THE ADVENTURES OF RAGGEDY ANN

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE ADVENTURES OF RAGGEDY ANN

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Raggecly Ann and the Kite. Raggedy Ann watched with interest the preparations. A number of sticks were being fastened together with (strings and covered with light cloth. Raggedy Ann heard some of the boys talk of "the kite," so Raggedy Ann knew this must be a kite. When a tail had been fastened to the kite and a large ball of heavy twine tied to the Tront, one of the boys held the kite up in the air and another boy walked off, unwinding the ball of twine. There was a nice breeze blowing, so the boy with the twine called, "Let 'er go," and started running. Marcella held Raggedy up she eould watch the kite sail through the air. How nicely it climbed! But suddenly the kite acted strangely, and as all the children shouted advice to the boy with the ball of twine, the kite began darting this way and that, and finally making four or five loop-thc-loops, it crashed to the ground. "It needs more tall on it!" one boy shouted. Then the children asked each other whore they might get more rags to fasten to the tail of the kite.

"Lot's tie Raggedy Ann to the tail!" suggested Marcella. "I know she would enjoy a trip 'way up in the sky!"

The boys all shouted with delight at this new suggestion. So Raggedy Ann was tied to the tail of the kite.

This time the kite rose straight in the air and remained steady. The boy with the ball of twine unwound it until the kite and Raggedy Ann were 'way, 'way up and far away. How Raggedy Ann enjoyed being up there! She could see for miles and milesi And how tinv the children looked!

Suddenly a great puff of wind came and carried Raggedy Ann streaming way out behind the kite! She could hear the wind singing on the twine as the strain increased.

Suddenly Raggedy Ann felt something rip. It was the rag to which she was tied. As each pufT of wind caught her the rip widened.

When Marcella watched Raggedy Ann rise high above the field, she wondered how much Raggedy Ann enjoyed it, and wished that she, too, might have gone along. But after the kite had been up in the air for five or ten minutes, Marcella grew restless. Kite 3 were rather tiresome. There was more fun in tea parties out under the apple tree.

"Will you please pull down the kite now?" she asked the boy with the twine. "I want Raggedy Ann."

"T>et her ride up there!" the boy replied. "We'll bring her home when we pull down the kite! We're going to get another ball of twine and let her go higher!"

Marcella did not like to leave Raggedy Ann with the boys, so she sat down on the ground to wait until they pulled down the kite.

But while Marcella watched Raggedy Ann, a dot in the sky, she could not see the wind ripping the rag to which Raggedy was tied.

Suddenly the rag parted and Raggedy Ann went sailing away as the wind caught in lier skirts.

Marcella jumped from the ground, too surprised to say anything:. The kite, released from the weight of Raggedy Ann began darting and swooping to the ground.

"We'll get her for you!" some of the boys paid when they saw Marcella's troubled face, and they started running in the direction Raggedy Ann had fallen. Marcella and the other girls ran with them. They ran. and they ran, and they ran. and at last they found the kite upon the ground with one of the sticks broken, hut they could not find Raggedy Ann anywhere.

"She must have fallen almost in your yard!" a boy said to Marcella, "for the kite was directly over hero when the doll fell!"

Marcella was heartbroken. She went in tlie house and lay on the bed. Mamma went out witli the children and tried to find Raggedy Ann, but Raggedy Ann was nowhere to be seen.

"When daddy came home in the evening he tried to find Raggedy, but met with no success. Marcella had eaten hnnlly any dinner, nor could she be comforted by mamma or daddy. The other dolls in the nursery lay forgotten and were not put to bed'that night, for Marcella lay and sobbed and tossed about her bed.

Sheila Weare—Thanks for your contribution, Sheila. Your message was sent on to .\ociine. We. shall be jrlad to welcome you' as a member of the club.

Marguerite Nixon—Glad you liked the bonk so much, Marguerite, and I hope you will be successful in attaining your objective.

Erica MclMamara—l hope your success will encourage you to make further effort in this direction, Erica. You have done very well.

Lois Arnold—Your club's contribution was most welcome, Lois. We are all hoping that our present campaign will be a splendid effort.

Mary Lenley—Sorry to hear that you have been ill. Mary. This latest campaig-n was launched to pain funds to bring: a party ol' children from the Far North of Auckland for a holiday in the city. Thanks for the kind olTer: perhaps you would like to send your girts in for the winter campaign.

Molly Curtin—Thanks Cor the contribution. anil for the good wishes, too, Molly.

Maureen Connop—You have been- made a member or the club, Maureen, and an enrolment certilleate is being sent to you. Yes, you are allotted three points* every year for your birthday.

Peggy Challoner—l hope that you will soon win more certificates, Peg-gy. Did you get the bicycle?

Molly Harmer—Thanks for the g-ift, Molly, it certainly will help.

Margaret Kell—Your gifts Were just lovely. Margaret. And Wendy knew the very best persons to g-ive them to.

Peggy Qarton—Sorry that we are not able to help you out in the matter of penfriends. We rarely have any names, and we know of no one in either Japan or China.

Finally she said a little prayer for Raggedy Ann, and went to sleep. And as 6he slept Marcella dreamed that tlie fairies came and took Raggedy Ann with them to fairyland for a visit, and then sent Raggedy Ann home to her. She awakened with a cry. Of course mamma came to her bed right away and said that daddy would offer a reward in the morning for the return of Raggedy. "It was all my fault, mamma!" Mar cella said. "I should not have offered the boys dear old Raggedy Ann to tie on the tail of the kite! But I just know the fairies will send her back." Mamma took her in her arms and soothed her with cheering words, although she felt indeed that Raggedy Ann was truly lost and would never be found again. Now where do you suppose Raggedy Ann was all this time? When Raggedy Ann dropped from the kite, the wind caught in her skirts and carried her along until she fell in the fork of the large elm tree directly over Marcella'e house. When Raggedy Ann fell with a thud, face up in the fork of the tree, two robins who had a nest near by flew chattering away.

Presently the robins returned and quarrelled at Raggedy Ann for lying so close to their nest, but Raggedy Ann only smiled at them and did not move.

When the robins quieted down and quit their quarrelling, one of them hopped closer to Raggedy Ann in order to investigate.

It was mamma robin. She called to daddy robin and told him to come. "See the nice yarn! We could nee it to line the nest with," she said. So the robins hopped close to Raggedy Ann and asked if they might have some of her yarn hair to line their nests. Raggedy Ann smiled at them. So the two robins pulled and tugged at Raggedy Ai\n's yarn hair until they had enough to line their nest nice and soft.

Evening came and the robins sang their good night songs, and Raggedy Ann watched the stars come out, twinkle all night and disappear in the morning light. In the morning tho robins again pulled yarn from Raggedy Ann's head, and loosened her so she could peep over the side of the limb, and when the sun came tip Raggedy Ann saw she was in the tree 3 in°her own yarfl. •

Now before she could eat any breakfast, Marcella started out to find Raggedy Ann. And, it was Marcella herself who found her. And this is how she did it.

Mamma robin had seen Marcella with Raggedy Ann out in the yard many times, so she began calling "Cheery! Cheery!" and daddy robin started calling "Cheery! Cheery! Cheer up! Cheer up! Cheerily, Cheerily! Cheery! Cheery!" And Marcella looking up into the tree above the house to see the robins, discovered Raggedy Ann peeping over the limb at her.

Oh, how her heart beat with happiness. "Here is Raggedy Ann," she shouted.

And mamma and daddy came out and saw Raggedy smiling at them, and daddy got the clothes prop and climbed out of the attic window and poked Raggedy Ann out of the tree and she fell right into Marcella's arms where she was huggeu in a tight embrace.

"You'll never go up on a kite again, Raggedy Ann!" said Marcella, "for I felt so lost without you. I will never let you leave me again."

So Raggedy Ann went into the house and had breakfast with her little mistrees and mamma and daddy smiled'at each other when they peeped through the door into the breakfast room, for Raggery Ann's smile was wide and very yellow. Marcella, her heart full of happiness, was feeding Raggedy Ann part of her egg.

Claire Trigg—lt was lovely or you and your mother to think or sending: the money for the holiday rund. Peter Pan and Wendy send their best thanks and hope that you both had a very jolly Christmas. Joyce Rout—Wendy thanks you Tor the little letter, Joyce, and wants you to know that she had a really wonderful Christmas. Mary Greig—Thanks for the cheery letter, Mary. Yes, letter writing does have its disadvantages. Perhaps we shall have tin? pleasure of meeting' you some time. Patricia Dervan—There are only two points recorded on your card at the olTlce, Patricia. You may have some at home.

Colleen Peterson—Sorry that the mistake occurred over the spelling or your name, Colleen. It has now been put right, and your birth date recorded.

Betty Chitty—You are not quite rttfht about the points, Betty. Points are awarded for every contribution that Is published in the "Star Twinkles."

Teddy Oimblatt—Many thanks to you and your brothers for the contributions, Teddy. Did Santa Claus bring- you the thing-s that you wanted?

Lesley Young—The g-lfts were splendid, Lesley. Both Peter Pan and Wendy hope that you are now quite recovered from your illness.

Noline Gardner—The Christmas card was very fine, Noline. Many thanks.

Batty Good rick—Sorry that you have been disappointed over the competitions so far, Betty. Everyone cannot win a prize, you know, and other people have done better "work than you so rar. Keep on trying-, though, and then when you least expect it. you "will be successful.

Ivan Cot—l am g-lad that the certificate £ave you so much pleasure, Ivan, and hope that you will win many more. May 193? have many good things in store Tor you all.

Marion Dewhirst—Sorry to hear or your illness, Marion, and we hope that you will make a speedy recovery. Would any of our readers seeing this write to Marion, who has been suffering- from appendicitis. Her address is c/o 8.N.Z., Taihape, and she is interested In screen stars, swimming-, dan-ins. riding-, and tesmis.