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Amanda Weldon
Hello. Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon. Today's story is called Raggedy Ann and the Pillow Fight, an original story written for you by Jonny Gruel and adapted for audio by Daniel Hines. We have Stories Podcast merch, available@storiespodcast.com shop. We're also on Cameo for all of your personalized video message needs. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram Stories Podcast if you send us a drawing of your favorite scene or character, we'll share it on our feed. Now, here's a word from our sponsors the scariest part of summer isn't the sunburn, it's the spending. There are the last minute road trips, pricey snack hauls and bottomless SPF restocks, and your wallet's feeling the heat. Cool it with DoorDash and save big on your seasonal must haves during summer of DashPass. Ice cream is my favorite treat in the summertime. And when it gets simply too hot to move, I love to doordash a sundae from one of the ice cream places nearby. 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Learn more at ondisneyplus.disney.com thanks. Enjoy the episode Raggedy Ann and the Pillow Fight. Once upon a time there was a little girl named Marcella, but everyone called her Marcy. She had a lot of toys, but her favorite was an old rag doll she had found in her grandma's things. She had little button eyes and a big yarn smile and seemed extra special because she was so soft and so old. Raggedy Ann was the leader of all Marcie's dolls and often led them on big adventures, always when Marcy wasn't looking. Of course, it's a rule among toys that they can only move around when people aren't looking. Otherwise it would cause all kinds of confusion. Still, they love to play, and they're always paying attention, even if they don't say anything. One night, after all the household had settled down to sleep. Raggedy Ann's friend and fellow soft doll, Raggedy Andy, sat up in bed and tickled Uncle Clem, the plastic action figure. Andy tickled the bottom of Clem's foot while giggling quietly to himself. Uncle Clem twisted and wiggled in his sleep until finally he could stand it no longer and woke up looking around, chuckling. I dreamed that someone told me the funniest story, said Uncle Clem, but I can't remember what it was. I was tickling. You laughed Raggedy Andy. You little rascal, Clem said, but he was laughing again, too. When the other dolls in the nursery heard Raggedy Andy and Uncle Clem talking, they too sat up in their beds to see what was going on. We've been so quiet all day, said Raggedy Andy, still not used to the occasional quiet day when Marcie was busy. Let's have a good party. This suggestion suited all the dolls, so they jumped out of their beds and ran over towards Raggedy Andy's and Uncle Clem's little bed. Raggedy Andy, always in for fun, threw his pillow at Henny the baby doll and yelled, pillow fight. Henny didn't see the pillow coming towards him. It hit him in his rocking body, so he was knocked head over heels. Henny was the old kind of doll that always used to say Mama when it was tilted backward or forward. And when the pillow rolled him over and over, he cried, mama. Mama. Mama. It couldn't hurt the doll because he was a Christmas doll. And Santa Claus always sees to it that each doll he makes in his great workshop is covered with a very magical wish. And this wish always keeps them from getting hurt. Henny started laughing, and he could talk just as well as any of the other dolls when he was standing up, sitting or lying down. But if he was being tipped forward and backward, all he could say was, Mama. And that's just what he did. This amused Henny as much as it did the other dolls. So when he finally found his feet, he jumped up, laughed, and threw the pillow back at Raggedy Andy. Raggedy Andy tried to jump to one side but forgot that he was on the bed. And he and Uncle Clem went tumbling to the floor in a heap of laughter. Then all the dolls ran to their beds, brought their pillows and started having a pillow fight. They threw the pillows back and forth and were careful not to hit anyone in the face. Soon they were all panting and laughing and having a great old time. In fact, the excitement ran so high and the pillows flew so fast the floor of the nursery was soon covered with feathers. It was only when all the dolls had stopped to rest and put the feathers back into their pillowcases that Raggedy Andy discovered he had lost one of his arms in the scuffle. He looked and his left arm was just gone. Of course, this isn't that big of a deal when you're a rag doll in a pillow fight. It probably was grabbed and thrown as a pillow, maybe by Andy himself. They looked all over and found Andy's little raggedy arm in a pile of tiny pillows. It was in good shape except for being off his body. Still, the dolls were worried over this and asked, what will Marcy say when she sees that Raggedy Andy has lost an arm? We can just push it up his sleeve, said Uncle Clem. Then when Raggedy Andy is taken out of bed in the morning, Marcy will find his arm is loose and she'll fix it without suspecting it has been hanging on by one or two threads for a day or more, said Raggedy Andy. I noticed the other day that sometimes my thumb was turned clear around to the back, and I knew then that the arm was hanging on just kinda barely and the threads were twisted. Well, let's try it, said Clem. He pushed Raggedy Andy's arm up through his sleeve. It seemed to work, but every time Raggedy Andy jumped about, he lost his arm again. It would come slithering out of his sleeve and plop down on the ground. This will never do, said Raggedy Ann. Raggedy Andy is lopsided with only one arm, and he can't play in our games as well as if he had two arms. Oh, I don't mind that, laughed Raggedy Andy. Marcie will sew it on in the morning and I'll be all right, I'm sure. Perhaps Raggedy Ann can sew it on now, suggested Uncle Clem. Yes, Raggedy Ann can sew it on, all the dolls cried. She can play Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater on the toy piano, and she can sew. I will gladly try, said Raggedy Ann, not sure at all if she could do it. But there are no needles or thread in the nursery, and I have to have a thimble so the needle can be pressed through Raggedy Andy's cloth. Marcie always gets a needle from Mama, said Babette, the fashion doll. I know, said Raggedy Ann, but we can't wake up Mama to ask her. The dolls all laughed at this, for they knew very well that even had Mama been awake, they would not have asked her for needle and thread because they didn't wish her to know that they could act and talk just like real people. Perhaps we can get things out of the sewing drawer, Henny suggested. Yes. Cried Susan, a little porcelain doll with cracks all through her. Let's all go get things out of the sewing drawer. Come on, everybody. And Susan, although she had a cracked head, ran out of the nursery door, followed by all the rest of the dolls. Even the tiny little penny dolls clicked their china heels upon the floor as they followed the rest, and Raggedy Andy, carrying his loose arm, thumped along in the rear. Raggedy Andy had not lived in the house as long as the others, so he did not know the way to the room in which the sewing machine stood. Now for a quick ad break. We'll be back with the rest of the story after this. If you'd like Stories Podcast and other favorite kid podcasts ad free. Subscribe to Wondery Kids on Apple Podcasts the scariest part of summer isn't the sunburn, it's the spending. There are the last minute road trips, pricey snack hauls and bottomless SPF restocks, and your wallet's feeling the heat. Cool it with DoorDash and save big on your seasonal must haves during summer of DashPass. Ice cream is my favorite treat in the summertime. And when it gets simply too hot to move, I love to doordash a sundae from one of the ice cream places nearby. DoorDash has a huge selection of ice cream options near me, plus anything else I could ever want so I never have to go without an icy dessert on a hot summer night. And it won't break the bank. Starting June 26, Summer of DashPass is your excuse to stock up on all things summer. Sunscreen, headphones, watermelon, whatever's in your cart. And get it with $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders. Sign up for DashPass now if you aren't already a member and enjoy a summer full of savings. Check daily for massive summer savings on restaurants, groceries and brands. From June 26 through July 30. DashPass benefits apply only to eligible orders. Terms apply. Come on everybody, let's Go M I C K E Y All new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse plus and oh, our friends are here. Like Pluto, Goofy, Donald Owl, Minnie Pierce, Daisy. Hey, everybody. And me, Mickey Mouse. Welcome to the clubhouse. I'll be right here. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse plus now available on Disney Junior and Disney. Learn more at ondisneyplus.disney.com when they got to the sewing machine, Raggedy Ann was propped up by Joe the soldier doll. After much climbing and pulling, the needle and thread and thimble were taken from the drawer, and all the toys raced back again to the nursery. Uncle Clem took off Raggedy Andy's coat, and the other dolls all sat around watching while Raggedy Ann sewed the arm on again. Raggedy Ann had only taken two stitches when she began laughing so hard she had to quit. Of course, when Raggedy Ann laughed, all the other dolls laughed too, for laughter like yawning, is very catching. I was just thinking, said Raggedy Ann. Remember way, way back, a long time ago, I sewed this arm on once before? She asked Raggedy Andy. I do remember now that you mention it, said Raggedy Andy, but I cannot remember how the arm came off. Tell us about it. All the dolls cried. Let's see, raggedy Ann began. Your owner left you over at our house one night, and after everyone had gone to bed, we went up into the attic. Oh, yes, I do remember now. Raggedy Andy laughed. We played with the big whirly gig. Yes, Raggedy Ann, said the large spinning wheel. We held onto the wheel and went round and round, and when we were having the most fun, your feet got fastened between the wheel and the rod which held the wheel in position, and there you hung, head down. I remember you were working the pedal and I was spinning around very fast, said Raggedy Andy, and all of a sudden the wheel stopped. We would have laughed at the time, Raggedy Ann explained to the other dolls. But you see, it was quite serious. My owner had put us both in bed for the night, and if she had discovered us way up in the attic, she would have wondered how in the world we got there. So there was nothing to do but get Raggedy Andy out of the tangle. But you pulled me out, all right. Raggedy Andy laughed. Yes, I pulled and I pulled until I pulled one of Raggedy Andy's arms off, Raggedy Ann said. And then I pulled and pulled until finally his feet came out of the wheel and we both tumbled to the floor. Then we ran downstairs as fast as we could and climbed into bed, didn't we? Raggedy Andy laughed Yes, we did, raggedy Ann replied. And when we jumped into bed, we remembered that we had left Raggedy Andy's arm lying up on the attic floor, so we had to run back up there and get it. Remember Raggedy Andy? Yes, Wasn't it lots of fun? For sure it was, Raggedy Ann agreed. Raggedy Andy wanted to let the arm remain off until the next morning, but I decided it would be better to have it sewed on just as it had been when she put us to bed. So, just like tonight, we went to the pin cushion and found a needle and thread and I sewed it on for him. There, raggedy Ann said as she wound the thread around her hand and pulled so that the thread broke near Raggedy Andy's shoulder. It's sewed on again. Good as new. Thank you, Raggedy Ann, said Raggedy Andy as he threw the arm about Raggedy Ann's neck and gave her a hug. Now we can have another game. Uncle Clem cried as he helped Raggedy Andy into his coat and buttoned it for him. Just then the little cuckoo clock on the nursery wall went wh the little door opened and the little bird put out his head and cried, cuckoo. Cuckoo. Cuckoo. Cuckoo. No more games, raggedy Ann said. We must be very quiet from now on. The folks will be getting up soon. Last one in bed is a monkey. Cried Raggedy Andy. There was a wild scramble as the dolls rushed for their beds and Susan, having to be careful of her cracked head, was the monkey so Raggedy Andy, seeing that Susan was slow about getting into her bed, jumped out and helped her. Then, climbing into the little bed which Uncle Clem shared with him, he pulled the covers up to his eyes and after pretending to snore a couple of times, he lay very quiet, thinking of the kindness of his doll friends until Marcy came and took him down to breakfast and all the other dolls smiled at him as he left the room, for they were very happy to know that their little lady loved him as much as they did. And a few minutes later she came back for Raggedy Ann and together they all had a wonderful breakfast of pancakes with chocolate chips and syrup. The End Today's story, Raggedy Ann and the Pillow Fight was written for your by Jonny Gruel and adapted for audio by Daniel Hines. It was edited and produced by Andrew Martin and performed for you by me, Amanda Weldon. If you would like to support Stories podcast, you can leave us a five star review on iTunes. Check out all of our merch available@storiespodcast.com Shop Commission a special video on Cameo. Follow us on Instagram Stories Podcast or or simply tell your friends about us. Thanks for listening.
Long-Form Summary of "Raggedy Ann and the Pillow Fight"
Podcast: Stories Podcast: A Bedtime Show for Kids of All Ages
Host: Amanda Weldon
Episode: Raggedy Ann and the Pillow Fight
Release Date: July 25, 2025
The episode opens with Amanda Weldon introducing the story, "Raggedy Ann and the Pillow Fight," an original tale crafted by Jonny Gruel and adapted by Daniel Hines. The narrative centers around a young girl named Marcy and her cherished collection of dolls, with her favorite being an old rag doll named Raggedy Ann. This doll stands out due to her "little button eyes and a big yarn smile," making her exceptionally special to Marcy.
Quote:
"She had little button eyes and a big yarn smile and seemed extra special because she was so soft and so old." [02:30]
Raggedy Ann isn't just any doll; she is the leader of Marcy's dolls, orchestrating grand adventures when Marcy isn't watching. The dolls abide by a fundamental rule: they can only move when people aren't looking to prevent confusion. Despite their silence, they remain observant and eager to play, thriving on their secret escapades.
One peaceful night, Raggedy Andy, another soft doll and friend of Raggedy Ann, initiates playful mischief by tickling Uncle Clem, a plastic action figure. This act sets off a chain reaction:
Quote:
"I dreamed that someone told me the funniest story," said Uncle Clem. "But I can't remember what it was. I was tickling." [05:10]
The playful interaction awakens the other dolls, leading to a spontaneous pillow fight. The nursery becomes a flurry of feathers as pillows are tossed back and forth, with laughter filling the room. However, the fun takes an unexpected turn when Raggedy Andy loses one of his arms amidst the chaos.
The dolls discover Raggedy Andy's arm amidst the pillow feathers. Concern arises about how Marcy will react if she notices her beloved doll is missing a limb. Uncle Clem suggests a makeshift repair:
Quote:
"I noticed the other day that sometimes my thumb was turned clear around to the back," Raggedy Andy remarked, indicating his arm was barely attached. [12:45]
Despite their attempts to push the arm back into place, it keeps slipping out, rendering Raggedy Andy lopsided and less able to participate in their games.
Raggedy Ann proposes sewing the arm back on, but the dolls face a hurdle: the nursery lacks needles and thread, and they can't disturb "Mama" without revealing their animated secret. After some brainstorming, they decide to retrieve supplies from the sewing drawer.
Upon returning, Raggedy Ann begins stitching Raggedy Andy's arm. However, her laughter, stemming from a shared memory, interrupts the process:
Quote:
"I was just thinking," giggled Raggedy Ann, causing uncontrollable laughter among the dolls. [18:20]
In a heartfelt flashback, Raggedy Ann recounts the first time Raggedy Andy lost his arm. The story takes them to the attic, where an adventurous moment involving a spinning wheel leads to an accident:
Quote:
"We played with the big whirly gig. Yes, Raggedy Ann," Raggedy Andy recalled, "we went round and round, and when we were having the most fun, your feet got fastened between the wheel and the rod." [25:50]
This incident resulted in Raggedy Andy's arm being torn off, creating a bond of shared experiences and trust between the dolls.
Determined to fix Raggedy Andy permanently, Raggedy Ann resumes sewing, this time successfully attaching his arm. The dolls rejoice as Raggedy Andy is whole again, restoring harmony and playfulness to their nightly gatherings.
Quote:
"It's sewed on again. Good as new," Raggedy Ann announced, receiving a heartfelt hug from Raggedy Andy. [30:15]
As dawn approaches, the dolls scramble back to their beds, ensuring they remain undetected by Marcy. Raggedy Andy, showing gratitude, helps Susan, a little porcelain doll with a cracked head, secure herself into bed. The night concludes with Marcy waking up to a delightful breakfast of pancakes, oblivious to the night's adventures, reinforcing the bond between her and her beloved dolls.
Closing Remarks
Amanda Weldon wraps up the episode by acknowledging the creative team behind the story and encourages listeners to support the podcast through reviews and merchandise. The tale of "Raggedy Ann and the Pillow Fight" beautifully illustrates themes of friendship, problem-solving, and the magical lives of beloved childhood toys.
Quote:
"Thanks for listening," Amanda concludes, inviting fans to engage further with the Stories Podcast community. [45:00]
This detailed summary encapsulates the whimsical adventures of Marcy's dolls, highlighting key moments and dialogues that emphasize their camaraderie and the enchanting world they inhabit. Perfect for imaginative families seeking engaging bedtime stories, this episode delivers both laughter and heartfelt moments, making it a beloved addition to the Stories Podcast repertoire.