Scary Things

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?" 

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." 

"What you need to know about it," she explained, "is that children like to dress up in costumes, wear masks to hide their faces and try to scare each other, and be scared in return," Mandy explained, putting her book down and moving her glasses on the top of her head.

"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."

"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."

"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.

"Pinocchio is a story about a puppet named Pinocchio. He wanted to become a real little boy," Mandy explained.
"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

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.

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Copyright © 2018, 2023 by Peggy Stuart

Dipping into Art…Again

 The other girls found Jolena doing something very strange. "What are you doing, Jolena?" Mandy asked.

"I’m finger painting."
"That isn’t what finger painting is, Jolena," Veronika said. "I’ll teach you how to finger paint. Come to the kitchen."

When they reached the kitchen, Veronika got out a bowl and a spoon, a little bottle of food coloring, some flour, water, two cloth napkins and some plastic sandwich bags. She also had two doll-size pieces of paper to paint on.
"Now, when we do this kind of thing we always need to have grown-up nearby who knows what we're doing," Veronika explained. "That grown-up person is taking our pictures right now," she went on, "so we have that covered."
Veronika gave Jolena a napkin to use for an apron and tied the other napkin around her own waist to protect her clothes.  She suggested that Jolena should tie her hair back, too. "We will be using color, and we have to be very careful with it," she explained.

"First we need to make the finger paint," Veronika explained. She mixed some flour and water together and stirred it with a spoon. "There are other ways to make finger paint, but this one is the easiest."

Veronika picked up the plastic sandwich bags and put one on her hand. "Children can put their fingers right down in the paint, because they can wash their hands, and they can even grow new skin, but we are made of vinyl. Our skin and hair can stain," she explained. "It might be very hard to get out, and we can't grow new skin. We should wear some plastic bags on our hands," she said, putting a plastic bag on her hand. Jolena picked up the other plastic bags.

"Children still need to be careful with food coloring, because it can get on their clothes, even if their skin doesn't stain easily," Veronika pointed out.

They helped each other with the plastic bags, because it's easier to get the bag onto your hand if you help each other.

Then Veronika mixed some black food coloring with the flour and water. "Too bad we only have one color, but it will still be fun," she said.

Next she taped two pieces of paper to the work surface and put a little finger paint onto each piece of paper.

"Now you play with it until you like what you have," Veronika explained.

Each doll worked on her painting until she was satisfied.

"Why do children finger paint?" Jolena asked while the two dolls were working on their paintings.

"It’s art," Mandy replied.

"And what’s art?" Jolena asked, full of questions, as usual.

"Art gives us a way to show what’s in our minds and hearts," Mandy said. "We can draw or paint our dreams, our feelings and our ideas. If we are angry or sad it can help us feel better. If we are happy and grateful, it can help us enjoy those feelings more. Sometimes when we make something pretty other people are happy to see it, but it's always fun to do."

When they were done, the dolls cleaned up. Then they stood and looked at their finished finger paintings.

"My painting is about how beautiful the tree outside is," Jolena said, "and about how lucky I am to be here."

"I painted about how much I love you and how glad I am that you came to live with us," Veronika said. 

"While our paintings are drying, let me show you some other art," Veronika suggested. They climbed down from the sink and went into the dining room. "Here's an oil painting," Veronika said. "It was made with a special kind of paint that has oil in it. Usually the artist uses a brush. It takes a long time to dry, and sometimes the artist has to plan each part ahead of time, then wait for that part to dry before painting the next part."

Then they went into the bathroom and climbed up on the back of the toilet. "This is a cross-stitch sampler. It's made up of tiny threads," Vronika explained. "The artist used a needle to make the pretty design with the threads."

Then the girls jumped over to the sink, where Vronika grabbed the towel ring.

"This picture is made of paper," she said. "The artist folded the paper in half, and drew on it. Then she cut it out carefully and glued it to another piece of paper."

From there they went into the bedroom and climbed up on the bed. Vronika pointed to a framed picture on the wall. "This is really the work of two artists," she said. "The person who wrote the words was a writer who lived a long time ago. (Words can be art, too.) Then the person who painted the words onto a piece of paper was also an artist. That person made all the letters beautiful."

"How can someone be so good at drawing, cutting, painting and writing?" Jolena wanted to know. "I'm not that good at anything, except maybe skiing, and I still have a lot to learn about that."

"You have to study and practice, and then practice some more," Veronika said.

Jolena thought a moment. Then she said, "That sounds like a lot of work."

"It is a lot of work," Veronika agreed, "but when you enjoy what you're doing, that work is fun."

Then Vronika stood up on the bed and suggested they climb down. "I want to show you the best work of art of all, ever," she said. 

She took Jolena to the back deck, where they climbed up and sat carefully on the rail.

"This is my favorite work of art," she told Jolena. "God made this for us to live in."

"Art we can live in!" Jolena sighed. "God must have studied and practiced a long time to make this!"

"Yes, art we can live in. A lot of art is useful," Veronika agreed. "Mandy knits. Knitting is a skill. It's also a kind of art; it's art you can wear."

"Is there a kind of art you like best, Veronika?" Jolena asked.

"I like to make quilts," Veronika replied.

"Quilts can be on the wall to look at or on the bed to keep you warm at night," she explained. "They are beautiful and useful."

Veronika asked Jolena to help her drag the kitchen ladder into another room. "Look at this," she said.

"It's beautiful," Jolena exclaimed. "Did you make it?"

"No," Veronika replied. "I'm not this good yet. I know I can learn to be this good, though. I just need to study and practice. A lot. But I enjoy learning and practicing, so it's fun."

The girls started down the stairs. Jolena had to get ready for her ballet lesson, and Charlotte had to go to her violin lesson. They were going to ride together. As they went down the stairs, Veronika and Jolena kept talking. (It's slow going down the stairs if you're very small.)

"Wow!" cried Jolena. "Art can be so many different things!"

"Yes," Veronika agreed. "Houses and furniture are art. Books and statues are art. Cooking is art. Pictures taken with a camera are art." 

As they reached the sewing room, where Mandy and Charlotte were waiting, Veronika was saying, "Dance is art. Music is art."

"Dance is art!" Jolena exclaimed. "Jolena takes dance lessons to help her with her tricks on skis."

"Music is art?" asked Charlotte.

"Music and dance are forms of art," Mandy said. "People watch and listen. The dancers and musicians show what they feel and what they've practiced, and people can see and hear that."

"Will we ever be good enough at our arts?" Charlotte asked.

"Yes," Mandy replied, "but we all have to study and practice, and practice some more. It will be hard work, but it will be fun."

Cast--

Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen

Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015

Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni

Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris

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 and soon Classic Tales Retold: Stories 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 St. Jude. Autographed copies of all three books are available from the author for $20 including shipping. (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

What Do Dolls Do on Their Day Off?

 What do dolls do when we aren't home? What are they up to when we're away? They can't just stand in your room and stare at the walls. Wouldn't that be boring?

Maybe they stay in their pajamas all day.

Or maybe they sleep while we're gone.

Do they get together and read a book? Do they imagine they're having adventures?

Maybe they watch TV all day.

Do they play with their toys?

Or do they play games with each other?

Or do they they play with your toys?

Maybe they go into the kitchen and make some hot cocoa...

Or banana-oat waffles...

Or do the dishes.

Would they have a tea party?

Maybe they try on your clothes.

What if they tried on your mother's clothes?

Maybe they find your mother's purse.

Maybe they even find your mother's credit card and buy some things for themselves online while you're gone!

Maybe they go for a hike in the woods.

What if there's a bear in the woods?

They could invite the bear into the house for a snack, couldn't they?

Maybe there's a bear in your house right now!

Or maybe they just sit patiently, right where you left them, waiting for you to come home and play with them.

What do you think your dolls do while you're away?

Cast:

Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni

Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015

Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris

Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen

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 and soon Classic Tales Retold: Stories 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 St. Jude. Autographed copies of all three books are available from the author for $20 including shipping. (Multiple books to the same address have a discount on shipping.) To inquire, email thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

Image on Mariah's yellow T-shirt used with permission, from Free To Be Kids, where human-size shirts with this image are available.

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

Copyright © 2018 and 2023 by Peggy Stuart