A Gentile Little Lady Doll for Coloring

Description of Coloring Page: stripes and ribbons, full skirt, lady doll, puff sleeves, porcelain arms, legs and head, old-fashioned doll

Don't forget to drag the png. or jpg into a Word Document and enlarge the image as much as possible before printing it folks. If you have a question about this coloring page, just type into the comment box located directly below this post and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.

"The Best Loved Doll" Doll Birthday Party

"Best Loved Doll" by Caudill

        Our little doll party idea here is based upon the award winning children's book "The Best Loved Doll.'' Written by Rebecca Caudill after observing her child at a neighborhood birthday party given for her friend from the neighborhood.

Caudill "watched as her daughter took her shabby but much-loved doll to a party and a sensitive mother awarded her a medal." 

       In the book three awards are given for: beauty, age, and mechanical genius to three lucky winners out of 12 girls attending the birthday party with each of their favorite dolls. But, there is something missing from the competition. That something was made very clear while each child explains 'why' they chose to bring a particular doll for the competition. 

       Betsy explains why she chose Jennifer to the crowd of little contestants.

       Jennifer is not pretty; her features are torn and mended from all of the play and adventures that she and Betsy have had. 

       Jennifer is not old, she is a newer rag doll from Betsy's collection.

       Jennifer has no fancy mechanical features: she does not play music, or talk when you squeeze her tummy or sit at a tiny pretend sewing machine while she appears to operate it. 

       Betsy had a doll much prettier and another much older and still another who could pretend to sew!

       But Betsy loves a torn and tattered rag doll the most. Jennifer is the doll who listens to her at night in bed. She is the doll that Betsy carries everywhere on adventures. She is the doll that doesn't mind rough play at all and smiles at everything Betsy does. Jennifer is always there for Betsy whenever she needs a friend.

       While Betsy is talking, the birthday girl's mother realizes she has made a mistake. 

       Quickly and discreetly, this mother makes a fourth award for Betsy's doll Jennifer. Check the book out from a library to find out what happens next and go to hear the book reviewed online.

• Picture books that will make you kick your feet by Hadley Queen
• "The Best-Loved Doll" described by Novelzilla

How to Give a "Best Loved Doll" Party for your own dolls:

       The girls play games before the doll show and then have the awards ceremony afterwards. They play the game "pin the tail of the donkey." among others...
       For every award given there are prizes and ribbon awards given by Mrs. Anderson, the birthday girl's mother.  Children may prepare their own versions of prizes as well, for their own doll shows.

• Here is a craft describing how to make ribbon awards

There are a variety of crafts on our website that would make special prizes for a doll to receive at a party: 

• String doll sized necklaces - easy ideas
• Craft doll coloring books for guests at your party
• How to sew hair bows for dolls - make them party themed!

       After the games and doll show, the children in the storybook have refreshments at a big table while their dolls eat at a special smaller table, set with a Blue Willow doll tea set. Each doll has a tiny pink cup cake and each doll is given a party favor, a miniature doll fan.

• How to make a miniature doll fans - these may be made with or without feathers, here is another version made with toothpicks from my Christmas blog . . .
• See how to make Birthday cakes for dolls, all kinds!

       At the big table children are treated to pink cupcakes and pink lemonade. Each guest also receives her own party favor, an umbrella small enough for a doll to use! (beverage umbrellas)
       Then the party ends with very happy dolls and even happier guests...

Paper Dolls Wear 19th Century Costume

        For these paper dolls representative of 1810, a girl doll has three dress costumes along with three different bonnets. The boy paper doll has three costumes with two hats. Both dolls also have heavier seasonal jackets drawn with their inner garments.

Make these miniature Valentine sweets for your dolls . . .

        All dolls will love to pretend to eat candies below for St. Valentine's Day! All of our tiny versions crafted here for both young and old to copy or make similar versions are made using Sculpey clay, toothpicks and a bit of paint. Seal the finished versions with Mod Podge to protect the surfaces, once these have been painted.

Far left, pictured are my versions of candy kabobs. Center are the Valentine s'mores with
 painted chocolate centers sandwiched between to pretend graham crackers, topped with
red puff paint and tiny Sculpey candies. These candies are purchased from a local hobby
 shop for just a few pennies.

Here you see miniature pretzels painted toasty brown and ''dipped'' into pastel puff paints
 to mimic both yogurt and chocolate; just as they are in real life.

Chocolates, heart shaped marshmallows and ribbon candies all mounted on a faux kabob
are a fantasy inspired Valentine treat for your dolls. Sculpt these using oven-bake clay and
 push them gently onto a toothpick. Paint all the parts as you see them in the photos.
 Don't forget to tie a miniature bow just on the handle for that finishing touch.

Above left, are the unfinished, sculpted roses. Right, are the painted, finished ones.

 

       To make the miniature chocolate roses, sculpt the tiny petals using an oven-bake clay. Apply the petal around the tip of a toothpick until the bud and bloom are formed. Bake the roses in a 275 degree oven or according to the directions on the Sculpey package. The clay will quickly harden and be ready to paint. Once the roses have hardened and cooled, paint the upper petals a rich chocolatey brown. The bottom of the roses should be painted with a gold, red, or silver metallic paint to mimic the foil that the real candy roses come covered in. The toothpick should be painted green as the actual stems are with real chocolate roses.

Above, you can see how I wrapped the chocolate roses with green tissue papers. Go
 to Thrifty Scissors to see how the craft life-sized real chocolate roses and carnation
 kiss bouquets for a presentation/gift for a sweetheart or friend.

Paper Doll Fashions from 1830

       The following fashions from 1830 include three changes of clothes for a girl paper doll and two changes for a boy. There are also two bonnets for the girl and two hats for the boy. During this period in dress in the United States, the fabric and color of the fabric reflected wealth and status. The lighter the clothing and finer the fabric the wealthy the child. 

       Children from more ordinary households wore similar styles but the fabrics were made of sturdier stuff and the colors were darker to hide stains and the fact that the garments may not have been laundered as frequently.

Paper Dolls Wear 18th Century Costume

        The costume below is representative of how the upper classes of the 18th Century dressed in Europe around 1775. Men and sometimes women would often powder their hair or wear wigs to with these styles also. 

       Children wore similar costume to their elders, no matter how uncomfortable it was, during special occasions. But while they played in the nursery or slept, they wore less formal clothing when they were not in public.
       If you parents were not wealthy but were ordinary folk, the costume would be made of rougher fabrics, in sombre/neutral colors. There would be fewer trims and adornments on the surface of the clothing too and women did not wear wigs much.

       Below are the formal garments of those children of upper class parents. Both a boy and a girl are illustrated along with hats, a shawl and a cane for the girl. The boy has three costume changes, the girl two. 

       A child's hair would not be treated with powder, nor would they ordinarily ever wear wigs. Hair styles were combed and secured with pins in similar shapes and styles of their parents but their natural hair color was left alone.

Born to a family of status and wealth in the 18th Century, these children dressed
 like just like their parents when in public places. Only infants had clothing
 designed particularly for their size and age. If an infant were a boy he would
  wear clothing similar to a girl. By the time he was four or five, this would end
   and his gender would dictate his costume.

DIY Dollhouse Christmas Tree Ornaments: Part 2

Miniature Candy Cones, Snow Ball Garland and A Sticker Cross

Left, tiny Christmas candy cones are made by cutting cardboard circles in half and then
winding these into cone shapes, tape the cone shapes in place and trim off the parts at the
top to form perfect candy containers. String seed beads together for the handles and tape
 these in place before decoupage is applied to the surfaces. Center, using a needle and
thread string together white pom poms. Add a little glue and glitter to finish the snowball
 garland. Right, tape a thin wire hanger to the backside of a cross sticker to make this
simple religious ornament for a dollhouse tree.

Tiny Cotton Toad Stools

Left, shaped cotton batting toad stools before painting. Center, paint the caps red with white 
polka-dots. Right, see one hanging on a tiny tree. Learn how to make these ornaments larger
for a real tree here.

American Flags, Miniature Baubles and Butterflies

Left, American flag pics for cupcakes make cute decorations for a doll patriotic Christmas
tree. Center, these little plastic baubles are mass produced for tiny trees. Right, tiny, tiny
 glass bead butterflies just need little hooks before hanging these on our doll's Christmas tree.

Leaping Reindeer and Cotton Batting Rudolf

Left, these leaping, red glitter reindeer where at one time parts of a garland. But, I decided to
recycle them into smaller ornaments for our 18 inch dollhouse. Center, the cotton wrapped
Rudolf prior to painting. Right, see both ornament types finished and hanging on a doll-sized
 white Christmas tree.

Beaded Garland

Strings of faux pearls may be purchased from shops selling sewing notions. These make
perfect tiny garlands for miniature Christmas trees!

Parlor Birds

Left, the beginning supplies used to make these cotton batting birds in miniature. Center, you
 can see the stage for this craft mid-way. The feathers are wrapped into the body with cotton
and glue. Right, our ''parlor birds'' are ready to spy on naughty children. These are German
 types, once made from glass. The parlor birds, so my mother-in-law once said, would
fly away to tattle on children to Santa Claus if they misbehaved. 

 Part 1.,  and Part 2., Part 3., and Part 4.

Wallpaper Designs for Printing and Coloring

        Four uniquely designed wallpaper patterns from the past. Print and color them in just as you like to
paste inside of your own dollhouse!

DIY Dollhouse Christmas Tree Ornaments: Part 1

        Our dolls are dreaming of those perfect miniature decorations for a dollhouse' Christmas tree nestled in front of a fireplace. It will require much crafting throughout the Summer to manufacture ornaments with very tiniest details. If our readers feel they need to embellish their own dollhouse displays too; they can follow along with me, while I upload each ornament idea/craft for our 2025 Christmas Tree Workshop Challenge.
       For ornament crafts on this page, visitors will need to gather the following supplies: white glue, a toothpick or two, green felt, tiny red pom-poms, green and red embroidery floss and thread, lampwork beads, a tiny white bottle brush wreath, fine wire, chenille stems, cotton balls, needle nose pliers, a selection of small beads.

• See how to make gift wrap for the gifts beneath your doll's Christmas tree here...
• Craft supplies I have purchased for future doll-sized Christmas trees.
• How to make a chenille stem Christmas Tree for a dollhouse

Wire Shaped Candy Canes

Far left, cut cotton covered wire into one inch lengths. Next, wrap each length with red
 embroidery floss to make a peppermint looking stick. Center, curl one end or each into
 a cane shape. Right, attach a tiny wire hook for hanging the miniature peppermint candy
 canes to a doll sized Christmas tree.

Felt Holly Leaves and Pom-Pom Berries

Left, for this craft you will need red and green thread, the very
tiniest red pom-poms in the market place and green forest felt.
 Right, cut the holly leaves from the felt and sew the tiny red
 pom-poms, three to each pair of holly leaves using red thread.
 Then make tiny straight stitches down the centers of each leaf
 using the green thread. Tack on the itty-bitty wire hooks at
 the back of each holly and berry sprig to hang on the doll's
 Christmas tree.

Holly Berry Jingle Bells

Left, you will need a fine wire and jingle bells for this holly berry ornament craft. Center, string
three jingle bells onto a fine wire and bend them into a triangle formation. Right, squeeze a little 
white school glue on the surfaces of the wire and wrap the wire with green embroidery floss.

Chenille Peppermint Lollipops

Left, twist and wrap the red and white lollipops into shapes using chenille stems. Center,
 cover the stick part with  cotton batting and glue. Right, use pliers to attach the tiny hooks.
Go here to see how we made miniature clay lollipops for other holidays.

White Flocked Bottle Brush wreath

Left, this flocked bottle brush wreath came with the red

bow. Right, use white school glue to add a few red pom-

poms for more decoration. These chenille stem Christmas

wreaths can be made even smaller for a Christmas tree.

Lampwork Bead Baubles

Left, small needle-nose pliers are a very necessary tool used
to make the tiniest hooks on the ends of the wires needed to
hang these lampwork beads onto the branches of miniature
Christmas trees. Right, are the loveliest glass lampwork
beads in red and green for our American Girl Doll trees. You
 can purchase even smaller beads than these for smaller dolls
 and trees. See beaded garlands for dollhouse trees here.

Icicle Bearded Santa

Left, the beard of this Santa ornament is shaped like an
icicle. The tiny ornament is sculpted using cotton and
glue shaped over a wooden toothpick. Right, then Santa's
face and hat are hand painted using a very tiny brush,
and acrylic paints...

 

Coming soon . . .

Part 1.,  and Part 2., Part 3., and Part 4.

The Yellow Mouse? Full of short words for young readers.

        One evening Mousey made up his mind to leave his home and see the world. His world was the nursery, where just now all was dark and quiet, except for the flicker and glow of the fire in the grate. His home was a warm and cozy nest right under the boards, which his mother had made for him and his brothers.
       But Mousey was tired of the nest, and when Mrs. Mouse had left her children to look for her supper he slipped out after her, and ran up the dark passage to the world above. He was a pretty little thing. His toes were pink and so was the tip of his nose. His coat was soft and brown and furry and his eyes shone like big black beads. His tail was a wonder, so long and so slender.
       Scrit-scratch went his tiny feet on the nursery floor as he ran. What a lot of strange smells! thought Mousey. He sniffed first round the coal-box, and then near the cat's basket, and then under the table, where some cake-crumbs had fallen. The last smell made him so curious that he tasted a crumb with his little pink tongue, and then for the next few minutes he was busy. Nibble, nibble, one crumb after another, till he had had a good supper.
       Soon Mousey found himself at the foot of the table-leg. "This goes up," said he, "and so will I.'' He stuck his sharp claws into the wood and up he went. The table-cloth, too, was a help, for he could stick his claws int that as well.
       At last he was up, and there was a great surprise for Mousey. For in the middle stood a strange little house shut in by bars that shone like gold in the firelight. Behind the golden bars sat a golden prisoner. "Hurrah!" cried Mousey in his thin squeak, ''this must be the yellow mouse my mother has told me of. It is he who sings so loudly in the sunshine when we brown mice are hiding away. I will set him free and take him home and he shall teach us to sing loudly too."
       Mousey gripped the golden bars with his tiny sharp teeth, and bit hard and fast. "Twing, twang," said the bars, and the golden prisoner woke. He ruffled his feathers and gave an angry squawk. "Ugly little brown mouse, what are you doing here? Squawk! squawk!"
       Timid Mousey gave one look at him as he flew, beating his wings round his cage, and then rushed to the edge of the table. Down by the cloth he swung and scrit-scratched across the floor. He did not stop till he was safe in his cozy dark nest again. by H. W. Seers.

 

"He ruffled his feathers and gave an angry squawk."

Decorative Sheet Music for Scrapping

        Antique looking sheet music for scrapper's crafts. This one for all kinds of projects that require musical notes integrated into the design. I have a few more pages like this that I'll upload under this post in the future.

This sheet music printable has color background for those crafters
using white paper for printing.

How Grasshopper Green defended the Meadow Mice

 

       Early one Saturday morning-it must have been about the end of February- Father Meadow-Mouse looked out of the window and saw that there had been quite a thaw during the night.

       "Mother Meadow-Mouse," said he, "it is much warmer this morning, and I think the ice that filled up that hole under Farmer Green's corn-crib must be melted away. Now our larder is nearly empty; so you and I'd better go over there right away and get some corn before the squirrels wake up." 

       So Mother Meadow-Mouse put on her little dark blue shawl, and Father Meadow-Mouse put on his little bright red muffler, and, taking two sacks with them, they started off to get the corn. 

Meadow-Mouse children clean up the house while their parents are away.

    

   Grasshopper Green stayed home with the children (the day being Saturday, they didn't have to go to school), for in spite of the thaw the weather was still too cold for him to safely venture out.

       Making Everything spic and span "Now, children," said Grasshopper Green, "we'll wash the breakfast dishes, and sweep and dust the room, and make everything spick and span to surprise your Mother and Father when they come back." 

       So Long-Tail, Sharp-Eyes, Pink-Ears and Mouseykins all put on funny little blue aprons and fell to work, and in a very short time the dishes were all washed and dried and the room was as neat as a new pin.

       When all the work was done, Grasshopper Green got out his fiddle and said that it was time for a dancing lesson. 

       Oh, how the little Meadow-Mouse Children enjoyed dancing lessons! Of course they couldn't equal the wonderful twirling leaps of their teacher, Grasshopper Green, but they did very well, and you should have seen how gracefully they waved their tails; and that was something that Grasshopper Green couldn't do for the reason, of course, that he hadn't any tail to wave. 

       The first part of the lesson was over, and Grasshopper Green was just starting to re-tune his little fiddle, when they heard a creaking sound - as if someone were cautiously trying to push open the front door, which was bolted on the inside.

       Long-Tail, who happened to be standing near the little window, peeped out to see who was there, then suddenly jumped back and dived into the corner cupboard, squeaking in a trembly voice, "It's Mouser!"

       Now "Mouser" was Farmer Green's big, yellow-eyed, black cat! 

      Father Meadow-Mouse had once said to Grasshopper Green, "Our home is so far away from the farmhouse and barn and is so well disguised that there is really no danger of that terrible Mouser ever finding it." But here he was at last! 

       Mouser, no doubt, had heard--perhaps the weasel who lived near-by had told him--that Father and Mother Meadow-Mouse had both gone out that morning, leaving the children alone. 

       He probably did not know that Grasshopper Green was there with the little Meadow-Mice, though, of course, even if he had, he wouldn't have thought anything of it. And what, indeed, could a little Grasshopper do against a big cat? 

       There was only one thing he could do, Grasshopper Green decided, and that was to go for help without a moment's delay. 

Thistlewhistle the fairy, lived with 
some rabbit friends.

       Now Grasshopper Green knew that Thistle-Whistle, the Fairy, lived with some rabbits in a rabbit-hole among the briars not far away, and he was sure that Thistle-Whistle, who was quite a powerful Fairy, could in some way drive off Mouser and rescue the little Meadow-Mice.

       So, not even stopping to put on a muffler, he raised the window very quietly and hopped out.

       Mouser was intent on trying to open the door by clawing and pushing, and didn't notice the window at all.

       Then you should have seen Grasshopper Green's tremendous leaps! You may be sure he went faster than any Grasshopper had ever hopped before. Warmed by his excitement an d exertions, he didn't feel the cold a bit.

       He soon reached the rabbit-hole. Alas! The Fairy was not there. As Grasshopper Green turned to go, he spied a small chest standing near the door. At the sight of this a brilliant idea immediately popped into his head!

       Now Listen! In that chest were some tiny black pellets, magic pellets, about the size of mustard seeds.

       Thistle-Whistle and Grasshopper Green had become great friends that winter an d the Fairy had told Grasshopper Green about these magic pellets; if you swallow only one, and then wished yourself any size you wanted to be-as small as a Flea or as big as an Elephant, or any size in between. You would become that size instantly!

       Grasshopper Green returned to the whole promptly and with the seed in his mouth, wished to be as large as a small dog!

       The moment Mouser poked his head inside of the mouse hole, his eyes met with Grasshopper Greens'. The sight of the massive insect nearly paralyzed Mouser with surprise!

       Although a grasshopper is usually a very good-natured little fellow he has a really terrifying face, but we don't notice it often because he's so very small.

Grasshopper Green very scary when he's the size of a small dog!

       Look very closely at one sometime and then try to imagine what a strange looking monster he would be if he were as big as a dog!

       Great-Grandfather Goodheart said, when he told me the story, that Mouser never stopped running until he got to the next village, five miles away, and that he shrieked out to every animal he passed on the way that he had seen a dragon!

       At any rate, he was never seen about Farmer Green's place again. And that certainly was a great relief to all the Meadow-Mice, I can attest to it.

       As soon as Mouser disappeared in the distance, Grasshopper Green swallowed another pellet and wished himself back to his usual size. Then he called to the Meadow-Mouse children to come out of their hiding places and told them the good news. For Long-Tail and Sharp-Eyes had been squeezed in the cupboard and Pink-Ears and Mouseykins were under the bed all that time.

       Pretty soon Father and Mother Meadow-Mouse returned with their sacks full of corn.

       When they heard that Mouser had been so frightened that he probably would never return, you can guess how happy they were. They would be able to caper about freely for certain.

       They sent out invitations right away for a fine big party in honor of Grasshopper Green, who was, of course, their hero for many years to come. The End.

Back to page 1. and  Back to page 2.  You are on page 3. 

Back to Mouse Hole.

The winter adventures of Grasshopper Green and his mice friends...

       Grasshopper Green felt so much better when he awoke in the morning, and a fine sunny morning it was, too, for the storm was over. The kindness of the Meadow-Mice, even more than the food and warmth, had made him feel almost like himself again, and if you've ever been acquainted with Grasshoppers, you know, of course, how sprightly and happy they naturally are. 
       He was still rather weak, however; so Mother Meadow-Mouse, who was a famous nurse, made him stay in bed and took care of him as if he had been one of her own family. 
       She put a mustard-seed poultice on his chest, and gave him a little hot corn gruel, and a drop or two of honey every two hours for his hoarseness. 

Uncle Meadow-Mouse teaches the children how to read and do their sums.

       Grasshopper Green improved so rapidly that by the time the young mice got home from school he was well enough to get up. I forgot to tell you that Long-Tail, Sharp-Eyes, Pink-Ears and Mouseykins were taught by a wise old grey mouse whom they called "Uncle." "Uncle" lived in a nice stone house, a hole in the foundation of a ruined barn, near-by.

 

Father Meadow-Mouse tells a story about pie-rats to his children.

       They were all very merry that evening at the supper table. Jolly Father Meadow-Mouse told them a rattling good yarn about the adventures of some young water-rats who put to sea in an old pie plate and determined to become pie-rats! (Your mother will explain this little joke.)
       After supper, while the youngsters were doing their lessons, Grasshopper Green helped Father and Mother Meadow-Mouse with the dishes. It made him feel very sad to think that he must soon be leaving this pleasant household. He thanked Father and Mother Meadow-Mouse for all their goodness, and started to say that he ought to be leaving the next morning, as he had nothing with which to pay for his keep, but Father Meadow-Mouse interrupted him.  

In winter and spring, fairies share in 
fun games with their good mouse 
compainions.

       "You'll do no such thing," he exclaimed heartily. "Now you just listen to me. If you want to pay us, you can do it in this way. Give us all dancing lessons, and play us a lively tune on your little fiddle now and then, for every one knows that all Grasshoppers are wonderful dancers and fiddlers."
       This plan, of course, just suited Grasshopper Green. In fact he was so delighted at the prospect of spending the winter with the merry, kind-hearted Meadow-Mice that he made a tremendous leap which carried him clear to the other end of the room. A second leap almost landed him in a pan of dish-water!
       In the midst of his caperings there was a knock at the door. 
       It was Mr. and Mrs. White-Mouse, old friends of the Meadow-Mice, who had come to make a friendly call. Grasshopper Green had never seen any White Mice before, and he thought them very beautiful and aristocratic with their pale complexions, ruby-colored eyes and long pinky tails. (For White-Mice do look that way, you know).
       He learned later that they belonged to a little boy living in a near-by farm house.
       Rap, tap, tap!-more guests arrived: three dainty little roadside Fairies with these funny names, Sun-Flower-Seed, Thistle-Whistle, and Ragged Sailor. (Fairies and Mice are usually very good friends; in fact, Great-Grandfather Goodheart says-but I'll tell you about that some other time.) 
       Grasshopper Green had met Ragged Sailor before. He was quite a musician and carried his tiny golden accordion in the sailor blouse he always wore. 
       It wasn't long before Grasshopper Green had his tiny fiddle tuned up, and Ragged Sailor got out his accordion. Then they started to play the liveliest little tunes you ever heard. 
       The rest of the party pushed the chairs and table back against the wall, to make room for dancing and then-Bless your heart! What a good time they all had. I sometimes wish that I were small enough to dance with a Fairy or a Mouse. Don't you? 

Fairies and mice dance all night while Grasshopper Green plays his fiddle!

        First they played the Pansy Petal Polka-a great favorite with the Fairies; then the Dragon Fly Dance and the Wheatfield Gavotte.
       They danced everything they could think of, from the ridiculous Caterpillar Crawl to the lovely Moon-Moth Minuet, ending up with the Grasshopper Hornpipe. In this dance, the object was to see which dancer could leap the highest and crack his heels together oftenest before he touched the floor.
       Sunflower Seed did this the best of all, for she had a pair of beautiful striped wings, like a butterfly's, which enabled her to stay in the air as long as she pleased.
       The Meadow-Mouse Children, who had gone to bed soon after the company came, were awakened by the noise of the Grasshopper Hornpipe, which was the most boisterous of all the dances. 
       Everybody was in such good humor that the little Meadow-Mice were allowed to stay up and come in, to join the fun.
       Dancing so much had made everyone hungry; so Father Meadow-Mouse got the corn popper and they popped, and popped, and popped, and ate, and ate, and ate! I don't dare to tell you how much they ate. Especially the four youngsters. The Fairies, too, seemed very fond of the popcorn. 
       "It's such a nice change from rose pollen and honeysuckle juice," Thistle-Whistle remarked. 
       Well, finally, Mr. White-Mouse said, "We must really be going now, for it's getting very late.' "
       "And so must we," said the Fairies, and that pleasant evening came to an end. 
       This, though, was only one of the many merry gatherings at the home of the Meadow-Mice.
       Even when no friends dropped in they had fine cozy evenings.
    Sometimes they would all play games, sometimes Father Meadow-Mouse would tell one of his entertaining stories, and sometimes Mrs. Meadow-Mouse would sing while Grasshopper Green accompanied her on his fiddle. Here's the chorus of one of her quaint little songs: 

The funny little chorus Mother Meadow-Mouse sings.

       Although, during the winter, Grasshopper Green hardly ever dared to go outdoors on account of the cold, which of course is very dangerous to Grasshoppers, he had such happy times with his new friends that the months passed very quickly.

Back to page 1. You are on page 2. Forward to page 3.

Back to Mouse Hole.

The story of Grasshopper Green and the Meadow Mice

 

       Of course you know the story of "The Grasshopper and the Ant"- and how one autumn, when the winds were growing raw and cold and the nights frosty, the poor Grasshopper, who hadn't done anything but fiddle and dance all through the pleasant summer and had nothing laid by for the hard winter, went to the thrifty Ant and asked for a bite to eat and a chance to warm his toes in the chimney corner. And how the tight-fisted Ant refused to help the Grasshopper.

       Ant said to the shivering Grasshopper, "Keep on fiddling and dancing, it may help to keep you warm!"

       This always seemed to me so cruel. 

       Now you've probably wondered, just as I used to, whatever finally became of that Grasshopper. 

       Well, dear old Great-Grandfather Goodheart, who knows all about such things, told me the following story one rainy day as we sat by the open fire roasting chestnuts. I enjoyed it so much that I'm sure you will too. 

       Now, make yourself comfortable and cozy and listen. After the sneering Ant had banged the door in his face, Grasshopper Green felt, as you may imagine miserable, forlorn and friendless.

       It was growing dark. He turned up the collar of his threadbare claw-hammer coat and shuffled along over the frozen ground, scarcely noticing where his benumbed feet were taking him. He tried wrapping himself in a fallen leaf; it was red and looked as though it might be warm. But, alas! it proved to be a very thin covering against the biting, icy wind. 

       He tried to cheer himself up by playing on his little fiddle, but his fingers were too cold to play lively, cheerful tunes. At last, feeling too chilled and hungry and discouraged to go any further, he sank down at the foot of an old apple tree. This was some protection at least from the wintry blasts which, by now, were moaning, "Whoo-ooh-whee-eeeh!" among the bare branches in a very disheartening way. 

       Poor Grasshopper Green wrapped his leaf cape tightly about him and, in spite of his chattering teeth, finally fell into an uneasy sleep. 

Grasshopper's bad dream.

       He dreamed that he was wandering over an immense field of ice. Suddenly there appeared before him a little red table, upon which was a large yellow bowl of steaming, fragrant broth! Beside the table stood a chair, over the back of which was thrown a thick, fur-lined coat. 

       Just as he reached for the coat, he heard a terrific howling, and the next moment a gigantic hand had swept past him, snatching away the coat and the soup, and so terrifying Grasshopper Green that he fell over backward-and awoke. 

       "Well, singe my whiskers, what's this? What's this?" he heard a hearty voice exclaiming, and, looking up, was astonished to find himself in the cozy home of a family of Meadow-Mice! 

       This is how it had happened. When Grasshopper Green sank down exhausted among the roots of the old apple tree, he had not noticed, in the darkness, that he was leaning against a small door; this was the door of the home of the Meadow-Mouse family, who lived here in a hollow part of the tree, near the roots. 

       An especially strong gust of wind had blown the door open and tumbled Grasshopper Green into the room. When he sat up and looked about he was not quite sure, at first, that this was not just a part of his dream. 

       Father and Mother Meadow-Mouse and their four children, Long-Tail, Sharp-Eyes, Pink-Ears, and Mouseykins, had finished their supper of cornbread and cheese, and Father Meadow-Mouse was telling of two narrow escapes he had had the night before, one from a horned owl and one from Farmer Green's cat, Mouser. He had just come to the most exciting part of his adventures and all the family were listening with breathless interest, when the door, which had been left unbolted, blew open, as I have told you, and in tumbled poor Grasshopper Green. 

       Father and Mother Meadow-Mouse helped him over to their most comfortable chair, by the fire, for the poor fellow was so benumbed by the cold that he could hardly even stand alone. 

Grasshopper gets goose-berry syrup for his cough.

       While Grasshopper Green was explaining, in a wheezing voice, interrupted by coughs, how it was that he had burst in on them so rudely, Mother Meadow-Mouse filled a plate with food for him; then, bustling over to a corner cupboard, she got down a little jug of homemade Goose-berry syrup, poured some of it into a pannikin and set this on the fire to heat, saying as she did so, "There's nothing like warmed Gooseberry syrup to break up a cough." 

       Father Meadow-Mouse would every now and then blow his nose and exclaim, "Well, singe my whiskers and twist my tail!" just to express his sympathy. 

       Of course the little Meadow-Mouse children looked on with the greatest interest. When they saw their mother's treasured Gooseberry juice brought out they all pretended to have coughs, and Mother Meadow-Mouse good-naturedly gave them each a few drops. 

       When famished Grasshopper Green had eaten all he could-which, of course, seemed like very little to the big, hearty Meadow-Mice and when he had drunk the delicious Gooseberry juice, he sank back in the comfortable chair with a contented sigh. 

       Just think how heavenly it must have seemed to him, after having been nearly frozen and starved to death, to be sitting cozily by a warm hearth after a good supper! Father Meadow-Mouse was helping Mother Meadow-Mouse to wash the supper dishes, which rattled in a very homelike way. Long-Tail, Sharp-Eyes, Pink- Ears, and Mouseykins had started droning their lessons for the next day.

Father and Mother Meadow-Mouse wash the dinner dishes.

       "What a wonderfully cheerful place this is," said Grasshopper Green to himself, drowsily. "What beautiful blue furniture-and what a fine red tablecloth-what delightful yellow curtains- and what a good motto hanging over the mantle! 'Do-unto-others-as-you-would-have-them-do-unto-you.'''

       Then Grasshopper Green went fast asleep in the chair.

       Father Meadow-Mouse carried him into the children's room, where there was an old cradle which was about the right size for him, for you see a grown-up Grasshopper is not much bigger than a baby mouse.

       Good Father Meadow-Mouse then covered him up carefully with the very warmest blanket from his own bed. 

Father Meadow Mouse tucks grasshopper into bed.

You are on page 1, go to page 2 and then page 3

Back to Mouse Hole.

Color a Traditional Peddler Doll

Description of Coloring Page: wooden peddler doll from England, doll carries a basket of 'wares' to sell, she is a pedestrian sales lady from the Victorian Era, Dolls like these often were displayed on top of dressers with sewing notions tucked in their baskets. More often than not, the dolls were not stuffed below the waist; the skirt was neatly spread over a 'cage' form to cover it. The heads could be carved wood or poured and fired porcelain. This doll wears a traditional poke bonnet and shawl as well.

Don't forget to drag the png. or jpg into a Word Document and enlarge the image as much as possible before printing it folks. If you have a question about this coloring page, just type into the comment box located directly below this post and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.

Sew Sock Monster Softies!

Sock monster softies are easy beginner sewing crafts.

       These little softies are easy to sew and also include three different sewing stitches for young people to learn as they stuff, sculpt, attach eyes, horns, shells, big teeth, tails and anything else a young artist can think of!

Supply List:

• old, clean socks
• giant wooden beads for eyeballs
• white felt or white pom-poms for teeth
• an extra red sock for the mouth
• wool or cotton stuffing
• blue and black felt for eye-balls
• white sock for eyeballs too
• a plastic critter for eating or a companion
• a long sewing needle and matching threads

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. First, draw a picture of the sock monster you would like to make. You may make one like ours or design very own. 
2. To sew a large, exaggerated, red mouth similar to my own examples shown here, cut away the heal portion of an old sock. 
3. Turn the sock inside-out and replace the heal opening with a red sock scrap the same size as the one you cut away. Make this replacement by placing the cut heal from the first sock on top of a red sock and cut around that shape.
4. Sew the mouth in with the right sides together while the sock monster is turned inside out. Use a straight stitch.
5. Now turn the sock right sides facing out and use a whip stitch to attach the red mouth knitting more firmly in place. The whip stitch should overlap the straight seam already in place.
6. Now you are ready to stuff your monster softie, stitch the openings at the end of the sock closed  and add strange attachments wherever you would like! 
7. To make big eyeballs like mine: cover a large wooden bead using white sock scrapes. 
8. Then sew the iris onto the eyeball using a whip stitch again.
9. Cut and shape a long narrow tube using a straight stitch from sock material and then push the eyeball down to one open end of the tubing. 
10. Stuff the tubing with a chenille stem and cotton batting, to give it flexibility and strength. 
11. Use the invisible stitch to firmly attach the sock material around the eyeball. 
12. Then thread a needle with red thread and add sew random stitches around the top of the eyeball to make it look a bit more scary, just like a monster with 'red itchy eyes' of course!

Cut away the heal in a sock and replace it with a red mouth.

"Horrible Horned Hare" sock monster is actually made using a single knit glove. I made the 
horn for him from a scrap of grey sock, a tongue from a scrap of pink sock and his teeth from
white felt. He has four ears instead of two, that's what makes him a monster...

"Creepy Crocodile" sock monster with his rubber 'snake' dinner. He also has scutes and a tail feature 
attached down his back. These were made from the second matching sock.

"Savage Snail" Sock Monster and ladybug companion attached to the stripped shell on her
back side. Her teeth are white pom-poms sewn between her exaggerated red lips.