Pippa is a very curious doll. She always has questions about what's going on, so one rainy afternoon, when she found Veronika standing on the cutting mat in the workroom and looking at some clothes, she naturally had questions.
"What are you doing, Veronika," Pippa asked.
"Hi, Pippa," Veronika said. "I'm just trying to decide what to wear when I go to a friend's house tomorrow to pretend to have tea."
"You have a lot of pretty clothes," Pippa said.
"We all do," Veronika replied. "Well, we girls have a lot of pretty clothes. The boys have some nice shirts and pants, but I'm not sure I would call them 'pretty,'" she corrected. "I think I would call them dapper or natty or handsome." Veronika didn't think the boys would want her to say their shirts and pants were pretty.
"Girls need pretty clothes, don't they?" Pippa suggested.
"Girls like pretty clothes," Veronika countered. "At least most of us do, especially girl dolls. We could live without them, but it's nice we don't have to."
"May I borrow some of your pretty clothes, Veronika?" Pippa wanted to know. "You can borrow my pretty clothes, too, if you like."
Veronika picked up her dresses from the chair and sat down with a sigh. "Well," she said, "I would be more than happy to let you borrow anything you like, but all of my clothes are too big for you. I'm bigger than you are."
Pippa had not yet thought seriously about that. This was a good time to do it, so she did.
She thought about wearing Veronika's shoes. They would be too big. Her feet are too small for the shoes. She might have trouble walking in them. They might just fall off.
Then she tried to imagine putting her shoes on Veronika's feet. That was harder. They would be too small. Veronika's feet are too big for her shoes. She couldn't even imagine getting them onto Veronika's feet, even if she pushed very hard. What she could imagine was Veronika saying, "I told you so!"
Shoes have to fit just right, though. Dresses would be much easier. She tried to think about wearing one of Veronika's pretty dresses.
Pippa thought very hard. She tried to see herself in Veronika's pretty dress. When she had thought until her little doll brain was almost broken, she saw that Veronika's dress would be too big for her. She decided she would look like an old lady who sits in front of the TV all day in her nightgown. It wouldn't be pretty at all.
Then she tried to imagine her own nice dress on Veronika. It would be too small for Veronika. Maybe Veronika would not be able to fasten the dress in the back. Maybe she wouldn't get that far. Maybe she would not even be able to fit her hands through the armholes! Maybe her hands would get stuck!
Maybe sweaters would be easier. You can wrap a sweater around yourself if it's too big. Sweaters stretch, so maybe you can get it on even if it's too small. Pippa tried to close her eyes, so she could see herself wearing Veronika's sweater. That was impossible, though. Pippa's eyes don't close. They don't even move. Some dolls have eyes that open and close, but not Pippa. She knew that was why she needed to wear a mask to sleep at night.
After thinking very hard, though, she thought she could see herself in Veronika's sweater. It would be too big, and maybe she couldn't even get her hands to come out from the bottom of the sleeves. At least it would be warm, though. (Pippa was giving her imagination some exercise!)
Maybe Veronika could wear Pippa's sweater, then. Pippa thought and thought. In the back of her doll brain she could almost see Veronika wearing her sweater. She did not think the fit was good enough for Veronika to want to borrow it. It was too small. It wouldn't even keep her warm. Pippa thought Veronika's tummy would show. Maybe her underwear would show!
Veronika needs bigger clothes than Pippa. She needs clothes that fit her nicely. Clothes that fit are just right. Veronika's dress looks pretty on her. Veronika's shoes don't fall off when she walks.
Pippa needs smaller clothes than Veronika. She needs shoes that stay on her feet when she walks.
Pippa needs a dress that doesn't make her trip and fall.
Pippa needs a smaller sweater than Veronika. She needs a sweater with sleeves that are shorter, so her hands are free.
Veronika noticed that Pippa had gone a long, long time without saying anything. She thought that it was the longest time Pippa had ever not been talking, except when she was asleep. That was very strange. "Are you OK, Pippa?" she asked the smaller girl.
"Yes," Pippa replied quietly. "I just think it's too bad I can't share clothes with you. Everything you have is too big for me. Everything I have is too small for you."
Veronika looked closely at Pippa. She thought Pippa looked sad. Very sad.
"You do need more clothes, Pippa," Veronika said. "Girls like to have more than one pretty dress. Let's make you a new pretty dress! You can help me, if you like."
"Could I, really?" Pippa asked, clapping her hands.
"Of course," Veronika told her. "You are smaller than all of the rest of us, so you need more clothes than we do. There is no way to share with your sisters. Your sisters are all bigger than you are. If I'm sewing for you, you can help me and learn. Let's pick out some fabric right now."
Pippa's bear was sitting in the window where Pippa had left him. He was watching the rain. Pippa's bear is even smaller than Pippa. Pippa's bear is too small to wear Pippa's clothes. Pippa's bear doesn't care. Bears don't need to wear clothes. They have fur.
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
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.
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