The mother and the father were in the kitchen, getting supper ready. The boy and the girl were in the living room, reading.
Suddenly, the girl looked up. “What’s that sound?” she asked.
The boy stopped reading and listened. “It sounds like tiny feet on the front porch,” he said.
“Do you think it’s Santa Claus?” The girl asked.
Then there was another sound. “That sounds like someone is scratching on the front door,” the boy said. “Santa comes down the chimney, not through the front door.”
“Let’s go see,” said the girl. “Help me, so we can hurry!”
The boy pushed the girl’s wheelchair to the front door. They opened the door slowly, and what do you think they saw?
“They’re singing, I think,” the girl said.
“They’re caroling,” the boy agreed, “but how can they sing without moving their lips?”
“I think it’s a doll thing,” the girl replied.
The children watched and listened to two more carols, and finally “Silent Night.” Then, suddenly, the dolls were gone.
“Let’s not tell the parents,” the boy suggested.
“No,” agreed the girl. “They wouldn’t understand.”
They quietly closed the door and went back into the living room. This time, the girl insisted on moving her chair on her own, which she did by placing her hands on the big rings that went around the wheels and pushing them forward.
They were quietly reading in the living room when the father called them to come and eat.
Back at home, the dolls took off their coats, hats, scarves and boots, and settled down in our living room for some pretend hot chocolate and a pretend snack. They had those little donuts that look like Cheerios, some raisins and some popcorn.
“That was fun,” said Charlotte. “We should do it again.”
“I like it when real children come to the door,” Jolena said, placing her cup carefully on its saucer.
“It was fun seeing a real boy,” Billy added, as he stuck his fingers through the holes in the little donuts, just to see how far they would go.
“Is that the first time you have seen a real boy, Billy?” Charlotte asked, taking another little donut from the plate Mandy offered her.
“Yes,” said Billy. “It’s the first time I’ve seen any real children. I really liked the thing the girl was sitting on, too,” he added, looking at the little donuts on his little fingers. “It had wheels, like a bicycle or a car, so you can ride it.”
“It’s a wheelchair,” said Mandy. “It’s for people who can't or shouldn't walk,” she explained. “I read a story once about a human person who had to use a wheelchair all the time.”
“I wondered about the wheelchair, so I looked it up. I learned that sometimes people just use a wheelchair for a short time,” Mandy explained, “if they have been injured or sick, or they need to go somewhere where they would have to do too much walking. Some people, even some children, need a wheelchair all their lives.”
“I think it would be fun,” said Billy.
“I think it would be fun for a while,” suggested Jolena, “but I like to get up and run or dance.”
The dolls all thought about that and agreed.
“I think using a wheelchair is better than lying in bed or sitting in one place all the time,” said Veronika, who knows about sitting in one place for a long time, because she’s a doll.
“I have an idea!” exclaimed Mariah, who had been sitting quietly, listening to the conversation. “Let’s go visit them at night, when they're asleep. It would be fun to tell them happy stories while they’re sleeping, so they have happy dreams.”
The dolls all thought that was a good idea.
“I want to tell stories to the boy,” said Billy. “I know what kinds of adventures boys like to have.”
“I want to take the girl with me when I do flips on my skis,” Jolena said. “I think she would like to know what it's like to fly.”
“And it would be safe,” agreed Mariah, “because you can’t be hurt in your dreams!”
The dolls all thought that would be fun. They picked up their little dishes and food and put everything away. Then they all brushed their teeth, which is hard to do, because they can’t really open their mouths. (They have to use their imaginations.) Finally, they put on their pajamas and went to bed. They dreamt about going caroling and visiting real children who were asleep.
Did you ever think that maybe when you have happy dreams at night, it’s because Mariah, Billy or Jolena, or one of the other dolls is sitting by your bed, telling you stories?
Or maybe you have a doll who lives with you who does that for you.
Cast--
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, “Chosen” from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily of London
Caroling music to print was found here: https://www.heartwoodguitar.com/extras/christmas-carol-songbook/
"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.
Copyright © 2018, 2024 by Peggy Stuart
