Friday, March 15, 2024

The Pink Thrifty-Flip Dollhouse

The finished front and back of my eldest daughter's dollhouse/art supply storage and display.
The dollhouse sits on top of a rubber turntable to that it may be turned for the display of the 
dollhouse when the supplies are not needed. She keeps it on top of a waist height, cupboard 
in her room. 

        This dollhouse purchased from a thrift shop was transformed into a kind of shelving unit for my eldest daughter's art supplies. A mouse named Beatrix, after one of her favorite artists/authors of children's books, lives in the studio apartment above the supply shelf!  
       And just like her landlord, Beatrix is also an artist who loves to paint watercolors of simple small things like: acorns, flowers, mushrooms and bugs. 
       Small creatures sometimes visit Beatrix at her "Art Bar'' to learn how to be creative themselves and trade stories about the latest news from other dolls that reside in the community below in our toy room.

She originally swore that none of this project would be painted pink . . . and then this paint job 
happened. I love the painted green tile roof the best! However, the pink is appropriate for a 
cottage called 'Rosebud Cottage,' don't you think?
 
Most of the items included inside and out were handmade by my daughter.

Detailed Photos of The Interior

Left, a matchstick box decoupaged with vintage paper. It also has a wire shaped headboard. 
Center, painted block dollhouse and painted, folk heart needlepoint.
Right, a handmade easel using skewers with tiny clamp and decorative tags.

Left, a stool or bedside table made with driftwood and skewers glued together; this is where
Beatrix sets her  teacup and saucer. Next to the crude table is her charming little 'chair' made
 from driftwood  and a wooden spool. Right, is a rustic wire 'willow' wreath trimmed with
tiny petals, leaves and a bumble bee charm. Learn more about bees here.

Left, the winding staircase painted brown to match the Popsicle stick floors.
Center, a tiny basket at the foot of the mouse bed has a tiny thimble charm and spool of thread.
Right, Beatrix's art supplies include a set of watercolors with artist palette, brushes and box. Her
easel displays instructions for painting pansies; behind this is a roll of mouse sized canvases
and bobbie pin stored together inside of a jam jar.

Left, tiny clay critters; an earth worm, snail, toadstool and wooden stump are all made from
Sculpey oven-bake clay and painted. A tiny bee skep made by twisting yarn and glueing the edge
together.
  Center, tiny lace curtains hung on a toothpick 'curtain rod.' Right, little woven piece of
fabric with hemmed edges serves as a cozy rug for Beatrix feet to land on in the morning.

Left, the front of a folk cupboard with tiny sewing machine. Center, the backside of the same
cupboard painted to look antique. You can see that this piece was constructed with Popsicle sticks.
Right, tiny bolts of fabric for the enthusiastic mouse seamstress.

Detailed Photos of The Exterior

Left, a miniature doll hose with reel and metal fittings was purchased and
also the white picket fence.

Left, the gingerbread trim has hand painted rose designs. Center, the wire wheelbarrow was 
purchased at a hobby store. Right, handpainted spool stools for visitors to the 'art bar'
at Rosebud Cottage.

Left, a miniature birdbath purchased from The Dollar Store was repainted and marble added to it's
center. Center, tiny painted toadstools made from wood were also purchased last autumn from the
same craft store. These are glued to the surface of the dollhouse base. Right, potted, peach colored,
silk flowers arranged on the front porch.

Left, The handmade trellis directions are included on this blog here. The birdhouse was
sculpted from clay and then mounted to a skewer. Center, her Beatrix mouse doll was designed
by Levlos. Right, is the dormer window; my daughter added the windowsill and purchased the
tiny, clay flower boxes at a local hobby shop.

Left, 'Beatrix's Art Bar' sign with rustic painted frame and lace detail. Center, 'The Rosebud Cottage
 has it's own sign with rosebud painted detail. Right, the counter top at the art bar is a faux painted
biscuit; beneath it are the spool stools for guests to sit on and learn how to paint from
 Beatrix the mouse.

Pennant banner hangs above the art bar to decorate the scene. 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

A Teeny-Tiny Story

 A Teeny-Tiny Story

Once there was a teeny-tiny lady.
She lived in a teeny-tiny house.
One winter night the teeny-tiny lady had been
asleep a teeny-tiny while.

The Teeny-Tiny house for a minuscule lady and mouse.

All at once she heard a teeny-tiny noise,
''Tap, tap, tap! Tap, tap, tap!''
At first she hid her teeny-tiny head.
But she heard the teeny-tiny noise again,
''Tap, tap, tap! Tap, tap, tap!''
She jumped out of her teeny-tiny bed.
She took the teeny-tiny candle in her teeny-
tiny hand. 
Then she stole down the teeny-tiny stair.
She looked under her teeny-tiny table.
There was nothing under the table.
She looked under her teeny-tiny chair. 
There was nothing under the chair.
She went back up her teeny-tiny stair with her
teeny-tiny candle.
She got into her teeny-tiny bed.
Soon the teeny-tiny lady heard the teeny-tiny
noise again.
She took her teeny-tiny candle.
She stole down her teeny-tiny stair.
She looked under her teeny-tiny table.
Out jumped a teeny-tiny ...!
"A mouse! A mouse! A mouse!
cried the teeny-tiny lady.
And up her teeny-tiny stair she ran.

Wading On The Beach

 Wading On The Beach by Abbie Farwell Brown

I like to go a-paddling
Upon the squishy sand,
And holding up my dress, to see
How close I dare to stand.

A little wave curls very near,
Another laps my toes.
Ugh! How the sudsy foam is cold!
Ah-oo! How fast it goes!

And then I see a great big wave
Far out to sea begun.
His greeny head peers up at me,
He roars, "You'd better run!"

So then I turn and scamper back
To get beyond his reach,
But my! How fast he chases me,
Careering up the beach!

He splashes all my petticoats
As wet as wet can be,
And then he slyly creeps away;
And people laugh at me.

The Lost Valentine

THE LOST VALENTINE by Emma Tuomy

Finally she found the one she wanted.

       Marian was making valentines. Her mother helped to fold the paper into booklets and to tie them with bits of bright ribbon, then Marian pasted in clipped pictures and hearts, and printed in short little verses.
       "I am not going to give Kathleen a homemade valentine," Marian said, stacking up her booklets.
       "Why not?" asked Mother.
       "I do not believe that she would care for it," answered Marian.
       Kathleen lived in the most beautiful house in town. All the children loved to go there to parties and to see all of Kathleen's beautiful playthings.
       Marian felt that the homemade valentines were not pretty enough to go with Kathleen's other things. So she decided to take her own money and buy the best valentine that she could find for this special friend.
       She went to a store where she had seen many beautiful valentines in the window. She looked and looked; finally she found just the one that she wanted. It was a big white card, covered with forget-me-nots, hearts, and a long verse about friendship. She felt sure that Kathleen would like it very much.
       On the way home, Marian met Stella coming out of a grocery store with several packages. Stella and Marian were in the same grade at school. Stella lived in a little green house almost out of town, and she was kept so busy taking care of the baby and helping her mother that she never had very much time for play. Marian helped Stella carry the packages, and the two little girls chatted about valentines. Stella said that she did not expect very many, as she could not give any at all. The baby was getting teeth and he needed her loving care and attention so that she had no time to make valentines, and she had no pennies with which to buy them.
       When Marian reached home, her mother said: ''Where is your valentine?"
       Marian looked down at her hands. They were empty. She had lost the beautiful valentine which she had chosen for Kathleen.
       ''What shall I do?" cried Marian. "I must give her a valentine. We are such good friends."
       "You will have to give her a homemade one," answered Mother. "You cannot buy another one."
       Marian picked out the booklet which she liked best and put it into an envelope. Her brother gave her a stamp and took the valentine to the mail box, so that Kathleen would get the valentine through the mail. The other valentines she got ready to put into the valentine box at school.
       The next morning, Marion waited while her mother fastened her coat. She put her free hand into her muff, which hung from a cord around her neck. She felt something and pulled it out. It was the valentine which she had bought for Kathleen.
       "If I were you," suggested Mother, "I should give it to some little girl who is not likely to get many valentines.''
       ''Oh,'' cried Marian, ''I am going to give it to Stella.''
       Kathleen met Marian in the hall at school, the morning of St. Valentine's Day.
       ''I just love the valentine you sent me,'' she whispered. ''Mother says it shows real friendship if you take the time to make them yourself.''
       At recess time, Stella ran up and hugged her. ''It is the most beautiful valentine I ever saw,'' she cried. ''I can hardly wait until I can take it home and show Mother. It will make her happy to know that you are such a good friend of mine.''
       ''I am glad that I lost it,'' Marian said to her mother that night, ''because, I made two friends, instead of one, very happy.''

Marian waited while her mother fastened her coat.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

DIY an Upholstered Tweed Armchair

        Our dolls love to grab a cozy blanket and sink into a big comfortable chair after a hard day's work with a book or warm drink.
       This tweed upholstered chair craft is simpler to make than it looks! It is made in much the same way as the leather club chair posted here. 
       Remember to start by making the arms and bottom in the shape of a "U" with 4 inch by 4inch sized pieces of cardboard to size for a 10 -12 inch doll, layering on multiple cardboard cut-outs to bulk up the chair as you go.

Finished doll armchair.
The doll sized couches our tweed arm chair was made to go with:
Supply List:

  • tweed upholstery, 1/2 yard
  • masking tape
  • corrugated cardboard
  • white school glue
  • hot glue and hot glue gun
  • matching plaid for pillow, just scraps
  • two wood blocks for the base
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. Cut 4''x4'' pieces of corrugated cardboard for the arms and bottom sides of the club chair. Triple these cut layers from cardboard to make them sturdy. 
  2. Glue the pieces together to shape a "U" Shape.
  3. Cover the surfaces using masking tape.
  4. Make the backside of the chair by cutting the cardboard into a "T" shape with a rounded back.
  5. Glue three of these "T" cut pieces of corrugated together to make the back sturdy and cover with masking tape as well.
  6. Glue and shape the tweed fabric around the parts of the club chair using a hot glue gun. (See photos below)
  7. Apply glue to the edges of the back piece of the chair and fit it between the side and bottom shaped "U" piece. Use a rubber band to hold these together while the glue dries. (see photos)
  8. Craft a thick cushion using either Styrofoam and cardboard or layers of cardboard or a stuffed fabric cushion. Any one of these alternatives will suffice! For this chair version I used layers of cardboard for the seat cushion.
  9. Glue the wooden base to the bottom of the chair.
  10. I left the wooden blocks on the bottom of the over-stuffed tweed chair in their natural, original finish and then covered the wool upholstery edges with additional fabric to finish the surfaces.
  11. Cut extra thin pieces of covered cardboard to hide the wrapped edges and finish the over-stuffed chair.
  12. Cut and stuff a plaid pillow to display in the seat of the chair.

Left, the parts of the chair without the wooden blocks for it's base. See how the back is shaped to
slide neatly between the arms of the chair. Center, the seat cushion in this instance is just layers
of cardboard. Right, see how the backside of the chair construction looks.



Left, the chair assembled prior to hot gluing on the fabric. Center additional cut pieces for the neat
 finish of the arms and seat. I used only single layers of cardboard wrapped cuts for this technique.
 Always wrap and hot glue fabric to end around the arms and then cut fabric to cover the edges.
Right, see the thin layers of cardboard wrapped with masking tape and tweed.


Left, the finished backside of the arm chair. Center, see the wrapping of the fabric ends with the
 armchair side edges. These will be covered up with the end pieces shown above. Right, one of
our many small dolls is seated comfortably in the finished chair.


Additional Upholstered Furniture for Larger 18" Dolls:

Monday, March 11, 2024

The Rhyme of The House

 The Rhyme of The House by Grace L. Klock

This is the house all 
painted white
That the carpenter
builded snug and tight
To shelter the little children.

These are the boards 
that were planed just right
To use for the house
all painted white
That the carpenter 
builded snug and tight
To shelter the little children.

These are the logs of 
sturdy might
That were sawed into boards
 that were planed just right
To use for the house
all painted white,
That the carpenter 
builded snug and tight
To shelter the little children.


The Good Night

 The Good Night by John Martin

The night has soft and gentle wings
That spread sweet magic everywhere
Night whispers many cozy things
To fairies hiding here and there
In woodland, field, and air.

Night tells the Fairy of the Wind
To blow a happy dream to me,
Or move the shade, or hide behind
The window curtains, just to see
How good my dream can be.

Night asks the Fairy of the Rain
To patter on the window-sill;
Or splash against the dripping pane
To take good care of me until
I'm sleeping, still as still.

Night's fairies make a cozy noise
Behind the wall, then take a peep
At all their little girls and boys;
But oh, what careful guard they keep
While we are fast asleep!

The little noises that I hear
Are fairies hidden out of sight;
They love to linger very near
To see that everything is right
All through the long good night.

Night is God's messenger of peace,
And comfort nestles in its breast
Where busy thoughts and troubles cease
Night loves us little children best
While we all sleep and rest.


How to make a faux leather club chair...

Left, finished faux leather club chair for a Barbie or any other 10 to 12 inch doll.
Right, the blocks and underside of the chair have been painted black and sealed with Mod Podge.
      

       This side club chair is a classic addition to our growing collection of Barbie dollhouse furnishings. I covered it with faux looking leather paper instead of real leather. The paper was purchased on sale at a hobby store for a dollar a sheet (I needed two sheets). 
       I chose to give it a coat of Mod Podge in order to keep it clean, however, it looked just as nice without this coating, if you would prefer to leave it "as is."

 Supply List:

  • leather look paper (2 large sheets)
  • white school glue
  • two wooden blocks
  • corrugated cardboard
  • masking tape
  • recycle Styrofoam sheet
  • Mod Podge
  • black acrylic paint
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. Cut 4''x4'' pieces of corrugated cardboard for the arms and bottom sides of the club chair. Triple these cut layers from cardboard to make them sturdy. 
  2. Glue the pieces together to shape a "U" Shape.
  3. Cover the surfaces using masking tape.
  4. Make the backside of the chair by cutting the cardboard into a "T" shape. 
  5. Glue three of these "T" cut pieces of corrugated together to make the back sturdy and cover with masking tape as well.
  6. Cut and shape the faux leather paper around the parts of the club chair using a decoupage technique. (See photos below)
  7. Apply glue to the edges of the back piece of the chair and fit it between the side and bottom shaped "U" piece. Use a rubber band to hold these together while the glue dries. (see photos)
  8. Craft a thick cushion using either Styrofoam and cardboard or layers of cardboard or a stuffed fabric cushion. Any one of these alternatives will suffice!
  9. Glue the wooden base to the bottom of the chair.
  10. Paint the base and bottom of the club chair to finish with black paint.
  11. Layer on a finishing coat of Mod Podge to all the chair's surfaces to give it protection from wear and a professional look.
Left, see an average size 11-12 inch doll seated and standing next to my club chair.
Right, the finished faux leather club chair without Mod Podge layer.


How the club chair is constructed from different angles. There are essentially two four pieces to the
chair made of three to four layers of corrugated cardboard.


Left, construct a "U" shaped cardboard piece and a "T" shaped cardboard piece  that will make
the back side of the chair once it it glued in place.


Above you can see the two pieces glued together after they have been covered with the paper
and glue. Always cover ''upholstered'' furniture wrapping the ends to the outside edges. The
arms, top of the chair and underside of the chair or couch are covered last. This method of 
wrapping gives a "seamless" appearance to the finished piece. I used a rubber band to hold 
the armchair top and bottom together while the glue dried. 


Left, you can see that I used Styrofoam covered with cardboard to make the chair cushion. 
Center, then I glued on two wooden blocks side-by-side to make a modern base for the chair
instead of four individual chair legs. I also neatly covered the bottom side of the chair
with masking tape to hide wrapped paper surfaces. Both underside surfaces of this chair
will be painted black before the project is finished.

More links to upholstered Barbie doll sized furniture:

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Make A Miniature Rose Trellis

       Here's how to craft miniature trellis for your dollhouse or fairy garden. Gather wooden skewers, paper covered wire and some tiny little flowers together with a bottle of white school glue to make the versions depicted in my daughter's dollhouse below.

Left, the taller of the two rose trellis to be displayed on her pink dollhouse flip.
Center, the shorter trellis is propped against the cottage behind the wire wheelbarrow.
Right, my daughter wrapped rose vines about her dollhouse banisters on the front porch.

 Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Cut two equal lengths of wooden skewers to the hight you desire your dollhouse rose trellis to be. 
  2. Paint the skewers to match the brown, paper-wrapped wire.
  3. Next wrap the wire back and forth between the two wooden skewers to shape any pattern you wish. The two samples above are wrapped in a zig-zag pattern up to the tops of the skewers then, arch shapes extensions were bent above the top of the larger trellis to give it added height. 
  4. Using the white glue attach the tiny roses randomly to the trellis. 
  5. Try twisting small pieces of wire around a pencil to then wrap more decorative vine between the trellis openings.
More Handmade Spring Flowers and Fun:

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

How the Plantaganet's found a new home . . .

"The Doll's House" illustrated
by Tasha Tudor.
       Rumer Godden in her book "The Doll's House" explains that dolls may live for a very long time when cared for. The doll Tottie, although a little girl doll, has lived longer than any other doll in her doll family. She has lived for more than 100 years! Her parent dolls, Mr. Plantagenet and Birdie, have lived for fewer real years even though they are doll parents to Tottie; this can only happen in the make-believe world of children. The Plantaganet's in this book also have a baby boy, approximately 3 or 4 years old and his name is Apple. 
       Godden herself, is particularly sensitive to the growth of child empathy through doll play. Her dolls teach their child owners to understand what is means to be kind, to be considerate and to be gentle while they are growing during playtime.
       Dolls 'wish' in order to communicate with their owners and they seem to communicate with some sort of mental telepathy between each other. The Plantaganet family of dolls have many earnest conversations with all of Godden's imaginative characters in her book. 
       Dolls also have feelings, sometimes very strong feelings about the places where they must spend their lives while their child owners are busy elsewhere. In fact, most dolls wish very much for a comfortable little home where they may experience their very own adventures in relative safety, of course! The chapter book "The Doll's House" is an extended story about how this doll family acquires a dollhouse and keep it over time. 

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Beautiful six-pointed star tile printable for dollhouses!

       This printable six pointed star in full color would look stunning on the floors of any dollhouse! It could also be printed on fabric as a transfer and used as a dollhouse quilt. In either case, it is free for crafters and students to use but not sale or give away on alternative websites. Enjoy, from kathy grimm.

Cleaned and restored 6 pointed star pattern tiles in: gold, red, navy, white and baby blue colors.

Sunday, February 4, 2024

DIY a basketball fan's dream Valentine mailbox!

The slot for the Valentines is located on the floor of this basket-
ball mailbox. Students may also access their delivered mail from
the end of the box opposite the hoop
.
       Sporty girl or boy 18'' dolls will love this example of a Valentine mailbox for their February 14th classroom contest!

Supply List:

  • small rectangular box (for the basketball court)
  • back, white solid color paper, one sheet each
  • faux 'wood grain' decorative paper
  • black permanent ink marker
  • scrap cardboard
  • recycled plastic netting bag for garlic cloves
  • small Styrofoam ball
  • orange and black acrylic paints 
  • chenille stem(1) or wire
  • Mod Podge
  • white school glue
  • masking tape

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1.  Cut a slot big enough for doll sized Valentines to fit inside of a rectangular small box.
  2. Cut out a basketball backboard and pole from the extra cardboard and glue this to the end of the court/Valentine mailbox.
  3. Then cover the court with faux wooden floor paper using white school glue.
  4. Mark the court using a permanent black ink pen.
  5. Cover the sides of the box and the pole with black paper, or you could paint these areas using acrylic paints.
  6. Cover the backboard with white paper and mark it using the same black magic marker that was used to mark the court.
  7. Next make the basket by bending a white chenille stem into a ring. 
  8. Then sew the netting from recycled net used to package garlic cloves around the ring.
  9. I painted a Styrofoam ball orange to represent the small basketball caught inside the basket.

Left, the basic cardboard assembly of the basketball court
Valentine mailbox. Right the finished sporty mailbox.

Left and center the details of the mini basket before I attached this to the backboard. Right, the 
basket attached to the backboard.

You can cast a vote for this Valentine mailbox entry in the Comments Box Below, if you'd like. It would be interesting to see if people/kids on the internet judge our doll's Valentine mailbox competition in the same way as the children judging them in our home.

The 5WH of Dollhouse Building

A dollhouse made for children to play with. It is
both durable and simply built. It is made with
wooden parts and the furnishings may be re-
arranged inside of any of the four rooms.
        Who, what, where, when, why, and how to plan a thousand small details that go into the making of a dollhouse. Just to begin this process requires much more study than many people anticipate. 
       Think about who you are. What are your tastes and interests? Dolls may live in any kind of a built environment; the doll's home does not need to be an ordinary residence with walls, floors, doors and chairs.
       What will be needed to accomplish this long term goal: the gathering and selecting of supplies, the organizing of those materials, the time table for crafting all of the chosen elements. Is it realistic to craft the dollhouse from scratch? Perhaps, it would be better to build a dollhouse using a kit? Or, maybe, you would just like to craft furnishings or dolls to go into a completed dollhouse instead?
       Where is the building of the dollhouse to be accomplished? It will take many long hours to complete this task: will it be stored while under construction, if so should it be kept in a room designated for it? Do you have a workbench in a spare room or in the basement? 
       When will you have time to work on the dollhouse and when will it need to be finished, if ever? Will you be working on it one night a week or will you be working on it for three weeks in a row, or perhaps you will be working on it for one year prior to Christmas or a birthday?
       Why have you decided to build a dollhouse? Are you building the dollhouse for yourself or as a gift for someone else? Is the ultimate intent behind it's building to gratify your own interests or is this dollhouse to be a toy for a young child? This is an important decision that will determine so many other choices to be made about the dollhouse design and materials in the future.
       How will the dollhouse be displayed once it is finished? Will it need electricity for special lighting, do you have a display space in mind for others to view the dollhouse or even play with it?
       If you can answer these questions with ease and clarity, construction on that future home for your most cherished doll friends has a realistic future!

The Nostell Doll's House is one-of-a-kind. Built in the 1730s in England; it's furniture is period
perfect and was not built for children to play with but to tell a story about how people once lived
 and what they valued in their homes... It is a model, a three dimensional way to describe
history and culture.

This dollhouse is made of clay, a material not normally 
used for crafting toys in Western culture. The artisan, from
Mauritania, made and important choice in the selection of
his materials. He or she chose to use what was available
and affordable; the end result . . . quite charming!

See More Dollhouse Types:

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

How to make a "boombox" for your 18" dolls

Finished 18" doll sized boom box from the 1980s.
A crafted toy like this would be so fun for a Courtney
Moore historical doll to play with.
       The boomboxes of the 80s were portable, played cassette tapes and the radio through loudspeakers. Later models also included CD players as well. 
       Where I grew up a boombox was considered very necessary at school social events, sporting events and dances wherever these occurred . . .

Supply List:

  • recycled soap box
  • two milk carton lids
  • extra light weight cardboard
  • black construction paper (One sheet should do it.)
  • 1 wooden skewer for the handle.
  • acrylic black paint
  • Mod Podge
  • silver tape or aluminum foil
  • magazine clippings of digital buttons
  • mesh fabric or woven plastic mesh
  • one silver/black button (radio dial)
  • hot glue gun and hot glue
  • white school glue
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. Tape and then cover the soap box with black construction paper using white school glue. In doing this step, the surfaces of the black paint will become smoother and professional looking. 
  2. The speakers of our doll's boombox are shaped by inserting and gluing the backsides of two milk caps through two cut holes inside the soap box. These holes may be cut out using tiny scissors or an Exacto knife.
  3. Glue foil paper to line the interior of these caps, shiny side up.
  4. I pasted on a few layers of extra cardboard to extend the length of my doll's 'boombox' a bit because the proportions needed to be improved once the speaker were glued in. So the entire 'boombox' measures approximately one inch longer compared to the length of the standard sized soap box. If you use alternative caps from some other recycled container to be the speakers, you may find that enlarging the soap box is unnecessary.
  5. Next, I glued a plastic mesh over the silver speakers and then glued a cardboard ring over this ragged edge. The cardboard rings were also covered with silver foil before these were glued to frame the "woofers." (speakers)
  6. Poke two holes into the top of the boom box to glue in a long narrow handle made from a wooden skewer. 
  7. Now decoupage the magazine clippings of digital buttons wherever you would like them to be on your doll's boom box.
  8. Hot glue on the button to act as a radio dial. 
  9. Paint the finished 'boombox' black and seal this with Mod Podge.

Monday, January 29, 2024

Vasilisa The Fair


 Vasilisa The Fair, A Russian Folk Tale

       ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  merchant  who  had  been married  for  twelve  years  and  had  only  one  daughter, Vasilisa  the  Fair.  When  her  mother  died  the  girl  was eight  years  old.  On  her  death-bed  the  mother  called the  maiden  to  her,  took  a  doll  out  of  her  counterpane, said:  "Vasilisushka,  hear  my  last  words.  I  am  dying, and  I  will  leave  you  my  mother's  blessing  and  this  doll. Keep  this  doll  always  by  you,  but  show  it  to  nobody, and  no  misfortune  can  befall  you.  Give  it  food  and  ask it  for  advice.  After  it  has  eaten,  it  will  tell  you  how  to avoid  your  evil."  Then  the  wife  kissed  her  daughter and  died.
       After  the  wife's  death  the  merchant  mourned  as  it behoved,  and  then  he  thought  of  a  second  wife.  He  was a  handsome  man  and  found  many  brides,  but  he  liked one  widow  more  than  any  one.  She  was  no  longer young,  and  had  two  daughters  of  about  the  same  age  as Vasilisa.  So  she  was  an  experienced  housewife  and  mother. The  merchant  married  her,  but  he  had  made  a  mistake, for  she  was  no  good  mother  to  his  own  daughter.
       Vasilisa  was  the  fairest  damsel  in  the  entire  village, and  the  stepmother  and  the  sisters  envied  her  therefore. And  they  used  to  torture  her  by piling  all  the  work  they could  on  her,  that  she  might  grow  thin  and  ugly,  and might  be  tanned  by  the  wind  and  the  sun.  And  the child  lived  a  hard  life.  Vasilisa,  however,  did  all  her work  without  complaining,  and  always  grew  more  beautiful and  plumper,  while  the  stepmother  and  her  daughters, out  of  sheer  spite,  grew  thinner  and  uglier.  Yet  there they  sat  all  day  long  with  their  hands  folded,  just  like fine  ladies.  How  could  this  be?
       It  was  the  doll  that  had  helped  Vasilisa.  Without  her the  maiden  could  never  have  done  her  task.  Vasilisa often  ate  nothing  herself,  and  kept  the  tastiest  morsels for  the  doll;  and  when  at  night  they  had  all  gone  to bed,  she  used  to  lock  herself  up  in  her  cellar  below, give  the  doll  food  to  eat,  and  say,  "Dollet,  eat  and  listen to  my  misery.  I  am  living  in  my  father's  house,  and  my lot  is  hard.  My  evil  stepmother  is  torturing my delicate hands.  Teach  me  what  I  must  do  in  order  to bear  this  life."
       Then  the  doll  gave  her  good  advice,  consoled  her, and  did  all  her  morning's  work  for  her.  Vasilisa  was told  to  go  walking,  plucking  flowers;  and  all  her  flower-beds were  done  in  time,  all  the  coal  was  brought  in,  and the  water-jugs  carried  in,  and  the  hearthstone  was  hot. Further,  the  doll  taught  her  herb-lore;  so,  thanks  to  her doll,  she  had  a  merry  life;  and  the  years  went  by.
       Vasilisa  grew  up,  and  all  the  lads  in  the  village  sought her.  But  the  stepmother's  daughters  nobody  would look  at;  and  the  stepmother  grew  more  evil  than  ever and  answered  all  her  suitors:  "I  will  not  give  my  eldest daughter  before  I  give  the  elders."  So  she  sent  all  the bargainers  away,  and  to  show  how  pleased  she  was, rained  blows  on  Vasilisa.
       One  day  the  merchant  had  to  go  away  on  business  for a  long  time;  so  the  stepmother  in  the  meantime  went over  to  a  new  house  near  a  dense,  slumbrous  forest.  In the  forest  there  was  a  meadow,  and  on  the  meadow  there was  a  hut,  and  in  the  hut  Baba  Yaga  lived,  who  would not  let  anybody  in,  and  ate  up  men  as  though  they  were poultry.  Whilst  she  was  moving,  the  stepmother  sent her  hated  stepdaughter  into  the  wood,  but  she  always came  back  perfectly  safe,  for  the  doll  showed  her  the way  by  which  she  could  avoid  Baba  Yaga's  hut.

The horseman in white.
       So  one  day  the  harvest  season  came  and  the  stepmother gave  all  three  maidens  their  task  for  the  evening:  one was  to  make  lace  and  the  other  to  sew  a  stocking,  and Vasilisa  was  to  spin.  Each  was  to  do  a  certain  amount. The  mother  put  all  the  fires  out  in  the  entire  house, and  left  only  one  candle  burning  where  the  maidens were  at  work,  and  herself  went  to  sleep.  The  maidens worked  on.  The  candle  burned  down,  and  one  of  the stepmother's  daughters  took  the  snuffers  in  order  to  cut down  the  wick.  But  the  stepmother  had  told  her  to put  the  light  out  as  though  by  accident.
       "What  is  to  be  done  now?"  they  said.  "There  is no  fire  in  the  house  and  our  work  is  not  finished.  We must  get  a  light  from  the  Baba  Yaga."
       "I  can  see  by  the  needles,"  said  the  one  who  was making  lace.
       "I  also  am  not  going,"  said  the  second,  "for  my knitting  needles  give  me  light  enough.  You  must  go and  get  some  fire.  Go  to  the  Baba  Yaga!  "And  they turned  Vasilisa  out  of  the  room.
       Then  Vasilisa  went  to  her  room,  put  meat  and  drink before  her  doll,  and  said:  "Dolly  dear,  eat  it  and  listen to  my  complaint.  They  are  sending  me  to  Baba  Yaga for  fire,  and  the  Baba  Yaga  will  eat  me  up."
       Then  the  Dollet  ate,  and  her  eyes  glittered  like  two lamps,  and  she  said:  "Fear  nothing,  Vasilisushka.  Do what  they  say,  only  take  me  with  you.  As  long  as  I  am with  you  Baba  Yaga  can  do  you  no  harm."  Vasilisa  put the  doll  into  her  pocket,  crossed  herself,  and  went tremblingly  into  the  darksome  forest.
       Suddenly  a  knight  on  horseback  galloped  past  her  all in  white.  His  cloak  was  white,  and  his  horse  and  the reins:  and  it  became  light.  She  went  further,  and suddenly  another  horseman  passed  by,  who  was  all  in red,  and  his  horse  was  red,  and  his  clothes:  and  the  sun rose.  Vasilisa  went  on  through  the  night  and  the  next  day.  Next  evening  she  came  to  the  mead  where  Baba Yaga's  hut  stood.  The  fence  round  the  hut  consisted of  human  bones,  and  on  the  stakes  skeletons  glared  out of  their  empty  eyes.  And,  instead  of  the  doorways  and the  gate,  there  were  feet,  and  in  the  stead  of  bolts  there were  hands,  and  instead  of  the  lock  there  was  a  mouth with  sharp  teeth.  And  Vasilisa  was  stone-cold  with fright.
The horseman in red.
       Suddenly  another  horseman  pranced  by  on  his  way. He  was  all  in  black,  on  a  jet-black  horse,  with  a  jet-black cloak.  He  sprang  to  the  door  and  vanished  as  though the  earth  had  swallowed  him  up:  and  it  was  night. But  the  darkness  did  not  last  long,  for  the  eyes  in  all  the skeletons  on  the  fence  glistened,  and  it  became  as  light as  day  all  over  the  green.
       Vasilisa  trembled  with  fear,  but  remained  standing, for  she  did  not  know  how  she  could  escape.  Suddenly a  terrible  noise  was  heard  in  the  forest,  and  the  treeboughs  creaked  and  the  dry  leaves  crackled.  And  out  of the  wood  Baba  Yaga  drove  in  inside  the  mortar  with  the pestle,  and  with  the  broom  swept  away  every  trace  of her  steps.  At  the  door  she  stopped,  sniffed  all  the  way round,  and  cried  out:
       "Fee,  Fo,  Fi,  Fum,  I  smell  the  blood  of  a  Russian  mum! Who  is  there?"
       Vasilisa,  shuddering  with  dread,  stepped  up  to  her, bowed  low  to  the  ground,  and  said:  "Mother,  I  am here.  My  stepmother's  daughters  sent  me  to  you  to ask  for  fire."
       "Very  well,"  said  Baba  Yaga:  "  I  know  them.  Stay with  me,  work  for  me,  and  I  will  give  you  fire.  Otherwise I  shall  eat  you  up."
       Then  she  went  to  the  door,  and  she  cried  out:  "Ho! my  strong  bolts,  draw  back,  my  strong  door,  spring open!  "  And  the  door  sprang  open,  and  Baba  Yaga went  in  whistling  and  whirring,  and  Vasilisa  followed her.
       Then  the  door  closed,  and  Baba  Yaga  stretched  herself in  the  room  and  said  to  Vasilisa:  "Give  me  whatever there  is  in  the  oven.  I  am  hungry."
       So  Vasilisa  lit  a  splinter  from  the  skulls  on  the  hedge and  fetched  Baba  Yaga  food  out  of  the  oven,  and  there was  food  enough  there  for  ten  men.  Out  of  a  cellar  she fetched  kvas,  mead,  and  wine.  Baba  Yaga  ate  and  drank it  all  up.  But  all  there  was  left  for  Vasilisa  was  a  little  of some  kind  of  soup,  and  a  crust  of  bread,  and  a  snippet of  pork.
       Baba  Yaga  lay  down  to  sleep  and  said:  "In  the morning,  to-morrow,  when  I  go  away  you  must  clean the  courtyard,  brush  out  the  room,  get  dinner  ready, do  the  washing,  go  to  the  field,  get  a  quarter  of  oats, sift  it  all  out,  and  see  that  it  is  all  done  before  I  come home.  Otherwise  I  will  eat  you  up."
The horseman in black.
       And,  as  soon  as  ever  she  had  given  all  the  orders,  she began  snoring.
       Vasilisa  put  the  rest  of  the  dinner  in  front  of  the  doll and  said:  "Dollet,  eat  it  up  and  listen  to  my  woe. Heavy  are  the  tasks  which  the  Baba  Yaga  has  given  me, and  she  threatens  to  eat  me  up  if  I  don't  carry  them  all out.  Help  me!"
       "Have  no  fear,  Vasilisa,  thou  fair  maiden.  Eat,  pray, and  lie  down  to  sleep,  for  the  morning  is  wiser  than  the evening."
       Very  early  next  day  Vasilisa  woke  up.  Baba  Yaga  was already  up  and  was  looking  out  of  the  window.  The glimmer  in  the  eyes  of  the  skulls  had  dimmed;  the white  horseman  raced  by:  and  it  dawned.  Baba  Yaga went  into  the  courtyard,  and  whistled,  and  the  mortar, the  pestle,  and  the  besom  appeared  at  once,  and  the  red horseman  came  by:  and  the  sun  rose.  Baba  Yaga  sat in  the  mortar  and  went  by,  thrusting  the  mortar  with the  pestle,  and  with  the  besom  she removed  every  trace of  her  steps.
       Vasilisa,  left  all  by  herself,  looked  over  the  house  of the  Baba  Yaga,  wondered  at  all  the  wealth  gathered  in, and  began  to  consider  what  she  should  start  with.  But all  the  work  was  already  done,  and  the  doll  had  sifted out  the  very  last  of  the  ears  of  oats.
       "Oh,  my  savior!"  said  Vasilisa.  "You  have  helped me  in  my  great  need."
       "You  now  have  only  to  get  dinner  ready,"  the  doll answered,  and  clambered  back  into  Vasilisa's  pocket.
       "With  God's  help  get  it  ready,  and  stay  here  quietly waiting."
       In  the  evening  Vasilisa  laid  the  cloth  and  waited  for Baba  Yaga.  The  gloaming  came,  and  the  black  horseman reached  by:  and  it  at  once  became  dark,  but  the  eyes in  the  skulls  glowed.  The  trees  shuddered,  the  leaves crackled,  Baba  Yaga  drove  in,  and  Vasilisa  met  her.
       "Is  it  all  done?"    Baba  Yaga  asked.
       "Yes,  grandmother: look!"  said  Vasilisa. 
Baba Yaga flying in her motar.

       Baba  Yaga  looked  round  everywhere,  and  was  rather angry  that  she  had  nothing  to  find  fault  with  and  said:
       "Very  well."  Then  she  cried  out:  "Ye  my  faithful servants,  friends  of  my  heart!  Store  up  my  oats." Then  three  pairs  of  hands  appeared,  seized  the  oats  and carried  them  off.
       Baba  Yaga  had  her  supper,  and,  before  she  went  to sleep,  once  more  commanded  Vasilisa:  "Tomorrow do  the  same  as  you  did  today,  but  also  take  the  hay which  is  lying  on  my  field,  clean  it  from  every  trace  of soil,  every  single  ear.  Somebody  has,  out  of  spite,  mixed earth  with  it."
       And,  as  soon  as  she  had  said  it,  she  turned  round  to the  wall  and  was  snoring.
       Vasilisa  at  once  fetched  her  doll,  who  ate,  and  said  as the  had  the  day  before:  "Pray  and  lie  down  to  sleep, for  the  morning  is  wiser  than  the  evening.  Everything shall  be  done,  Vasilisushka."
       Next  morning  Baba  Yaga  got  up  and  stood  at  the window,  and  then  went  into  the  courtyard  and  whistled; and  the  mortar,  the  besom,  and  the  pestle  appeared  at once,  and  the  red  horseman  came  by:  and  the  sun  rose. Baba  Yaga  sat  in  the  mortar  and  went  off,  sweeping away  her  traces  as  before.
       Vasilisa  got  everything  ready  with  the  help  of  her  doll. Then  the  old  woman  came  back,  looked  over  everything, and  said:  "  Ho,  my  faithful  servants,  friends  of  my heart!  Make  me  some  poppy-oil."  Then  three  pairs  of hands  came,  laid  hold  of  the  poppies  and  carried  them  off.
       Baba  Yaga  sat  down  to  supper,  and  Vasilisa  sat  silently in  front  of  her.  "Why  do  you  not  speak;  why  do  you stay  there  as  if  you  were  dumb?"  Baba  Yaga  asked.
       "I  did  not  venture  to  say  anything;  but  if  I  might, I  should  like  to  ask  some  questions."
       "Ask,  but  not  every  question  turns  out  well:  too knowing  is  too  old."
       "Still,  I  should  like  to  ask  you  of  some  things  I  saw. On  my  way  to  you  I  met  a  white  horseman,  in  a  white cloak,  on  a  white  horse:  who  was  he?"
       "The  bright  day."
       "Then  a  red  horseman,  on  a  red  horse,  in  a  red  cloak, overtook  me:  who  was  he?"
       "The  red  sun."
       "What  is  the  meaning  of  the  black  horseman  who overtook  me  as  I  reached  your  door,  grandmother?"
       "That  was  the  dark  night.  Those  are  my  faithful servants."
       Vasilisa  then  thought  of  the  three  pairs  of  hands  and said  nothing.
       "Why  don't  you  ask  any  further?"  Baba  Yaga  asked.
       "I  know  enough,  for  you  say  yourself  'too  knowing is  too  old.'"
       "It  is  well  you  asked  only  about  things  you  saw  in  the courtyard,  and  not  about  things  without  it,  for  I  do  not like  people  to  tell  tales  out  of  school,  and  I  eat  up  everybody who  is  too  curious.  But  now  I  shall  ask  you,  how did  you  manage  to  do  all  the  work  I  gave  you?"
       "By  my  mother's  blessing!"
       "Ah,  then,  get  off  with  you  as  fast  as  you  can,  blessed daughter;  no  one  blessed  may  stay  with  me!"
       So  she  turned  Vasilisa  out  of  the  room  and  kicked  her to  the  door,  took  a  skull  with  the  burning  eyes  from  the fence,  put  it  on  a  staff,  gave  it  her  and  said,  "Now  you have  fire  for  your  stepmother's  daughters,  for  that  was why  they  sent  you  here."
Vasilisa returns home by the light of the skull.
       Then  Vasilisa  ran  home  as  fast  as  she  could  by  the light  of  the  skull;  and  the  flash  in  it  went  out  with  the dawn.
       By  the  evening  of  the  next  day  she  reached  the  house, and  was  going  to  throw  the  skull  away,  when  she  heard a  hollow  voice  coming  out  of  the  skull  and  saying :  "Do not  throw  me  away.  Bring  me  up  to  your  stepmother's house."  And  she  looked  at  her  stepmother's  house  and
saw  that  there  was  no  light  in  any  window,  and  decided to  enter  with  the  skull.  She  was  friendlily  received,  and the  sisters  told  her  that  ever  since  she  had  gone  away they  had  had  no  fire;  they  were  able  to  make  none; and  all  they  borrowed  of  their  neighbors  went  out  as soon  as  it  came  into  the  room.
       "Possibly  your  fire  may  burn!"  said  the  stepmother.
       So  they  took  the  skull  into  the  room,  and  the  burning eyes  looked  into  the  stepmother's  and  the  daughters' and  singed  their  eyes  out.  Wherever  they  went,  they could  not  escape  it,  for  the  eyes  followed  them  everywhere, and  in  the  morning  they  were  all  burned  to cinders.  Vasilisa  alone  was  left  alive.
       Then  Vasilisa  buried  the  skull  in  the  earth,  locked  the house  up,  and  went  into  the  town.  And  she  asked  apoor  old  woman  to  take  her  home  and  to  give  her  food until  her  father  came  back;  she  said  to  the  old  woman, "Mother,  sitting  here  idle  makes  me  feel  dull.  Go  and buy  me  some  of  the  very  best  flax;  I  should  like  to spin."
       So  the  old  woman  went  and  bought  good  flax.  Vasilisa set  herself  to  work,  and  the  work  went  merrily  along, and  the  skein  was  as  smooth  and  as  fine  as  hair,  and  when she  had  a  great  deal  of  yarn,  no  one  would  undertake the  weaving,  so  she  turned  to  her  doll,  who  said:  "Bring me  some  old  comb  from  somewhere,  some  old  spindle, some  old  shuttle,  and  some  horse  mane;  and  I  will  do it  for  you."
       Vasilisa  went  to  bed,  and  the  doll  in  that  night  made a  splendid  spinning  stool;  and  by  the  end  of  the  winter all  the  linen  had  been  woven,  and  it  was  so  fine  that  it could  be  drawn  like  a  thread  through  the  eye  of  a  needle. And  in  the  spring  they  bleached  the  linen,  and  Vasilisa said  to  the  old  mistress:  "Go  and  sell  the  cloth,  and keep  the  money  for  yourself."
       The  old  woman  saw  the  cloth  and  admired  it,  and said:  "Oh,  my  child!  nobody  except  the  Tsar  could ever  wear  such  fine  linen;  I  will  take  it  to  Court."
       The  old  woman  went  to  the  Tsar's  palace,  and  kept walking  up  and  down  in  front  of  it.
       The  Tsar  saw  her  and  said:  "Oh,  woman,  what  do you  want?"
       "Almighty  Tsar,  I  am  bringing  you  some  wonderful goods,  which  I  will  show  to  nobody  except  you."
       The  Tsar  ordered  the  old  woman  to  be  given  audience, and  as  soon  as  ever  he  had  seen  the  linen  he  admired  it very  much.  "  What  do  you  want  for  it ?"  he  asked  her.
       "It  is  priceless,  Batyushka,"  she  said;  "I  will  give it  you  as  a  present."
       And  the  Tsar  thought  it  over  and  sent  her  away  with rich  rewards.
Fair Vasilisa is brought before the Tsar.
       Now  the  Tsar  wanted  to  have  shirts  made  out  of  this same  linen,  but  he  could  not  find  any  seamstress  to  undertake the  work.  And  he  thought  for  long,  and  at  last  he sent  for  the  old  woman  again,  and  said:  "If  you  can spin  this  linen  and  weave  it,  perhaps  you  can  make  a shirt  out  of  it?"
       "I  cannot  weave  and  spin  the  linen,"  said  the  old woman;  "only  a  maiden  can  who  is  staying  with  me."
       "Well,  she  may  do  the  work."
       So  the  woman  went  home  and  told  Vasilisa  everything.
       "I  knew  that  I  should  have  to  do  the  work!" said  Vasilisa.  And  she  locked  herself  up  in  her  little  room, set  to  work,  and  never  put  her  hands  again  on  her  lap until  she  had  sewn  a  dozen  shirts.
       The  old  woman  brought  the  Tsar  the  shirts,  and Vasilisa  washed  and  combed  herself,  dressed  herself,  and sat  down  at  the  window,  and  waited.  Then  there  came a  henchman  of  the  Tsar's,  entered  the  room  and  said:
       "The  Tsar  would  fain  see  the  artist  who  has  sewn  him the  shirts,  and  he  wants  to  reward  her  with  his  own hands."
       Vasilisa  the  Fair  went  to  the  Tsar.  When  he  saw  her, he  fell  deep  in  love  with  her.  "No,  fairest  damsel;  I will  never  part  from  you.  You  must  be  my  wife."
       So  the  Tsar  took  Vasilisa,  with  her  delicate  hands,  put her  next  to  him,  and  bade  the  bells  ring  for  the  wedding.
       Vasilisa's  father  came  back  home,  and  was  rejoiced  at her  good  luck,  and  stayed  with  his  daughter.
       Vasilisa  also  took  the  old  woman  to  live  with  her,  and the  doll  ever  remained  in  her  pocket.