Legend has it that I learned to walk with this doll. It explains a lot about me. I’ve been known to trip and fall both up and down stairs, walk into plateglass windows, topple backwards while sitting writing, feet dangling from my chair . . . oh, the agony and humor of it all.
The doll was given to me the Christmas I turned one. It was given to me by my godparents. Sophie and Bill were both related to me on different sides of the family. It took me years to figure it out. In fact, I still have to think about it. Sophie was my grandmother’s niece and Bill was my grandfather’s nephew. They were both exceedling kind and generous to me, visiting often, attentive to my birthdays, holidayss, and religious observances. They were a remarkable presence in my life.
The doll has no given name, for some odd reason. She does have a bisque head and is wearing clothes that were mine. Her eyes open and close with the thickest eyelashes you could ever imagine. She has spent most of her 60 years in a box, wrapped up to keep her safe, and labeled “Penny’s Doll”, yet, she still has the sweetest of smiles upon her rosy-cheeked face.
She stands on rollers, much like roller skates. The are covered with rubber-like shoes. They are original. In fact, ”Penny’s Doll” is an original, in my mind at least. There is a wind-up key on her side and a pull-out lever on her back. A few turns of the key and a slight pull of the lever allows her to walk on the floor. Her head turns from side to side and her one arm swings back and forth as she glides across the floor. She lost the use of the other arm a long, long time ago, but, when I set her in motion I am always amazed at how well she gets on in spite of her slight afliction.
Legend has it that I was on the floor watching my doll take a stroll across the kitchen when I made my first, tentative steps at walking. I can only imagine the scene this caused; the excitement, the noise, the pride and the panic.
“Look, Pete, Penny’s walking”.
“Violet, she’s walking funny. Like the doll”.
“Oh, Pete, should we stop it?”
Yep. It explains a lot about me and my unique coordination. I did, after all, learn to walk observing a mechanical, rolling doll.
We are up north observing our real rolling doll, Kezzie, who runs as much as she walks, with much more agility than her grandmother ever has shown and will be rolling on back to the cutoff soon.
Dear Penny,
What a charming remembrance and lovely photo of your special doll. I am glad to learn that you have her as I, at 65, have my Saucy Walker who also walked and Alice in Wonderland put safely away. And then there is dear Raggedy Ann who stays in my bedroom. Aren’t these memories wonderful?
Have a lovely visit with your own living doll.
Thank you, Marilyn. I meant to show a picture of her with her shoes. Perhaps another time. How wonderful that you have your dolls. Isn’t it fun to pull them out now and again? They are wonderful memories, indeed, and we are lucky to still have the dolls. At 61, I like to say mine is vintage.
I did, Marilyn, thank you. Such fun.
Like you, I still have some of my childhood toys. Yours is lovely: what a sweet face; and what wonderful tales stretching back over your life. Maybe this post should be on a little scroll with Penny’s Doll, so Kezzie can read how special she was when she was a brand new doll, and how she has been with you ever since.
Beautiful post, Penny. As usual.
What a wonderful idea, Kate. I’ll show it to Kezzie someday. You are so kind to say so. Thank you.
Oh, I am so glad you still have the doll. She is a beauty. Not as cute as the living doll that you are enjoying, but still pretty. I have a cloth doll that my grandmother made for me. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy that little one.
Aren’t we lucky to still have pieces of our childhood? How special that your grandmother made your doll, Janet. I did. Just a tad sad to have left her, but, such fun memories and feelings to keep with me.
What a funny and touching story. She’s a beautiful doll indeed. I thought you might be with Kezzie – and I’m sure you are enjoying every moment.
Home again, Juliet, and I did enjoy every single moment. It is, as you know, hard to leave, but, such a joyful package of memories to keep.
I Love this, Penny. The doll teaching you how to walk is humorous and poignant. what a great little story. Your use of the supposed conversation between your parents is so sweet.
Enjoy Kezzie and we look forward to your return to the cutoff.
Thank you, Teresa. I’ll take the doll out and show it to our Kezzie some time and tell her the story. She already walks better than me. ha!
This is so funny, and charming, too.
I myself only crawled once. Got my knee caught in my nightgown and busted my lip, so that was that for me. On the occasion of my first birthday party, I simply stood and walked across the room. Ever dramatic.
Oh, Pamela, I’m sitting here giggling. I was crawling, tripped on the cuff of my pants, and had several stitches in my chin. I love that you just got up and walked.
Lovely post — I’m grateful for Google REader because it allows me to catch up on the good ones I missed somehow along the way. I had a China doll inherited through the generations from a great- grandmother (our daughter has her now) — she doesn’t walk at all of course, which may explain my problems ;>)…of course she wasn’t really to play with — just to pose for pictures with. It’s wonderful that you were able to both play with her AND save her.
Thank you. What a treasure you have in that China doll, Sallie. For your daughter to have a doll that was her great-great-grandmother’s is quite an heirloom. Do you have a picture(s) of the doll with your great-grandmother? or other family members? I was pretty gently with my toys, but, I’m pretty sure there was close supervision with the doll.
What a great story – and so funny about how her unusual walk taught you to walk into plateglass windows and fall off chairs! I’m amazed that a doll you played with from such a very young age is still in such great shape, mine aren’t! What a treasure!
Thank you. Isn’t it, though? Much more effective than today’s technology. I think my play with her was pretty controlled, Janet, and my mom took good care of things. I still have a toy banjo from her childhood.
[...] was also thinking about my walking doll, which I told you about here. The doll only rolled forward, and that was enough of a challenge for me. Why would I try going [...]