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Raggedy Andy's
Long Road Home
 Raggedy Andy
had been sleeping for a very, very long time. He slept through Judy's school
years, he slept through her wedding and the birth of her two children and the
years they were growing up. Andy was sleeping when Judy's grandchildren were
born. Andy had been asleep for nearly fifty years, a long time indeed.
But one day, while
Andy was dozing in the darkness of his cardboard box, snuggled comfortably between his old friends
Stuffed Doggy and Mother Tiger, a small point of light appeared and woke him. Fuzzy with sleep, Andy
stirred and yawned, but he couldn't stretch because
he no longer had any arms. He was puzzled about the light, but he couldn't scratch his head,
either. Oh, what a bother not having any arms!
Andy watched as
the narrow slit of light grew larger and larger. A face appeared, gazing down at
him. The face looked vaguely familiar. It was an older face, surrounded by
graying hair, but the eyes reminded him of a little girl he knew so long ago, a
lively little girl with dimples and brown curly hair. Who was she?
His brows knit
tightly in concentration, Andy thought hard and slowly it came to him:
* * * * * * *
"I remember now! I was
born many, many years ago to a house where two lively little curly-headed girls
lived. A grandmother whom the girls called Nanan created me one winter day in
November. You see, I was to be a very special Christmas gift for a very special
little girl named Judy. My sister Raggedy Annie had already been brought to life
and was to be given to Judy?s younger sister Patty.
Annie sat and stared blankly as my limp and lifeless body was stuffed plump
with cotton from a bag on the floor. My legs with their handsome red-striped
socks and black shoes were securely stitched to my body by Nanan?s sturdy hands.
Then the arms, so I could hug and be hugged. Next came the eyes, shiny black
shoe button eyes! My eyebrows and mouth were skillfully embroidered and then a
red nose was appliqu? in place. Annie looked over from her corner anxiously,
and then smiled. I could see her now, and I saw that she approved.
My hair was attached next, red yarn hair like Annie?s. Nanan stitched that yarn
to my head so very securely so little hands could not pry it out. I was
given a red and white checked shirt, blue dungarees with shiny buttons and a
white sailor hat. Nanan held me up for inspection. I could see myself reflected
in the window and thought I was, indeed, a very handsome fellow!
Annie and I were stashed away in brown paper bags high up on a shelf in the hall
closet until Christmas Eve. It was dark and scary in there, but we waited
patiently for we knew we would soon be brought to life with love from our little
girls.
On Christmas Eve a big jolly man in a red suit set Annie and I under the
Christmas tree to wait. The tree was ablaze with bubble lights, ornaments of all
shapes and sizes, shiny tinsel and garland! A pattering of little feet was heard
in the hall and out bounded two little girls with curly hair and bright red
pajamas.
Judy lifted me up from under the tree and hugged me, and I hugged her back. I
was alive at last, and loved!
The next few years were exciting for Annie and me! We rode tricycles with our
girls, bumped along in a little red wagon, were put to bed at night and tucked
in with love and lots of hugs. We went everywhere with them.
But sometimes the
play got a bit rough and along the way I lost some hair and both my arms. My
clothes were lost as well. Then there was a big move and I was packed away into
a box to travel to our new home.
My Annie became lost forever.
Then something very sad and terrible happened: little girls find other toys to
play with, they grow up and lose interest in an old rag doll. I was packed away
and forgotten."
"And now I am found again!"
* * * * * * *
Hands
reached down into the darkness and gently lifted Andy up into the light. Oh how
bright the light was! Blinking, Andy fixed his sleepy eyes on the face before
him. Yes, it was his Judy, looking back at him and smiling. After all these long
years!
But her smile
turned to a frown, and sadness filled her face. And then it came to Andy: what a
sad and pathetic fellow he had become! Naked, armless, nearly hairless, and
stained with the years gone by.
Judy carried poor
old Raggedy Andy into the house, propped him up on a table and looked at him
with a critical eye. She studied him a very long time, then left the room.
Before Andy had time to collect his thoughts and have a good look around at his
new home, Judy returned with a box and scissors and tape and began wrapping him
in tissue paper. In the blink of an eye poor Andy was in a box once again, this time
sealed up tight and sent away on an unexpected trip.
When
Andy arrived at his destination, he was delighted
to see Patty, the other little girl, only all grown up now. Sister Patty, now a doll
maker, saw that Andy still had a spark left and went right to work. First she gave
him a gentle but thorough bath and washed away the dirt and stains. Then she gave
him new arms, and some new red yarn hair and a costume of red and
white checkered shirt, soft blue dungarees with shiny buttons and a white sailor
hat, just like those he had worn so many years ago!
Patty looked at
Andy with satisfaction, and held him up so he could see his
reflection in the window. And Andy thought, "My, I am quite a handsome fellow
once again! Wouldn?t Annie just laugh and hug me tight!"
It was
delightful to be with sister Patty and
Andy was immensely pleased with all
she had done for him, but before he could even say "Thank you" Patty hugged him
goodbye and he was packed into a
box and sent on another journey.
Andy was going home.
* * * * * * *
When the
package arrived and Judy opened it, her eyes filled with tears when she saw the
brand new Andy - but they were happy tears, and she hugged Andy and gave him a heartwarming smile.
And
Andy thought, "I'm home, and I'm Raggedy Andy again, good as new, with two
strong new arms for hugging and fresh new clothes and lots of bright new red
hair. And I have Judy and Patty to share it all with. What more could an old rag
doll wish for, indeed!"
Andy's Magical Makeover
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