Peggy Stuart's Blog, page 6

To Dolls a Goodnight

 Mandy turned the last page while Charlotte and Mariah held the book.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Mandy read and closed the book.The dolls all thought about the story.


Suddenly, the dolls all gazed at the ceiling. "What was that?" Billy asked.


"It sounds like someone on the roof!" Jolena said.


The dolls listened.


"It can't be Santa," Mariah said. "We're all still awake."


"Yes," agreed Mandy, "and even the mouse is still stirring."
They all thought about that with their little imaginary doll brains, while Mandy petted the mouse.


"Do we count as creatures, though?" Veronika asked. 


"We're dolls, after all," she pointed out, "not people, and the mouse is a cat toy."


The mouse, or cat toy, or whatever he was, wiggled in Mandy's hand. He was definitely stirring.
"Maybe we could peek down from the stairs," Charlotte suggested in a whisper.


They all nodded in agreement. They got up and crept down the stairs. Charlotte went first, since it was her idea. It was almost dark downstairs, but the lights on the Christmas tree were bright enough that they could see. The dolls peeked between the spokes on the bannister.


As a group, the dolls tiptoed...well, they didn't tiptoe, exactly, because their toes don't bend. They went quietly down the stairs so they could see better. They saw the tree in the corner windows, but no one was there.


They heard humming.
"It sounds like 'Jingle Bells,'" whispered Charlotte.


The other dolls thought it did sound like "Jingle Bells." They wanted to hum along. Then they heard what sounded like paper rattling.
"It sounds like someone is putting presents into stockings," Mariah said. 


The other dolls agreed, it did sound like someone putting packages into stockings. The sound was coming from down the hall. They listened.


Then they tiptoed...well, walked quietly down the hall to the family room. Then they stopped and looked.


The stockings were all lying on the hearth in front of the fireplace instead of hanging from the mantle, where they had been when the dolls went upstairs. They were stuffed full! It must have been Santa, but no one was there!


"The stockings must be too heavy for hanging now," Mandy said.
All the dolls heard bells jingling and a snapping sound from over their heads.


"That was his whip," Mandy said. "He snaps it over the heads of his reindeer, so they know it's time to take off," she explained.
Then they heard a scrunching sound from the roof. "Sleigh runners," Billy said. "My sled sounds like that."


Then they heard a deep voice saying, "Merry Christmas to dolls and to dolls a goodnight!"
"He knew we were up!" Mariah exclaimed.


"Well, we should go to bed now," Veronika suggested. "We have to set a good example for real girls and boys." She made little shooing motions with her hands.


The dolls went upstairs and got into bed.
"One thing I don't understand," Emil said as he and Billy got into bed. "We have a gas fireplace, and it was lit. How did Santa get in and out?" He had read that Santa comes down the chimney. How could he do that with the fire lit?


"I guess Santa knows how to solve problems like that," Billy said. "Some people don't even have fireplaces, but Santa still comes. I guess it's what you call a miracle (MEER-uh-kul)."


In the girls room, Charlotte put on her sleep mask and got ready to go to sleep. She was tying the ribbon on her sleep mask at the back of her head, when she heard a voice in her head.


"Happy Hanukkah, Charlotte," the voice said, and then, "Happy Hanukkah, Emil!"
It was Santa's voice! Charlotte smiled. She snuggled down in the bed. Tomorrow was Christmas, and tomorrow night would be the first night of Hanukkah! She and Emil would light the Shamus and then the first candle. "Happy Hanukkah, Santa!" she replied. She hoped Emil heard Santa, too.


Charlotte went to sleep dreaming of Hanukkah gelt and playing the dreidel game with her sisters and brothers.


She dreamt about how they would light one more candle each night on the menorah.

They were happy dreams.


The cast of The Doll's Storybook wishes all their readers a very merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah!

If you haven't read the story about Charlotte's Hanukkah celebration, you can read it here. She explains why she lights the candles and tells us all about Hanukkah. (Emil wasn't with us then, so she explained it again for him the next year. Emil had a turn telling the story here.) Hanukkah is a celebration that falls on different dates each year, but Christmas is celebrated at the same time every year. This year Hanukkah and Christmas week come at almost exactly the same time.

Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Mouse: A cat toy.

The dolls were reading The Night Before Christmas. This year's book is a Random House PICTUREBACK book illustrated by Douglas Corsline. The original story is attributed to Clement C. Moore and has been printed in many variations. You can find out more here.

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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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 © 2019, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

Dreaming of Christmas

 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/extra...

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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

Staying Well

"Eddie says the boy he lives with is sick," Emil said. "He says it's something called flu. Eddie is afraid he is going to get sick, too."


Veronika closed her book and looked at Emil and Charlotte, who had just come in from school. "Dolls can't get sick," she said. "Not for real. We can pretend to be sick, but then we can just pretend to get well again when we're tired of pretending to be sick."
Charlotte pulled a chair over and sat down nearby.  


"We can get damaged," Charlotte said. "We can fall and get scrapes, like real children, but the scrapes don't heal."
"Some dolls can get silver eye," Emil pointed out, "but that doesn't heal, either."



"No," agreed Charlotte. "They have to take off your head and change your eyes for new ones."
Emil sat down on the bean-bag chair. "How do real children get sick?" he asked. He looked at Veronika, because he thought she might know the answer.



"Well," Veronika began, "it depends on what kind of sickness it is, but Eddie said it was the flu, and that he thought it was catching, so I'll tell you about that."


Charlotte and Emil looked at Veronika expectantly. That means they thought she was going to say something important.
Veronika put her book down, so she could talk with both hands. "The flu is caused by something called a virus (VY-rus)," She explained.


"It's a thing that's alive, but it's so small you have to have a special microscope (MY-krow-skope) to see it. A microscope is a thing that allows you to see things that are very tiny. An ordinary microscope is small enough to sit on a desk."



"Viruses are so tiny, though," Veronika went on, "you have to use a special kind of microscope. It's called an electron (ee-LEK-tron) microscope. An electron microscope needs its own room, it's so big."



"What do viruses look like when you use an electron microscope?" Charlotte asked.


"The pictures of viruses I've seen," Veronika replied, "look like pretty little balls. You would never know they could be bad things."


"There are lots of different kinds of viruses," Veronika said. "There are good viruses and viruses that make people and animals sick. Some people call the viruses that make them sick germs (JERMS) or bugs. When these things enter a human person's body, they grow and spread and make the person sick. That person might tell people they had caught a bug."


"I thought a bug was like an ant or a fly," Emil said.
"Yes," agreed Veronika. "Insects like ants and flies are called bugs, but they are different. These bugs get inside the person's body and make them sick. How sick the person becomes depends on the virus and how healthy the person is."
"How do they get there?" Charlotte asked.


"Lots of ways," Veronika replied. "Sometimes a sick person sneezes, and the tiny virus bugs go into the air around them. Then another human person breathes them in."


"I'm glad I don't need to breathe," Emil said. "Is that why dolls don't get sick?"
"That's part of it," Veronika agreed. "Only living things can get sick, and we aren't alive in that way. We're alive in imagination."
"So that means we can't make children sick!" Emil exclaimed.


"Well, not usually," Veronika replied, "but it is possible for a child to get a virus from us."
"But if we can't breathe out the viruses,"Charlotte said, "how can we make a child sick?"


"It's because another way a human person can get a virus is by touching something that a sick human has touched," Veronika explained. "Let's say Eddie's boy, who is sick, is playing with Eddie. He wipes his nose with his hand, plays with Eddie some more and then puts Eddie down. Then another child, say the boy's sister, picks Eddie up and plays with him. She could get the virus on her hands. Viruses can live on Eddie's vinyl for several days."
"Then the sister would get sick!" Charlotte exclaimed.


"Maybe," Veronika replied, "if the sister rubbed her eye or scratched her nose. Maybe if she went to get something to eat and touched her food with her hands."
"So then she would get sick?" Emil asked.


"She could get sick, yes," Veronika agreed, "but if she washed her hands before she touched her face or ate something, she might not get sick. She could still get sick from breathing in the air close to her brother, especially if he is coughing or sneezing."
"So to keep from getting sick," Emil said, "children should not get too close to someone they know is sick and should wash their hands if they touch anything that person touches?"



"Washing hands is very important, anyway" Veronika agreed. "Children need to wash their hands before they eat and after they use the toilet, but if they are around someone who is sick, it's even more important."



"Why after they use the toilet?" Emil asked. 
"I know that," Charlotte said. "Mandy and I have cleaned the toilets in the house. That's where people get rid of waste from their bodies."


"Yes," Veronika agreed. "Because people are alive they need food and water to fuel their bodies. When their bodies take everything they need out of what they eat and drink, they have to get rid of what's left over along with anything else that would be bad to leave inside them. They put it in the toilet."
"So the waste must be dirty," Emil said, "if their bodies need to get rid of it. Is that why people need to wash their hands?"


"That's right, Emil," Veronika agreed. "They don't want to leave the bathroom and touch things other people might touch. It's important not just to wash their hands, but to wash their hands completely."


"People need to wash both sides of their hands," Veronika explained. "They need to wash all of their fingers and their thumbs, and in between their fingers, and use lots of soap. Soap kills most viruses. I know if I sing 'Happy Birthday To You' to myself twice or recite my A-B-Cs once while I'm washing my hands, use lots of soap, rub it on both sides of my hands and all sides of each finger, my hands will be clean."


"We can't wash between these two fingers," Charlotte said, holding up her right hand, the one with the two fingers stuck together. She knew this because it was the reason she couldn't learn to play the piano.



"That's OK, Charlotte," Veronika said. "Viruses can't reach between those two fingers, so you can just wash what you can reach. Most real children can reach between those two fingers, so they need to wash there, too."
Emil had been thinking. "But if people can still get sick from touching something a sick person has been touching, there could still be a lot of places a virus could be."



Veronika nodded. "There are a lot of things a sick person can do to help keep others from getting sick," she said. "Sick people can use a tissue to blow their noses and then throw the tissue away."


"They should always cover their mouths if they cough or sneeze," Veronika went on, "and they should wash their hands before they touch something another person might need to touch."
"What if Eddie had the virus on him when he came to school?" Emil asked. "He's in my class. I could have the virus on me right now. I could give it to the human people we live with."


"I played with Eddie today, too," Charlotte exclaimed as she stood up. "Let's go wash our hands right now, Emil, before we touch anything else."


Charlotte and Emil went straight to the bathroom and washed their hands completely. They sang "Happy Birthday To You" twice as they washed, and they washed between all the fingers except the two fingers on their right hands, the ones that are stuck together. They used lots of soap.Their human people they live with did not get sick.


Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Photos credits from this story:
Microscope: Pawel Czerwiński on Unsplash
Electron microscope: Science in HD on Unsplash 
Virus: CDC on Unsplash
Hand washing model: Johan Stuart

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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Copyright © 2020, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

Giving Thanks in Many Ways

 "Jolena, do you have any plans for this weekend?" Mariah asked, looking up at her sister, who was sitting on the windowsill. All the dolls had finished pretending to eat their Thanksgiving dinner, and they had put all the food away and washed the dishes.

"Only church on Sunday," Jolena replied. She was looking forward to going with the other dolls who go to church.

There was no school for the dolls on Friday, because it was Thanksgiving weekend.

"We were hoping we could do something together," Charlotte said, "just the three of us."

"That sounds great," Jolena said. I have all day Friday and Saturday, with nothing to do except two homework assignments."

"Emil and I were planning to go to the synagogue (SIN-a-gog) Saturday morning," Charlotte said. "It's easier for The Writer to drive us if we both go at the same time, and Emil and Billy have a gaming date Friday evening with some friends, so we have to go Saturday."

"I don't like to miss noonday prayers on Friday, especially Thanksgiving weekend,"Mariah said. "It sounds like we're all pretty busy for the weekend," she added. She sounded disappointed. 

"Maybe we could do something Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon," Jolena suggested.

"I have an idea!" Charlotte exclaimed. "Come with Emil and me to the synagogue on Saturday! You can see what we do and what it's like. You were asking Emil and me about what our worship services are like. It's easier to get an idea if you just come along. Then you can see for yourself!"

"Then why don't you two come to the mosque (MOSK) with me tomorrow," Mariah suggested, "so you can see what we do there."

"Then we could all go to church Sunday morning!" Jolena agreed. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "Let's go to all three! It will be a busy weekend, but we could do it together. That will be fun."

All three dolls were happy with that idea. They knew Writer would be willing to drive them to all three places.

The three girls put on their nice clothes the next day. Before they got into the car for the ride to the mosque, Mariah gave her two sisters each a scarf to wear on their heads. She had one for herself, as well.

The mosque was an interesting building with a dome on top. On the very top of the dome was a pole with what looked like a crescent moon.

Before they went into the building, they put their scarves on their heads, because that's part of the service. 

Mariah showed the other two dolls where to leave their shoes before they entered the prayer area. Many other dolls had already left their shoes there. That's part of the service, too.

Then Mariah got a little book out of her purse. 

In the prayer area, there were lots of other dolls sitting on rugs on the floor. Some dolls were kneeling on the floor, because they had very flexible knee joints that let them do that. (Real people have knee joints that allow them to kneel on the rugs, unless they have a problem with their knees.)

Mariah showed her sisters where they could pick up a book to use. They didn't understand the writing. In fact, they weren't even sure if they were holding their books right-side up, so they just sat down on one of the rugs on the floor and held their books open. They wanted to share as much as they could with Mariah. 

During the service, all the dolls sat or knelt on the floor, or sometimes they stood. Someone sang. Someone got up and talked, encouraging them to be kind to each other, to look after any dolls who were in need and to set good examples for the children and grownups they lived with.

As they listened, they admired the lovely designs on the wall and the big alcove at the front of the room. The designs looked like flowers mixed with the kind of writing that was in the special book they used. Jolena and Charlotte thought it looked unusual, but very pretty.

After the service was over, Charlotte and Jolena put their books back on the shelf, and Mariah put her book back into her purse. Then the three dolls came out, found the car and climbed in. The Writer helped them fasten the seatbelt, so they would be safe.

"That was really interesting," Charlotte said, "and different."

"Yes," Jolena agreed. On the way home, the three friends talked more about how the service different from what Charlotte and Jolena were used to. Mariah answered their questions.

The next day, they put on their nice clothes again and went to the synagogue, as planned. Emil went with them. He showed up in his nice clothes and wearing an unusual hat on his head. It wasn't the hat he always wears. It only covered the very top of his head. It's called a kippah (KIP-uh).

Emil sat in the back with The Writer's dogs, where he could listen to what Sandy and Dusty were thinking at each other. The dogs have special seat belts The Writer had put them in, and they were already fastened in when the dolls got into the car.

The building was simple and beautiful. On the front was a decoration that looked like a star. "That's the Star of David," Charlotte told them. "It's also called the Shield of David."

"Some synagogues have the Star of David in a stained-glass window," Emil explained. "That symbol (SIM-bul) is how you can tell it's a synagogue, and not a church or a mosque. You can see it from the outside, but you can also see it from the inside"

They didn't have to take off their shoes. They didn't have to wear anything on their heads, although some of the boy dolls wore little caps like Emil's. They sat on benches called pews, rather than on rugs on the floor. The service was a little different for Mariah and Jolena, but not for Charlotte and Emil, of course. They prayed. They sat or stood. They sang. Someone talked to them, encouraging them to be kind to each other and to look after any dolls who were in need. That doll told them to set good examples for the human children and grownups they lived with. As they listened, they looked around at the lovely windows and the designs at the front of the big room. Mariah and Jolena thought the decorations were unusual, but beautiful.

For the ride home the three girls squeezed into the front passenger seat, and Emil sat in back again. The dogs were happy to see him. Charlotte answered questions. Sometimes Emil called out a comment from the back seat. They talked all the way home.

Then on Sunday the three girls put on nice clothes again and went to church. They went to the early service, but the other dolls who go to church were planning to go to the later one. When they arrived, Mariah and Charlotte noticed a big cross on top of the building.

The dolls didn't take off their shoes. They didn't wear scarves or hats, although some of the girl dolls in the church wore hats. They prayed. They sat on the pews or stood. They could kneel if they wanted to and they had knee joints that were flexible enough, because there were kneeling benches built into the back of the pews in front of you that could flip down if you wanted to use them. The dolls who didn't have knee joints at all, of course, didn't kneel. They all sang some songs. A doll got up and talked for a while, encouraging them to be kind to each other and to take care of dolls who might be in need. That doll reminded all the dolls present to set good examples for the children and grownups they lived with.

The church had some stained-glass windows, but the designs were different from the windows in the mosque and the synagogue.

Charlotte and Mariah thought the decorations in the church were unusual, but lovely.

On the way home, the three friends talked again, comparing the church service with the other two services they had attended.

"Let's go write down how they are different," suggested Mariah as they came into the house. (Mariah always liked to write things down when she was learning something new.)

Charlotte and Jolena settled down at the table in the work room, while Mariah got a pad of paper. Then Mariah joined them.

"The places where we go to worship are all different from each other," Charlotte began. "What should we write down first?"

"I think the first things I noticed were the symbols used at each place," Mariah said. "The buildings were all beautiful, but they can be anything, while the symbol used to identify each one is special."

"You mean that you have thing that looks like a crescent (KRES-ent) moon," Jolena said.

"Yes," Mariah agreed. "The crescent moon is there to let people know that it is a mosque. Sometimes there's a star between the points of the moon, but the crescent is always there."

"That's like our Star of David," Charlotte pointed out, "the six-pointed star on our synagogue. It lets people know that it's a synagogue."

"Or like the cross on our church," Jolena agreed. "Each place has a different symbol that tells you what kind of building it is!"

Mariah wrote "1. Symbols."
"What we wear can be different, too," Charlotte said. "We girls needed scarves on our heads at the mosque, and in some synagogues the boys wear a kippah, like Emil. We saw a few at our synagogue.

"I read that girls used to have to wear a hat or a scarf over their heads to church, the way we did at the mosque. I guess we don't do that anymore. I mean, you can wear one if you want, but you don't have to, and speaking of what we wear, we had to take off our shoes in the mosque. We didn't have to take off our shoes in the synagogue or the church."

Mariah wrote down "2. Clothing (head coverings, shoes)."

Charlotte said, "We have pews to sit on, but there were no pews in the mosque."
"We call our benches pews, too." Jolena said. "I was wondering," she continued, turning back to Mariah, "why you don't have pews in the mosque, just rugs on the floor." 

"It's because we bow down when we pray," Mariah explained, "chairs or pews would be in the way." 

Mariah wrote "3. Where you sit.""Oh," Jolena said, "I thought you kneel on the rugs and bow down when you pray because you didn't have any pews, so you couldn't sit! That's interesting." She had to think about that for a moment. 

"Our pews have kneeling benches attached," Jolena said finally. "You can kneel to pray, if you want, or stand or just sit, if you need to.
The three dolls thought about that.

"The decorations in each place are beautiful, but different," Charlotte said.
Mariah wrote down "4. Decorations."

"I thought of something else," Jolena said. "Our special book is different."

"We use the Tanakh (tah-NAHK)," Charlotte said. 

"We have the Qur'an (ker-AHN)," Mariah said.

"We have the Bible (BYE-bul)," Jolena added. "OK," Jolena added, "so they are called different things, and maybe they say different things."

"Actually," Mariah explained, "some of the writings are the same or almost the same in each of our special books." She reads a lot, so she has learned some things. "A lot of it is different, too."

Mariah wrote down, "5. Name of special book."
"The music was a little different in each place, too," Charlotte pointed out. It was beautiful at each place, though," she added. "It made me feel...peaceful."

The other two girls nodded. They had the same reaction to the music.

Mariah wrote down "6. Music."
"In each of the services," Jolena went on, "the priest (PREEST) dressed differently."

"Imam (EE-mahm)," said Mariah. "That's what we call the person who gives the sermon. He's the leader."

"We have a Rabbi (RA-bye)," said Charlotte. "It means 'teacher.'"

Mariah wrote down "6. Leader."

"In some churches," Jolena said, "the doll who leads the service and gives the sermon is called a preacher, a pastor or a minister, so what you call them can be different from one church to the next." (Jolena travels a lot with the Doll Ski Team, so she has been to a lot of different churches, and she has learned a few things.)

"The dolls who gave the sermons said different things," Mariah pointed out.

"Yes," Jolena agreed. "When they told stories, each one had different stories. They taught different lessons."

Mariah wrote "7. Lessons."

"You know, Charlotte said, "now that you mention it, I thought the lessons were a lot alike. Even though they were different, each one was about how dolls should be kind and care for each other, especially for other dolls who don't have as much or who have difficult lives, and how we should be good examples for the human people we live with."

"And each one," Mariah added, "talked about giving thanks for the good things in life, because it's Thanksgiving weekend for all of us."
They were quiet for a few moments, all thinking about that.

They thought about how each doll went to a special building to worship. Each building had a special symbol that showed what kind of building it was. Each one had special customs and decorations and music. Each one had a special book to read and learn from. Each one had a doll whose job it was to teach the others how to get along with each other, to be kind and to be grateful for good things.

"You know," Jolena said, "I think the things that are different are important to each of us because it's what makes us feel comfortable there, but the ways we worship are a lot more alike than they are different. I love that we each have a way to learn and to give thanks! It's intresting."

All three agreed. They were listing the wrong things. The important things were how the three were alike, not how they were different! They all had to think about that, too.

"Speaking of giving thanks," Charlotte said after they had thought for a while, "I really like that song they sang at the church about being thankful. Can you help me find the music for it? I want to learn to play it. It was all about appreciating what we have." If there's anything Charlotte knows and appreciates, it's music. She knows more about music than she does about anything else.

"It's in the hymnal (HIM-nul)," Jolena said. "I can get it."

"I'll sing along!" Mariah exclaimed.

"I'll hum along!" Jolena added with one of her smiles that almost wasn't, because that's all she can do, since she was made with her mouth closed. Thankful humming is good, too.

"You know, I don't think we need a list," Jolena said, "but I'm glad we made it. It helped us understand better, I think." 

Cast--
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris

Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Photo of mosque by Islamic Community Center of Des Plaines
Photo of inside of mosque by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash
Photo of synagogue, Temple Har Shalom, Park City, Utah, by Jon Scarlet
Photo of inside synagogue by Central Synagogue London from Fitzrovia News
Photo of church: Trinity Episcopal Church, Bend, Oregon, by the author
Photo of stained-glass church window by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Photo of crescent moon on mosque (cropped) by Minator Yang on Unsplash
Crescent moon symbol from Vecteezy. 
Photo of Star of David or Shield of David from Jewish Virtual Library.
Cross symbol from Clipart Library. 
More information about Islam for children.
More information about Judaism for children.
More information about Christianity for children.

Y ou 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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Copyright © 2021, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

Water, Water

Mandy was knitting peacefully in the workroom, when she heard the door open. It was Emil, Billy and Mariah.
"What's up?" Mandy asked, looking up from her knitting.
"Well," Billy began, "we were having an argument."

"A disagreement," Emil said.
"We were looking at things differently," Mariah corrected.
Mandy looked at the three dolls. "About what?" she asked.
"About water," Emil said. "About where it comes from. We know it doesn't just come out of the faucets by magic."

"I said the water comes from inside the earth," Emil explained.

"I said it comes from the sky," Billy said.

Mariah said, "I said I think that it comes from the oceans."

"The reason I think it comes from the earth," Emil said, "is because the pipes that bring water into the house come out of the ground. I know, because I've seen where the controls for the sprinklers are, and they are underground."

"But when it rains," Billy pointed out, "we get water everywhere, and it comes from the sky. You can see it coming from the sky if you're outdoors when it rains."

"The oceans are full of water," Mariah said. "There's so much of it there, I'm sure that must be where water comes from."

"Well, you're all right," Mandy said, "but there's more to it than that."

The other dolls were puzzled.
"You see," Mandy began, "All the water we have on earth is connected."


"When it rains," Mandy continued, "some of the rain runs down into the earth, where it is stored underground. People can dig down to get water. They make a well, which is a place where you can get water from under the ground. You need a pump, or a bucket on a rope to get the water from a well."


"Some of the rain runs off," Mandy continued. "That water ends up in lakes and rivers."


"The water in the lakes, rivers and the oceans evaporates (ee-VAP-er-ates)," she explained. "That means the air takes up the water, so it disappears. When it's warm, the tiny drops of water spread out in the air and rise to where it's cooler higher up in the atmosphere. Then they cool off. When the drops of water get cool enough, the air around them shrinks. That means it takes up less space than it did when it was warm. The tiny drops connect with other tiny drops. That makes them heavier, and they come back down as rain." 


"We save the rain water and water from streams and rivers in a place called a reservoir (REH-zih-vor)." Mandy explained. "That's like a lake designed to hold water for when people need it. We don't have a well, so, like most people in our town, we buy water from a company that gets the water from underground and cleans it, so it's safe to drink or wash with." 


"We're a long way from the ocean," Mandy went on, "but the water in the ocean is salty, so people can't drink it without taking out the salt. Too much salt can make them very sick."
"I remember that!" Billy exclaimed. "Before you came, Emil, we used the sun to change salt water into fresh water. We made the water salty first, so it would be like the ocean. It was a fun ex...experiment (ex-PER-a-mint)."


"Yes," Mandy agreed. "We used the sun to make the salt water evaporate," she explained, "but it wasn't really an experiment, because we knew what would happen ahead of time. An experiment is where you have an idea––that's called a theory (THEE-uh-ree)––and you want to find out if it's true. I would call what we did a lab exercise."
"The water left the salt behind when it evaporated," Billy remembered, "but you knew it would." 


"That's right, Billy," Mandy agreed. "When the water in the ocean evaporates, it leaves the salt behind, so the rainwater isn't salty."
"So we know how to make drinking water from the ocean," Billy pointed out, "but the rain gives us the water from the ocean already drinkable. Interesting."


"Yes," Mandy agreed, "but the company that sells us water cleans it first, before it comes into our home. Now," she went on, "people have developed a special windmill that takes the water out of the air and another kind of machine that does the same thing but that runs on fuel, so people can have water where there isn't any. But that's the same water. All the water we've been using has been on the earth for about four billion years."


"How much is a billion?" Emil asked. 


"It's a lot, especially in doll years." Mariah said. "It's like almost how old the earth is."


"People hadn't invented vinyl yet," Billy pointed out, "so there were no dolls then. It was even before dinosaurs. Real ones, even, not just vinyl ones," he added.


"Where was the water before that?" Mariah wanted to know.
"Scientists are still figuring that out, Mariah," Mandy replied. "They think that some of it came from comets that struck the earth. A comet is a big chunk of ice and dust that comes from space, far outside our atmosphere. A comet looks like a streak of light in the night sky."


"Scientists think some of our water also came from the sun," Mandy continued. "The earth keeps reusing the same water over and over. Maybe someday people will figure out how to make water from its elements (EL-uh-mints), that's what we call the little bits that make up everything. Water is made from a gas called hydrogen (HY-druh-jun) and another gas called oxygen, (OX-uh-jun), but right now its dangerous and complicated to make water from them. We can only use what we have for now."


"We have to keep our water clean," Mandy told them. "That means we shouldn't throw trash on the ground or dump medicine or chemicals onto the ground or any place it can end up in the water, like the sink or the toilet."
"We should put trash in the trash can or waste basket," Emil agreed,


"We should ask a grownup where to put medicine or chemicals," Mariah pointed out. "We shouldn't put those in the trash if we don't need them anymore."


"And even if the water is clean," Billy said, "most dolls need to keep it out of their eyes. Some dolls can get silver eye if their eyes get wet! That would make their eyes look strange."


The dolls all agreed that it was true. There was no difference of opinion, but they all wondered if a doll with silver eye could still see, with or without special glasses.

Cast--
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia

Ocean photo by Sean O.
Pump photo by Fikri Rasyid
River photo by Jon Flobrant
Comet photo by Casey Horner
All of the above available on Unsplash.
The story about the lab exercise Billy mentioned is here.
You can learn more about how to have clean water here.
You can learn more about silver eye in dolls here. (You will have to scroll down to find silver eye.)

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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Copyright © 2020, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

Rules for Success

"The game stopped being fun after Sarah changed the rules," Charlotte said, as Mariah sat down on the steps.

"I think so, too," Mariah agreed, making room for Charlotte. "Everyone knows you aren't supposed to step on a line in hopscotch." 


"That's the first thing we told Billy when we taught him to play the game last summer," Charlotte added.


"I think Sarah wanted to change the rules," continued Charlotte, "because she didn't want to have to do four over again. She knew she was going to lose if she had to wait for another turn to try again."


"It was good, though," Mariah said, "that you insisted that stepping on the lines had to be OK for everyone, if it was OK for her."


"Except then no one was having any fun anymore," Charlotte complained. "I wonder why it wasn't fun when we could step on the lines."


Both dolls thought about that for a while.


"Maybe hopscotch is fun because it isn't easy," Mariah suggested. "I mean, when you finish your turn safely, without stepping on a line or losing your balance, or having your stone land in the wrong space, you just feel good that you did it right."


"Success!" Charlotte cried suddenly.


Mariah looked a little startled and maybe confused. "Success?" she asked."It's success!" Charlotte explained. "It's like when I play my violin, I think. If it's an easy piece, and I only have to practice it a few times before I can play it right every time, I feel good, but if it's something harder, and I have to practice it over and over, it feels wonderful when I finally get it right."


Mariah thought about that for a bit. "I think I know what you mean," she said. "Sometimes I try to write a poem, and the words aren't quite right, or they sound OK, but it doesn't say what I want it to say. I have to erase and change the words. Then, suddenly I find the right word, and I just want to jump up and hug someone!"


"Then I wonder," Charlotte mused, "why Sarah doesn't know that."
"It's as if she is afraid to lose," Mariah pointed out.


"But it isn't winning," Charlotte said, "if you win only because you changed the rules. It isn't the same game."


Both dolls thought about that for a while.


"Do you suppose maybe Sarah has never done anything that was difficult?" Mariah suggested. "If she's afraid of losing, maybe it's because she has never failed at anything. We know losing a game isn't the end of the world. You find that out when you lose. It hurts for a while, but you get over it. You think about what you could do better next time, and you try again."


"Do you think that the human person she lives with never lets her try anything difficult?" Charlotte asked.
Mariah nodded. "Maybe when she goes home from doll school each day," she suggested, "she just has to go and stand on a shelf and look pretty."


"Aren't we lucky?" Mariah went on. "The Writer lets us run around the house when we get home. She lets us write stories and be in them."


"She lets us play music if we want," Charlotte said.


"There are rules for writing and making music," Mariah said.  "If we didn't follow the rules for those things, they wouldn't be fun at all."


"Billy gets to take pictures with the special phone camera," Charlotte said. "He had to learn how to take care of the phone and how the camera works. He had to learn how to get the photos into the computer. There are rules for that."


"We can ride Brownie whenever we like, too," Mariah pointed out. "There are rules for that. Brownie might accidentally shake you off, if you don't get on her the right way.""Or if you don't put the saddle on the right way," Charlotte added. "Once you learn how to ride a horse, it's fun and safe!"


"The Writer lets Veronika use her sewing machine," Charlotte continued. "I know, because I've watched her do it. Veronika is very careful. She knows what she's doing. There are rules for that. She is teaching me. The machine won't work if you put the thread in wrong, and you have to be careful, so you don't sew your fingers."


Mariah nodded. "Mandy can use The Writer's knitting needles any time she wants," Mariah pointed out, "as long as she doesn't need them herself. Using knitting needles could be dangerous for Mandy if she didn't know how."
"She has to follow the knitting directions, too," Charlotte added. "If you don't do it right, what you make won't be any good."

"You might start out to knit a sock and find out you had a good start on a sweater, instead!" Mariah pointed out.

"Or you work hard on a sweater and find out you've made a sock!" Charlotte laughed.


"Yes," Charlotte agreed, "but Mandy has learned the rules well enough that she can make up her own patterns now, like Pippa's sweater."

"I remember how she used the computer to make a chart to use," Mariah said.

"That's right," Charlotte agreed. "I remember she kept switching colors, but she used the darker color for the dark squares and the lighter color for the lighter ones. It turned out great, but she almost ran out of the grey yarn!"

"Jolena gets to cook when she likes," Mariah said. "She had to learn the rules, so she wouldn't cut off a finger or melt her vinyl."


"She even is allowed to do flips in the air on her skis," Charlotte said. "That could be dangerous for a doll who doesn't know what she's doing! She had to learn all the rules for how to do that."


"Almost anything we do can be dangerous," Mariah said, "but we learn how to do things the right way, so we stay safe, like wearing helmets when we ride bicycles."


"Or like wearing a seat belt in the car," Charlotte said.


"Imagine if people didn't know how to follow the rules for driving automobiles," Charlotte continued. "It could be a mess!"

"Some rules save us time," Mariah agreed, "and help us get along with other dolls."
"I can't even imagine a world without rules," Charlotte said. "I don't always like them, but I'm glad we have rules."
"I'm glad I don't have to go stand somewhere and just look pretty," Mariah said. "That would be fun for about five minutes!"



"Or have to stay in your box!" Charlotte exclaimed. "Some people buy dolls to keep for a while and then sell. The dolls are worth more if they are never removed from their boxes."

"It keeps them safe, but it wouldn't be fun." Mariah added flatly. "Of course, before I came out of my box, I had no idea what running around indoors or outdoors was like, so I guess I didn't mind. I hadn't learned all the things we need to know about the world."
"I guess there are rules for more things than hopscotch," Charlotte decided. "Maybe we need to play games not just so we learn how to work to do something hard, and that losing isn't the end of the world, but also so we learn how to follow rules for life."


"Do you know what I think?" Mariah asked. "I think Sarah needs to get out more!"
Charlotte nodded. "And I think," she added, "Sarah needs to learn to follow the rules!"
"I think so, too," Mariah agreed. "Let's see if she will play hopscotch with us again tomorrow!""Maybe if we explain first why following the rules is so important," Charlotte added, "she'll understand.""Let's read her this story first!" Mariah exclaimed. "Reading about it in a story is better than having someone explain."


Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia


Traffic photo by Sorin Gheorghita on Unsplash.Pippa's sweater free pattern: Pippa's Chilly Days of Fall (Not a beginner project. You will need to learn a lot of rules before you attempt it.)

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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Copyright © 2020, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

Twinkle, Twinkle

 "I love that song," said Emil. "Do you know what it's called?"

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," Mariah replied. "Charlotte often plays it to warm up when she practices. It's one of the first things she learned."


Emil and Mariah were sitting on the windowsill in the workroom late in the afternoon when they heard Charlotte start practicing her violin.


They were quiet for a few minutes, listening.


"I thought stars were big," Emil said, as Charlotte started playing scales, going one step higher for each note. "I thought stars were like our sun, and our sun is much bigger than our earth, and that's very, very big. Why does the song say the stars are little?"



"It's a very old children's song," Mariah replied. "Before children learn that stars are really very big, they think they are little, because that's how they look when we see them."



"I know they look little because they are far away," Emil said. "I wonder why they twinkle."
"I wonder that, too," Mariah said. 

Both dolls were lost in thought for a few moments.



Then they sat up. "Let's ask Mandy!" they both exclaimed at once.


Emil and Mariah found Mandy in the living room. Jolena was reading a story out loud to Mandy, who was knitting.



Mandy looked up from her work."What's up?" she asked.


"We were upstairs, listening to Charlotte play 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,'" Emil began, "and we started to wonder why stars twinkle."


"I would like to know that, too," Jolena said.


"Hmmmm. I may need to draw a picture," Mandy said as she moved her reading glasses to the top of her head.


"I left my notebook and pencil here," Mariah said. "You can use it," she offered, handing the notebook and pencil to Mandy.


The three younger dolls gathered around Mandy as she put her glasses back on her nose and drew a picture on the paper.


This is what she drew. (It wasn't easy, because her fingers don't move.)


"This is the earth," she said, pointing to what appeared to be part of a ball. "Here's the thick layer of air and stuff that covers the earth."


"That's the atmosphere (AT-mus-fear)," Mariah said. "I remember that from when you explained why we don't see the stars in the daytime."


"That's right, Mariah," Mandy agreed. "The stars are out here," Mandy went on, pointing to the area outside the atmosphere. "Their light has to go through our atmosphere for us to see it."


"The atmosphere is moving around all the time," Mandy continued. "Different parts of it are warmer or cooler, and there are other differences in it that bend the light one way or another and back again."


"Like looking through water that's moving in a stream or brook?" Mariah asked. "The moving water makes the rocks at the bottom look like they're wiggling."


"A lot like that," Mandy agreed, "only the water is thicker and there isn't as much of it, but that's the idea."
"So why don't the planets and the moon and the sun twinkle?" Emil asked.


"That's a very good question," Mandy said. "What do you know about the planets, the moon and the sun that might be different from the stars?" she asked.
The three younger dolls were quiet as they thought.


"The planets and the moon are like the earth" Jolena said. "They don't have light of their own. But the sun is like a ball of fire...but so are the stars."


"That's true," Mariah agreed, "The sun does have its own light, because it's a star, too. The planets that are close enough for us to see them get their light from the sun shining on them."


"I was just thinking," Emil said, "if there are planets too far away for us to see them, and the only star that doesn't twinkle is the sun, maybe the stars twinkle because they are far away."
"Very good, Emil," Mandy said. "Now you're on to something."


"But that's where I get lost," Emil sighed. "I don't see why that makes a difference."


"Because the stars are far away," Mandy explained, holding up her picture in Mariah's notebook again, "they look very tiny, like little dots. Very little of their light reaches us, so the little bit we see of it bends this way and that as it comes through the atmosphere."


"In the case of the planets, the moon and the sun," Mandy continued, "there is a lot more light light that reaches our eyes, and some of it bends one way as it goes through the atmosphere and some of it bends the other way. With all that bending back and forth, we don't see them twinkle."


All four dolls were quiet while each thought about that. Even Mandy, who knew all this already, had a lot to think about, because when you teach someone something, you learn new things yourself.


That's when they noticed Charlotte's violin music again.


"I'm glad I have my special glasses that help me see and hear," Emil said. "What is that she's playing now?"


They listened for a moment.


"That's a melody from 'The Moonlight Sonata (suh-NAH-tuh),'" Mandy said. "That music was written for the piano, but it's very nice on the violin, even though Charlotte is playing only one note at a time. 'The Moonlight Sonata' is one of my favorites."


They listened some more. Charlotte stopped to fix a mistake she had made, or maybe to turn a page. Then she started again.


"I wonder," Emil said, "why the moon goes around the earth instead of around the sun the way the earth does."


All three younger dolls looked at Mandy.


Mandy would have rolled her eyes, except that her eyes are glued into her head.


"It's getting dark," she said, "and Charlotte seems to be done playing. Let's go out and watch the stars twinkle."


Cast--
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia

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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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 © 2020, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

Victor the Vulture

  Vroni sat, serenely sewing, while outside the wind was blowing,

Stitching calmly at her place in the window by the street,

Making all her stitches neatly, ending all her seams completely,

Knowing seams must all be tidy, sturdy and, of course, complete!

On the windowsill beside her was a meal for her to eat,

With a cookie for a treat.

On the shelf there sat a vulture, wise observer of our culture,

Preening feathers of one wing, and making sure that they were neat.

From outside there came a clatter, giggles and a bit of chatter,

Clearly something was occurring out there, on the open street!

So the doll looked out the window, dropping sewing on her seat.

(Clearly, it could not compete!)

In the cold of late October, on an eve sedate and sober,

Vroni pulled aside the curtain, looking up and down the street.

What she saw she found amazing! From the window she was gazing,

Figures masked and costumed scurried, and a scary floating sheet!

Clearly human children playing at some craziness, complete 

With the sound of running feet. 

Suddenly there came a tapping, at the door an urgent rapping,

While our heroine considered if she shouldn't just retreat!

By the door a bowl of candy had been placed where it was handy.

Vroni saw the pile of yummies, neatly wrapped and gooey sweet.

Then she turned and looked at Victor. (Now the comb lay at his feet.)

Said the vulture, "Trick or Treat!"

Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Victor: HimselfPhoto of "sheet" by Šimom Caban on Unsplash, cropped
This poem first appeared on October 29, 2021. It is one of the poems included in the book Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and is available to buy here.The Writer would like to thank Edgar Allan Poe for the inspiration provided by his poem "The Raven."
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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Copyright © 2021, 2023, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

A Baseball Game With a Strange Ending

 "I'm not the best one to ask," Jolena told Billy as they were walking home from school. "I think you should ask Veronika."

"That's a good idea," Billy replied. "I'll ask her as soon as we get home."
"I'll come, too," Jolena said. It's something I really want to understand. It's very puzzling."


When the dolls arrived home, they saw Veronika on the couch in the living room. 


She was sewing a button on one of Emil's shirts.
"Welcome home," Veronika said with when she saw them. "Did you have a good day?"


"Well," Jolena said. "Like most days, there was some good and some not so good."


"Did you have a problem today,?" Veronika asked, putting down her sewing, as the other two dolls climbed up onto the sofa to sit with her.


Jolena looked at Billy. That's my cue, he thought. It means Jolena wants me to explain.


"Lauren hit me!" he blurted out. "I don't know why. I didn't get into trouble this time, because I didn't hit her back, but I don't understand why she hit me. I thought we were friends."


"Why don't you start at the beginning," Veronika suggested. "Most dolls don't just go up to someone and hit them."
Billy thought for a moment. Then he said, "Well, we were playing baseball, because it didn't rain, and the field is dry.

"I was on first," Jolena said. "The game was almost over. The other team was ahead by one run, and our team had two outs. I would have been biting my fingernails if I'd had any. Billy was on second."


"It all depended on Lauren," Billy added. "She was at bat. She swung at the ball twice and missed. Then she hit the next pitch." 
"The ball went way over my head and then over the fence!" Jolena exclaimed. "We were so excited!"


"It was a home run," Billy said. "I got to run home and score!"
"Then I scored," Jolena added.
"Then Lauren scored," Billy said. "I was so happy with her I gave her a hug!"


"That's when Lauren hit Billy," Jolena said. "She bopped him right on the nose!"


The dolls were quiet for a moment to let Veronika think. Billy thought he could almost hear wheels turning in Veronika's head. He often wondered if Veronika had a little machine inside her head that helped her figure out why dolls act the way they do, and what's the right or the wrong thing to do. While he was still thinking about that, Billy thought he heard the wheels stop.


"I don't think it's your fault, Billy," Veronika said. "I think Lauren was upset by the hug, but you didn't mean to upset her."
"Why would a hug upset her?" Billy asked. "I was excited to win the game. She looked happy and excited, too, until I hugged her."


"Well," Veronika began, "we do a lot of hugging in our family," she explained. "It's perfectly natural for you to give someone a hug if they have just done something you like, or if they are unhappy, and you want to comfort them. Not everyone likes hugs, though, or they only like hugs from dolls who are close to them, like family members."


"So Lauren doesn't want Billy to hug her?" Jolena asked.
"That's my guess," Veronika agreed. "Not every doll would hit you, though. Some might say not to touch them again, or they might not say anything but just look unhappy, or laugh and pretend it was OK."


"What should I have done?" Billy asked. "I can see I did something she didn't like."
"If you want to give someone a hug, Billy," Veronika said, "it's best if you ask if it's OK. We shouldn't touch anyone without asking first," she explained. "It's sort of like borrowing their things without asking."


"Well, now I have question," Jolena said. "There's a boy doll in my class, Johnny, who keeps coming up behind me and touching me or grabbing me before I know he's there. I don't like it. I don't know what to do about it. It makes me feel very uncomfortable, but I know I shouldn't hit him."


"You have a right, Jolena," Veronika said, "not to be touched if you don't want to be. You can tell Johnny to stop it or push him away, and if he doesn't stop doing it, tell one of the teachers."
Jolena looked down at her hands. "I have been worrying about it," she said. "I thought I was doing something wrong to let him touch me at all, but I didn't know what to do."


Veronika gave Jolena a hug. She knew Jolena would like a hug, because Jolena often gives her hugs. "I think I understand how you feel," Veronika said, "but you did nothing wrong. It isn't your fault."


"Some dolls just haven't learned how to behave with other dolls. They think it's OK, or they want to do it even if it isn't OK," Veronika explained.
Billy had been thinking. "Did I make Lauren feel bad the way Johnny made Jolena feel bad?" he asked.


Now it was Billy's turn to have a hug. "You didn't know, Billy," Veronika told him, "and giving someone a hug isn't the same as sneaking up on them and touching them or grabbing them." 


"If you feel bad about what happened," Veronika went on, "is there something you can think to do to feel better about it?"


Billy thought some more. "How about," he said finally, "how about I tell Lauren I'm sorry I hugged her, and I won't do it again? I'll tell her I didn't mean to upset her. I'll tell her she has the right not to be touched if she doesn't like it."


Veronika laughed. "She may not need the whole explanation," she said, "but when you talk to her you can figure out how much you need to tell her."
"Lauren hit a home run," Jolena said. "That's pretty cool!"
"With two dolls on base!" Veronika added.


"We can ask if it's OK to give her high fives," Billy suggested.
Billy and Jolena got down from the couch. They had homework to do.


Billy went into the kitchen to get a cookie to pretend to eat. Jolena stopped at the door to the living room. "Thanks, Veronika," she said.


Then she was gone.


Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London

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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Copyright © 2020, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

Being Green Makes It Easy

 "I think," Emil said, looking down at the brown grass on the front lawn, "when I arrived, most of the plants looked green."

Emil and Billy had come out of the house to sit on the deck, to watch the squirrels and birds.
"That's true," Billy agreed.
Emil looked at Billy. "You mean the plants don't look as green to you?" he asked. "I thought my eyes were getting worse, or my special glasses weren't working," he added. "That's a relief!"
Then he thought for a moment. "Well, if the plants aren't as green, that makes me wonder why," he said finally, as they sat down on the steps.


"I remember it was the same way last year," Billy told him. "You came in September, when everything was still green. When I came, almost a year before you, it was November. A lot of the plants and grass were already turning brown and the trees had lost their leaves. Don't worry, though. If it's like last year, they will all be mostly green again in the Spring."
Both boys were quiet for a moment, lost in thought.
"Why are plants green," Emil wondered, "and not another color?"
"Yes, I wonder why that is," Billy said.
The boys looked at each other. "Let's ask Mandy!" They both said at once.

Mandy was sitting on the windowsill in the living room, knitting. She looked up when they came in. "I know you have a question," she said. "I can tell by the way you're looking at me. What is it?"


"We were wondering why the plants stopped being green," Billy said. "I'm pretty sure it's connected with the snow somehow," he added, "but I don't know why."


"It isn't exactly because of the snow," Mandy said, "but the color of the plants changing, the leaves falling from the trees and the snow are all part of the seasons we have in this part of the world."


"I remember," Billy said, "when you showed us how the sun is at a lower angle this time of year, and that causes winter."
"Very good, Billy," Mandy said. "I'm glad you remembered that. You should explain to Emil how it works."
Billy nodded. He enjoyed teaching Emil things. He felt like a big brother.
"I know how the seasons happen," Billy said, "and I know that the plants and leaves change color, but I don't know why they're green during the warmer part of the year."
"Yes," Emil agreed. "I want to know that, too. That's our question. Why aren't they red or blue?"


"Flowers can be all different colors: yellow or red or blue or purple," Billy added, "or sometimes several different colors all on the same flower, but almost all of the leaves are green, except in the Fall when some of the leaves on the trees and bushes change to yellow, orange or red, before they fall to the ground."The boys looked at Mandy.
"That's because leaves have something called chlorophyll (KLOR-uh-fill) in them" Mandy explained. "It's green. The plants use it to make their food."


The boys both repeated the word "chlorophyll."
"How does that work?" Emil wanted to know. "Is it like a kitchen?"
"Sort of, or like a factory," Mandy agreed, "but very, very tiny; so small you can't see it with just your eyes, or with your special glasses Emil."


"Even good eyes, like Billy's?" Emil asked.
"Even good eyes like Billy's," Mandy agreed. "We would need a microscope (MY-kroh-skope) to see it, and even then it wouldn't look like a kitchen or a factory."
"I know what a microscope is," Billy said. "It makes things bigger, so you can see things that are too tiny to see."

Mandy thought for a moment. Then she suggested they go to the other window, where one of the houseplants was.


"You will notice," she began, after she climbed up next to the plant, "that each of the houseplants is close to a window, and their leaves are green."
The boys nodded. "I know plants need light," Billy said. 


"I know most plants are green," Emil added. "Do they need light to make their food?" he asked.
"That's right!" Mandy exclaimed. "That's exactly what they do. We give plants water and a place where they have light. Plants use their chlorophyll to turn what they get from the water and the air they breathe in into food. They use the energy they get from light to do that. The way they do it is called photosynthesis (foto-SIN-thih-sis)."


The boys both said photosynthesis, the way Mandy had said it, so maybe they would remember it.
"So that's why we need to water plants," Emil said.


"Mostly," Mandy agreed. "Plants can dry out if they don't have enough water, and they need water to carry food and other things they need to the rest of the plant, but they also use parts of the water to make their food."


"Then why do most of the outdoor plants stop being green in the winter," Billy asked.
"They go to sleep," Mandy explained. "When the days get shorter, the leaves lose their chlorophyll. They dry up and fall to the ground. We say that the plants go dormant (DOHR-munt). That's how they live when the weather is too cold and the days are too short to make their food."



"Lots of trees are still green," Billy pointed out, like the big Christmas tree in the front yard."


"Yes," Mandy agreed. "The big tree in the front yard is a fir (fur) tree. It's one of the kinds of trees we call evergreen because they stay green all year. It has needles instead of leaves. The needles are sturdy and don't stay covered with snow for long, so they can keep working all year, even when it's freezing and the days are short."

The dolls sat down on the sofa to finish their chat. Marmalade climbed into Mandy's lap to be petted.
"Now I have another question," Billy said. 


"I've been thinking," Billy continued, "about how you said the plants breathe in air. I don't breathe in air, because I'm a doll, but I know real children breathe in air."


Mandy nodded.
"So why is there still air all around us?" Billy asked.
"I wanted to know that, too," Emil put in. "With people and animals and plants all breathing in the air, why isn't the air all gone?"


"That's the best part," Mandy explained. "People and plants don't use up the air. "When plants breathe in the air, they only take out what they need from it. What they need is called carbon dioxide (KAHR-bun dye-OX-ide). It's made of one part of something called carbon (KAHR-bun) and two parts of something called oxygen (OX-uh-jun). The plants use the carbon and breathe out the oxygen."


"People and animals need oxygen," Mandy continued, "but they can't take it out of the carbon dioxide. When they breathe, they take the oxygen out of the air and breathe out carbon dioxide. That way plants help people and animals breathe, and people and animals help plants breathe."

The three dolls sat and thought about that for a few minutes. They thought it was amazing. Mandy had understood this for a long time, but she still found it amazing.


"You know," Billy said finally, "I was thinking about that plant we were looking at. "It had red flowers on it. If the green chlorophyll helps the plants make their food, why don't they put it in their flowers, too?"


"That, my dear brother," Mandy replied, removing Marmalade from her lap, "is another long story, and one for another day. I need to get back to my knitting!"


Mandy knows that if you give a doll too much new information at once, they don't remember it as well.
Cast--
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015

Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Marmalade: Purrrfect Cats from KTL

New words: chlorophyll, microscope, photosynthesis, dormant, carbon dioxide, oxygen

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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Retold: Stories 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.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Copyright © 2021, 2024 by Peggy Stuart