa was settled next to him, "because Charlotte and Mariah have to learn new ways to read and write. I think that must be harder."

"So what are you doing with the computer?" Pippa asked.

"I'll show you," Emil said.

"Now," Emil began, "when very important people have something very important to say, they get someone who knows sign language to listen to what they say and then make the signs for what they are saying, so people who can't hear can understand. I have the sound turned off. I'm watching and seeing if I can understand what the person who is signing is saying. Then I see if I can do the ones I don't already know."

He showed Pippa the computer screen, so she could see.

Emil pointed to the man who was moving his arms, hands and mouth. "That's the person who is using sign language," he explained. "They use their faces, too," he added. "I think that's mostly to show the emotion."

The two dolls watched the man moving his hands and face, and thought about what it must be like to be able to use your face to show emotions.

"Please teach me to say something in sign language," Pippa begged then. "I want to be able to say and understand something, too!"

"Sure," Emil agreed. "Let's start with hello!" He put his hand up by his head.

Then Emil moved his hand out to the side, as if he were waving to someone across the street.

"That's how you say hello," he said.

Pippa tried it.

The dolls said hello to each other.

"How do you say my name?" she asked then.

"I can't say Pippa," Emil said. "I would need to move my fingers to spell it out, and they don't move."

Then Emil had an idea. "I know what!" he exclaimed. "I'll show you pictures of how to make the letters. We don't need many letters for your name."

Emil changed the computer screen. "This is a P," he said.

Then he changed the screen again to a different photo. "This is the letter I," he said.

Again Emil changed the screen. "This is the letter A. Now you have all the letters you need."

"Next you put them all together," Emil explained. He showed the photos one after the other like this.

"It's too bad you can't say my name," Pippa said sadly. "I would like you to be able to say, 'Hello, Pippa.'"

"There's a way I can, Pippa," Emil countered. "We just need to give you a sign that means Pippa. People who sign use their fingers to spell their names to others when they first meet, but they will have a sign just for them that says something about them. That's what they use with their friends." He thought for a moment. Then he said "Hello" and made the sign for it.

After that, Emil moved his hand from his mouth to his chin and said, "Pippa." (He would have curled his fingers down after he reached his chin, but, as you know, his fingers don't move, so this would have to do.)

"What does that sign mean besides Pippa?" Pippa asked. She was pretty sure he didn't just make it up; it must mean something in sign language.

"Sweet," Emil replied.

Pippa decided she liked her new Sign Language name.

Cast--
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia