Author's Note: This idea is not mine! Credit for the story goes solely to danettemarie of the "Hey Arnold! 6th Season Project". I sincerely, SINCERELY apologize for taking so long to publish this story.
It was a beautiful day at the City Park, and Mr. Simmons class was happy to enjoy it. While some of the students were content with just lounging on the grass, others – such as Sheena and Eugene – were engaging in the leisurely activity of Frisbee.
"Here Eugene, catch!" Sheena launched the Frisbee and watched as it sailed high in the air.
Eugene ran after the Frisbee, his eyes transfixed on the spinning discus and not on where he was heading, which was straight into a stand displaying various trinkets.
"Eugene, watch out!" cried Sheena, but it was too late. Eugene, faithful to his jinx status, had collided into the table, knocking everything to the ground.
The sound had alerted the rest of the class, who quickly came to the aid of Eugene and the hapless victim with which he had collided.
"Goodness!" said a stunned Mr. Simmons, surveying the wreckage. "Ma'am are you alright?"
The young woman got to her feet and smiled pleasantly. She looked to be in her late 20s, and wore a long flowing bohemian dress. She smoothed her long black hair. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied with a thick Russian accent.
"I'm okay…" said the dazed redhead; the woman helped Eugene to his feet.
A flustered Sheena approached the woman. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said, immediately kneeling to the ground and helping her recover the trinkets which were scattered on the ground.
"It's okay, no harm done," replied the woman.
Sheena looked up in amazement. "You MADE all of these?"
The woman smiled and nodded, then continued to recover her trinkets. "Yes. I'm an artisan. I come here every week to sell what I've created."
By now the other students had pitched in to help pick the items up from off the ground.
"What's this?" said Harold, grabbing something out of the grass. It was a small wooden doll with a black bob and doleful painted-on eyes. As he picked it up the top portion, the bottom portion fell back to the ground. "Oops…"
"Nice going, lardo," scolded Helga. "You broke it!"
"Actually, Helga, I don't think it's broken," said Arnold.
"Yeah, those look like one of those Russian dolls with the smaller versions in them!" added Sid.
"Very perceptive," said the woman. She carefully placed the top shell over the rest of the doll so that she could show the rest of the class. "This is what you call a troika nesting doll." She handed the doll to Sheena, who studied it very closely.
Eventually everything was cleaned up, and Mr. Simmons took the opportunity to apologize again.
"Once again, so very sorry to disturb you, Miss…"
"Nadya," replied the artisan. "And it is alright. It was the most fun I've had all day, actually."
"Okay, people – time to head back to school!" A collected groan had risen from the disappointed fifth graders, but they obeyed just the same. All except Sheena, who was still studying the doll.
"You coming, Sheena?" asked Eugene.
"In a minute," replied Sheena. She approached Nadya again, who was trying to make her display look presentable.
"Um…" she said in a timid voice. "Excuse me…" The artisan looked up; Sheena pointed to the doll in her hand. "How…I mean….could you teach me how to make these.
Nadya stared at the doll, then back at Sheena…then finally smiled warmly. "Of course. I teach a class at the City Art Gallery every Thursday – come visit me then, OK?"
Sheena nodded excitedly. "Okay!" she said, and raced to join the rest of her classmates.
