Franz Kafka died of tuberculosis in 1924 at age 40. About a year before that he met a young girl who had lost her doll, Belinda, during an
outing in the park. The novelist was unable to help her find the doll, but the
following day he delivered a letter from Belinda. “I’m sorry to have left you,”
the doll wrote, “so suddenly and without saying goodbye.” She explained that
she desired to see more of the world. Soon other messages came from so many
interesting places, detailing Belinda’s adventures abroad. Eventually Belinda
returned to the girl, looking like a brand-new doll. As her last message
explained, travel does change you. I should tell you this story has many
versions, with different names for the doll and the girl; even different parks
in different cities. And no one has produced any of the letters as proof of
their authenticity. But true or not, it’s still an enchanting tale.
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