The book 'Raggedy Ann Stories' relates tales of the adventures of the dolls owned by a little girl named Marcella. In this story, the dolls sneak out of the nursery, with Raggedy Ann leading the expedition. The dolls sneak into the pantry, feast on cream, corn bread, molasses, and raspberry jam, and then return to the nursery. When Marcella finds her dolls sticky and messy, she washes them and hangs them to dry. After the dolls are clean and dry, Marcella holds a tea party for the dolls. Later that night, Raggedy realizes Marcella taught the dolls two lessons by holding the tea party. Never take what can be yours for the asking, and don't do things that cause our loved ones unhappiness.
Marcella wakes in a bad mood. She accidentally flings Raggedy into the hamper with the dirty laundry. Dinah collects the laundry, boils and wrings out Raggedy Ann. Raggedy's dress buttons fall off, her button eye becomes loose, and she's wrung out flat as a pancake. Marcella is angry at Dinah, until she realizes it was her bad temper that put Raggedy in the laundry. Dinah hangs Raggedy out to dry, pats her, and rolls her until she is soft and round again. Marcella apologizes to the dolls for her bad mood that morning.
Marcella and Raggedy Ann watch some boys build a kite out of sticks and cloth and try to fly it. Unfortunately, the kite crashes into the ground because it needs more tail. Marcella and the boys tie Raggedy Ann to the tail. Raggedy Ann soars up into the sky attached to the kite. Raggedy enjoys flying until the wind rips the rag tying her to the kite and she falls through the air. Marcella and the boys look for Raggedy Ann, but cannot find her. Raggedy Ann has fallen into a tree over Marcella's house, next to two robins and their nest. The next morning, as the robins sing, Marcella looks at the Robins and sees Raggedy Ann peeping out of the tree. Marcella's daddy rescues Raggedy Ann from the tree.
Raggedy Ann can't sleep. She realizes she hasn't seen the dog, Fido, all day long. Fido is lost. The dolls decide to look for Fido and jump out the nursery window. The Indian doll tracks Fido's trail. They come across a dog in a dog house named Peterkins. Peterkins saw the Dog Catcher come with a long stick catch Fido, put him in a wagon with a lot of other dogs, and then take him to a big wire pen. Peterkins leads the dolls to the wire pen. Peterkins lifts Raggedy Ann up so she can lift the latch and free the dogs. They run home. Fido is so grateful, he licks each of the dolls' cheeks.
Painters come to repaint the nursery. A painter dances with Raggedy Ann and throws her into the air. One time he misses catching her and she lands in a paint bucket. Marcella cries when she sees Raggedy Ann covered in paint. The painter brings Raggedy Ann home so his mother can clean the paint off. The painter's mother cleans Raggedy, fills her with new stuffing, and adds something special. The painter's mother puts a candy heart labeled, 'I LOVE YOU', inside Raggedy Ann.
After an outdoor tea party, Marcella leaves Raggedy Ann alone outside. Fido thinks Raggedy Ann wants to play, grabs her, and shakes her. Although Fido has fun, Raggedy Ann does not enjoy the rough play. Another dog comes along, and the dogs play tug-of-war on a bridge. Raggedy Ann accidentally falls into the water. Raggedy Ann floats on the brook, enjoying the soothing current, and falls asleep. Eventually, she lodged against a big stone. Marcella and her daddy found Raggedy Ann. They brought Raggedy home and dried her. Raggedy Ann is so happy, she thinks the water melted her candy heart and the heart has filled her whole body. All the other dolls are happy too.
Two new, beautiful dolls named Annabel-Lee and Thomas come to the nursery. The new dolls do not act nice. They say mean things about the looks of Raggedy Ann and the other dolls. When night comes, the two dolls fall asleep in red chairs. Raggedy and Uncle Clem move the dolls to Raggedy Ann's bed and tuck them in. The next morning, the two dolls saw Raggedy Ann sleeping on the floor and felt very much ashamed of themselves. The two new dolls kissed Raggedy Ann, put her in her own bed, and returned to their two chairs. The two new dolls feel so much happier now that they have treated Raggedy Ann with kindness. Raggedy Ann is also very happy, for she is not asleep and knows the two new dolls were kind to her.
Fido the dog tells the dolls there are new kittens in the barn. The dolls jump out the window and follow Fido to visit the Kittens in the barn. Mamma Cat howls and attacks Fido. Raggedy Ann tells Mamma Cat that Fido can be trusted. Raggedy Ann and Mamma Cat bring the kittens to the nursery. Marcella is delighted by the kittens and names them after fairy tales.
Fido the dog tells the dolls there are new kittens in the barn. The dolls jump out the window and follow Fido to visit the Kittens in the barn. Mamma Cat howls and attacks Fido. Raggedy Ann tells Mamma Cat that Fido can be trusted. Raggedy Ann and Mamma Cat bring the kittens to the nursery. Marcella is delighted by the kittens and names them after fairy tales.
Marcella leaves Raggedy Ann sitting on the chicken yard fence. Raggedy Ann turns her head to look at a hummingbird and accidentally falls in. The Rooster, Old Ironsides, tries to fight Raggedy Ann, but the hens protect her by pulling her into the chicken coop. The hens show Raggedy Ann their nests of eggs. Raggedy Ann sits on the nests so the hens can eat and drink. The chicks hatch under Raggedy Ann. Marcella finds Raggedy Ann and the chicks. Marcella's father builds the chickens and their chicks nice new beds.
A new wax doll, Jeanette, comes to live with the dolls. One night, something eats Jeanette's wax face. The next day, the dolls find a mouse hole and plug it with rags and paper. Marcella's daddy takes Jeanette away to be fixed. Later that day, Marcella brings a new kitten named Boots into the nursery to protect against the mice. Jeanette comes home with a new coating of wax. Boots catches a mouse coming out of the hole. The mouse is not the one who ate Jeanette's wax. It is a Mamma mouse with three baby mice who lives in the barn. The Mamma mouse promises never to come back and to stay in the barn if she is let go, but Boots refuses to let the Mamma mouse go and wishes to eat her. Boots begins playing with the mouse, letting her go and catching her again. Raggedy Ann grabs Boots and other dolls push the Mamma mouse into the mouse hole. Boots is angry with Raggedy Ann at first, but eventually forgives her.
A stranger man visiting Marcella's Mamma and Daddy borrows Raggedy Ann from Marcella. The stranger places Raggedy Ann into his grip and takes her to a room containing women dressed in white aprons. The women undress Raggedy Ann, take her apart to make a pattern out of her, and then put her back together. Then the women make many more rag dolls just like Raggedy Ann. Raggedy Ann now has hundreds of sisters, each dressed the same, and each having a candy heart that says, 'I LOVE YOU.'
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