Chapter FIVE

“It’s nice to go adventuring through the lovely woods!” Raggedy Ann said as they walked along.

“Yes, indeed it is,” Marggy’s Mama replied. “And wasn’t it fortunate we met the kind paper Dragon! If it had not been for him, old Mr. Doodle would have taken Marggy home with him to chop his wood, and then we would not have been able to hunt any further for Marggy’s Daddy.”

“Dear me suz!” Raggedy Ann exclaimed as she looked back. “Here comes Mr. Doodle! Why doesn’t he let us alone!”

“I’ll get a nice long switch and we’ll see about this!” Marggy’s Mama said very severe-like, but when Mr. Doodle came running up, Marggy’s Mama did not have to use the switch because Mr. Doodle had a box in his hands and said, “See what I found back in the woods!”

The box was made of shiny wood and on the front were black shiny knobs with little white numbers on them.

“What is it, Mr. Doodle?” Marggy’s Mama asked, forgetting that she held the nice long switch.

“I do not know!” Mr. Doodle replied. “After I had the fight with the paper Dragon and after Marggy’s Mama paddywhacked me, I ran as fast as I could until I grew very tired; then I sat down to rest, and right in front of me in a hollow tree I saw this lovely box.”

“I’ll bet a nickel it is a magic box,” Raggedy Andy said.

“Let’s all sit down and maybe we can think what the box is for,” Raggedy Ann suggested. So while they sat and thought, Marggy’s Mama gave them each a cream puff, for everyone knows, you can think ever so much better while eating cream puffs.

Finally Raggedy Ann said, “I’ll tell you what let’s do!”

“What?” Mr. Doodle asked.

“All of you run over and hide in that hollow tree and I will open the box, then if a Magician, or a Genei hops out he won’t know where you are.”

“No sir!” Raggedy Andy said, very decidedly. “Mr. Doodle found the box and it belongs to him, so if there is a Magician, or a Genei in the magic box then Mr. Doodle can open it so that he will be caught instead of you, Raggedy Ann.”

“That is true!” Mr. Doodle said. “I found the box and I tried to take Marggy home with me and caused you enough trouble, so you all run and hide and I will open the box!”

This was very kind of Mr. Doodle, for before he had been so very unkind to Marggy and her Mama and friends.

“Huh! I am not afraid,” Raggedy Andy said. “I shall stand right here, and if a Magician or a Genei pops out of the box I will crack him on top of the head with this stubby stick.”

“Indeed you shan’t do that, Raggedy Andy,” Raggedy Ann cried. “What if it should be a very kind hearted Magician, or a generous Genei who would help us find Marggy’s Daddy? It wouldn’t be nice to crack him on top of his head with the stubby stick!”

“Then I will not hit him on top of his head with the stick,” Raggedy Andy agreed. “But just the same, I shall stay right here while Mr. Doodle opens the shiny box.”

“Then we will all stay,” Marggy’s Mama said.

Mr. Doodle was just about to open the lid of the shiny box when Raggedy Ann cried, “Wait a moment! Before you open the box, try twisting the black knobs with the white numbers on them.”

Everyone held their breaths while Mr. Doodle twisted the black knobs. “SQUEEEE—AWK—EEEE!”

“It sounds like you are pinching him when you twist the knobs!” Raggedy Andy said. Mr. Doodle twisted the knobs again and a voice from the box said, “Kay—dee—kay—aye,” and then there came the tinkle of a piano.

“Someone lives in the box!” Raggedy Ann cried. “They are playing the piano.”

“Yes! That’s it, Raggedy Ann,” Raggedy Andy said. “It is some little creature’s home!”

“No it isn’t!” a voice in back of Raggedy Ann said, and when they looked, our friends saw a little boy standing there and his eyes danced with merriment.

“How do you know?” Mr. Doodle asked.

“Because it is my box!” the boy replied, “I made it myself!”

“Then you must be a Magician, or a Fairy, or something!” Marggy’s Mama said.

“Oh! Not at all,” the little boy replied. “Almost any boy can make a box like that if he care to do so!”

“Well! It is my box now!” Mr. Doodle said as he picked up the shiny box and held it tightly under his arm.

“Why the idea, Mr. Doodle! It isn’t your box at all!” Marggy’s Mama cried.

“Yes it is!” Mr. Doodle shouted, “I found it in a hollow tree and so that makes it mine. Don’t you see?”

“Why, Mr. Doodle! I’m s’prised at you!” Raggedy Ann said. “The pretty shiny box belongs to the nice little boy and you must give it to him!”

“I’ll run with it and then you can’t catch me!” Mr. Doodle said as he started running. The little boy ran after Mr. Doodle and so did Raggedy Andy.

The little boy could not run as fast as Raggedy Andy, so Raggedy Andy caught hold of Mr. Doodle’s coat tails and held him. Mr. Doodle pulled and pulled until one of his coat tails came off and let Raggedy Andy fall down.

“Now then you’ll catch it, Raggedy Andy!” Mr. Doodle screamed. “I shall pull off your coat tail because you pulled off my coat tail!” And he jumped at Raggedy Andy.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha! I haven’t any coat tails!”

“Then we will have to fight!” Mr. Doodle cried.

“All right!” and Raggedy Andy rolled up his sleeves.

Mr. Doodle and Raggedy Andy were just about to fight when Raggedy Ann came running up. “Here!” she cried, “You mustn’t fight! It isn’t nice to quarrel and fight like cats and dogs! Besides, the little boy has taken the shiny box and run home with it.”

“It was really all my fault,” Mr. Doodle said when Raggedy Andy said he was sorry he tore his coat. “If I had not been so selfish and had not tried to run away with the little boy’s shiny box you would not have torn my coat even a speck!”

“What kind of a magic box do you think it really was, Mr. Doodle?” Raggedy Ann wished to know.

“It was a radio,” Mr. Doodle replied. “Didn’t you guess that? Almost any one would guess it the first pop!”

“We had better hurry on so that we can find Marggy’s Daddy,” said Raggedy Ann. “You know he has been lost for the longest, longest time.”

“When you hunt for Marggy’s Daddy, why don’t you have Marggy stay at my house?” Mr. Doodle asked. “She will get tired walking so far with you.”

“Now, Mr. Doodle!” Raggedy Ann shook her rag thumb at him. “You know very well that Marggy wants to go with us and you just want her to go home with you so that she will chop the wood and build the fires ’n everything; ’cause you are too lazy to do it yourself!”

“Whoever says I am lazy will have to fight like the paper Dragon and I fought,” Mr. Doodle cried as he hopped to his feet.

Raggedy Andy did not want Mr. Doodle to fight Raggedy Ann so he started rolling up his sleeves to fight Mr. Doodle in Raggedy Ann’s place when Mrs. Doodle came running up from behind the tree and took Mr. Doodle right by his ear.

“Now then, Mr. Doodle,” she cried as she pulled him along, “You march right home with me! I’m tired of having you try to get someone else to do the work all the time. From now on, you must do it yourself, you lazy thing.”

And Mrs. Doodle meant just what she said too, for as long as they watched, Mrs. Doodle still had hold of Mr. Doodle’s ear and was making him step towards home as fast as he could go without falling down.