Barbie Five
Children's Story
"Have you seen it?" whispered the Barbie doll to her next door neighbour.
The next Barbie doll in line was instantly alert. There were five different Barbie dolls, who lived jumbled together in the toy cupboard but who were so jealous of each other that they rarely spoke. "Seen what?" asked the second Barbie doll, blue eyes darting all round the room.
"The Princess," replied the first Barbie with glee. "Caitlin's done her hair and it looks terrible!"
Barbie Two didn't wait to find out for herself what had happened to the Princess. More than they hated each other, all the Barbies hated the Princess, for she was Caitlin's favourite and was always dressed in the best clothes. And while the rest of the Barbies spent most of their time languishing in the toy cupboard, Caitlin always took out the Princess and played with her.
Barbie Two turned to Barbie Three and whispered with delight, "The Princess looks a real sight! You should see her!"
Barbie Three's eyes gleamed. She nudged Barbie Four with a rather savage dig in the ribs. Barbie Four reacted angrily, but before she could say anything Barbie Three was whispering, "That stuck-up Princess! She's been taken down a peg or two. She's such a mess!"
Barbie Four chortled. For the first time in her life she spoke to Barbie Five. Barbie Five was the oldest of the Barbie dolls, with joints that creaked and hair which was rather thin and straggly. All the others ignored her because she was old and battered, so it was quite a surprise when Barbie Four spoke to her. "That Princess! She looks hideous!" Barbie Five felt rather sorry for the Princess. She had a pretty good idea what would happen to her, because when she herself had been new, Caitlin had played with her all the time, loving her and dressing her in pretty clothes and combing her hair. But her hair had kept getting tangled, and after one disastrous hairdressing session Caitlin had torn out some of her hair and flung her into the toy cupboard. A new Barbie had appeared shortly after that, and Barbie Five had rarely been out of the cupboard since.
Despite their jealousy of the Princess, the Barbie dolls were a little in awe of her. It wasn't only that she was so well dressed. She had a regal air, and all the others privately thought that perhaps she really was a princess. And besides, although she was occasionally thrown into the toy cupboard with them, she was often sat neatly next to Ken in two little deck chairs which were just the right size for them. Ken was so handsome that all the dolls thought he was probably a prince.
To the huge disappointment of the other Barbies, when Caitlin brought the Princess in, she didn't sling her into the toy cupboard but sat her gently next to Ken in the deck chair. Her hair did look rather funny, but she was clearly still the favourite. The Barbies thought they'd better be pleasant. None of them wanted to be out of favour with the Princess or Ken.
"I love your new hair style!" cried Barbies One Two Three and Four, smiling at the princess and trying to inch nearer to Ken.
Barbie Five couldn't believe her ears after all the nasty things she'd heard the other four say. She also wanted to be in favour with the Princess, but she thought it was important that the Princess knew what might happen to her. Barbie Five looked at the Princess and said to her, "I think you need to be careful. You may be nearing the end of your active life. But I'll do my best to look after you if you find yourself thrown into the toy cupboard. It's not such a bad existence, I've grown to enjoy it myself."
The princess tossed her hair and turned her back on Barbie Five. "I shall never sink to your level," she replied unkindly.
Barbie Five didn't say any more. She felt hurt by the princess' reaction, but she knew she'd done the right thing by speaking the truth. Barbie Five always spoke the truth, even though none of the other dolls wanted to hear it.
As Caitlin slowly grew up, both the Princess and Ken were thrown into the toy cupboard. The argument and squabbling and jealousy amongst the dolls grew worse and worse, and they were all unhappy with their lives. All except one, that is. Barbie Five discovered she was quite contented with her lot, and strange to say, as the other Barbies grew older and older and more and more ugly, Barbie Five seemed to grow softer and more beautiful.
When at last the toy cupboard was cleared out and all the toys were packed into boxes to go to the jumble sale, Caitlin picked up Barbie Five and hugged her. "You were my very first Barbie," she murmured, "and you're the nicest of the lot. I'm going to keep you forever, and when I have a little girl I shall give you to her. You will be her very first toy."
And that was exactly what happened.
The next Barbie doll in line was instantly alert. There were five different Barbie dolls, who lived jumbled together in the toy cupboard but who were so jealous of each other that they rarely spoke. "Seen what?" asked the second Barbie doll, blue eyes darting all round the room.
"The Princess," replied the first Barbie with glee. "Caitlin's done her hair and it looks terrible!"
Barbie Two didn't wait to find out for herself what had happened to the Princess. More than they hated each other, all the Barbies hated the Princess, for she was Caitlin's favourite and was always dressed in the best clothes. And while the rest of the Barbies spent most of their time languishing in the toy cupboard, Caitlin always took out the Princess and played with her.
Barbie Two turned to Barbie Three and whispered with delight, "The Princess looks a real sight! You should see her!"
Barbie Three's eyes gleamed. She nudged Barbie Four with a rather savage dig in the ribs. Barbie Four reacted angrily, but before she could say anything Barbie Three was whispering, "That stuck-up Princess! She's been taken down a peg or two. She's such a mess!"
Barbie Four chortled. For the first time in her life she spoke to Barbie Five. Barbie Five was the oldest of the Barbie dolls, with joints that creaked and hair which was rather thin and straggly. All the others ignored her because she was old and battered, so it was quite a surprise when Barbie Four spoke to her. "That Princess! She looks hideous!" Barbie Five felt rather sorry for the Princess. She had a pretty good idea what would happen to her, because when she herself had been new, Caitlin had played with her all the time, loving her and dressing her in pretty clothes and combing her hair. But her hair had kept getting tangled, and after one disastrous hairdressing session Caitlin had torn out some of her hair and flung her into the toy cupboard. A new Barbie had appeared shortly after that, and Barbie Five had rarely been out of the cupboard since.
Despite their jealousy of the Princess, the Barbie dolls were a little in awe of her. It wasn't only that she was so well dressed. She had a regal air, and all the others privately thought that perhaps she really was a princess. And besides, although she was occasionally thrown into the toy cupboard with them, she was often sat neatly next to Ken in two little deck chairs which were just the right size for them. Ken was so handsome that all the dolls thought he was probably a prince.
To the huge disappointment of the other Barbies, when Caitlin brought the Princess in, she didn't sling her into the toy cupboard but sat her gently next to Ken in the deck chair. Her hair did look rather funny, but she was clearly still the favourite. The Barbies thought they'd better be pleasant. None of them wanted to be out of favour with the Princess or Ken.
"I love your new hair style!" cried Barbies One Two Three and Four, smiling at the princess and trying to inch nearer to Ken.
Barbie Five couldn't believe her ears after all the nasty things she'd heard the other four say. She also wanted to be in favour with the Princess, but she thought it was important that the Princess knew what might happen to her. Barbie Five looked at the Princess and said to her, "I think you need to be careful. You may be nearing the end of your active life. But I'll do my best to look after you if you find yourself thrown into the toy cupboard. It's not such a bad existence, I've grown to enjoy it myself."
The princess tossed her hair and turned her back on Barbie Five. "I shall never sink to your level," she replied unkindly.
Barbie Five didn't say any more. She felt hurt by the princess' reaction, but she knew she'd done the right thing by speaking the truth. Barbie Five always spoke the truth, even though none of the other dolls wanted to hear it.
As Caitlin slowly grew up, both the Princess and Ken were thrown into the toy cupboard. The argument and squabbling and jealousy amongst the dolls grew worse and worse, and they were all unhappy with their lives. All except one, that is. Barbie Five discovered she was quite contented with her lot, and strange to say, as the other Barbies grew older and older and more and more ugly, Barbie Five seemed to grow softer and more beautiful.
When at last the toy cupboard was cleared out and all the toys were packed into boxes to go to the jumble sale, Caitlin picked up Barbie Five and hugged her. "You were my very first Barbie," she murmured, "and you're the nicest of the lot. I'm going to keep you forever, and when I have a little girl I shall give you to her. You will be her very first toy."
And that was exactly what happened.
