Good evening.
My name is Bill Larson.
Tonight I would like to begin by saying thank you to everyone who takes the time to log on and listen to me read,
Whether it's a children's story or one meant for an older audience.
I just want to say thank you.
I appreciate that and the kind words that you send to me.
Some of those kind words actually beckon me to read more children's stories because many parents and grandparents have taken the time to play these recordings that I make for their children and grandchildren.
So keeping a promise that I've made to several people,
I wanted to take the time to read a children's story tonight.
Tonight's story begins Raggedy Ann's Stories by Johnny Gruel,
Originally published in 1918.
Preface and Dedication As I write this,
I have before me on my desk,
Propped up against the telephone,
An old rag doll,
Dear old Raggedy Ann,
The same Raggedy Ann with which my mother played when a child.
There she sits,
A trifle loppy and loose-jointed,
Looking me squarely in the face in a straightforward,
Honest manner,
A twinkle where her shoe-button eyes reflect the electric light.
Evidently Raggedy has been to a tea party today,
For her face is covered with chocolate.
She smiles happily and continuously.
True,
She has been nibbled by mice,
Who have made nests out of her soft cotton,
With which she has been stuffed.
But Raggedy smiled just as broadly when the mice nibbled at her,
For her smile is painted on.
What adventures you must have had,
Raggedy!
What joy and happiness you have brought into this world!
And no matter what treatment you have received,
How patient you have been!
What lessons of kindness and fortitude you might teach could you but talk?
You with your wisdom of fifty-nine years,
No wonder Ragdolls are the best beloved.
You are so kindly,
So patient,
So lovable.
The more you become torn,
Tattered and loose-jointed Ragdolls,
The more you are loved by children.
Who knows but that Fairyland is filled with old,
Lovable Ragdolls,
Soft,
Loppy Ragdolls,
Who ride through all the wonders of Fairyland in the crook of dimpled arms,
Snuggling close to childish breasts within which beat hearts filled with eternal sunshine.
So,
To the millions of children and grown-ups who have loved a Ragdoll,
I dedicate these stories of Raggedy Anne.
Signed,
Johnny Gruel.
Marcella liked to play up in the attic at Grandma's quaint old house way out in the country,
For there were so many old forgotten things to find up there.
One day,
When Marcella was up in the attic and had played with the old spinning wheel until she had grown tired of it,
She curled up on an old horsehair sofa to rest.
I wonder what is in that barrel way back in the corner,
She thought,
As she jumped from the sofa and climbed over two dusty trunks to the barrel,
Standing back under the eaves.
It was quite dark back there,
So when Marcella had pulled a large bundle of things from the barrel,
She took them over to the dormer window where she could see better.
There was a funny little bonnet with long white ribbons.
Marcella put it on.
In an old leather bag,
She found a number of tin types of queer-looking men and women in old-fashioned clothes.
And there was one picture of a very pretty little girl with long curls tied tightly back from her forehead,
And wearing a long dress,
And queer pantaloons which reached to her shoe tops.
And then,
Out of the heap,
She pulled an old rag doll with only one shoe button eye and a painted nose and a smiling mouth.
Her dress was of soft material,
Blue,
With pretty little flowers and dots all over it.
Forgetting everything else in the happiness of her find,
Marcella caught up the rag doll and ran downstairs to show it to Grandma.
Well,
Well,
Where did you find it?
Grandma cried.
It's old raggedy Anne.
She went on as she hugged the doll to her breast.
I had forgotten her.
She has been in the attic for fifty years,
I guess.
Well,
Well,
Dear old raggedy Anne,
I will sew another button on her right away.
And Grandma went to the machine drawer and got her needle and thread.
Marcella watched the sewing while Grandma told how she played with raggedy Anne when she was a little girl.
Now,
Grandma laughed,
Raggedy Anne,
You have two fine shoe button eyes,
And with them you can see the changes that have taken place in the world while you have been shut up so long in the attic.
For raggedy Anne,
You have a new playmate and mistress now,
And I hope you both will have as much happiness together as you and I used to have.
Then Grandma gave raggedy Anne to Marcella,
Saying very seriously,
Marcella,
Let me introduce my very dear friend,
Raggedy Anne.
Raggedy,
This is my granddaughter,
Marcella.
And Grandma gave the doll a twitch with her fingers in such a way that the rag doll nodded her head to Marcella.
Oh,
Grandma,
Thank you ever and ever so much.
Marcella cried as she gave Grandma a hug and kiss.
Raggedy Anne and I will have just loads of fun.
And this is how raggedy Anne joined the doll family at Marcella's house,
Where she began the adventures of Raggedy Anne,
Told in the following stories.
Story 1.
Raggedy Anne Learns a Lesson One day,
The dolls were left all to themselves.
Their little mistress had placed them all around the room and told them to be nice children while she was away.
And there they sat,
And never even so much as wiggled a finger,
Until their mistress had left the room.
Then the soldier dolly turned his head and solemnly winked at Raggedy Anne.
And when the front gate clicked and the dollies knew they were alone in the house,
They all scrambled to their feet.
Now,
Let's have a good time,
Cried the tin soldier.
Let's all go in search of something to eat.
Yes,
Let's all go in search of something to eat,
Cried all the other dollies.
When mistress had me out playing with her this morning,
Said Raggedy Anne,
She carried me by a door near the back of the house,
And I smelled something which smelled as if it could taste delicious.
Ah,
Then you'll lead the way,
Raggedy Anne,
Cried the French dolly.
Hmm,
I think it would be a good plan to elect Raggedy Anne as our leader on this expedition,
Said the Indian doll.
At this,
All the other dolls clapped their hands together and shouted,
Hurrah,
Raggedy Anne will be our leader.
So,
Raggedy Anne,
Very proud indeed to have the confidence and love of all the other dollies,
Said that she would be very glad to be their leader.
Follow me,
She cried,
As her wobbly legs carried her across the floor at a lively pace.
The other dollies followed,
Racing about the house until they came to the pantry door.
This is the place,
Cried Raggedy Anne,
And sure enough,
All the dollies smelled something which they knew must be very good to eat.
But,
None of the dollies was tall enough to open the door,
And although they pushed and pulled with all their might,
The door remained tightly closed.
The dollies were talking and pulling and pushing,
And every once in a while,
One would fall over and the others would step on her in their efforts to open the door.
Finally,
Raggedy Anne drew away from the others and sat down on the floor.
When the other dollies discovered Raggedy Anne sitting there,
Running her rag hands through her yarn hair,
They knew she was thinking.
Shhh,
They said to each other,
And quietly went over near Raggedy Anne and sat down in front of her.
There must be a way to get inside,
Said Raggedy Anne.
Raggedy says there must be a way to get inside,
Cried all the dolls.
I can't seem to think clearly today,
Said Raggedy Anne.
It feels as if my head were ripped.
At this,
The French doll ran to Raggedy Anne and took off her bonnet.
Oh,
Oui,
There is a rip in your head,
Raggedy,
She said,
And pulled a pin from her skirt and pinned up Raggedy's head.
Oh,
It's not a very neat job,
For I got some puckers in it,
She said.
Oh,
That is ever so much better,
Cried Raggedy Anne.
Now I can think quite clearly.
Now Raggedy can think quite clearly,
Cried all the dolls.
My thoughts must have leaked out the rip before,
Said Raggedy Anne.
They must have leaked out before,
Dear Raggedy,
Cried all the other dolls.
Now that I can think so clearly,
Said Raggedy Anne,
I think the door must be locked,
And to get in we must unlock it.
That will be easy,
Said the Dutch doll,
Who says mama,
When she is tipped backward and forward,
For we will have the brave tin soldier shoot the key out of the lock.
I can easily do that,
Cried the tin soldier as he raised his gun.
Oh,
Raggedy Anne,
Cried the French dolly,
Please do not let him shoot.
No,
Said Raggedy Anne,
We must think of a quieter way.
After thinking quite hard for a moment,
Raggedy Anne jumped up and said,
I have it,
And she caught up the jumping jack and held him up to the door.
Then jack slid up his stick and unlocked the door.
Then the dollies all pushed and the door swung open.
Why,
Such a scramble!
The dolls piled over one another in their desire to be the first at the goodies.
They swarmed up the pantry shelves and in their eagerness spilled a pitcher of cream which ran all over the French dolly's dress.
The Indian doll found some cornbread and dipping it in the molasses he sat down for a good feast.
A jar of raspberry jam was overturned and the dollies ate of this until their faces were all purple.
The tin soldier fell from the shelf three times and bent one of his tin legs,
But he scrambled right back up again.
Never had the dolls had so much fun and excitement and they had all eaten their fill when they heard the click of the front gate.
They did not take time to climb from the shelves,
But all rolled or jumped off to the floor and scrambled back to their room as fast as they could run,
Leaving a trail of breadcrumbs and jam along the way.
Just as their mistress came into the room,
The dolls dropped in whatever positions they happened to be in.
This is funny,
Cried mistress.
They were all left sitting in their places around the room.
I wonder if Fido has been shaking them up.
Then she saw Raggedy Ann's face and picked her up.
Why Raggedy Ann,
You are all sticky.
I do believe you are covered with jam.
And mistress tasted Raggedy Ann's hand.
Yes,
It's jam.
Shame on you,
Raggedy Ann.
You've been in the pantry and all the others too.
And with this,
The doll's mistress dropped Raggedy Ann on the floor and left the room.
When she came back,
She had on an apron and her sleeves were rolled up.
She picked up all the sticky dolls and putting them in a basket,
She carried them out under the apple tree in the garden.
There she had placed her little tub and ringer and she took the dolls one at a time and scrubbed them with a scrubbing brush and soused them up and down and this way and that in the soap suds until they were clean.
Then she hung them all out on the clothesline in the sunshine to dry.
There the dolls hung all day,
Swinging and twisting about as the breeze swayed the clothesline.
I do believe she scrubbed my face so hard she wore off my smile,
Said Raggedy Ann after an hour of silence.
No,
It is still there,
Said the tin soldier as the wind twisted him around so he could see Raggedy.
But I do believe my arms will never work without squeaking.
They feel so rusted,
He added.
Just then the wind twisted the little Dutch doll and loosened his clothespin so that he fell to the grass below with a sawdusty bump and as he rolled over he said,
Mama,
In a squeaky voice.
Late in the afternoon the back door opened and the little mistress came out with a table and chairs.
After setting the table she took all the dolls from the line and placed them about the table.
They had lemonade with grape jelly in it which made it a beautiful lavender color and little baby teeny weeny cookies with powdered sugar on them.
After this lovely dinner the dollies were taken into the house where they had their hair brushed and nice clean nighties put on.
Then they were placed in their beds and mistress kissed each one goodnight and tiptoed from the room.
All the dolls lay as still as mice for a few minutes.
Then Raggedy Anne raised up on her cotton-stuffed elbows and said,
I have been thinking.
Shhh,
Said all the other dollies,
Raggedy has been thinking.
Yes,
Said Raggedy Anne,
I have been thinking,
Our mistress gives us the nice dinner out under the trees to teach us a lesson.
She wished us to know that we could have had all the goodies we wished whenever we wished,
If we had behaved ourselves.
And our lesson was that we must never take without asking what we could always have for the asking.
So let us all remember and try never again to do anything which might cause those who love us any unhappiness.
Let us all remember chimed all the other dollies.
And Raggedy Anne,
With a merry twinkle in her shoe button eyes,
Lay back in her little bed,
Her cotton head filled with thoughts of love and happiness.
