Once upon a time in a small town called North Tonawanda, there lived a little girl whose father worked at the Platter’s Chocolate Factory. She loved it when her father brought home some of the candy he made during the day. On days when her father made sponge candy, he came home covered in what he called “Magic Sponge Dust.” Her mother smiled and said, “It might be magic, but don’t shake it off in the house!” Her father laughed and made sure he always brushed the dust off outside before coming in.

One day her father brought home an extra special gift—a Sponge Candy Doll! Platter’s thought it would be a fun idea to have a doll made that looked like a piece of Sponge Candy and gave one to the father to bring home to see what his young daughter thought of it. The little girl fell in love with the doll, and she named him Sammy. The little girl took Sammy Sponge with her wherever she went. At bedtime she kissed Sammy good night and put him in a little wooden chair next to her bed.

One morning, before her father left for work, the little girl had an idea. “Daddy,” she asked, “can you please bring home some magic yellow sponge dust?” When her father asked her why, she answered, “At bedtime I am going to sprinkle it on Sammy so he can become a real person. I feel bad that he cannot go out and play on his own when I am at school.” The father chuckled and said, “Sure honey.”

That night, just before bed, the little girl sprinkled some magic sponge dust on Sammy, but nothing happened. When her parents came in for a goodnight kiss, the little girl was very sad. The father explained that dolls cannot come to life, but the little girl fell asleep with tears in her eyes.

The next morning the sun was shining brightly through the little girl’s window. As she yawned and stretched, she noticed that Sammy was not in his chair! She looked under her bed, in her closet, and in her toy chest; Sammy wasn’t anywhere to be found. The little girl called out to her mother and father, and they came running into her room. The little girl exclaimed, “The magic sponge dust made Sammy real!” The mother and father searched the whole house and the shed too, but they could not find Sammy anywhere!

Now you may think that Sammy is still lost somewhere in the little girl’s house, but if you ask the little girl what happened that magical night, she will say, “The magic dust made Sammy real, and now he’s out there having fun all over the world!”