The girls were looking at decorations for Christmas.
"I found a sheep," Jolena said. "It has a string on it."
"That's so you can hang it on the Christmas tree," Charlotte explained. "There's another sheep in the box, and I found this tree. It has a string on it, too. It will be pretty hanging on the tree. A little tree on a big tree!"
Charlotte lifted the tree up, so Mariah and Jolena could see it.
"I found this pretty ball," Mariah said, "and it has a string on it, too. Does that mean this ball is supposed to hang on the tree, too?"
"Yes, Mariah," Charlotte agreed. "Veronika will love the ball. It looks like folded fabric."
Jolena reached into another box. "Here's something strange," she exclaimed. "Very strange!"
She pulled the thing out of the box. "Look at this!"
"That is strange," Mariah agreed. "It looks odd. It doesn't have a string on it, either."
Charlotte nodded. "It looks strange, and it doesn't have a string," she agreed.
"I wonder what it's for. It somehow doesn't look like Christmas, either," Mariah said. "This pretty ball looks like Christmas."
"The two sheep and the tree look like Christmas," Charlotte added.
"How can we find out what it is?" Mariah asked.
"I know," cried Jolena. "I'll go ask Mandy. Mandy knows a lot. Maybe she knows what this is."
Mariah and Charlotte continued to look in the box for more Christmas decorations, while Jolena went off to find Mandy.
She soon found Mandy reading a book. (Mandy can usually be found reading or knitting.)
"Mandy, can you help me?" Jolena asked. "Charlotte, Mariah and I were looking at the Christmas decorations and found this. We think it looks strange. Can you tell me what it is?"
"I found a sheep," Jolena said. "It has a string on it."
"That's so you can hang it on the Christmas tree," Charlotte explained. "There's another sheep in the box, and I found this tree. It has a string on it, too. It will be pretty hanging on the tree. A little tree on a big tree!"
Charlotte lifted the tree up, so Mariah and Jolena could see it.
"I found this pretty ball," Mariah said, "and it has a string on it, too. Does that mean this ball is supposed to hang on the tree, too?"
"Yes, Mariah," Charlotte agreed. "Veronika will love the ball. It looks like folded fabric."
Jolena reached into another box. "Here's something strange," she exclaimed. "Very strange!"
She pulled the thing out of the box. "Look at this!"
"That is strange," Mariah agreed. "It looks odd. It doesn't have a string on it, either."
Charlotte nodded. "It looks strange, and it doesn't have a string," she agreed.
"I wonder what it's for. It somehow doesn't look like Christmas, either," Mariah said. "This pretty ball looks like Christmas."
"The two sheep and the tree look like Christmas," Charlotte added.
"How can we find out what it is?" Mariah asked.
"I know," cried Jolena. "I'll go ask Mandy. Mandy knows a lot. Maybe she knows what this is."
Mariah and Charlotte continued to look in the box for more Christmas decorations, while Jolena went off to find Mandy.
She soon found Mandy reading a book. (Mandy can usually be found reading or knitting.)
"Mandy, can you help me?" Jolena asked. "Charlotte, Mariah and I were looking at the Christmas decorations and found this. We think it looks strange. Can you tell me what it is?"
Jolena showed the strange thing to Mandy.
"It's a skull, Jolena," Mandy said. "It's strange because that's for Halloween, not Christmas."
"What's Halloween and what's a skull?" Jolena wanted to know.
"Jolena, Halloween is a holiday that has a very complicated history," Mandy began, "but you probably don't need to know all about how it got started."
"They have parties and go from one house to another asking for candy or other goodies by saying, 'Trick or treat.' That used to mean that if you give us a treat, we won't play a mean trick on you," Mandy continued.
"That doesn't sound very nice," Jolena said.
"No," Mandy continued, "and grownup people didn't think that was very nice, so they started just handing out treats to children who came to the door and asked nicely."
"But where does the skull fit into all this?" Jolena asked, looking at the skull. "You know, I think it's looking back at me."
"That's part of being scared," Mandy explained. "A skull is the part of a person's body that is inside the head, under the face and hair. That's why you think it's looking at you. It's the head part of the skeleton."
Jolena handed the skull to Mandy, so she could point out where the eyes and nose belong and show her where the teeth were.
"It's scary to children, because parts of the body are missing," Mandy continued. "To people, it's scary to have body parts missing, because they are afraid of being hurt."
"I don't think it's scary," Jolena said. "It just seems strange."
"That's because dolls don't have skeletons or skulls," Mandy explained. "Our bodies are vinyl, which is firm and solid, and we can stand without a skeleton. A person without a skeleton could only lie in a heap on the floor."
Jolena handed the skull to Mandy, so she could point out where the eyes and nose belong and show her where the teeth were.
"It's scary to children, because parts of the body are missing," Mandy continued. "To people, it's scary to have body parts missing, because they are afraid of being hurt."
"I don't think it's scary," Jolena said. "It just seems strange."
"That's because dolls don't have skeletons or skulls," Mandy explained. "Our bodies are vinyl, which is firm and solid, and we can stand without a skeleton. A person without a skeleton could only lie in a heap on the floor."
"I know that dolls are not afraid of being hurt," Jolena added, "and our heads can be removed to change our eyes, but we can pretend to be hurt or sick or afraid."
"Yes," Mandy agreed. "It's fun to pretend, and it's fun for real children to pretend, too. They like to be scared when they know it's pretend, because it makes real fear less scary. This is just a make-believe skull, but skeletons and skulls can't hurt you, even real ones."
"Yes," Mandy agreed. "It's fun to pretend, and it's fun for real children to pretend, too. They like to be scared when they know it's pretend, because it makes real fear less scary. This is just a make-believe skull, but skeletons and skulls can't hurt you, even real ones."
"So on Halloween it’s fun to be scared when you know you’re safe?" Jolena asked.
"Yes, Jolena. "Practice being pretend-scared helps prepare children for when they have something real to be scared about, but it's only good when they are old enough to understand that it's just pretend."
"You know," Jolena said, "Sometimes I think it would be fun to be a real little girl."
"Jolena," Mandy answered, "Sometimes I think you're a regular little Pinocchio."
"What is that?" asked Jolena.
"Did he get to become a real little boy?" Jolena asked.
"You can find that book in the library, Jolena," Mandy replied, picking up her book again and putting her glasses on her nose. "It's worth reading from the beginning."
Cast--
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
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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.
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Copyright © 2018, 2023 by Peggy Stuart
"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.
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.
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Copyright © 2018, 2023 by Peggy Stuart
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