That's what "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" is called by her companions and friends. FINALLY I received a copy of this lovely book, written by L.Frank Baum in 1913. L. Frank Baum is also the author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", which is a lot more famous and a gorgeous story. But I LOVE "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" even better, not only because it has to do with a patchwork quilt, which became alive because the Crooked Magician sprinkled some Powder of Life over a doll, which was made of this quilt, and the Munchkin boy Ojo the Unlucky gave her lots of brain grains, so she is very clever and amiable and courageous and has a love for poetry and she is a great friend for Ojo, who sets out on a journey to find some very rare ingredients to make a concoction, so that his Uncle and the Magician's wife (who wanted to make a slave and servant out of Scraps) can be released as they had been turned into marble statues by accident… ah, what a colorful story! I don't think it's a story just for kids alone, as there are so wonderful conversations in this book which reveal so much wisdom that also adults not only have lots of fun on their journey through this land of Oz, but will receive many a nice lesson on the way. For example I love these sentences:
The Shaggy Man says to Scraps:
"You're a regular comforter and as sweet as patchwork can be. All you lack is dignity."
"I hate dignity," cried Scraps, kicking a pebble high in the air and then trying to catch it as it fell. "Half of the fools and all the wise folks are dignified, and I'm neither the one nor the other."
"She's just crazy," explained the Glass Cat.
The Shaggy Man laughed.
"She's delightful, in her way," he said.
…
"I hope your friends are not dignified," observed Scraps.
"Some are, and some are not," he answered; "but I never criticise my friends. If they are really true friends, they may be anything they like, for all of me."
"There's some sense in that," said Scraps, nodding her queer head in approval.
So I thought it was time to make someone, who is just a bit like Scraps in this story, not dignified but delightful, a true friend, cheerful, someone who secretly wants to be put into shape by Ojo, when she meets the very attractive Scarecrow…
… Scraps turned to Ojo and whispered: "Roll me out, please; I've sagged down dreadfully from walking so much and men like to see a stately figure."
She then fell upon the ground and the boy rolled her back and forth like a rolling-pin, until the cotton had filled all the spaces in her patchwork covering and the body had lengthened to its fullest extent.
… and who says:
"…But I'm glad - I'm awfully glad!- that I'm just what I am, and nothing else."
She is entirely made by hand, stuffed with cotton fabrics and woolen patches, from head to toe she stands 58 cm/ 23" high, and with her outstretched arms she is 43 cm/17" wide. Her dress is knitted by hand, her hair is made with woolen yarn, and some leather bands indicate that there are some scrappy shoes.
