Jenny doll Dressing

This is a Belgian paper doll, date unknown. This doll came with a story.  I changed the dog's name to Spot because his name was a slang word for 'black' but the book was older so I'm sure it was not controversial when it was written. The typos and grammatical errors are as they are in the book.

Description:book paper doll Name: Jenny Doll Dressings  Date: 60s Publisher: Belgian
Artist:unknown Format:doll with book
Condition: uncut, opened from package, comes with scissors
Ratings: Out of 10
Base: 6 flat long limbs
Clothing: 7 simple clothing
Accessories: 6 simple accessories like hats and purses
Cover: 8 interesting artwork
Color: 8 nice range of colors
Shading/Texture: 6 flat clothes, some texture details
Overall: 6.8 of 10

Here is the story:

Jenny Doll Dressings

Jenny

One day Jenny was very upset.  She went upstairs and downstairs, into one room and then another, opening and shutting doors.  Finally she went into Daddy’s study. “what do you want?” he asked.  “Do you know where Mummy is?  I’ve lost something.”

            But Daddy didn’t know so Jenny went into the kitchen and looked under the table and chairs but still she couldn’t find what she was looking for, so she went out into the garden and started looking along the path and in the flower border.

            Can you guess what Jenny was looking for?  It was her dolly’s shoe!  Francine, her doll, had only one shoe on – it was a dainty little white shoe with black laces but one little shoe is no good.  Jenny simply couldn’t take her doll out with only one shoe.  But what could have happened to it?  It couldn’t have flown away- it didn’t have any wings.  Perhaps the wind had blown it away- but there hadn’t been much wind lately.  What if Spot the big black dog had eaten it!  Jenny looked at Spot and Spot looked at Jenny, but she couldn’t tell if he had a doll’s shoe inside him and Spot couldn’t tell her.  Perhaps her pussy-cat had taken it, thinking it was a mouse!

            “You’ll find it,” said her mother.  “Don’t worry- it’ll turn up.”

            And Mummy was right- because, all of the sudden, Jenny cried out excitedly.  She’d just seen something white by the edge of the path- it was Francine’s shoe, rather damp with dew, but otherwise quite all right.  And Jenny was just in time because a large snail was coming towards It and he might have made a dirty mark on it.  Jenny ran back to tell Francine the good news and before long her doll had both her little shoes on and was fit to go out once more.

            Francine had come to Jenny in a very special way.  One day Jenny and her mother had been going shopping and they went past a large toyshop.  In the window was this beautiful doll with her arms stretched out.

            “Oh look, Mummy!  Isn’t she adorable!” exclaimed Jenny.  “I’d love to have her!” Mummy just smiled.  Next to the doll was a printed card which said”

            I am called Francine

I have real hair

            I open and close my eyes

I can be bathed

            She was just like a real baby.  “Oh if only I could have her!” said Jenny.

            “Very well, Jenny,” said Mummy. “You may have Francine on one condition.  You must do better at school and bring home some good reports instead of the bad ones you’ve been getting lately.”

            Jenny had been rather naughty at school.  She was quite a chatterbox and teacher had to keep telling her to stop talking during lessons.  When she still went on talking teacher gave her a bad mark and her parents were very cross.  “Oh Mummy- I will try to be better,” said Jenny: “I promise you- I’ll bring home a good report.”

            “Well you must do your best,” said her mother: “Remember Francine is waiting here for you to collect her but you can’t have her until you improve at school. It’s not too difficult surely to keep your tongue still during lessons.”

            One day when Jenny went past the toyshop she was dismayed to see Francine had gone out of the window.  Oh dear!  What if someone had bought her?  She would never see Francine again.

            At school Jenny continued to try hard and she was so successful that one day the teacher said” You are a different girl, Jenny.  You don’t talk in class, you pay attention and even your handwriting has improved.  You are one of the best in the class.”

            That week Jenny took home a splendid report. “Ten marks out of ten!”  exclaimed her father when he saw it.  “I can hardly believe it.  Well done, Jenny!  Go and show it to Mummy.”

            “This is marvelous!” said her mother.  I knew you could do it if you tried.  Come and give me a kiss.”

            Then her mother told her to come into the other room and see what was waiting for her.  Can you guess?  Of course- it was Francine.  It was Jenny’s mother who had bought Francine and she had put her away until Jenny deserved to have her.

            So that was how Francine came to Jenny and she was such a pretty doll with her real hair, pink cheeks and sweet smile.  Jenny made a big fuss of her, bathing her and combing her hair.

            One day she said to her mother, “I think Francine could do with some new clothes.  I’m learning needlework at school so, if you could give me some spare material, I think I could make her some dresses, jackets, and coats.”

            “What a good idea!” said her mother, so between them they began to make a complete outfit for Francine.

            First came a light coat, prettily trimmed with green and red, then a cosy dark blue coat with a deep collar.  Francine even had a new hairdo!  Sometimes Jenny made her doll’s clothes to match her own and once, on her birthday, Francine was given a dark skirt with jacket to match, with two rows of buttons and revers and a collar made of leopard skin.  With a little piece of leopard skin left over Jenny’s mother made a handbag to match.

            Another outfit in which Francine looked very smart was a striped skirt and beautiful pink blouse with full sleeves and buttoned cuffs.  In Francine’s little white wood wardrobe there still seemed to be plenty of room so Jenny planned to make several more outfits.  First there was a blazer, then a waterproof anorak and a pair of blue slacks and a green pullover.  For special occasions there was a fancy black and white dress which was the latest fashion and Francine also had a beige leather handbag with two compartments in it, one for her diary and one for her handkerchief.

            Jenny was so proud of what she had down that she showed her father Francine’s different outfits and he said, “My goodness! She is well off for clothes.  And it’s all due to you!” “Don’t forget! Mother had helped me quite a bit too,” said Jenny.

            “There’s just one thing,” said her father, “Francine doesn’t seem to have any night-clothes!” Jenny was very surprise! Of course- she’d forgotten all about them.  However she set to straight way and started to make a beautiful yellow dressing-gown and some pyjamas trimmed with black ribbon. She even made a little sleeping-cap to match.

            When Francine went tot bed that night she wore her new nightclothes and spent a very comfortable night.

Four Titles in the series: Sandra, Jenny, Sally and Julia