Mavis and Davis’s Great Journey

Mavis and Davis's Great Journey

By: Karie L. Baldridge

We could tell you of our hot summer day adventures. We have so many. The boat trips across the bay. Traveling to the circus, with Mina Lee. The ocean curse to watch the migrating whales. The time we missed the boat ride home to Jasmine bay. Then their was the time before these wonderful memories when Nellie Took us with her to visit a sick friend so she could get us ready for Mina Lee's birthday just to name a few.

When the canoppies above danced in the afternoon sky, as quivering green foliage floated with the slightest of ease following the beams of sunlight that broke through the opening in the gathering of trees. Such long, blue, beautiful days they were, coaxing out the rush of wonder full color that seemed to be blossoming before out eyes. The berries, plump with the taste of spring gushed with the warm exuberance, Black, Red and raspberries could be seen for miles in the back woods that year.

In fact that is where our great journey had begun, but lets start at the beginning we had found our way into Mina Lee's life only a few months earlier as a birthday gift from her Great Aunt Nellie. She had worked all year on perfecting us for her favorite niece, who had been very ill for the first few years of her young life and still was just a touch weak in her constitution. We remember when Nellie first put us in the box, Davis was so silly and afraid that we may never get back out but he never said a word, as Nellie rapped us in pretty pink paper with a delicate lace ribbon.

The next day, I think about noon, our waiting was over and Mina Lee picked us up out of the box, squealing as she animatedly knocked us about as she showed us off the her friends and family. Mina Lee rush over to Nellie and flung us and her little arms around her aunts neck to thank her for the beautiful new dolls, Nellie touched that we were such a riveting success asked Mina Lee what she would name us, Mavis and Davis I should think Mina said after a brief pause.

We went everywhere with Mina Lee, to church on Sunday, we went to school for a while but we had to stay in her backpack, She took us to the park and even when She and Melvin her older brother went to look for frogs in the woods, not my favorite thing. By that summer needless to say we were worn in several places but with love, so we did not mind, and Mina Lee did take very good care of us and on occasion we journeyed to Aunt Nellie's Home to get needed repairs. The mourning our journey began Mina Lee was rushing around like a chicken with her head cut off, she looked quite funny, she got dressed in a sensible play dress that had a very colorful patchwork design on the pleated skirt.

She wore her new leather sandals, and a pretty green sweater, she was in such a rush that we thought she had left us behind, but after she finished her chores she ran back up and fetched us. She was exited we later found out because it was the day she and her brother finally got to got pick berries with their friends, for the annual Summer Berry festival. We traveled far into the forest where the berries were the sweetest both Mina Lee and Melvin carried several big baskets, Mina had placed us in the smallest one thinking that she would not need to use it, but there had been so many berries that all the baskets were full.

The sun had been beating down and it was quite hot so Mina lee and Melvin decided to join their other children at the nearby river for a quick dip to cool them off before heading home Mina left us sitting one the small basket and told us to keep an eye on their things. We watched as she faded from site, only a few minutes had passed as we noticed that a couple of hawks were flying overhead, then all of the sudden Davis was swooped up and I saw him being taken away up over the trees. Then I was amazed as I watched the basket getting smaller and smaller my self as I realized that I to was being carried off in the same direction.

We both recall watching the landscape change, for several minutes as we came to the river; suddenly the river had thrown its self at us and made a big splash as we connected. We heard Mina lee yelling for us to stop but the river was in control and we continued down the river, Melvin tried to stop Mina Lee but was out of earshot before he could think to stop her. We floated for about an hour more then were caught up in a world pool, we lay there hoping to be found but are hopes were soon dashed as the sun set. We knew that Mina lee had probably given up the search, and gone home, heart broken we watched the stars as they swirled around and round.

Suddenly we heard a great moan, it was a bear that had come for a drink after a meal of summer berries, and we closed our eyes hoping that it would leave us alone. After a few minutes we heard it leave but did not look to see incase it might return, still frightened we heard movement once again, but this time something touched us and picked us up out of the water. Then carried us off into the bushes as we felt the creature emerged from the bushes we heard Mina Lee crying thank you daddy oh thank you we opened our eyes to see as Mina Lee ran, jumping into his arms almost crushing the stuffing out of us, but we did not care Mina Lee's father had rescued us and that was enough and we were finally back in her arms.

For several months she had been keep safe on a shelf in her bedroom making sure she visited us each and every day, with conversation and the usual tea party crowed, an elephant named Mr. Snuffles she had won at last years carnival, A turtle named Max that her brother had given Mina Lee that he won at the carnival this year. Along with many of Mina Lee's most cherished fancy dolls and stuffed toys, there were lions, and tigers, and bears oh my were those days fun and every one shared their past adventures. Suddenly it was fall and the canopies had changed to a glorious mixture of reds, greens, and yellows, summer had finally gone away like a thief in the night taking with it fond memories of by gone days.

Mina Lee finally over what had happened to us that summer, decided to take us everywhere with her once again, our first trip was to Aunt Nellie's house for a few repairs then we all went to the circus that had come to town. We sat on either side of Mina Lee and Nellie and Martin and the children's parents sat by Nellie the circus was so exciting, there were tight ropewalkers, jugglers, clowns, and animals from around the world. At the end everyone wanted to see the amusements outside the big tent and at one of the last games Martin and Mina Lee stopped to play she had one a huge stuffed teddy bear.

But in the cheering for Mina Lee and the rush to get the tired children home to bed we had been left behind, many people were still rushing about trying to see everything they could before the circus closed for the night. We sat watching people walk by as we lay forgotten by the ring toss booth, slowly all the lights went out and the real circus folks cam out, working together to pack up and move on to the next town. As the game booths were being broken down one of the clowns saw us just lying there and she tossed us into a pile of game prizes being put into a trailer it was dark in their and then we began to move.

We had been hi enough to see out the rear view window, and we watched as the town slowly was lost by the creeping darkness many months passed and we traveled with the circus, and we often thought what had Mina Lee been doing with her day now that is was winter. The circus last stop was to New York where they set up in a large building it had millions of seats and was a grand sight by that time we had been given to on to the ring masers daughters for her birthday and she took very good care of us her name was Rosishe loved to dress us in funny little outfits and put on her own imaginary circus to rival her fathers. The day the circus was ready to close for the holidays, Rosinoticed a little tag that had recently be sown on to our cloth bodies it had an address that if found please return it to Mina Lee, 5216 E. Rothschild Rd, Medford, Oregon.

Just before Rosiand her family were ready to fly home back up to Canada, she finally decided to tell her parents about the our real owners please return if found tag, her parents new how much she loved us and let her decide. As they waited in line to buy their ticks to Canada when it was their turn she tugged on the fathers coat and as tears ran down her face she ask if they could stop their on the way home to return us. Her parents proud of their daughter agreed and bought ticket's that had a two-night stop over in Portland Oregon. When they arrived they rented a car and stopped for breakfast before they asked directions to Medford, from the airport it took quite a good amount of time to drive their so they stopped at a couple of places along the way but they finally pulled up outside the home of Mina Lee.

It was such a site to see as we pulled up to the only real home we had known it was like a different lifetime, Rosiand her parents built up the courage to walk up to he door and ring the bell until they heard foot steps coming to the door. Mina Lee's father opened the door, and Rosi father introduced his family and asked if Rosicould ask him a question Mina Lee's father agreed and knelt down so he could meet her face to face. Rosiwas so nervous that it took her a few moments to ask if Mina lived here but she finally did and when he answered yes she pulled us out in the open for everyone to see.

Surprised at seeing us Mina Lee's father asked us how they had found the to of us, Rosis father recounted what he knew and then Mina Lee was called down from her room as she trotted down the stairs she saw Rosiholding the two of us and yelled Mavis and Davis your back running toward us. Rosiheld us out to her and she looked at her father with sadness, Mina Lee saw this and stopped, pausing before saying that we were her dolls now and that she hopped Rosiwould be as loving to them as she was.

Shocked by Mina Lee's words we fell into a limbo, why oh why had she said that didn't she miss us? Then to everyone's surprise Rosihanded us to Mina Lee, Mina promptly asked Rosito come up to her room and play, Rosilooked at her parents and they nodded as the girls ran up stairs Rosis father said just for a bit, we still need to go back to Portland and find a hotel until our flight on Sunday. The parents sat down to talk, and we went up to Mina Lee's room the girls had so much fun, they Rosis parents called her down, they announced that Rosiand they were going to stay the night and then go on a special trip the next day with Mina Lee's family.

The girls mothers fixed dinner and the Fathers talked about everything they could think of, it turned out we were later to find out the Rosis and Mina lee's Fathers had been friend's as children a long time ago, and that the special trip we were going on was to Aunt Nellie's house, because she had been working on creating copies of us to replace the ones she had then, and now found. Aunt Nellie pleased to see everyone new and old prepared a sumptuous meal and after words she revealed the two new copies of us and handed them to Rosi then she took a good look at us and sat down to start repairs, asking everyone sit and get comfortable and she would tell them how and where she learned to make wonderful dolls like us.

This skill I learned from my grand mother she said, and she learned it from her grand other and so one, but these dolls are quite different from the originals ones made when they first appeared back in the 1700's called Apple dolls. Back then in very rural parts people couldn't go to department stores and by doll's they were either to poor or to far out to get to one, so people started making these strange little fellows. She then gave the following directions.

First they took a large Pippin or McIntosh apple, a paring knife and a short pencil or stick. Peel the apple smoothly, place the stem end upward and with the tip of the knife or pencil draw the features of the face on the apple the eyes should be halfway down the fruit, and are a good starting place. Then using the tip of the knife carefully cut away bits of apple from around the eyes, nose and mouth leaving these features to protrude. Don't forget to cut a chin and eyebrows and add wrinkles near the eyes and forehead by removing small slivers of apple with the knife.

Don't worrying if the face is not perfect for it's the drying that creates their features realistic and mellow look, insert a stick or pencil where the neck would be and set the face inside a dry room for a period of three weeks during this time use your fingers to pinch these features into an expression you like. Then when the three weeks re up you can finish the doll you may want to use many different things to create its character but it will be lots of fun. Mina Lee and Rosiwanted to know how the original ones looked so Nellie pointed to a room in the back and everyone followed the girls as Nellie worked, in the room they found four walls filled with Apple dolls, and with different changes in their creation.

On a work bench they found several hundred molds all appeared to be in the shape of fruit, lemons apples pears and any other kind you could imagine even yes a watermelon, the girls ran to ask what the molds were for. Nellie just smiled and handed them a book, it was a large catalog and in it there were nothing but pitchers of dolls Nellie's dolls. And on the cover they read Aunt Nellie's Apple's and more dolls. It turned out that with her creation of us her first dolls that she had formed a real love for doll making.

So when a doll maker saw her the day she rode the train to Mina Lee's for her birthday he later tracked her down to see where she had found them and when he found out she had made them helped her start her own line of dolls. Later that night the doll maker showed up for their date his name was Mr. Michaela Mints and Aunt Nellie and he had just started dating shortly after meeting, they both loved dolls very much. So during our great journey we brought two old friends together Mina lee and Rosis fathers and two new friends in Mina Lee and Rosi and helped Aunt Nellie find something to do the she loved and someone to love her what a great adventure. And we had many more adventures with the girls and on our own but that's another story.