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Hello. Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon. Today's story is called Raggedy Ann the Doctor, an original story written for you by Jonny Gruel, 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
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Thanks. Enjoy the episode. Raggedy Ann the Doctor 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. Her name was Raggedy Ann. Raggedy Ann was the leader of all Marcy's dolls and often led them on big adventures, always when Marcie 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. So one day, Marcy was just getting over being sick. She'd had a bad cold and was coughing and sneezing and wheezing. And she'd had plenty of medicine. She didn't love the taste, but her mom told her it would make her feel better. And sure enough, it had. So now that Marcie was feeling better, she decided that her dolls had caught the cold from her, or maybe worse. And they surely needed medicine now, too. Raggedy Andy, Raggedy Ann, Soldier Joe and Henny were not given medicine because, you see, they had no mouths. Well, they had mouths, but not mouths that Marcy could open. Their mouths were either painted on or sewn on with yarn. Sometimes the medicine spoon would be touched to their mouths, but she was careful not to soak their stuffed faces, except accidentally. But Babette had a lovely mouth for taking medicine. It was open, showing her teeth in a dimpled smile. She also had soft brown eyes, which opened and closed when she was tilted backward or forward, which made it seem to Marcy she was the perfect patient. And the medicine was a special one of Marcy's own making, since, of course, you don't play with real medicine. The medicine was just a pour of sugar into warm water and mixed into a sickly sweet drink. Marcy always tried it first and usually took more than one sip just to be sure. It was a doll medicine recipe that had been passed down from her nana. And it was also a good recipe for fake tea, fake soda and fake potions, depending on the game Marcy was playing. You have to drink your medicine, Marcie would say. Here comes the train. Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, choo choo. Having nothing but painted or yarn mouths. The problems of Raggedy Andy, Raggedy Ann, Soldier Joe and Henny mostly consisted of sprained wrists, arms and legs, or perhaps a headache and a toothache. None of them knew they had been hurt until Marcy had wrapped up the injured rag arm, leg or head. And had explained in detail just what the matter was. Raggedy Andy, Raggedy Ann, Soldier Joe, or Henny were just as happy with their heads tied up for the toothache as they were with a splint for a broken arm or a paper cast. Not having teeth, naturally they couldn't have a toothache, and if they could furnish amusement for Marcy by having her pretend they had a toothache, then that made them very happy. So that day Babette was quite sick. She started out with the croup and went through the flu, whooping cough, and yellow fever in an hour. The attack came on quite suddenly. Babette was just sitting quietly in one of the little red chairs, smiling the prettiest of dimply smiles at Raggedy Andy and thinking of the party the dolls would have that night after the house grew quiet when Marcie discovered that Babette had the croup and put her to bed. Babette closed her eyes when put to bed, but the rest of her face did not change expression. She still wore her happy smile. Marcy mixed the medicine, very strong meaning extra sugar, and poured it into Babette's open mouth. She was given a dose every minute or so. It was during the yellow fever phase that Marcy was called to supper and left the dolls in the nursery alone. Marcie did not play with them again that night, so the dolls all remained in the same position until Marcy and the rest of the folks went to bed. 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 Wonderyplus Kids on Apple Podcast
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then Raggedy Andy jumped from his chair and wound up the little music box. Let's start with a little dancing. He shouted with joy when the music started tinkling. He caught Babette's hand and danced his way across the nursery floor before he discovered that her soft brown eyes remained closed as they were when she lay upon the sickbed. All the dolls gathered around Raggedy Andy and Babette. I can't open my eyes, she said. Raggedy Andy tried to open Babette's eyes using his soft rag hands, but it was no use. They shook her lightly, but a lot. This sometimes has the desired effect when dolls don't open their eyes. They shook her again and again. It was no use. Her eyes remained closed. It must be the sticky, sugary medicine, the said Jo. I really believe it must be, babette replied. The medicine seemed to settle in the back of my head when I was lying down, and I can still feel it back there. That must be it. And now it has hardened and keeps your pretty eyes from working, said Raggedy Ann. What shall we do? Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy walked over to a corner of the nursery and thought and thought. They pulled their foreheads down into wrinkles with their hands so that they might think harder. Finally Raggedy Ann said, I've thought of a plan, and went skipping from the corner out to where the other dolls sat about Babette. We must stand her upon her head. Then the medicine will run up into her hair and there is a hole in the top of her head. I remember seeing it when her hair came off that one time. No sooner said than done. Cried Jo the soldier as he took Babette by the waist and stood her upon her head. That should be long enough, raggedy Ann said when Jo had held Babette in this position for five minutes. But when Babette was again placed upon her feet, her eyes still remained tightly closed. All this time Raggedy Andy had remained in the corner, thinking as hard as his rag head would think. He thought and thought until the yarn hair upon his head stood up in the air and wiggled. If the medicine did not run up into her hair when she stood upon her head, thought Raggedy Andy, then it is because the medicine couldn't run at all. So if the medicine cannot run, it is because it is too sticky and thick to run out the hole in the top of her head. He also thought a lot more, so much so that the stuffing in his head started to feel all warm and, well, stuffy. At last he turned to the others and said out loud, I can't seem to think of a single way to help her open her eyes unless we take off her hair and wash the medicine from inside her head. Why didn't I think of that? Raggedy Ann asked. That is just the way we shall have to do it. So Raggedy Ann caught hold of Babette's feet and Raggedy Andy caught hold of Babette's lively curls, and they pulled and they pulled. Then the other dolls caught hold of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy and pulled and pulled until finally, with a sharp rip, Babette's hair came off and the dolls who were pulling went tumbling over backwards. Laughingly, they. They scrambled to their feet and set Babette up so they might look into the hole in the top of her head. There the sugary medicine had firmed up into a sticky, tacky mess and wouldn't let Babette's eyes open. Raggedy Andy put his hand inside and pushed on the eyes so that they opened. I can see, said Babette. Everyone cheered. I only now the eyes would not close when Babette lay down. My eyes are still stuck. She cried. So Raggedy Ann ran down into the kitchen and brought up a small tin cup full of warm water and a tiny rag. With these, she loosened the sticky medicine and washed the inside of Babette's head nice and clean. There were lots of cookie and cracker crumbs inside her head, too, from tea parties. Raggedy Ann washed it all nice and clean and then wet the glue which made the pretty curls stay on. So when her hair was placed upon her head again, Babette was as good as new. Thank you all very much, she said as she tilted backwards and forwards and found that her eyes worked very easily. I can see. I can't see. I can do both, she laughed, opening and closing her eyes. Raggedy Andy again wound up the little music box and catching Babette around the waist, started a rollicking dance which lasted until the roosters in the neighborhood began their morning crowing. Then, knowing the folks might soon be astir the dolls left off their playing and all took the same positions they had been in when Marcy left them the night before. And so that's how Marcy found them. Babette was in bed with her eyes closed and her happy dimpling smile was lighting up her pretty face. And to this day, the doll's little mistress does not know that Raggedy Ann was the doctor who cured Babette after all. The end Today's story Raggedy Ann the Doctor was an original story written for your by Jonny Gruel, adapted for audio by Daniel Hines. It was edited and produced for you by Ellie Hines 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 simply tell your friends about us. Thanks for listening.
Host: Amanda Weldon
Date: May 3, 2026
Episode Overview:
"Raggedy Ann the Doctor" is a charming, imaginative, and gently humorous tale centering on childhood play and the magic of cherished toys. In this original story written by Jonny Gruel and adapted for audio by Daniel Hines, young Marcy's rag doll, Raggedy Ann, becomes a creative doctor to help a fellow doll in distress. The episode explores themes of empathy, problem-solving, pretend play, and friendship, all wrapped up in a whimsical adventure that inspires both children and parents to find the wonder in simple things.
"And to this day, the doll's little mistress does not know that Raggedy Ann was the doctor who cured Babette after all." (15:00)
A sweet, imaginative bedtime tale perfect for the whole family.