Pippi Longstocking

by Astrid Lindgren

  lected them, and about all the pleasant little shops all over the world where they had bought the beautiful things that were now in the drawers of her chest. Then she had tried to teach Mr. Nilsson to dance the schot-tische, but he didn't want to learn. For a while she had thought of trying to teach the horse, but instead she had crept down into the woodbox and pulled the cover down. She had pretended she was a sardine in a sardine box and, it was a shame Tommy and Annika weren't there so they could have been sardines too.

  Now it had begun to grow dark. She pressed her little pug nose against the windowpane and looked out into the autumn dusk. She remembered that she hadn't been riding for a couple of days and decided to go at once. That would be a nice ending to a pleasant Sunday.

  Accordingly she put on her big hat, fetched Mr. Nils-son from a corner where he sat playing marbles, saddled the horse, and lifted him down from the porch. And off they went, Mr. Nilsson on Pippi and Pippi on the horse.

  It was quite cold and the roads were frozen, so there was a good crunchy sound as they rode along. Mr. Nils-son sat on Pippi's shoulder and tried to catch hold of some of the branches of the trees as they went by, but Pippi rode so fast that it was no use. Instead, the branches kept boxing him in the ears, and he had a hard time keeping his straw hat on his head.

  Pippi rode through the little town, and people

 

  pressed anxiously up against the walls when she came storming by.

  The town had a market square, of course. There were several charming old one-story buildings and a little yellow-painted town hall. And there was also an ugly wretch of a building, newly built and three stories high. It was called "The Skyscraper" because it was taller than any of the other houses in town.

  On a Sunday afternoon the little town was always quiet and peaceful, but suddenly the quiet was broken by loud cries. "The Skyscraper's burning! Fire! Fire!"

  People came running excitedly from all directions. The fire engine came clanging down the street, and the little children who usually thought fire engines were such fun now cried from fright because they were sure their own houses would catch fire too. The police had to hold back the crowds of people gathering in the square so that the fire engine could get through. The flames came leaping out of the windows of the Skyscraper, and smoke and sparks enveloped the firemen who were courageously trying to put out the fire. The fire had started on the first floor but was quickly spreading to the upper stories.

  Suddenly the crowd saw a sight that made them gasp with horror. At the top of the house was a gable, and in the gable window, which a little child's hand had just opened, stood two little boys calling for help. "We can't get out because somebody has built a fire on the stairs," cried the older boy.

  He was five and his brother a year younger. Their

 

  mother had gone out on an errand, and there they stood, all alone. Many of the people in the square began to cry, and the fire chief looked worried. There was, of course, a ladder on the fire truck, but it wouldn't reach anywhere near to the little boys. To get into the house to save the children was impossible. A wave of despair swept over the crowd in the square when they realized there was no way to help the children. And the poor little things just stood up there and cried. It wouldn't be long now before the fire reached the attic.

  In the midst of the crowd in the square sat Pippi on her horse. She looked with great interest at the fire engine and wondered if she should buy one like it. She liked it because it was red and because it made such a fearful noise as it went through the streets. Then she looked at the fire and she thought it was fun when a few sparks fell on her.

  Presently she noticed the little boys up in the attic. To her astonishment they looked as if they weren't enjoying the fire at all. That was more than she could understand and at last she had to ask the crowd around her, "Why are the children crying?"

  First she got only sobs in answer, but finally a stout gentleman said, "Well, what do you think? Don't you suppose you'd cry yourself if you were up there and couldn't get down?"

  "I never cry," said Pippi, "but if they want to get down, why doesn't somebody help them?"

  "Because it isn't possible, of course," said the stout gentleman.

 

  Pippi thought for a while. Then she asked, "Can anybody bring me a long rope?"

  "What good would that do?" asked the stout gentleman. "The children are too small to get down the rope, and, for that matter, how would you ever get the rope up to them?"

  "Oh, I've been around a bit," said Pippi calmly. "I want a rope."

  There was not a single person who thought it would do any good, but somehow or other Pippi got her rope.

  Not far from the gable of the Skyscraper grew a tall tree. The top of it was almost level with the attic window, but between the tree and the window was a distance of almost three yards. And the trunk of the tree was smooth and had no branches for climbing on. Even Pippi wouldn't be able to climb it.

  The fire burned. The children in the window screamed. The people in the square cried.

  Pippi jumped off the horse and went up to the tree. Then she took the rope and tied it tightly to Mr. Nils-son's tail.

  "Now you be Pippi's good boy," she said. She put him on the tree trunk and gave him a little push. He understood perfectly what he was supposed to do. And he climbed obediently up the tree trunk. Of course it was no trouble at all for a little monkey to do that.

  The people in the square held their breath and watched Mr. Nilsson. Soon he had reached the top of the tree. There he sat on a branch and looked down at Pippi. She beckoned to him to come down again. He

 

  did so at once, climbing down on the other side of the branch, so that when he reached the ground the rope was looped over the branch and hung down double with both ends on the ground.

  "Good for you, Mr. Nilsson," said Pippi. "You're so smart you can be a professor any time you wish." She untied the knot that had fastened the rope to Mr. Nilsson's tail.

  Nearby, a house was being repaired, and Pippi ran over and got a long board. She took the board in one hand, ran to the tree, grasped the rope in her free hand, and braced her feet against the trunk of the tree. Quickly and nimbly she climbed up the trunk, and the people stopped crying in astonishment. When she reached the top of the tree she placed the board over a stout branch and then carefully pushed it over to the window sill. And there lay the board like a bridge between the top of the tree and the window.

  The people down in the square stood absolutely silent. They were so tense they couldn't say a word. Pippi stepped out on the board. She smiled pleasantly at the two boys in the gabled window. "Why do you look so sad?" she asked. "Have you got a stomachache?"

  She ran across the board and hopped in at the window. "My, it seems warm in here," she said. "You don't need to make any more fire in here today, that I can guarantee. And at the most four sticks in the stove tomorrow, I should think."

 

  Then she took one boy under each arm and stepped out on the board again.

  "Now you're really going to have some fun," she said. "It's almost like walking the tight rope."

  When she got to the middle of the board she lifted one leg in the air just as she had done at the circus. The crowd below gasped, and when a little later Pippi lost one of her shoes several old ladies fainted. However, Pippi reached the tree safely with the little boys. Then the crowd cheered so loudly that the dark night was filled with noise and the sound drowned out the crackling of the fire.

  Pippi hauled up the rope, fastened one end securely to a branch and tied the other around one of the boys. Then she let him down slowly and carefully into the arms of his waiting mother, who was beside herself with joy when she had him safe. She held him close and hugged him, with tears in her eyes.

  But Pippi yelled, "Untie the rope, for goodness* sake! There's another kid up here, and he can't fly either."

  So the people helped to untie the rope and free
the little boy. Pippi could tie good knots, she could indeed. She had learned that at sea. She pulled up the rope again, and now it was the second boy's turn to be let down.

  Pippi was alone in the tree. She sprang out on the board, and all the people looked at her and wondered what she was going to do. She danced back and forth on the narrow board. She raised and lowered her arms

  Pippi Acts as a Lifesaver103gracefully and sang in a hoarse voice that could barelybe heard down in the square:

  "The fire is burning, It's burning so bright, The flames are leaping and prancing.

  It's burning for you,

  It's burning for me,

  It's burning for all who are dancing!"

  As she sang she danced more and more wildly until many people covered their eyes in horror for they were sure she would fall down and kill herself. Flames came leaping out of the gable window, and in the firelight people could see Pippi plainly. She raised her arms to the night sky, and while a shower of sparks fell over her she cried loudly, "Such a jolly, jolly fire!"

  She took one leap and caught the rope. "Look out!" she cried and came sliding down the rope like greased lightning.

  "Three cheers for Pippi Longstocking! Long may she live!" cried the fire chief.

  "Hip, hip, hurray! Hip, hip, hurray! Hip, hip, hurray!" cried all the people-three times. But there was one person there who cheered four times.

  It was Pippi Longstocking.

  v^VA i,A/.x .w \-J>

  11.

  Pippi

  Celebrates

  Her

  Birthday

  o

  ne day Tommy and Annika found a letter in their mailbox.

  It was addressed to tmmy and anika, and when they opened it they found a card which read:

  TMMY AND ANIKA ARE INVITED TO PIPPl's TOMORO TO HER BERTHDAY PARTY. DRES: WARE WATEVER YOU LIK.

  Tommy and Annika were so happy they began to skip and dance. They understood perfectly well what was printed on the card although the spelling was a little unusual. Pippi had had a great deal of trouble writing it. To be sure, she had not recognized the letter "i" in school the day she was there, but all the same she could write a little. When she was sailing on the ocean one of the sailors on her father's ship used

  Pippi Celebrates Her Birthday105to take her up on deck in the evening now and thenand try to teach her to write. Unfortunately Pippi wasnot a very patient pupil. All of a sudden she wouldsay, "No, Fridolf"-that was his name-"no, Fridolf,bother all this learning! I can't study any more now because I must climb the mast to see what kind of weatherwe're going to have tomorrow."

  So it was no wonder the writing didn't go so well now. One whole night she sat struggling with that invitation, and at dawn, just as the stars were paling in the sky over Villa Villekulla, she tiptoed over to Tommy's and Annika's house and dropped the letter into their mailbox.

  As soon as Tommy and Annika came home from school they began to get all dressed up for the party. Annika asked her mother to curl her hair, and her mother did, and tied it with a big pink satin bow. Tommy combed his hair with water so that it would lie all nice and smooth. He certainly didn't want any curls. Then Annika wanted to put on her very best dress, but her mother thought she'd better not for she was seldom neat and clean when she came home from Pippi's; so Annika had to be satisfied with her next best dress. Tommy didn't care what suit he wore so long as he looked nice.

  Of course they had bought a present for Pippi. They had taken the money out of their own piggy banks, and on the way home from school had run into the toy shop on Main Street and bought a very beautiful-

 

  well, what they had bought was a secret for the time being. There it lay, wrapped in green paper and tied with a great deal of string, and when they were ready Tommy took the package, and off they went, followed by their mother's warning to take good care of their clothes. Annika was to carry the package part of the way, and they were both to hold it when they handed it to Pippi-that they had agreed upon.

  It was already November, and dusk came early. When Tommy and Annika went in through the gate of Villa Villekulla they held each other's hands tightly, because it was quite dark in Pippi's garden and the wind sighed mournfully through the bare old trees. "Seems like fall," said Tommy. It was so much pleas-anter to see the lighted windows in Villa Villekulla and to know that they were going to a birthday party.

  Ordinarily Tommy and Annika rushed in through the kitchen door, but this time they went to the front door. The horse was not on the porch. Tommy gave a lively knock on the door.

  From inside came a low voice:

  "Who comes in the dark night On the road to my house? Is it a ghost or just A poor little mouse?"

  "No, no, Pippi, it's us," shrieked Annika. "Open the door!"

  Pippi Celebrates Her Birthday107

  Pippi opened the door.

  "Oh, Pippi, why did you say that about a ghost? I was so scared," said Annika and completely forgot to congratulate Pippi.

  Pippi laughed heartily and opened the door to the kitchen. How good it was to come in where it was light and warm! The birthday party was to be in the kitchen, because that was the pleasantest room in the house. There were only two other rooms on the first floor, the parlor in which there was only one piece of furniture and Pippi's bedroom. The kitchen was large and roomy, and Pippi had scrubbed it until it shone. She had put rugs on the floor and a large new cloth on the table. She had embroidered the cloth herself with flowers that certainly looked most remarkable, but Pippi declared that such flowers grew in Farthest India, so of course that made them all right. The curtains were drawn and the fire burned merrily. On the wood-box sat Mr. Nilsson, banging pot lids together. In a corner stood the horse, for he too had been invited to the party.

  Now at last Tommy and Annika remembered that they were supposed to congratulate Pippi. Tommy bowed and Annika curtsied and then they handed Pippi the green package and said, "May we congratulate you and wish you a happy birthday?" Pippi thanked them and eagerly tore the package open. And there was a music box! Pippi was wild with delight. She patted Tommy and she patted Annika and she

 

  patted the music box and she patted the wrapping paper. She wound up the music box, and with much plinking and plonking out came a melody that was probably supposed to be "Ack, du kare Augustin."

  Pippi wound and wound and seemed to forget everything else. But suddenly she remembered something. "Oh, my goodness, you must have your birthday presents too!" she said.

  "But it isn't our birthday," said Tommy and Annika.

  Pippi stared at them in amazement. "No, but it's my birthday, isn't it? And so I can give birthday presents too, can't I? Or does it say in your schoolbooks that such a thing can't be done? Is it something to do with that old pluttifikation that makes it impossible?"

  "Oh, of course it's possible," said Tommy. "It just isn't customary. But for my part, I'd be very glad to have a present."

  "Me too," said Annika.

  Pippi ran into the parlor and brought back two packages from the chest. When Tommy opened his he found a little ivory flute, and in Annika's package was a lovely brooch shaped like a butterfly. The wings of the butterfly were set with blue and red and green stones.

  When they had all had their birthday presents it was time to sit down at the table, where there were all sorts of cakes and buns. The cakes were rather peculiar in shape, but Pippi declared they were just the kind of cakes they had in China.

  Pippi Celebrates Her Birthday109

  Pippi served hot chocolate with whipped cream, and the children were just about to begin their feast when Tommy said, "When Mamma and Papa have a party the gentlemen always get cards telling them what ladies to take in to dinner. I should think we ought to have cards too."

  "Okay," said Pippi.

  "Although it will be kind of hard for us because I'm the only gentleman here," added Tommy doubtfully.

  "Fiddlesticks," said Pippi. "Do you think Mr. Nilsso
n is a lady, maybe?"

  "Oh, of course not, I forgot Mr. Nilsson," said Tom and he sat down on the woodbox and wrote on a card:

  "Mr. Settergren will have the pleasure of taking Miss Longstocking in to dinner."

  "Mr. Settergren, that's me," said he with satisfaction and showed Pippi the card. Then he wrote on the next card:

  "Mr. Nilsson will have the pleasure of taking Miss Settergren in to dinner"

  "Okay, but the horse must have a card too," said Pippi decidedly, "even if he can't sit at the table." So Tommy, at Pippi's dictation, wrote:

  110Pippi Longstocking

  "The horse will have the pleasure of remaining in the corner where he will be served cakes and sugar''

  Pippi held the card under the horse's nose and said, "Read this and see what you think of it."

  As the horse had no objection to make, Tommy offered Pippi his arm, and they walked to the table. Mr. Nilsson showed no intention of offering his arm to Annika, so she took a firm hold of him and lifted him up to the table. But he didn't want to sit on a chair; he insisted on sitting right on the table. Nor did he want any chocolate with whipped cream, but when Pippi poured water in his cup he took it in both his hands and drank.

  Annika and Tommy and Pippi ate and ate, and Annika said that if these cakes were the kind they had in China then she intended to move to China when she grew up.

  When Mr. Nilsson had emptied his cup he turned it upside down and put it on his head. When Pippi saw that, she did the same, but as she had not drunk quite all her chocolate a little stream ran down her forehead and over her nose. She caught it with her tongue and lapped it all up.

  "Waste not, want not," she said.

  Tommy and Annika licked their cups clean before they put them on their heads.

  When everybody had had enough and the horse had

  Pippi Celebrates Her Birthday111his share, Pippi took hold of all four corners of thetablecloth and lifted it up so that the cups and platestumbled over each other as if they were in a sack.Then she stuffed the whole bundle in the woodbox.

  "I always like to tidy up a little as soon as I have eaten," she said.

  Then it was time for games. Pippi suggested that they play a game called "Don't touch the floor." It was very simple. The only thing one had to do was walk all around the kitchen without once stepping on the floor. Pippi skipped around in the twinkling of an eye, and even for Tommy and Annika it was quite easy. You began on the drainboard, and if you stretched your legs enough it was possible to step onto the back of the stove. From the stove to the woodbox, and from the woodbox to the hat shelf, and down onto the table, and from there across two chairs to the corner cupboard. Between the corner cupboard and the drain-board was a distance of several feet, but, luckily, there stood the horse, and if you climbed up on him at the tail end and slid off at the head end, making a quick turn at exactly the right moment, you landed exactly on the drainboard.