Raggedy Ann Stories | Page 8

Some of the dogs in the
pen were barking at the moon and others were whining and crying.
[Illustration]

There was Fido, all covered with mud, and his pretty red ribbon
dragging on the ground. My, but he was glad to see the dolls and
Peterkins! All the dogs came to the side of the pen and twisted their
heads from side to side, gazing in wonder at the queer figures of the
dolls.
"We will try and let you out," said Raggedy Ann.
At this all the dogs barked joyfully.
Then Raggedy Ann, the other dolls and Peterkins went to the gate.
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.
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.
[Illustration]
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.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]

RAGGEDY ANN AND THE PAINTER
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."
So the dolls sat and talked until daylight, when the painters came to
work.
One of the painters, a young fellow, seeing the dolls,