The Bashful Doll

Lily had a small bedroom. She liked it very much. It was full of fantastic toys: there was a digger, a wind-up car, a pink pony, a small red piano, a bouncy ball, a set of marbles, and a metal wind-up chicken. In her wardrobe were some wooden blocks, a doll-stroller with a pillow and blanket, and a yo-yo.

Lily dearly loved all her toys. It was as if they came alive in her hands when she played. She also did their speaking for them, giving each one a different voice and creating action scenes in which all the toys take part. This was easy — she would simply use her imagination. Toys can’t really come to life, right? Well, everything is possible in fairy tales.

Every night, after Lily falls asleep and the room becomes quiet and still, the toys spring to life. They jump off of shelves, out of cupboards and drawers, and generally hang out with each other. Although playing with Lily is something they all thoroughly enjoy, at night they like being able to frolic freely. They play so many games! The obstacle course is their favourite. The marbles, the ball, and the yo-yo roll around the room, and the blocks create obstacles. Then the digger, the toy car, the pony, and the teddy bear zigzag between them, trying not to collide with one another. Meanwhile, the piano plays silly tunes. The toys always laugh so hard that their bellies nearly burst — if they had bellies, of course. They also play hide-and-seek, blind-man’s-bluff, tag, and more. They have fun doing almost everything, especially when they’re together.

Soon Lily’s third birthday came along. As a present, she received a doll named Amelie. The other toys were looking forward to the evening,…