The attack came on quite suddenly.

The French doll was sitting quietly in one of the little red chairs, smiling the prettiest of dimpling smiles at Raggedy Andy, and thinking of the romp the dolls would have that night after the house grew quiet, when Marcella discovered that the French doll had the “croup” and put her to bed.

The French doll closed her eyes when put to bed, but the rest of her face did not change expression.  She still wore her happy smile.

[Illustration:  Marcella caring for the sick]

Marcella mixed the medicine very “strong” and poured it into the French doll’s open mouth.

She was given a “dose” every minute or so.

It was during the “yellow fever” stage that Marcella was called to supper and left the dolls in the nursery alone.

Marcella did not play with them again that evening; so the dolls all remained in the same position until Marcella and the rest of the folks went to bed.

Then Raggedy Andy jumped from his chair and wound up the little music box.  “Let’s start with a lively dance!” he cried.

When the music started tinkling he caught the French doll’s hand, and danced ’way across the nursery floor before he discovered that her soft brown eyes remained closed as they were when she lay upon the “sick” bed.

All the dolls gathered around Raggedy Andy and the French doll.

“I can’t open my eyes!” she said.

Raggedy Andy tried to open the French doll’s eyes with his soft rag hands, but it was no use.

They shook her.  This sometimes has the desired effect when dolls do not open their eyes.

They shook her again and again.  It was no use, her eyes remained closed.

“It must be the sticky, sugary ’medicine’!” said Uncle Clem.

“I really believe it must be!” the French doll replied.  “The ‘medicine’ seemed to settle in the back of my head when I was lying down, and I can still feel it back there!”

“That must be it, and now it has hardened and keeps your pretty eyes from working!” said Raggedy Ann.  “What shall we do?”

Raggedy Andy and Raggedy Ann walked over to a corner of the nursery and thought and thought.  They pulled their foreheads down into wrinkles with their hands, so that they might think harder.

[Illustration:  Raggedy Andy winds the music box]

Finally Raggedy Ann cried, “I’ve thought of a plan!” and went skipping from the corner out to where the other dolls sat about the French doll.

“We must stand her upon her head, then the ‘medicine’ will run up into her hair, for there is a hole in the top of her head.  I remember seeing it when her hair came off one time!”

“No sooner said than done!” cried Uncle Clem, as he took the French doll by the waist and stood her upon her head.

“That should be long enough!” Raggedy Ann said, when Uncle Clem had held the French doll in this position for five minutes.