“She pulled the sled over in back of her house and did not see that I was upon it until she turned to go in the kitchen; then she picked me up and took me inside.  ‘He’s frozen as stiff as a board!’ she told Marcella as she handed me to her.  Marcella did not say why she had forgotten to come for me, but I found out afterward that it was because she was so wet.  Gran’ma made her change her clothes and shoes and stockings and would not permit her to go out and play again.

“Well, anyway,” concluded Raggedy Andy, “Marcella tried to limber my arm and, being almost solid ice, it just burst.  And that is the way it went all the time we were out at Gran’ma’s; I was wet nearly all the time.  But I wish you could all have been with me to share in the fun.”

And Raggedy Andy again leaned over the little toy stove and rubbed his rag hands briskly together.

Uncle Clem went to the waste paper basket and came back with some scraps of yellow and red paper.  Then, taking off one of the tiny lids, he stuffed the paper in part of the way as if the flames were “shooting up!”

Then, as all the dolls’ merry laughter rang out, Raggedy Andy stopped rubbing his hands, and catching Raggedy Ann about the waist, he went skipping across the nursery floor with her, whirling so fast neither saw they had gone out through the door until it was too late.  For coming to the head of the stairs, they both went head over heels, “blumpity, blump!” over and over, until they wound up, laughing, at the bottom.

“Last one up is a Cocoa baby!” cried Raggedy Ann, as she scrambled to her feet.  And with her skirts in her rag hands she went racing up the stairs to where the rest of the dollies stood laughing.

“Hurrah, for Raggedy Ann!” cried Raggedy Andy generously.  “She won!”

[Illustration:  Raggedy Ann racing up the stairs]

[Illustration:  Listening to the seashell]

[Illustration:  The Singing Shell]

THE SINGING SHELL

For years and years the beautiful shell had been upon the floor in Gran’ma’s front room.  It was a large shell with many points upon it.  These were coarse and rough, but the shell was most beautiful inside.

Marcella had seen the shell time and time again and often admired its lovely coloring, which could be seen when one looked inside the shell.

So one day, Gran’ma gave the beautiful shell to Marcella to have for her very own, up in the nursery.

“It will be nice to place before the nursery door so the wind will not blow the door to and pinch anyone’s fingers!” Gran’ma laughed.

So Marcella brought the shell home and placed it in front of the nursery door.  Here the dolls saw it that night, when all the house was still, and stood about it wondering what kind of toy it might be.

“It seems to be nearly all mouth!” said Henny, the Dutch doll.  “Perhaps it can talk.”