"Mariah, could you help me?" Jolena asked.
"If I can," the other doll replied, putting down her book.
"It's the kind of stuff you're good at," Jolena said. "If you have the time, I could use your help."
"What do you need?" Mariah asked, as she followed Jolena into the dining room. The two dolls climbed up onto the dining-room chairs.
Jolena showed Mariah a couple of pieces of paper. "This is my homework assignment," she said. "We're going to have a test tomorrow on this stuff. The assignment is to help us get ready for it."
"The teacher went over it today," Jolena continued, handing her papers to Mariah, "but the boy behind me keeps kicking my chair. It's very distracting."
"I'll bet he likes you," Mariah said, trying very hard to make her vinyl face smile. Mariah knew that a lot of the boys liked Jolena because of all the tricks she could do on her skis. It wasn't just because she's pretty; all dolls are pretty. "He's probably trying to get your attention," she said.
Jolena would have rolled her eyes, if she could, but they don't move. She tried very hard, but she couldn't do it. "Well, he's not helping make me like him back," she said. "I need to have good grades to stay on the Doll Ski Team, and I'm having trouble with this. I needed to hear the teacher."
"Let me see it," Mariah said, taking the paper Jolena was holding out to her. She looked at it for a few seconds. Then she looked at the ceiling. Jolena knew that meant she was thinking.
Then Mariah looked back at the paper. "I think I know how I can help you learn how to know the right answer when you get something like this on the test. You can't just memorize the answers to this; you need to know how to come up with the right answers when the sentences are different ones."
Mariah pointed to Jolena's paper. "These first two sentences help you get ready to figure out the others," she said.
"I think I know those," Jolena said. "I went to the ball game. The teacher gave me the ball."
"That's right," Mariah agreed. "Most of the time you use I and me correctly when you talk, so it's easy. Do you know why you use I in the first sentence and me in the second?"
"Because it sounds right?" Jolena asked.
"Yes," Mariah agreed, "it does sound right, but there's a reason. Who is doing something in the first sentence?" she asked.
"I am," Jolena replied.
"Yes!" Mariah agreed. "Now, who is doing something in the second sentence?"
Jolena looked at the sentence. "The teacher?" she asked.
"That's right," Mariah said. "When did you use I and when did you use me?"
"I see, I think," Jolena said. "If I'm doing something, I use I. If someone else is doing something to or for me, I use me."
"Yes," Mariah said. "We have names for when you use I and when you use me, but all you need to remember to do this correctly is to ask yourself who it is who is doing something. Now try the next one."
"Getting our shoes muddy means me and Jimmy have to wipe our feet?" Jolena suggested, looking up.
"This is where it gets complicated," Mariah told her. "Most dolls get this wrong at first. Here's a rule: Whenever there are two of you doing something, and you don't use we or us but mention each of you separately, you put the other person first," she explained. Then she paused. "I think it's because it's polite."
"So Jimmy and me?" Jolena asked.
"That's better, but me is incorrect," Mariah said. Then she thought for a moment. "Let's say Jimmy went home early, so you're the only one with muddy feet. How would you write the sentence then?"
"It's good Jimmy went home," Jolena said, "because Jimmy is the boy who sits behind me!"
Mariah didn't say anything. She just waited.
"Well," Jolena said, looking back at her paper, "I have to change a lot of the sentence, then. I have to say getting my shoes muddy means I have to wipe my feet."
"Perfect!" Mariah exclaimed. "Now why would you say Jimmy and me when you include Jimmy, but I when you don't?"
"So it should be Jimmy and I?" Jolena asked. "Jimmy and I have to wipe our feet?"
"That's right," Mariah agreed giving her sister a pat. "Now see if you can do the same thing with the next sentence."
"When the plane came in for a landing," Jolena read. Then she paused and thought for a moment. "Um...I would say I watched it until it reached the hangar, but I have to include Mary, and she has to go first because it's polite?"
Mariah nodded.
Jolena read, "When the plane came in for a landing, Mary and I watched it until it reached the hangar!"
Mariah gave Jolena a high five. "Now you've got it!" she exclaimed. "Let's do the next one."
That made Jolena feel good. Then she looked at her paper again. "Mrs. Brown took...her son and I," she began, then stopped. "No," she said, "that isn't right. I wouldn't say Mrs. Brown took I to the zoo, so it must be Mrs. Brown took her son and me to the zoo."
"I've heard dolls say it the other way, though," Jolena said. "So they're saying it wrong?"
"Yes," Mariah agreed, "but it's important for dolls to say things correctly. We need to set an example for real children, so they can say things correctly."
"Oh, my!" Jolena exclaimed. "I know I've said things the wrong way in our stories! I'm not setting a good example for children!"
Mariah laughed. "Don't worry," she explained. "The writer always fixes our mistakes...except for today, because today the mistakes are part of the story."
The two dolls went through the rest of the sentences. Jolena figured out quickly that when you're with another doll, even if you don't say the name of the doll or say who that doll is, the other doll goes first, and you can take that doll or yourself out of the sentence to see which word to use for the person who is left.
"Bob gave one of the puppies to...him and me to play with," she said as Mariah nodded. "Bob gave one of the puppies to him, and Bob gave one of the puppies to me, but then that would be two puppies!" Jolena threw down her papers and giggled, and Mariah joined her. The next thing they knew, the giggles had turned into hysterical laughter!
When they finally stopped laughing, Mariah said, "After a while, it will just sound wrong if you say it or write it incorrectly. Then you don't have to think about it anymore."
"How do you know all this, Mariah?" Jolena asked when they had finished.
"How do you do flips in the air on your skis without landing upside down and breaking your head off?" Mariah asked in return.
"Well," Jolena replied, thinking, "I have to practice a lot and fix my mistakes. The coach tells me what I'm doing wrong."
Mariah pointed to Jolena's homework assignment. "That's what you're doing right now," she said.
"Hey!" Jolena exclaimed. "You're my writing and speaking coach, Mariah!"
If you want to try Jolena's assignment, you can!
Name _______________________
Fill in the blank with the right word from the choices below each sentence.
1. ______ went to the ball game.
I
me
2. The teacher gave the ball to ______.
I
me
3. Getting our shoes muddy means ___________ have to wipe our feet.
Jimmy and I
Jimmy and me
I and Jimmy
me and Jimmy
4. When the plane came in for a landing, _____________ watched it until it reached the hangar.
me and Mary
I and Mary
Mary and me
Mary and I
5. Mrs. Brown took __________ to the zoo.
me and her son
her son and I
I and her son
her son and me
6. After school, _________ took the bus home.
I and she
me and her
she and I
her and me
7. When we got our tests back, we found out that __________ had studied the right things.
I and he
him and me
he and I
me and him
8. Bob gave one of the puppies to ________ to play with.
him and me
I and he
he and I
me and him
9. Tommy recited the alphabet for _______________.
him and me
me and him
he and I
I and he
10 On Saturday, Phil will go to a movie with _______.
me and her
she and I
her and me
I and she
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
1. I went to the ball game.
2. The teacher gave the ball to me.
3. Getting our shoes muddy means Jimmy and I have to wipe our feet.
4. When the plane came in for a landing, Mary and I watched it until it reached the hangar.
5. Mrs. Brown took her son and me to the zoo.
6. After school, she and I took the bus home.
7. When we got our tests back, we found out that he and I had studied the right things.
8. Bob gave one of the puppies to him and me to play with.
9. Tommy recited the alphabet for him and me.
10 On Saturday, Phil will go to a movie with her and me.
"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.
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Copyright © 2021, 2024 by Peggy Stuart
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