Molly Cunningham

A precocious, pigtailed six-year-old with blond fur and a button nose, Molly Elizabeth Cunningham is the daughter of Rebecca Cunningham, owner of Higher for Hire. Bright and mischievous, Molly appears sweet and innocent (and she is), but she has a keen eye and a mind as sharp and quick as her mother's.

Molly is like her mother in many ways, but perhaps she resembles Rebecca the most as far as her own intelligence. Remarkably perceptive for a six-year-old, Molly can be both cute and cunning. She is often more aware of what's going on than the adults around her are, especially when determining a stranger's motives. Slightly devious as well as coy, Molly can bargain with adults and persuade them one way or another. Anyone who threatens her becomes the recipient of a painful kick to the shins.

Of course, by the same token Molly can be a nuisance as well. Babysitting her is no easy chore, as Kit Cloudkicker can attest to. Molly's best friend and playmate, Kit doesn't look down on Molly for being younger than him but treats her with the same respect that he gives all his friends. Easily mistaken for brother and sister at times, Kit and Molly play together and have lots of fun. On the occasions when Kit is responsible to keep an eye on her, however, Molly can cause a lot of headaches for him — especially when Kit bonks his head on the furniture while giving Molly "horsey" rides on his back.

Another friend of Molly's is Wildcat. Whenever Molly is down at Higher for Hire, she usually stops by Wildcat's houseboat to see the latest contraptions he's working on. Wildcat admires Molly's active imagination and spends each visit telling stories and explaining various mechanical devices to her.

Of course, Baloo is also an important part of Molly's life. Nicknaming her "Button Nose" and "Pigtails," Baloo genuinely cares for Molly and looks out for her well-being. Having known little about her real father, Molly looks up to Baloo as a father figure — however imperfect he may be. Rebecca may get upset with Baloo over a lot of things, but she has never had a problem with his spending time with Molly. It actually seems a source of comfort to her to know that Baloo and Molly are as close as they are.

Molly and Rebecca have few problems, but when you are as small as Molly, you sometimes tend to get lost in the shuffle. Rebecca is a devoted mother but her attention to office work sometimes prevents her from spending time with her daughter. Because of this, Molly occasionally feels neglected, as if she's too little to be noticed. Rebecca can get so wrapped up in her business that this does become somewhat true; but after a series of incidents caused by her inadvertent neglect, Rebecca now makes it a point to spend time with Molly whenever she can.

When not in kindergarten, Molly usually spends time in her room playing with dolls. Her favorite is Lucy, a plain rag doll who serves as Molly's companion on several of her make-believe adventures as "Danger Woman," the female hero of a popular afternoon radio serial on K-CAPE Radio. Molly faithfully listens to each exciting episode, donning a colander and red blanket afterwards to act out imaginary battles with villains such as the evil Mantis-Lady. She also loves eating Frosty Pep ice cream, "Danger Woman's favorite food" and commercial sponsor of the radio program. To finish each day, Molly asks Rebecca to read her a bedtime story — "Gladys and the Gorilla" and "Flight of the Snow Duck" being her favorites.

Above: Molly as Danger Woman!

Left: Bedtime for Molly, with her mom reading a favorite story.

Molly is also very fond of animals. Rebecca does not allow pets in the apartment, but once or twice Molly was able to persuade her mother (during a moment of weakness) to keep an animal playmate around the house. Molly's choice of pets unfortunately leaves much to be desired — like the time she adopted Henry, a six-inch small baby "buffalo" who was in reality a Yenkara, a mythical creature who magically turns twelve feet tall when wet. Needless to say, after that incident, Rebecca refuses to let Molly keep any pets without her express approval.

At her young age, Molly understandably cannot decide what she wants to be when she grows up. Her sharp mind and keen intellect could make her a businesswoman worthy of following in her mother's footsteps. Then again, the more time she spends with Baloo and Kit at Higher for Hire, the more it seems Molly wants to become a pilot, mechanic, or navigator just like her friends. Only time will tell, but Molly Cunningham will always remain a piece of work... "And cute to boot!"