Kirsten's Adventures

10.20.08

Kirsten is an 18-inch-tall girl from 1854, Nellie is an 18-inch-tall girl from 1906, and May is an 18-inch-tall girl from the 1920s.  Mini Kit is a 6-inch-tall doll from 1934.

October 15th is Nellie's birthday!  So on that day, I gave her a hug, I fixed the cuffs on her work dress, and Nellie spent time with the family.   Nellie was very happy.

But Nellie likes to be busy, and a few days later, she decided to do some cleaning.

Nellie reaches for some DVDs strewn on my stereo.

"Oh dear," she said.  "I can't reach those misplaced DVDs.  What will I do?  Hmmm..."  

She felt a song coming on.  "This is ridiculous," she murmured.  And she tried to reach the DVDs again, to no avail.  "Well...a lot of strange things happen here."  She cleared her throat and tried singing.

"Aa-aa-aa-aa-ah,"

Nellie turns with her hands up.

"Aa-aa-aa-aa-ah,"

Close up on Nellie, same pose

"Aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-ah."

There was no response.

"I suppose I could just dust the stereo instead--hey!"

A squirrel is on Nellie's hand.

"It's Sammy the squirrel!  I don't think wild animals are very good at cleaning, but--"

In a flash, Sammy climbed up onto the stereo!  Nellie had to jump back...

Sammy is on the stereo and two DVDs are on the ground.

...as he threw the DVDs down at her.

"You sure are strong for a little woodland creature," Nellie said.  She put the DVDs away, but a noise startled her.

Nellie looks up at the TV, which has a picture from "Enchanted" on it.

"Oh, my," she said.  "The TV was off before.  Did I step on the remote by mistake?"

"Surprise!"

Nellie looks back to see Kirsten, Pegleg Sally, May, and Mini Kit sitting at a table draped in a pink tablecloth.

"Wow!" Nellie cried.  "What's going on?"

"Happy belated birthday, Nellie!" said Kirsten and May.

"Sorry we're late," Mini Kit said, "but we wanted to surprise you!"

"And you did!" Nellie said.

Nellie sits down at the table.

"But I didn't want anyone to go to any trouble," Nellie continued.

"Pssst," Kirsten stage-whispered.  "It's not very hard to start a DVD playing."

"'Enchanted' is your favorite movie, right?" Mini Kit asked.

"Well, yes," Nellie said, "but I'd be just as happy just spending time with everyone."

"We can do that after the movie," May suggested.  

Nellie remembered that movies from the 1920s were usually black and white, with just music and no voices.  She decided that May would enjoy seeing modern special effects.  And so they settled in.

The girls watch the movie.

"This is a swell film," May said, "but, well, it seems a bit impractical.  I'm surprised that you like it, Nellie, when the characters are so unrealistic."

"Of course I like it!" Nellie said.  "It has cleaning and sewing and Miss Giselle is so...so..."

"Pretty?" Kirsten asked.

"Brave?" Mini Kit offered.

"Insane?" May raised an eyebrow.

They all watch the movie.

"No!" Nellie said.  "She's so nice and good and kind!  She sees the best in everyone!"

"Maybe, but Pip's better," Kirsten mumbled.

They all enjoyed the movie, and when the bonus features came up automatically, they watched those too.  When the DVD finally ended, they found...

One slice of pie is on the table, with three spoons and a tiny spoon.

"Chocolate pie!" Nellie cried.  "With spoons for everyone!"

Kirsten looks doubtful.

Kirsten grimaced.  "You mean we have to share?"

"Don't you like sharing dessert, Miss Kirsten?" Nellie asked.  "It's so much fun!  And we'll each be consuming at least 66% fewer grams of fat!"

Nellie, May, and Mini Kit dig into the pie.

"Hurry up and eat, Kirsten," May said, "or there won't be any left for you."

Kirsten has some pie

So Kirsten tried some.

"Don't things taste better when you share them with people you love?" Nellie asked.

"They taste best if I have my own piece of pie," Kirsten grumbled.

When they finished, the plate and spoons were whisked away like magic.

"Now we can have some time to visit!" Nellie said.  

The girls settle down to talk.

"May," Kirsten said, "why don't you tell Nellie your life story?"

"What?" May asked.

Kirsten winked.

"Oh!" May said.  "Riiiiight!  My life story!"

Kirsten, May, and Mini Kit talk.

"Well," she continued, "my father works in a dining car on the railroad.  He met my Mama on the train--she was a maid in the sleeping cars."

Mini Kit and May look at Nellie.

Nellie smiled.  "That's sweet!"

Kirsten tried to remain unnoticed as May continued her story.

And then...

"Surprise!" Kirsten said.

Kirsten sneaks up behind the others.

"I've got your present!" Kirsten said.

"Present?" Nellie asked.  "Miss Kirsten...is it invisible?"

"No, it's behind me!" Kirsten said.  "Come on!"

Kirsten shields Nellie from a piece of turquoise fabric.

"You really didn't need to get me anything," Nellie said.

"We all worked together on it," Kirsten replied.

Kirsten holds out a turquoise dress.

"What is that?" Nellie asked, eyes wide.

"That Cheap Lady and the rest of us worked together to make it for you!" Kirsten said.

Nellie holds the dress, a version of Giselle's "curtain" dress from "Enchanted."

"Oh...my," Nellie murmued.  "This is so beautiful!  I don't--I mean--are you sure that Miss Cheap Lady didn't mean to send it away to anyone else?"

"Don't be silly," May said.

"You're the closest thing to a princess we'll ever see here," Kirsten said.

"Hey!" Mini Kit said, motioning to her own princess dress.

Kirsten didn't apologize.

Nellie looks more closely at the dress.

"Are...are you sure, Miss Cheap Lady?" Nellie asked.

"Of course!" I replied.  "You're a very special doll and you deserve a very special dress.  Now put it on!"

Like magic....

Nellie wears the dress while the others look on.

...Nellie slipped into the dress!

"Yay!" Mini Kit said.  "Another princess!  Not nearly as adventurous as me, and she's clearly 'new money,' but still!"

"You look spiffy!" May said.

"Yeah, you look a lot better than Mini Kit," Kirsten said.

Mini Kit glared.  To try to prevent a fight, I said, "Nellie, why don't you pose for some pictures?"

Nellie obliged.

Nellie holds up the white underskirt to reveal a pink underskirt.

Nellie turns at a bit of an angle.

Nellie shivered.  "Oh dear.  You don't think I'm going to turn vain, do you?"

"I doubt it," May said.

Nellie shows off her dress for the other girls once more.

"You're all the best!" Nellie said....

Nellie hugs the others.

...and she caught them all in a hug!

Nellie poses one more time.

"Thank you again, everyone!" Nellie said as the party broke up.

The other girls, however, didn't look nearly as good as Nellie.

Kirsten, Mini Kit, and May have messed hair.

"Look on the bright side," Mini Kit said, smoothing her hair.  "They sometimes say that dolls with messy hair have been well-loved."

"I think I've been getting too much love lately," May muttered.


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