Christine Ann Hilliard was born in 1949 and has lived in Pudsey near Leeds most of her life

with her husband. She has two fantastic children and five grandchildren three boys and two girls with whom she has had a great deal of fun and en!oyment and sadly sadness as well.

LAUREN JAY OR LOLLY RAG DOLLY

"edication

# will always love you Lauren and # miss your lovely smile with those big dim$les. Also to Adam %atalie &ordan and 'homas for all the good times we have had. # love you all.

Christine Hilliard

LAUREN JAY OR LOLLY RAG DOLLY

Co$yright Christine Hilliard 'he right of Christine Hilliard to be identified as author of this wor( has been asserted by her in accordance with section )) and )* of the Co$yright "esigns and Patents Act 19**. All rights reserved. %o $art of this $ublication may be re$roduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical $hotoco$ying recording or otherwise without the $rior $ermission of the $ublishers. Any $erson who commits any unauthori+ed act in relation to this $ublication may be liable to criminal $rosecution and civil claims for damages. A C#P catalogue record for this title is available from the ,ritish Library. #S,% 9)* 1*49-. .-/ * www.austinmacauley.com 0irst Published 1/2143 Austin 4acauley Publishers Ltd. /5 Canada S6uare Canary 7harf London 814 5L,

Printed and bound in 9reat ,ritain

Chapter 1

Lauren &ay sat in her little roc(ing chair in her own little house and couldn:t believe her luc(. She thought about the ha$$enings of the last few days and was a little bewildered. #t had all started with a wal( in the $ar(. Lauren &ay was a lovely rag doll. She had long brown hair with blue strea(s in it. Sometimes she wore her hair in $igtails sometimes in $laits. She always wore stri$y soc(s in all different colours and a $retty blue dress. 7hen she smiled she had lovely big dim$les in her chee(s. She belonged to a little girl called 4aisey who was a very s$oilt little girl who always got her own way ; or else there was big trouble. %ow 4aisey Lauren &ay and her mummy were visiting her aunt in a different town from where they lived. 'hey had gone to the $ar( to let 4aisey go on the swings which she loved to swing on and always hated to get off. 7hen the time came to go she decided no way she wanted to swing for longer and so her mum and aunt had to try and tal( her off the swing with $romises of ice<cream and sweets. 'hat didn:t wor( so in the end she was $ulled off the swing (ic(ing and screaming. She was $ut in her $ushchair and off they went. 4aisey was very cross and still (ic(ing and screaming as they hurried out of the $ar(. She was so cross that she didn:t notice that in her tantrum she had by accident (ic(ed Lauren &ay out of the $ushchair. Lauren &ay didn:t have time to try and save herself= one minute she was riding in the $ushchair and the ne>t she was flying through the air and had ended u$side down in a

$ric(ly bush. ?h dear she thought as she watched in dismay as 4aisey and her mum and aunt hurried away. @7hat am # going to do nowAB

She tried to get out of the bush but when you are stuc( u$side down it:s not very easy. She was well and truly stuc( and then it started to rain. Lauren &ay started to cry. She thought she would have to s$end the night u$side down in the $ric(ly bush. 'hen she thought she heard a noise so she listened. 'here it came again ; a s6uea(y noise. 'he noise got nearer. 7hat is itA Lauren &ay wondered. Suddenly the noise sto$$ed. Lauren &ay was very scared and frightened.

Chapter 2
The Parks Family

4r Par(s the $ar( (ee$er was going home for his tea. He had a very s6uea(y wheel on his wheelbarrow and was going to oil it when he got bac( home. He had sto$$ed 6uite near to the bush that Lauren &ay was stuc( in because he thought he had heard a noise He listened and then it came again= a small sobbing noise. He loo(ed close to where he thought the noise was coming from and then he saw it. @7hat:s thatCB he said out loud. @#t loo(s li(e a $air of legs. 7hy it is a $air of legsCB he e>claimed. @Stri$y legs at that.B He carefully e>tracted the stri$y legs and the rest of Lauren &ay out of the $ric(ly bush and loo(ed at her in ama+ement. @How on earth did you get in thereAB he said. @And how long have you been thereA %ever mind B he said as Lauren &ay shoo( and shivered. She was wet and cold. @Let:s get you bac( to my house and 4rs Par(s will loo( after you.B He $o$$ed her into the wheelbarrow and set off very carefully bac( to his house. #t wasn:t very far because being the $ar( (ee$er 4r Par(s told her that he lived in a house in the $ar( along with 4rs Par(s and their four children. He chatted to Lauren &ay as he $ushed the barrow along. He told her that he loo(ed after the $ar( and all the flowers and the grass and anything else to do with the $ar(. Soon they reached a $retty house in the corner of the $ar( and sto$$ed outside the (itchen door. 4r Par(s shouted @Come and see what # have foundCB

4rs Par(s came hurrying out to see what the fuss was about. As soon as she saw the wet and bedraggled rag doll she e>claimed @?h my goodnessCB and $ic(ed her u$ and said @?h you $oor thing. Let:s get you warm and dry.B She shouted to &ordan one of her three sons to bring her a warm towel down from u$stairs to wra$ Lauren &ay u$ in. &ordan ran downstairs closely followed by his younger brother 'om. He gave his mum the towel. @7hat:s all the fuss aboutAB he said and then he saw the wet and bedraggled Lauren &ay. @?h where did you come fromAB he as(ed.

'om was loo(ing at the rag doll. @She loo(s a mess B he said then went on to as( if his tea was ready as he was starving. @%ot until # have got this rag doll dry B said 4rs Par(s. @She must be free+ing. Dou $oor thing.B 4rs Par(s wra$$ed Lauren &ay u$ in the towel and then gave her a mug of hot chocolate much to 'om:s dismay as he was really hungry and thought he would die soon if he didn:t get his tea. @Can we have a biscuit thenAB he as(ed. @Des B said his mum @!ust one. # won:t be long with your tea.B A few minutes later Adam came home with %atalie. Adam was the eldest of the Par(s children. He was twelve and had !ust been to get his little sister %atalie from her friend:s house. She had gone there to $lay after school. %atalie was the youngest ; she was four years old. 7hen she saw Lauren &ay sitting in the chair wra$$ed in a towel she sto$$ed in ama+ement. @7ho are youAB she gas$ed. @7here did you come fromAB @7e don:t (now all that yet B said her mum. @Let her get used to us first and then she will tell us the story won:t you loveAB she said to the rag doll. @Let:s all have tea then maybe she will feel better.B After a while Lauren &ay felt better. She was warm and dry and the hot chocolate was very good. She thought the family were very nice and was not afraid of them. 4rs Par(s had sewn her dress and combed her hair. She loo(ed much $rettier than when she was first found in the bush. She told them the story of how she got into the bush and 4r Par(s told his story of how he rescued the stri$y legs with the rag doll at the end of them and too( her home in his wheelbarrow. %atalie listened carefully and said @?hC ohCB every now and then. She had sat the rag doll on her (nee and she said

@'ell us your name. 7e don:t (now what to call you do weAB @4y name is Lauren &ay B said the rag doll. @Lawen ay B said %atalie. @%o B said Lauren &ay @try again.B @Lolen loll. ?h dear B said %atalie @# can:t say that name.B She tried again. @Loll<ay ; no that:s not right.B She thought for a while then she smiled. @Can # call you LollyA #t rhymes lovely with rag dolly. Lolly Eag "olly B she said saying it again. She really li(ed the sound of it.

Lauren &ay had been smiling at %atalie:s attem$ts at saying her name. She 6uite li(ed the idea of a new name. @# thin( that would be cool B she said. @Lolly Eag "olly it is.B Adam &ordan and 'homas each gave a sigh of relief that that was settled and off they went to $lay footy in the garden.

%atalie said @Can Lolly Eag "olly stay with us 4ummyA She has nowhere else to go.B @?f course she can stay. 7e will find her somewhere to slee$ tonight ; that is if she wants to stay with us B said 4rs Par(s. @?h yes $lease B said Lolly. She had been worrying about what was going to ha$$en to her and this family seemed so nice. She couldn:t believe her luc( at being found by such nice $eo$le. %atalie was getting very e>cited about Lolly Eag "olly staying. @Come along B she said @let:s go find you somewhere to slee$ tonight.B