Little girls like dolls very much, especially the Barbie. So did I. When I was four, Mother got me a Barbie. The toy had beautiful green eyes and long blond hair reaching her waist. It was not long before she became my playmate. I acted a lot of scenes with her.

One day, it occurred to me that our hair would grow back after it was cut. Would the Barbie’s hair do the same? Curiosity got the better of me. Taking a pair of scissors, I had the Barbie’s hair trimmed to shoulder length. When Mum found it out, she went mad with me.

After the haircut, I shampooed the Barbie’s hair daily. To my amazement, her hair grew back to her waist after two weeks. Awed by the discovery, I could not help but share it with Mum. Mother’s reaction was mixed, though. Was she amazed or puzzled, or both? I was not sure.

One day my Barbie was nowhere to be found. Mother said she had trashed the doll. Then the entire matter was left behind and life went on.

Years later, when I was in middle school, I remembered the Barbie experience. When I shared it with my friends, they were all petrified.

Looking back, I realise the entire thing was a mystery. How did it come about that the Barbie’s hair grew back after it was cut? Did the doll have a life of her own?