They swarmed upon the pantry shelves and in their eagerness spilled a pitcher of cream which ran all over the French dolly’s dress.

The Indian doll found some corn bread and dipping it in the molasses he sat down for a good feast.

A jar of raspberry jam was overturned and the dollies ate of this until their faces were all purple.

The tin soldier fell from the shelf three times and bent one of his tin legs, but he scrambled right back up again.

Never had the dolls had so much fun and excitement, and they had all eaten their fill when they heard the click of the front gate.

[Illustration]

They did not take time to climb from the shelves, but all rolled or jumped off to the floor and scrambled back to their room as fast as they could run, leaving a trail of bread crumbs and jam along the way.

Just as their mistress came into the room the dolls dropped in whatever positions they happened to be in.

“This is funny!” cried Mistress.  “They were all left sitting in their places around the room!  I wonder if Fido has been shaking them up!” Then she saw Raggedy Ann’s face and picked her up.  “Why Raggedy Ann, you are all sticky!  I do believe you are covered with jam!” and Mistress tasted Raggedy Ann’s hand.  “Yes!  It’s jam!  Shame on you, Raggedy Ann!  You’ve been in the pantry and all the others, too!” and with this the dolls’ mistress dropped Raggedy Ann on the floor and left the room.

When she came back she had on an apron and her sleeves were rolled up.

She picked up all the sticky dolls and putting them in a basket she carried them out under the apple tree in the garden.

There she had placed her little tub and wringer and she took the dolls one at a time, and scrubbed them with a scrubbing brush and soused them up and down and this way and that in the soap suds until they were clean.

Then she hung them all out on the clothes-line in the sunshine to dry.

There the dolls hung all day, swinging and twisting about as the breeze swayed the clothes-line.

“I do believe she scrubbed my face so hard she wore off my smile!” said Raggedy Ann, after an hour of silence.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

“No, it is still there!” said the tin solder, as the wind twisted him around so he could see Raggedy.  “But I do believe my arms will never work without squeaking, they feel so rusted,” he added.

Just then the wind twisted the little Dutch doll and loosened his clothes-pin, so that he fell to the grass below with a sawdusty bump and as he rolled over he said, “Mamma!” in a squeaky voice.

Late in the afternoon the back door opened and the little mistress came out with a table and chairs.  After setting the table she took all the dolls from the line and placed them about the table.

They had lemonade with grape jelly in it, which made it a beautiful lavender color, and little “Baby-teeny-weeny-cookies” with powdered sugar on them.