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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.