Unwanted Doll, The

Susie sat on the shelf in the store, a layer of dust coating her
body. She wanted to cry as she watched all the other toys go home. She
had been in the store for a long time and everyone had forgotten about
her.

Susie was once a beautiful rag doll, with bright yellow yarn for hair
and big blue eyes. Her once pretty blue dress was in bad need of
washing. She longed to go home with a special little girl and be loved
and cherished but nobody ever looked at her when they came into the
store. It was because she was missing an arm and nobody had ever
bothered to sew it back on. Her arm sat beside her on the shelf day and
night for a very long time, just sitting there waiting to be put back
on her. But nobody ever did.

It was Christmas again, the most magical time of the year. All the toys
in the store were flying off the shelves to go to loving children and
warm, cozy homes. All, except Susie. She still sat there collecting
dust, her arm lying beside her on the shelf. It reminded her all the
time of how unloved she was.

She wanted to cry so badly.

Nobody would ever take her home. She was doomed to sit on that shelf
for the rest of her doll-life and be sad and lonely.

She watched as the little pink elephant went down off the shelf. She
watched as the little brown puppy dog went off the shelf. She watched
as the big, fuzzy green frog went off the shelf. All the other dolls
went off the shelf too.

She was left all alone again, one more time.

Christmas eve came and it was early in the day yet. Susie still sat on
the shelf, feeling sadder than ever. She would never, ever be loved by
a little girl. She would sit on that shelf forever and ever.

The bell on the door tinkled and she watched as a pretty young woman
came in with a little girl. The little girl was in a wheelchair and had
a cast on her right leg.

"Good morning," the pretty young woman said to the shop keeper.

"Good morning," Mr. Brown replied as he looked at them over his
spectacles. "What can I help you with?"

"This is my little girl Nicole," she introduced. "She had an accident.
She fell while she was ice skating and broke her leg. She knows that
Santa is coming tonight to bring her presents but I promised her that
she could pick out something special for herself. She wants a doll. Do
you have any here?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. All my dolls sold out for the
holiday."

"Mommy, look!" Susie's heart leapt into her chest when the little girl
pointed to her.

"Look at that doll. She looks so lonely there sitting by
herself."

"You don't want that doll," Mr. Brown told her. "She's dusty and old
and her arm is missing. It needs to be sewn back on. To tell you the
truth, I don't know why I still have her there. I should have put her
in the garbage a long time ago."

"No," the little girl cried. "She needs to be loved too!"

"May we see her," the pretty, young woman asked.

Mr. Brown scowled. "Suit yourself, miss." He went and took Susie down
off the shelf and gave her to the little girl, missing arm and
all.

The little girl hugged her close to her. "Mama, please may I have her?
She's a pretty doll. She's just broken like I am now."

"I suppose we could clean her up. And it wouldn't be a problem to sew
that arm back on." She looked at the shop keeper. "How much,
sir?"

"Well," Mr. Brown scratched his chin thoughtfully, "I suppose you could
have her for free, since she was going to end up in the garbage
anyway."

"But I must give you something for her," the mother insisted as she
opened up her purse.

The shop keeper looked at the little girl, who was hugging Susie to
her. She seemed so happy to have the dusty old doll and knew that the
little girl would clean her up and have her looking pretty in no
time.

"The smile on your little girl's face is enough payment for me." He
bent down to look at Nicole. "You will take care of her, won't
you?"

She grinned up at him. "Oh yes, I promise! I love her so much! She just
needs a little bit of love and I will give it to her! Come on,
sweetheart, let's go home now!"

And as the little girl cuddled her close to her, Susie never felt
happier. It was the very merriest Christmas ever for the once unwanted
doll!