Rescuing Fido
The catch was too high for Raggedy Ann to reach, but Peterkins held Raggedy Ann in his mouth and stood up on his hind legs so that she could raise the catch.
When the catch was raised, the dogs were so anxious to get out they pushed and jumped against the gate so hard it flew open, knocking Peterkins and Raggedy Ann into the mud. Such a yapping and barking was never heard in the neighborhood as when the dogs swarmed out of the enclosure, jumping over one another and scrambling about in the mad rush out the gate.
Back in through the window
Fido picked himself up from where he had been rolled by the large dogs and helped Raggedy Ann to her feet. He, Peterkins, and all the dolls ran after the pack of dogs, turning the corner just as the dog catcher came running out of the house in his nightgown to see what was causing the trouble.
He stopped in astonishment when he saw the string of dolls in white nighties pattering down the alley, for he could not imagine what they were.
Well, you may be sure the dolls thanked Peterkins for his kind assistance and they and Fido ran on home, for a faint light was beginning to show in the east where the sun was getting ready to come up.
When they got to their own home they found an old chair out in the yard and after a great deal of work they finally dragged it to the window and thus managed to get into the nursery again.
Fido was very grateful to Raggedy Ann and the other dolls and before he went to his basket he gave them each a lick on the cheek.
The dolls lost no time in scrambling into bed and pulling up the covers, for they were very sleepy, but just as they were dozing off, Raggedy Ann raised herself and said, "If my legs and arms were not stuffed with nice clean cotton I feel sure they would ache, but being stuffed with nice clean white cotton, they do not ache and I could not feel happier if my body were stuffed with sunshine, for I know how pleased and happy Mistress will be in the morning when she discovers Fido asleep in his own little basket, safe and sound at home."
And as the dollies by this time were all asleep, Raggedy Ann pulled the sheet up to her chin and smiled so hard she ripped two stitches out of the back of her rag head.
Back in bed
On top of one another
When housecleaning time came around, Mistress' mamma decided that she would have the nursery repainted and new paper put upon the walls. That was why all the dolls happened to be laid helter-skelter upon one of the high shelves.
Mistress had been in to look at them and wished to put them to bed, but as the painters were coming again in the early morning, Mamma thought it best that their beds be piled in the closet.
So the dolls' beds were piled into the closet, one on top of another and the dolls were placed upon the high shelf.
When all was quiet that night, Raggedy Ann who was on the bottom of the pile of dolls spoke softly and asked the others if they would mind moving along the shelf.
"The cotton in my body is getting mashed as flat as a pancake!" said Raggedy Ann. And although the tin soldier was piled so that his foot was pressed into Raggedy's face, she still wore her customary smile.
So the dolls began moving off to one side until Raggedy Ann was free to sit up.
"Ah, that's a great deal better!" she said, stretching her arms and legs to get the kinks out of them, and patting her dress into shape.
"Well, I'll be glad when morning comes!" she said finally, "for I know Mistress will take us out in the yard and play with us under the trees."
Tossed in the air
So the dolls sat and talked until daylight, when the painters came to work.
One of the painters, a young fellow, seeing the dolls, reached up and took Raggedy Ann down from the shelf.
"Look at this rag doll, Jim," he said to one of the other painters, "She's a daisy," and he took Raggedy Ann by the hands and danced with her while he whistled a lively tune. Raggedy Ann's heels hit the floor thumpity-thump and she enjoyed it immensely.
The other dolls sat upon the shelf and looked straight before them, for it would never do to let grown-up men know that dolls were really alive.
"Better put her back upon the shelf," said one of the other men. "You'll have the little girl after you! The chances are that she likes that old rag doll better than any of the others!"
But the young painter twisted Raggedy Ann into funny attitudes and laughed and laughed as she looped about. Finally he got to tossing her up in the air and catching her. This was great fun for Raggedy and as she sailed up by the shelf the dolls all smiled at her, for it pleased them whenever Raggedy Ann was happy.
But the young fellow threw Raggedy Ann up into the air once too often and when she came down he failed to catch her and she came downsplash, head first into a bucket of oily paint.
"I told you!" said the older painter, "and now you are in for it!"
"My goodness! I didn't mean to do it!" said the young fellow, "What had I better do with her?"
"Better put her back on the shelf!" replied the other.
So Raggedy was placed back upon the shelf and the paint ran from her head and trickled down upon her dress.
Covered with paint
After breakfast, Mistress came into the nursery and saw Raggedy all covered with paint and she began crying.
The young painter felt sorry and told her how it had happened.
"If you will let me," he said, "I will take her home with me and will clean her up tonight and will bring her back day after tomorrow."
So Raggedy was wrapped in a newspaper that evening and carried away.
All the dolls felt sad that night without Raggedy Ann near them.
"Poor Raggedy! I could have cried when I saw her all covered with paint!" said the French doll.
"She didn't look like our dear old Raggedy Ann at all!" said the tin soldier, who wiped the tears from his eyes so that they would not run down on his arms and rust them.
"The paint covered her lovely smile and nose and you could not see the laughter in her shoe-button eyes!" said the Indian doll.
And so the dolls talked that night and the next. But inthe daytime when the painters were there, they kept very quiet.
The second day Raggedy was brought home and the dolls were all anxious for night to come so that they could see and talk with Raggedy Ann.
At last the painters left and the house was quiet, for Mistress had been in and placed Raggedy on the shelf with the other dolls.
"Tell us all about it, Raggedy dear!" the dolls cried.
"Oh I am so glad I fell in the paint!" cried Raggedy, after she had hugged all the dolls, "For I have had the happiest time. The painter took me home and told his Mamma how I happened to be covered with paint and she was very sorry. She took a rag and wiped off my shoe-button eyes and then I saw that she was a very pretty, sweet-faced lady and she got some cleaner and wiped off most of the paint on my face.
Telling the story
"But you know," Raggedy continued, "the paint had soaked through my rag head and had made the cotton inside all sticky and soggy and I could not think clearly. And my yarn hair was all matted with paint.
"So the kind lady took off my yarn hair and cut the stitches out of my head, and took out all the painty cotton.
"It was a great relief, although it felt queer at first and my thoughts seemed scattered.
On the line again
"She left me in her work-basket that night and hung me out upon the clothes-line the next morning when she had washed the last of the paint off.
"And while I hung out on the clothes-line, what do you think?"
"We could never guess!" all the dolls cried.
"Why a dear little Jenny Wren came and picked enough cotton out of me to make a cute little cuddly nest in the grape arbor!"
"Wasn't that sweet!" cried all the dolls.
"Yes indeed it was!" replied Raggedy Ann, "It made me very happy. Then when the lady took me in the house again she stuffed me with lovely nice new cotton, all the way from my knees up and sewed me up and put new yarn on my head for hair and—and—and it's a secret!" said Raggedy Ann.
"Oh tell us the secret!" cried all the dolls, as they pressed closer to Raggedy. "Well, I know you will not tell anyone who would not be glad to know about it, so I will tell you the secret and why I am wearing my smile a trifle broader!" said Raggedy Ann.
The dolls all said that Raggedy Ann's smile was indeed a quarter of an inch wider on each side.
"When the dear lady put the new white cotton in my body," said Raggedy Ann "she went to the cupboard and came back with a paper bag. And she took from the bag ten or fifteen little candy hearts with mottos on them and she hunted through the candy hearts until she found a beautifulred one which she sewed up in me with the cotton! So that is the secret, and that is why I am so happy! Feel here," said Raggedy Ann. All the dolls could feel Raggedy Ann's beautiful new candy heart and they were very happy for her.
After all had hugged each other good night and had cuddled up for the night, the tin soldier asked, "Did you have a chance to see what the motto on your new candy heart was, Raggedy Ann?"
"Oh yes," replied Raggedy Ann, "I was so happy I forgot to tell you. It had printed upon it in nice blue letters, 'I LOVE YOU.'"
A haircut
In the orchard
When Marcella had a tea party out in the orchard, of course all of the dolls were invited. Raggedy Ann, the tin soldier, the Indian doll and all the others—even the four little penny dolls in the spool box. After a lovely tea party with ginger cookies and milk, of course the dolls were very sleepy, at least Marcella thought so, so she took all except Raggedy Ann into the house and put them to bed for the afternoon nap. Then Marcella told Raggedy Ann to stay there and watch the things.
As there was nothing else to do, Raggedy Ann waited for Marcella to return. And as she watched the little ants eating cookie crumbs Marcella had thrown to them, she heard all of a sudden the patter of puppy feet behind her. It was Fido.
The puppy dog ran up to Raggedy Ann and twisted his head about as he looked at her. Then he put his front feet out and barked in Raggedy Ann's face. Raggedy Ann tried to look very stern, but she could not hide the broad smile painted on her face.
"Oh, you want to play, do you?" the puppy dog barked, as he jumped at Raggedy Ann and then jumped back again.
Into the river
The more Raggedy Ann smiled, the livelier Fido's anticsbecame, until finally he caught the end of her dress and dragged her about.
This was great fun for the puppy dog, but Raggedy Ann did not enjoy it. She kicked and twisted as much as she could, but the puppy dog thought Raggedy was playing.
He ran out the garden gate and down the path across the meadow, every once in a while stopping and pretending he was very angry. When he pretended this, Fido would give Raggedy Ann a great shaking, making her yarn head hit the ground "ratty-tat-tat." Then he would give his head a toss and send Raggedy Ann high in the air where she would turn over two or three times before she reached the ground.
By this time, she had lost her apron and now some of her yarn hair was coming loose.
As Fido neared the brook, another puppy dog came running across the foot-bridge to meet him. "What have you there, Fido?" said the new puppy dog as he bounced up to Raggedy Ann.
"This is Raggedy Ann," answered Fido. "She and I are having a lovely time playing."
You see, Fido really thought Raggedy enjoyed being tossed around and whirled high up in the air. But of course she didn't. However, the game didn't last much longer. As Raggedy Ann hit the ground the new puppy dog caught her dress and ran with her across the bridge, Fido barking close behind him.
In the center of the bridge, Fido caught up with the new puppy dog and they had a lively tug-of-war with Raggedy Ann stretched between then. As they pulled and tugged and flopped Raggedy Ann about, somehow she fell over the side of the bridge into the water.
The puppy dogs were surprised, and Fido was very sorry indeed, for he remembered how good Raggedy Ann had been to him and how she had rescued him from the dog-pound. But the current carried Raggedy Ann right along and all Fido could do was to run along the bank and bark.
Floating
Now, you would have thought Raggedy Ann would sink, but no, she floated nicely, for she was stuffed with clean white cotton and the water didn't soak through very quickly.
After a while, the strange puppy and Fido grew tired of running along the bank and the strange puppy scampered home over the meadow, with his tail carried gaily over his back as if he had nothing to be ashamed of. But Fido walked home very sorry indeed. His little heart was broken to think that he had caused Raggedy Ann to be drowned.
But Raggedy Ann didn't drown—not a bit of it. In fact, she even went to sleep on the brook, for the motion of the current was very soothing as it carried her along—just like being rocked by Marcella.
So, sleeping peacefully, Raggedy Ann drifted along with the current until she came to a pool where she lodged against a large stone.
On a stone
Raggedy Ann tried to climb upon the stone, but by this time the water had thoroughly soaked through Raggedy Ann's nice, clean, white cotton stuffing and she was so heavy she could not climb.
So there she had to stay until Marcella and Daddy came along and found her.
You see, they had been looking for her. They had found pieces of her apron all along the path and across the meadow where Fido and the strange puppy dog had shaken them from Raggedy Ann. So they followed the brook until they found her.
When Daddy fished Raggedy Ann from the water, Marcella hugged her so tightly to her breast the water ran from Raggedy Ann and dripped all over Marcella's apron. But Marcella was so glad to find Raggedy Ann again she didn't mind it a bit. She just hurried home and took off all of Raggedy Ann's wet clothes and placed her on a little red chair in front of the oven door, and then brought all of the other dolls in and read a fairy tale to them while Raggedy Ann steamed and dried.
When Raggedy Ann was thoroughly dry, Mamma said she thought the cake must be finished and she took from the oven a lovely chocolate cake and gave Marcella a large piece to have another tea party with.
That night when all the house was asleep, Raggedy Ann raised up in bed and said to the dolls who were still awake, "I am so happy I do not feel a bit sleepy. Do you know, I believe the water soaked me so thoroughly my candy heart must have melted and filled my whole body, and I do not feel the least bit angry with Fido for playing with me so roughly!"
So all the other dolls were happy, too, for happiness is very easy to catch when we love one another and are sweet all through.
Sweet all through
In ungraceful attitudes
Raggedy Ann lay just as Marcella had dropped her—all sprawled out with her rag arms and legs twisted in ungraceful attitudes.
Her yarn hair was twisted and lay partly over her face, hiding one of her shoe-button eyes.
Raggedy gave no sign that she had heard, but lay there smiling at the ceiling.
Perhaps Raggedy Ann knew that what the new dolls said was true.
But sometimes the truth may hurt and this may have been the reason Raggedy Ann lay there so still.
"Did you ever see such an ungainly creature!"
"I do believe it has shoe buttons for eyes!"
"And yarn hair!"
"Mercy, did you ever see such feet!"
The Dutch doll rolled off the doll sofa and said "Mamma" in his quavery voice, he was so surprised at hearing anyone speak so of beloved Raggedy Ann—dear Raggedy Ann, she of the candy heart, whom all the dolls loved.
Uncle Clem was also very much surprised and offended. He walked up in front of the two new dolls and looked them sternly in the eyes, but he could think of nothing to say so he pulled at his yarn mustache.
Annabel-Lee and Thomas
Marcella had only received the two new dolls that morning. They had come in the morning mail and were presents from an aunt.
Marcella had named the two new dolls Annabel-Lee and Thomas, after her aunt and uncle.
Annabel-Lee and Thomas were beautiful dolls and must have cost heaps and heaps of shiny pennies, for both were handsomely dressed and hadrealhair!
Annabel's hair was of a lovely shade of auburn and Thomas' was golden yellow.
Annabel was dressed in soft, lace-covered silk and upon her head she wore a beautiful hat with long silk ribbons tied in a neat bow-knot beneath her dimpled chin.
Thomas was dressed in an Oliver Twist suit of dark velvet with a lace collar. Both he and Annabel wore lovely black slippers and short stockings.
They were sitting upon two of the little red doll chairs where Marcella had placed them and where they could see the other dolls.
When Uncle Clem walked in front of them and pulled his mustache they laughed outright. "Tee-Hee-Hee!" they snickered, "He has holes in his knees!"
Quite true. Uncle Clem was made of worsted and the moths had eaten his knees and part of his kiltie. He had a kiltie, you see, for Uncle Clem was a Scotch doll.
Uncle Clem shook, but he felt so hurt he could think of nothing to say.
He walked over and sat down beside Raggedy Ann and brushed her yarn hair away from her shoe-button eye.
Hurt feelings
The tin soldier went over and sat beside them.
"Don't you mind what they say, Raggedy!" he said, "They do not know you as we do!"
"We don't care to know her!" said Annabel-Lee as she primped her dress, "She looks like a scarecrow!"
"And the Soldier must have been made with a can opener!" laughed Thomas.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" said the French dolly, as she stood before Annabel and Thomas, "You will make all of us sorry that you have joined our family if you continue to poke fun at us and look down upon us. We are all happy here together and share in each others' adventures and happiness."
Now, that night Marcella did not undress the two new dolls, for she had no nighties for them, so she let them sit up in the two little red doll chairs so they would not muss their clothes. "I will make nighties for you tomorrow!" she said as she kissed them good night. Then she went over and gave Raggedy Ann a good night hug. "Take good care of all my children, Raggedy!" she said as she went out.
Annabel and Thomas whispered together, "Perhaps we have been too hasty in our judgment!" said Annabel-Lee. "This Raggedy Ann seems to be a favorite with the mistress and with all the dolls!"
"There must be a reason!" replied Thomas, "I am beginning to feel sorry that we spoke of her looks. One really cannot help one's looks after all."
Now, Annabel-Lee and Thomas were very tired after their long journey and soon they fell asleep and forgot all about the other dolls.
When they were sound asleep, Raggedy Ann slipped quietly from her bed and awakened the tin soldier and Uncle Clem and the three tiptoed to the two beautiful new dolls.
They lifted them gently so as not to awaken them and carried them to Raggedy Ann's bed.
Raggedy Ann tucked them in snugly and lay down upon the hard floor.
The tin soldier and Uncle Clem both tried to coax Raggedy Ann into accepting their bed (they slept together), but Raggedy Ann would not hear of it.
"I am stuffed with nice soft cotton and the hard floor does not bother me at all!" said Raggedy.
Uncle Clem offers to share
At daybreak the next morning Annabel and Thomas awakened to find themselves in Raggedy Ann's bed and as they raised up and looked at each other each knew how ashamed the other felt, for they knew Raggedy Ann had generously given them her bed.
There Raggedy Ann lay; all sprawled out upon the hard floor, her rag arms and legs twisted in ungraceful attitudes.
"How good and honest she looks!" said Annabel. "It must be her shoe-button eyes!"
The new dollies share
"How nicely her yarn hair falls in loops over her face!" exclaimed Thomas, "I did not notice how pleasant her face looked last night!"
"The others seem to love her ever and ever so much!" mused Annabel. "It must be because she is so kind."
Both new dolls were silent for a while, thinking deeply.
"How do you feel?" Thomas finally asked.
"Very much ashamed of myself!" answered Annabel, "And you, Thomas?"
"As soon as Raggedy Ann awakens, I shall tell her just how much ashamed I am of myself and if she can, I want her to forgive me!" Thomas said.
"The more I look at her, the better I like her!" said Annabel.
"I am going to kiss her!" said Thomas.
"You'll awaken her if you do!" said Annabel.
But Thomas climbed out of bed and kissed Raggedy Ann on her painted cheek and smoothed her yarn hair from her rag forehead.
And Annabel-Lee climbed out of bed, too, and kissed Raggedy Ann.
Then Thomas and Annabel-Lee gently carried Raggedy Ann and put her in her own bed and tenderly tucked her in, and then took their seats in the two little red chairs.
After a while Annabel said softly to Thomas, "I feel ever and ever so much better and happier!"
"So do I!" Thomas replied. "It's like a whole lot ofsunshine coming into a dark room, and I shall always try to keep it there!"
Fido had one fuzzy white ear sticking up over the edge of his basket and he gave his tail a few thumps against his pillow.
Raggedy Ann lay quietly in bed where Thomas and Annabel had tucked her. And as she smiled at the ceiling, her candy heart (with "I LOVE YOU" written on it) thrilled with contentment, for, as you have probably guessed, Raggedy Ann had not been asleep at all!
Tucked in bed
Turkey to eat
Raggedy Ann had been away all day.
Marcella had come early in the morning and dressed all the dolls and placed them about the nursery.
Some of the dolls had been put in the little red chairs around the little doll table. There was nothing to eat upon the table except a turkey, a fried egg and an apple, all made of plaster of paris and painted in natural colors. The little teapot and other doll dishes were empty, but Marcella had told them to enjoy their dinner while she was away.
The French dolly had been given a seat upon the doll sofa and Uncle Clem had been placed at the piano.
Marcella picked up Raggedy Ann and carried her out of the nursery when she left, telling the dolls to "be real good children, while Mamma is away!"
When the door closed, the tin soldier winked at the Dutch-boy doll and handed the imitation turkey to the penny dolls. "Have some nice turkey?" he asked.
"No thank you!" the penny dolls said in little penny-doll, squeaky voices, "We have had all we can eat!"
"Shall I play you a tune?" asked Uncle Clem of the French doll.
At this all the dolls laughed, for Uncle Clem could not begin to play any tune. Raggedy Ann was the only doll whohad ever taken lessons, and she could play Peter-Peter-Pumpkin-Eater with one hand.
In fact, Marcella had almost worn out Raggedy Ann's right hand teaching it to her.
Fido has a secret
"Play something lively!" said the French doll, as she giggled behind her hand, so Uncle Clem began hammering the eight keys on the toy piano with all his might until a noise was heard upon the stairs.
Quick as a wink, all the dolls took the same positions in which they had been placed by Marcella, for they did not wish really truly people to know that they could move about.
But it was only Fido. He put his nose in the door and looked around.
All the dolls at the table looked steadily at the painted food, and Uncle Clem leaned upon the piano keys looking just as unconcerned as when he had been placed there.
Then Fido pushed the door open and came into the nursery wagging his tail.
He walked over to the table and sniffed, in hopes Marcella had given the dolls real food and that some would still be left.
"Where's Raggedy Ann?" Fido asked, when he had satisfied himself that there was no food.
"Mistress took Raggedy Ann and went somewhere!" all the dolls answered in chorus.
"I've found something I must tell Raggedy Ann about!" said Fido, as he scratched his ear.
"Is it a secret?" asked the penny dolls.
"Secret nothing," replied Fido, "It's kittens!"
"How lovely!" cried all the dolls, "Really live kittens?"
"Really live kittens!" replied Fido, "Three little tiny ones, out in the barn!"
"Oh, I wish Raggedy Ann was here!" cried the French doll. "She would know what to do about it!"
Fido runs to tell news
"That's why I wanted to see her," said Fido, as he thumped his tail on the floor, "I did not know there were anykittens and I went into the barn to hunt for mice and the first thing I knew Mamma Cat came bouncing right at me with her eyes looking green! I tell you I hurried out of there!"
"How did you know there were any kittens then?" asked Uncle Clem.
"I waited around the barn until Mamma Cat went up to the house and then I slipped into the barn again, for I knew there must be something inside or she would not have jumped at me that way! We are always very friendly, you know." Fido continued. "And what was my surprise to find three tiny little kittens in an old basket, 'way back in a dark corner!"
"Go get them, Fido, and bring them up so we can see them!" said the tin soldier.
"Not me!" said Fido, "If I had a suit of tin clothes on like you have I might do it, but you know cats can scratch very hard if they want to!"
"We will tell Raggedy when she comes in!" said the French doll, and then Fido went out to play with a neighbor dog.
So when Raggedy Ann had been returned to the nursery the dolls could hardly wait until Marcella had put on their nighties and left them for the night.
Then they told Raggedy Ann all about the kittens.
Raggedy Ann jumped from her bed and ran over to Fido's basket; he wasn't there.
Then Raggedy suggested that all the dolls go out to the barn and see the kittens. This they did easily, for the window was open and it was but a short jump to the ground.
They found Fido out near the barn watching a hole.
"I was afraid something might disturb them," he said, "for Mamma Cat went away about an hour ago."
All the dolls, with Raggedy Ann in the lead, crawled through the hole and ran to the basket.
Waiting to see
Just as Raggedy Ann started to pick up one of the kittensthere was a lot of howling and yelping and Fido came bounding through the hole with Mamma Cat behind him. When Mamma Cat caught up with Fido he would yelp.
When Fido and Mamma Cat had circled the barn two or three times Fido managed to find the hole and escape to the yard; then Mamma Cat came over to the basket and saw all the dolls.
Raggedy Ann and a kitten
"I'm s'prised at you, Mamma Cat!" said Raggedy Ann, "Fido has been watching your kittens for an hour while you were away. He wouldn't hurt them for anything!"
"I'm sorry, then," said Mamma Cat.
"You must trust Fido, Mamma Cat!" said Raggedy Ann, "because he loves you and anyone who loves you can be trusted!"
"That's so!" replied Mamma Cat. "Cats love mice, too, and I wish the mice trusted us more!"
The dolls all laughed at this joke.
"Have you told the folks up at the house about your dear little kittens?" Raggedy Ann asked.
"Oh, my, no!" exclaimed Mamma Cat. "At the last place I lived the people found out about my kittens and do you know, all the kittens disappeared! I intend keeping this a secret!"
"But all the folks at this house are very kindly people and would dearly love your kittens!" cried all the dolls.
"Let's take them right up to the nursery!" said Raggedy Ann, "And Mistress can find them there in the morning!"
"How lovely!" said all the dolls in chorus. "Do, Mamma Cat! Raggedy Ann knows, for she is stuffed with nice clean white cotton and is very wise!"
So after a great deal of persuasion, Mamma Cat finally consented. Raggedy Ann took two of the kittens and carried them to the house while Mamma Cat carried the other.
Raggedy Ann wanted to give the kittens her bed, but Fido, who was anxious to prove his affection, insisted that Mamma Cat and the kittens should have his nice soft basket.
The dolls could hardly sleep that night; they were so anxious to see what Mistress would say when she found the dear little kittens in the morning.
Raggedy Ann did not sleep a wink, for she shared her bed with Fido and he kept her awake whispering to her.
In the morning when Marcella came to the nursery, the first thing she saw was the three little kittens.
She cried out in delight and carried them all down to show to Mamma and Daddy. Mamma Cat went trailing along, arching her back and purring with pride as she rubbed against all the chairs and doors.
Mamma and Daddy said the kittens could stay in the nursery and belong to Marcella, so Marcella took them back to Fido's basket while she hunted names for them out of a fairy tale book.
Marcella finally decided upon three names; Prince Charming for the white kitty, Cinderella for the Maltese and Princess Golden for the kitty with the yellow stripes.
So that is how the three little kittens came to live in the nursery.
And it all turned out just as Raggedy Ann had said, for her head was stuffed with clean white cotton, and she could think exceedingly wise thoughts.
And Mamma Cat found out that Fido was a very good friend, too. She grew to trust him so much she would even let him help wash the kittens' faces.
Kittens in bonnets
Fido in bed
All the dolls were tucked snugly in their little doll-beds for the night and the large house was very still.
Every once in a while Fido would raise one ear and partly open one eye, for his keen dog sense seemed to tell him that something was about to happen.
Fido wakes Raggedy Ann
Finally he opened both eyes, sniffed into the air and, getting out of his basket and shaking himself, he trotted across the nursery to Raggedy Ann's bed.
Fido put his cold nose in Raggedy Ann's neck. She raised her head from the little pillow.
"Oh! It's you, Fido!" said Raggedy Ann. "I dreamed the tin soldier put an icicle down my neck!"
"I can't sleep," Fido told Raggedy Ann. "I feel that something is about to happen!"
"You have been eating too many bones lately, Fido, and they keep you awake," Raggedy replied.
"No, it isn't that. I haven't had any bones since the folks had beef last Sunday. It isn't that. Listen, Raggedy!"
Raggedy Ann listened.
There was a murmur as if someone were singing, far away.
"What is it?" asked Fido.
"Sh!" cautioned Raggedy Ann, "It's music."
It was indeed music, the most beautiful music Raggedy Ann had ever heard.
It grew louder, but still seemed to befaraway.
Raggedy Ann and Fido could hear it distinctly and it sounded as if hundreds of voices were singing in unison.
"Please don't howl, Fido," Raggedy Ann said as she put her two rag arms around the dog's nose. Fido usually "sang" when he heard music.
But Fido did not sing this time; he was filled with wonder. It seemed as if something very nice was going to happen.
Fairies singing
Raggedy Ann sat upright in bed. The room was flooded with a strange, beautiful light and the music came floating in through the nursery window.
Raggedy Ann hopped from her bed and ran across the floor, trailing the bed clothes behind her. Fido followed close behind and together they looked out the window across the flower garden.
There among the flowers were hundreds of tiny beings, some playing on tiny reed instruments and flower horns, while others sang. This was the strange, wonderful music Raggedy and Fido had heard.
"It's the Fairies!" said Raggedy Ann. "To your basket quick, Fido! They are coming this way!" And Raggedy Ann ran back to her bed, with the bed clothes trailing behind her.
Fido gave three jumps and he was in his basket, pretending he was sound asleep, but one little black eye was peeping through a chink in the side.
Raggedy jumped into her bed and pulled the covers to her chin, but lay so that her shoe-button eyes could see towards the window.
Little Fairy forms radiant as silver came flitting into the nursery, singing in far away voices. They carried a little bundle. A beautiful light came from this bundle, and to Raggedy Ann and Fido it seemed like sunshine and moonshine mixed. It was a soft mellow light, just the sort of light you would expect to accompany Fairy Folk.
As Raggedy watched, her candy heart went pitty-pat against her cotton stuffing, for she saw a tiny pink foot sticking out of the bundle of light.
The Fairy troop sailed across the nursery and through the door with their bundle and Raggedy Ann and Fido listened to their far away music as they went down the hall.
Presently the Fairies returned without the bundle and disappeared through the nursery window.
Raggedy Ann and Fido again ran to the window and saw the Fairy troop dancing among the flowers.
The light from the bundle still hung about the nursery and a strange lovely perfume floated about.
When the Fairies' music ceased and they had flown away, Raggedy Ann and Fido returned to Raggedy's bed to think it all out.
When old Mister Sun peeped over the garden wall and into the nursery, and the other dolls awakened, Raggedy Ann and Fido were still puzzled.
"What is it, Raggedy Ann?" asked the tin soldier and Uncle Clem, in one voice.
Before Raggedy Ann could answer, Marcella came running into the nursery, gathered up all the dolls in her arms, and ran down the hall, Fido jumping beside her and barking shrilly.
"Be quiet!" Marcella said to Fido, "It's asleep and you might awaken it!"