Doris Pratt, age 11, of Bennington, Vt., for her question:

WAS THERE REALLY AN ANNIE OAKLEY?

An American markswoman named Annie Oakley became popular throughout the United States and Europe as a member of the famous Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show for 17 years. She was an expert shot with a shotgun, rifle or pistol.

Once, using a .22 rifle, Annie shot 4,772 glass balls out of 5,000 tossed in the air on a single day. It's a record that still stands.

At 90 feet, Annie could hit a playing card with the thin edge toward her, and puncture a card five or six times while it fell to the ground. Since then, free tickets with holes punched in them have been called "Annie Oakleys."

Annie was born in Patterson Township, Ohio, in 1860. She began shooting at the age of nine. On a visit to Cincinnati, she shot a match with a vaudeville star named Frank Butler. She won the match, joined the show and later married Butler. She died in 1926.

Annie stood an even five feet tall and was often called "Little Sure Shot."

The musical play and motion picture "Annie Get Your Gun" portrayed her life.