They Killed Raggedy Anne

They Killed Raggedy Anne

Anchorage Alaska 1957

"Mom, can Karien am me go sliding?" James Martin asked.

"It's Karien and I, and the answer is "Yes" take Fred and Cynthia with you."

"Aw, gee, do I have too? Why? Fred and Cindy walk to slow."

"You heard me."

"Oh, all right."

"And you keep an eye on them...James!"

"What?"

"Don't give me that look."

"Take Shanuk."

"He always follows me."

"Good...I don't want any bears carrying my children off into the forest."

"Mom! Do bears carry children off?"

"Only the one's who don't mind their mothers...now get! I am busy."
James walked outside wondering how bears knew the difference. Then he mumbled something about the injustices a boy of nine had to endure at the hands of their parents.

"Did mom say we could go sledding?"
Karien asked. "Yeah, but only if we take Fred and Cindy with us."

"Oh, no it's going to take forever to get to the hill with those two tagging along."

"I know, the snow will be melted by the time they cross the street."

"We can put them on the sled." Karien's seven-year-old mind was working today.

"Good idea! And you can pull them." Karien's feelings were hurt. "Will I don't see you coming up with any ideas."

"Oh yeah, I bet Shanuk could pull them, he's a sled dog!" James screamed.

"Yeah, prove it." Karien said with her arms folded.

So, James ran back into the house and got Shanuk's leash then he took one end of the leash and looped it through the other end and then hooked the dog up. Karien watched in amazement; her brother was so smart.

"Come here Fred!" The chubby six-year-old waddled over to him and stood there.

"Sit on the sled stupid!" So, Fred laid down on his stomach.

"No! No! No! Not like that, like this!" James flipped Fred over and sat him up.

Cindy wasted no time getting on the sled after seeing what happened to Fred-- she didn't want James's yelling at her.

"See Karien! Walk Shanuk!" The dog leaped forward and both children fell off the sled.

"Again!" Cindy laughed.

"Yeah, that was fun." Fred said.

"Are you hurt?" Karien asked. No they replied smiling.

"They're not hurt, they are too well padded to get hurt." James said with confidence. And they were too, they wore every piece of clothing mom could find to put on them and "over that" a snowsuit.

James turned red in the face, put his hands on his hips and yelled: "You are suppose to hold on!"

So Fred and Cindy got to their feet and sat back down on the sled, this time they held on. James and Karien lead Sha-nuk to the hill at the foot of the skating pond.

"Well?" James said with a snarl.

"What?" Fred said with a blank expression.

"Get off my sled!"

Both children got off as fast as they could and then stood behind Karien. Then Shanuk ran into the forest after a rabbit or something and the sled was gone.

"Protection! That will be the day. Shanuk! Come! Here Shanuk! Here boy! Dam-it! Shanuk! Come back here!" James ran after the dog the other three just laughed. A moment later James emerged from the forest with his sled.

"Damn dog. Protection my ass!"

"I'm telling! You said a naughty word." Karien threaten.

"You do and you'll never ride my sled again! Come on!"

James led everyone up the small hill, pulling his sled behind him. Then James and Karien got on the sled and went down the hill. Fred and his five-year old sister just stood there. They watched James and Karien slide down the hill several times.

(Fred)
"Can we have a ride?" Fred asked.

"No, you are too small." James jumped on the sled and went down the hill by himself. Fred and Cynthia started to cry and Fred said, "I'm telling mom!"

"Oh, all right!" James yelled, "big babies."

When James got to the top of the hill he saw what was standing a few feet behind his sisters and brother. It was a moose and it was as big as an elephant! Fight or flight raced through James mind, he jumped on the sled and zoomed down the hill. This time his aim was off and he hit the skating pond. Up in the air his skinny body flew coming down on the ice and spinning around like a buzz saw. Karien, Fred, and even Cindy thought he was dead. They turned around and saw the moose then they screamed bloody murder! They scrambled down the hill as fast as their little legs would carry them.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! They screamed.

Shanuck charged out of the forest and ran toward the moose barking and snarling like a wolf. The moose ran back into the forest. Karien ran over to James.

"You call yourself a brother! You left us to die! I hope you are dead!" She screamed. But, James wasn't, his clothing had protected him too.

(James & Karien)

"I'm telling mom!" Karien went on.

"I was scared, I don't know why I did what I did, it happened so fast! That moose looked like he wanted to eat me! Oh, my head!"

"Let me see...there's no blood." Karien said.

"I am going home. Want to shoot some arrows? You can if you don't tell mom."

"Okay."

So, the children went home.

"James!"

"Yes, mom."

"Bring Cindy in for her nap."

Later that day...

"Mommy where is my dolly?" Cindy asked.

"You had it when you laid down honey."

"Oh, can I go outside?"

"Yes, bring me your snow suite and boots."

"Okay."

"Cindy."

"Yes."

"Don't wonder off-- stay with your bothers, Karien is at a friends house."

"Okay."

Cindy went outside and looked in the usual places for her brother's. She found them on the side of the house with no windows.

"What you doing." She asked James.

"Shooting you if you don't move away from my target. Come here." James answered.

"Okay, what you shooting at?" Cindy turned around and looked at the target.

"Ah! My dolly! Stop it! Stop it! She screamed.

Her brother's only laughed.

"Hold her Fred or she will go and tell mom."

"Let me go! My dolly! My dolly!" Cindy cried.

James released another arrow.

"A hit to the head! The beast is dead! Long live King James! Fred, wait here I'm going to tell the villagers that the beast is dead. I'll be right back." James took his bow and arrows and ran into the forest laughing. Fred stood there but James never did came back. In fact, James did this often to Fred he never caught on.

"Let go of me!" Cindy cried.

Fred released his sister and raced her to the target. He pulled the arrow out of the bale of hay and was amused when Raggedy Anne came with it. Then he waved the doll over his sister's head. Cindy cried and screamed for help but no one heard her. Then Fred made a whooping noise like an Indian and ran down to the creek; Cindy ran after him. She couldn't move fast in her oversized boots so when she got to the creek some time had passed. By then Raggedy Anne was on fire. Flames leaped up into the air as he waved the doll back and forth like a a 4th of July sparkler. Cindy cried for him to stop, then said she was telling mom. When Fred heard this he threw the doll into the creek. No evidence, no crime. The slow current carried the charred doll down stream. Fred then turned and said, "What doll, I haven't seen your doll all day." Then he walked off looking for something else to burn with his magnifying glass.

Cindy shouted: "I'm telling mom!" Then she raced along the creek until she came to the road then she crossed the road and walked down to the drainage pipe under the road and waited. She grabbed her doll as soon as it came out of the pipe.

The doll was burnt beyond recognition. Upon seeing this, Cindy burst into tears! Her doll was black all over she no longer had a face. Cindy cried like a child in great pain and walked home.

"Mommy, look what James and Fred did to my doll! Muriel was horrified. She put the doll on one of the coat rack hooks so Cindy's father would see it when he came home. Then she hugged her daughter and said, "There, there, mommy will get you another dolly." Then she gave her daughter special treatment, cookies, milk, a bath, and then put her into her pajamas with the feet in them. After that she put Cindy in her bed and told her to rest until dinner time.

Dad finally came home and mom told him how his sons killed Cindy doll. Mom and dad laughed at first then dad did what a dad has to do. My brothers got a spanking and were sent to bed early. Early is like forever in Alaska because it is light most of the night. Cindy went to sleep with Fred's fire truck in her arms.

On payday dad brought home another doll for Cindy. It wasn't a Raggedy Ann it was a stupid rubber doll. She acted surprised because she thought that was expected of her but deep down inside she yearn for another Raggedy Ann.

As for the bow and arrows they were put away along with Fred's magnifying glass. When the boys were older they could have them again but that never happened.

The End

By Cynthia Ellis Martin

Date 2/26/2000

James Martin age 9

Karien Martin age 8

Alfred Martin age 6

Cindy Martin age 5

Last Updated: 03/14/02 08:29:18 AM