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Briefly pippi longstocking. Biography and plot

"Pippi Longstocking" summary You can read chapter by chapter in 20 minutes.

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How Pippi settled in the Chicken Villa

There is a neglected garden on the outskirts of a small Swedish town. And in the garden stands a blackened house. It is in this house that Pippi Longstocking lives. She is nine years old, but she lives there all alone. She has neither a father nor a mother, and, frankly, this even has its advantages - no one drives her to sleep ...

Mom died a long time ago, when Pippi was still lying in the stroller and screaming so terribly that no one dared to approach her. Pippi is sure that her mother now lives in heaven and looks at her from there. Therefore, Peppy often waves her hand and every time says:

Don't be afraid, mom, I won't disappear!

But Pippi remembers her father very well. He was a sea captain, his ship plowed the seas and oceans, and Peppy was never separated from her father. But then one day, during a strong storm, a huge wave washed him into the sea, and he disappeared. But Pippi was sure that one day her dad would return; she could never imagine that he had drowned. She decided that her father ended up on an island where blacks live and became king. Pippi was very proud of this, because she would be a Negro princess!

This old house, surrounded by neglected gardens, was bought by my father many years ago. He was going to live here with Pippi when he was old and no longer able to drive ships. But after dad disappeared into the sea, Pippi went straight to her villa "Chicken" to wait for his return there. There was furniture in the rooms, utensils hung in the kitchen - it seemed that everything was specially prepared so that Pippi could settle here. One quiet summer evening, Peppy said goodbye to the sailors on her father's ship. They all loved Pippi so much, and Pippi loved them all so much that it was very sad to part.

She took only two things with her: a little monkey (Mr. Nilson was a gift from her father) and a large suitcase full of gold coins.

The sailors considered Pippi a strange girl. Most of all, they were struck by her extraordinary physical strength, and there is no policeman on earth who could cope with her. She could jokingly pick up the horse... which she bought the very day she moved into her villa. Pippi has always dreamed of a horse. The horse lives on her terrace. And when Pippi wants to have a cup of coffee there after dinner, she, without hesitation, takes the horse out into the garden.

A family with two children lives next to the Villa "Chicken". The boy's name is Tommy, and the girl's name is Annika - well-bred and obedient, neat children. Tommy and Annika played together in their garden, but still they lacked children's company, and they dreamed of finding a playmate for themselves. At a time when Pippi was still swimming with her father on the seas and oceans, Tommy and Annika sometimes climbed into the garden of the Chicken Villa and dreamed that a family with children would live there.

In that clear summer evening When Pippi first crossed the threshold of her villa, Tommy and Annika were away. Mom sent them to visit their grandmother for a week. Therefore, they did not know that someone had settled in a neighboring house.

Pippi Longstocking went for a morning walk. This is what she looked like: her carrot-colored hair was braided into two tight pigtails sticking out in different directions; his nose was like a tiny potato, and besides, it was speckled from freckles; white teeth glittered in a large wide mouth. She had blue dress, but since she apparently did not have enough blue matter, she sewed red shreds into it in some places. On very thin and thin legs, she pulled on long stockings different colors: one is brown and the other is black. And the huge black shoes looked like they were about to fall off. Papa bought them for her in South Africa to grow out, and Pippi would never want to wear others.

When Tommy and Annika saw that a monkey was sitting on the shoulder of a strange girl, they simply froze in amazement. The little monkey was wearing blue trousers, a yellow jacket, and a white straw hat.

Tommy and Annika kept their eyes on her, but she disappeared around the corner. However, the girl soon returned, but now she was already walking backwards (she was too lazy to turn around when she decided to return home.

Pippi invited them to have breakfast, and they gladly agreed. Then they met Nilson the monkey and Peppy the horse. The children could not understand why the horse lived on the terrace and not in the stable, how Pippi lives without parents.

The children entered the kitchen. (...) Pippi took three eggs from the basket and, throwing them over her head, broke them one by one. The first egg flowed right on her head and blinded her eyes. But on the other hand, she managed to deftly catch the other two in a saucepan.

I have always been told that eggs are very good for hair,” she said, rubbing her eyes. You will now see how quickly my hair will begin to grow. Listen, they are already creaking. Here in Brazil, no one goes out into the street without smearing his head thickly with an egg. I remember there was an old man there, so stupid, he ate all the eggs instead of pouring them on his head. And he became so bald that when he left the house, a real commotion arose in the city, and he had to call police cars with loudspeakers to restore order ...

Pippi spoke and at the same time chose from the saucepan the one that got there eggshell. Then she took off a long-handled brush that hung on a nail and began to beat the dough with it so hard that she spattered all the walls. She was making pancakes. When the pancake was baked, Pippi threw it across the kitchen right onto a plate that was on the table.

Eat! she called. - Eat quickly before it gets cold.

Tommy and Annika liked the pancakes very much. Then Pippi invited her new friends into the living room, which had only a chest of drawers. Pippi showed Tommy and Annika all the treasures - rare bird eggs, outlandish shells and colorful sea pebbles, carved boxes, elegant mirrors in a silver frame, beads and many other little things that Pippi and her father bought during their trips around the world. Pippi gave Tommy a dagger with a mother-of-pearl handle, and Annika a box with many, many snails carved on the lid. In the box was a ring with a green stone.

Tommy and Annika went home and waited for the next meeting with their new friend.

How Pippi gets into a fight

The next morning, Tommy and Annika went to Pippi's, they played "lecturers". The game was to carefully look around and find something. Tommy and Annika couldn't find anything, but Peppy found a rusty tin can and an empty spool in the grass. Her new friends could not imagine how such finds could be used. And Pippi quickly found a use for them.

(...) Just at that moment, the gate in the fence surrounding one of the houses opened, and the girl Ville ran out into the street. She looked extremely frightened, and this is not surprising - five boys were chasing her.

The boys surrounded her and pressed her against the fence. They were in a very advantageous position to attack. All five immediately got into a boxing stance and began to beat the girl. She began to cry and raised her hands to protect her face.

When the boys saw Pippi, they crumpled with laughter. All the boys immediately surrounded Pippi, and Ville, wiping her tears, quietly stepped aside and stood next to Tommy.

No, just look at her hair! - Bengt did not let up. - Red as fire. And shoes, shoes! Hey you, lend me one - I was just about to go boating, but I didn't know where to get it!

And all five boys began to jump around Pippi and tease her.

And Pippi stood in the ring of raging children and laughed merrily, which no one expected. And when one of the boys pushed her, she threw him into the air so high that he hung on a branch of a birch growing nearby. Then she grabbed another boy and threw him onto another branch. The third she threw at the gate of the villa. The fourth one was thrown over the fence right into the flower bed. And the last, the fifth, she squeezed into a toy carriage that stood on the road. Pippi, Tommy, Annika and Ville silently looked at the boys, who seemed to be speechless with amazement.

So Pippi showed that five boys should not attack a little defenseless girl.

Pippi waited a little, then took the tin can in one hand and the spool in the other and left, followed by Tommy and Annika. When the children returned to Pippi's garden, they resumed the announcer's game.

Tommy pulled out a small leather-bound notebook with a silver pencil.

Annika found a red coral necklace under a tree stump. The brother and sister even opened their mouths in surprise and decided that from now on they will always be announcers.

Suddenly, Peppy remembered that she had gone to bed only in the morning, because she played ball, and she immediately wanted to sleep. She always slept with her feet on the pillow and her head under the covers.

Annika and Tommy went home, they were happy that Pippi appeared in their lives, who knew how to turn any event into a game (she even ran with the police when they came to take her to the orphanage and admit to them that “Pippi is not suitable for orphanage»).

Peppy also failed to study at school: she did not understand how to behave at school.

Tommy and Annika had the most fun when they went to the circus with Pippi. The girl surprised all the spectators with how skillfully she rode a horse and fearlessly did tricks on a tightrope. The real triumph and love of the inhabitants of the town came to Pippi after the victory over the pompous strong man Adolf.

How Pippi saves two babies

(…) In the small town of Pippi, a fire broke out in the main square in the tallest house. A fire engine raced down the street. And two girls on the sidewalk, who at first thought it was very fun to watch the fire, suddenly began to cry - they were afraid that their house would catch fire. Soon a huge crowd gathered in the square in front of the skyscraper. The police tried to disperse it, because the fire could spread to neighboring houses. From the windows of the skyscraper, flames have already escaped. Firefighters continued to bravely fight the fire. And suddenly the people standing in the square went cold with horror. The attic window under the roof flew open, and two little boys appeared in it. The unfortunate boys cried and begged for help.

We can’t get out of here, - the older boy shouted, - someone lit a fire on the stairs!

The eldest was five years old, his brother was a year younger, and they were alone at home.

The crowd was worried about the kids, the firemen's ladder did not reach the attic.

Peppy decided to save the children and asked for a rope. In front of the skyscraper, a tall tree grew, its upper branches were at the level of the attic windows. Pippi jumped off her horse and, running up to a tree, tightly tied the rope to Mr. Nilsson's tail.

Mr. Nilson climbed up the smooth trunk to the crown, and threw the rope onto a knot.

Peppy found a long board. Grabbing the rope with her free hand and leaning her feet on the trunk, she began to quickly and deftly climb up. The people in the square stopped crying in surprise. Having reached the crown and placing the board on the fork of the branches, she carefully began to move it towards the window. At last the plank reached the window, rested its end on the windowsill, and formed a kind of bridge between the tree and the burning house. The people in the square were silent, no one could utter a word from the tension. And Pippi walked along the plank to the attic, took both boys in her arms and moved back along the plank.

And now we'll have a little fun. Balancing with you on the board is like dancing on a wire.

Peppy got the boys safely to the tree, and let them down from the tree.

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! shouted all the people standing in the square.

How Pippi is shipwrecked

(...) Pippi, Tommy, Annika, the horse and Mr. Nilsson went to a desert island. Pippi carried the boat, holding it in her outstretched arms above her head. On the back of the horse, she loaded a huge bag and a tent.

What's in the bag? asked Tommy.

Food, weapons and blankets, and even an empty bottle, Pippi explained. “I think we'd better have a comfortable shipwreck for the first time. When I've been shipwrecked before, I've shot some antelope or llama and eaten raw meat, but we won't be able to, because there are hardly antelopes or llamas on this island, and it would be simply ridiculous to starve there.

Why did you take an empty bottle? Annika was surprised.

Haven't you ever heard of bottle mail? Peppy was surprised. - They write a note, ask for help, seal it in a bottle and throw it into the sea. And then it falls right into the hands of those who are supposed to save you...

Soon the guys saw a small lake in front, in the middle of which there was a small island. The sun just peeked out from behind the clouds and warmed the young greenery.

Wonderful! - Peppy exclaimed, - perhaps this is the most comfortable uninhabited island that I have ever seen.

Peppy quickly lowered the boat into the water, took the sack and tent off the horse and laid it all on the bottom of the boat. Annika, Tommy and Mr. Nilsson got into the boat, and Pippi went up to the horse and patted her on the back.

My dear horse, I'm very sorry, but I can't put you in the boat," she said. - I hope you can swim. It's very simple. Look, horse, I'll show you now.

With these words, Peppy threw herself into the water right in her dress and swam with seedlings.

Swimming is very pleasant, honestly. And if you also want to have fun, you can play whale. Look, I'll teach you now.

Peppy took a mouthful of water, lay down on her back and released this water in a fountain. It was hard to tell from the look of the horse whether she found this game amusing, but when Pippi jumped into the boat, grabbed the oars and set off, the horse also entered the water and swam. True, she did not play whale. (…)

When the boat approached the island, Pippi behaved as if they were really shipwrecked. She saved food first, and then her friends. The monkey and the horse climbed ashore on their own. After a while, Pippi decided it was time to pitch the tent.

(...) Soon, a tent was already spread out on a high bank. Near the tent, Peppy built a hearth of large stones and quickly gathered dry branches.

Soon a cheerful fire blazed, and Tommy said that he had never felt so comfortable before.

Pippi brewed coffee on the fire and poured it into cups. The guys sat around the fire, drank coffee, ate sandwiches and felt very happy. Mr. Nilsson perched on Peppy's shoulder and ate with everyone, and from time to time the horse poked his muzzle into someone's back and immediately received a loaf of bread or a piece of sugar.

Peppy remembered how she sailed the southern seas, and sang a sailor's song in a hoarse voice. The kids were creepy and wonderful at the same time. Tommy and Pippi decided that they would become sea robbers.

(...) - Fine, - picked up Peppy. - Thunderstorm of the Caribbean - that's what you and I will be, Tommy. We will take away gold, jewelry, diamonds from everyone, we will arrange a hiding place in some grotto on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean, we will hide all our treasures there ...

And I? Annika asked plaintively. “I don’t want to be a sea robber.” What will I do alone?

You will still swim with us, ”Pippi reassured her. - You will dust the piano in the wardroom.

The fire went out.

Perhaps it's time to go to bed, - said Peppy. She laid out the floor of the tent with spruce and covered it with several thick blankets.

Three children and Mr. Nilson were lying in a tent, covered with blankets. The water lapped softly against the shore.

The tent was as dark as a sack, and Annika held Pippi by the hand, just in case, so she felt safer. Rain is coming. Drops drummed on the roof of the tent, but inside it was warm and dry, and the sound of rain was pleasantly lulling. Peppy jumped out of the tent to throw another blanket over the horse. The horse was standing under a tree with a very dense crown, so that the rain did not interfere with it either.

How good are we! whispered Tommy when Pippi returned.

Still would! Pippi replied. - Look what I found under the stone: three chocolates.

A few minutes later Annika was already asleep, although her mouth was still full of chocolate. She never let go of Peppy's hand.

We forgot to brush our teeth, - said Tommy and fell asleep too.

When Tommy and Annika woke up, Pippi was no longer in the tent. The children looked outside. The sun was shining, and Pippi had already made a fire: she was roasting ham and making coffee.

With all my heart I wish you happiness and a happy Easter, - she said, seeing Tommy and Annika.

Why, Easter is long past,” said Tommy.

Of course, - Pippi agreed, - and you save my wishes for next year.

The smell of roasted ham and fresh coffee whetted my appetite. The three of them sat around the fire with their legs crossed, and each received a piece of ham drenched in egg and potatoes. Then they drank coffee with gingerbread. Everyone agreed that they had never eaten such a delicious breakfast in their lives.

Pippi agreed, but said that it would be even better if she could catch fish for dinner. She quickly built a homemade fishing rod. Soon a perch swam up to her, but she did not catch it. I decided to cook pork and pancakes for dinner, which made Tommy and Annika very happy. Then she suggested swimming. The water was very cold. Pippi suggested diving into the water, swinging on a rope that she tied to a tree.

(...) Tommy and Annika found it difficult at first to dare to plunge into the water from such a height, but it looked so tempting that in the end they nevertheless dared. And as soon as you slip off the rope, you already wanted to do it all your life, because sliding yourself turned out to be even more interesting than watching from the side. Mr. Nilson also wanted to participate. He very deftly went down the rope, but at the very last minute, when it was necessary to let go of the end and flop into the water, he changed his mind and quickly climbed up. Then Pippi realized that she could sit on a plank and ride it down a sheer cliff right into the water. And it turned out to be even more fun, because every time a whole fountain of spray rose.

Pippi flopped into the water with an unimaginable splash, and only her two red pigtails soared to the surface. When the guys had plenty of swimming, they decided to explore the island. All three sat on the horse, and it ran forward at a steady trot. They raced up and down the slopes, made their way through the bushes and dense thickets, galloped through the swamps and across beautiful green lawns dotted with wild flowers. Pippi kept the gun cocked and from time to time shot into the air, and then the horse reared up in fright.

I killed a lion, - she happily declared ... - I would like this island to be ours forever, - said Peppy, when the guys returned to their camp and started baking pancakes. Tommy and Annika wanted it too. (…)

The children enjoyed their lunch. Evening has come. They lay down to sleep.

In the morning, the guys sadly remembered that it was time to return home. And then they found that the boat was gone. Annika became so upset that she began to cry. Pippi had to resort to bottle mail.

A letter in a bottle was thrown into the water, but it got stuck near the shore. The children were waiting for saviors, but there were none. Peppy got angry and suddenly remembered that she herself hid the boat during the rain. They swam home.

Mr. and Mrs. Settergren arrived home half an hour before the children. Tommy and Annika were nowhere to be seen, but in mailbox they found a piece of paper on which was written:

“You just don’t think that your children are dead or gone forever, but they will only suffer not a big shipwreck and will soon come home. With regards, Pippi.”

Year of writing: 1955

Genre: fairy tale

Main characters: Peppy, Tommy, Annika

Plot

On a rainy evening, a girl arrived at the Chicken Villa, which stood next to the house where Tommy and Annika lived. She had no parents, she lived alone and was the most extraordinary girl in the world.

Not only did she have a suitcase full of gold coins, and she had unprecedented strength, but she was kind, caring and very lonely.

The guys quickly became friends and did not cease to be surprised every day by new inventions of their girlfriend. She either walked on her hands or on her back, or smeared her head with an egg, or watered flowers in the rain.

The parents of Tommy and Annika were at first wary of their new girlfriend, but soon realized what a loyal and devoted friend she was, although sometimes she shocked adults with her behavior and manners.

Conclusion (my opinion)

Both adults and children like stories about an extraordinary girl who does everything against the rules, but it is always fun and interesting with her.

Astrid Lindgren's book "Pippi Longstocking" tells about the unusual life of a little mischievous girl. Many children like this book because it main character very free, and which of the children does not dream of doing whatever they want. The book makes it possible to dream, to remember childhood, the time when everything was easy and simple.

Pippi is a girl from a small Swedish town. She lives without parents, because her mother died when Pippi was still very young, and the girl's father, for objective reasons, cannot take care of her, since he makes long voyages. But Peppy has a lot, a lot of money so that she can exist comfortably, and a remarkable strength that helps her protect herself if necessary.

All children admire Peppy's enthusiasm and eccentricity, because next to her life is filled with real adventures, and no one can forbid Peppy. If she wants, she can walk upside down, buy as many sweets as she wants for all the children, punish the thieves and fend for herself when the police come to the house with good intentions to send her to an orphanage. She is constantly cheerful and optimistic, composes a variety of stories that amaze with their absurdity. And Pippi also does not understand adults who are always puzzled by some questions, solve problems, go gloomy and dissatisfied with everything. She always wants to have fun, so she doesn't want to get too grown up. Pippi is good-natured and sweet, she is mischievous and unpredictable, so all children want to make friends with her, and it is very interesting to read the story about this wonderful girl with a wild imagination.

On our website you can download the book "Pippi Longstocking" by Astrid Lindgren for free and without registration in fb2, rtf, epub, pdf, txt format, read a book online or buy a book in an online store.

Astrid Lindgren.

Pippi Longstocking (compilation)

Pippi Löngstrump, 1945

Pippi L?ngstrump g?r ombord, 1946

Pippi Löngstrump i Söderhavet, 1948

First published in 1945, 1946, 1948 by Rab?n & Sj?gren, Sweden.

All foreign rights are handled by The Astrid Lindgren Company, Liding?, Sweden.

LLC Publishing Group Azbuka-Atticus, 2019

All rights reserved. No part of the electronic version of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet and corporate networks, for private and public use, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

How Pippi settled in the Chicken Villa

On the outskirts of a small Swedish town you will see a very neglected garden. And in the garden stands a dilapidated house blackened by time. It is in this house that Pippi Longstocking lives. She was nine years old, but, imagine, she lives there all alone. She doesn’t have a dad or mom, and, frankly, this even has its advantages - no one drives her to sleep just in the middle of the game and no one forces her to drink fish oil when she wants to eat sweets.

Before Pippi had a father, and she loved him very much. Of course, she also once had a mother, but Pippi no longer remembers her at all. Mom died a long time ago when Pippi was still a tiny girl, lying in a stroller and screaming so terribly that no one dared to approach her. Peppy is sure that her mother now lives in heaven and looks from there through a small hole at her daughter. Therefore, Peppy often waves her hand and every time says:

“Don’t be afraid, mom, I won’t be lost!”

She decided that her father ended up on an island where many, many blacks live, became king there and walks around with a golden crown on his head day and night.

“My dad is a Negro king!” Not every girl can boast of such an amazing dad, ”Pippi often repeated with visible pleasure. - When dad builds a boat, he will come for me, and I will become a Negro princess. Gay goop! That will be great!

This old house, surrounded by neglected gardens, was bought by my father many years ago. He was going to live here with Pippi when he was old and no longer able to drive ships. But after dad disappeared into the sea, Peppy went straight to her villa "Chicken" to wait for his return there. Villa "Chicken" - that was the name of this old house. There was furniture in the rooms, utensils hung in the kitchen - it seemed that everything had been specially prepared so that Pippi could settle here. One quiet summer evening, Peppy said goodbye to the sailors on her father's ship. They all loved Pippi so much, and Pippi loved them all so much that it was very sad to part.

- Farewell, guys! - said Pippi and kissed each one in turn on the forehead. Don't be afraid, I won't disappear!

She took only two things with her: a little monkey, whose name was Mr. Nilson - she received it as a gift from her father - and a large suitcase full of gold coins. All the sailors lined up on deck and looked sadly after the girl until she was out of sight. But Peppy walked with a firm step and never looked back. Mr. Nilson sat on her shoulder, and in her hand she carried a suitcase.

- She left alone ... A strange girl ... But can you keep her! said the sailor Freedolf, when Pippi disappeared around the bend, and wiped away a tear.

He was right, Pippi is indeed a strange girl. Most striking is her extraordinary physical strength, and there is no policeman on earth who could handle it. She could jokingly pick up a horse if she wanted to - and you know, she often does that. After all, Pippi has a horse, which she bought on the very day she settled in her villa. Pippi has always dreamed of a horse. The horse lives on her terrace. And when Pippi wants to drink a cup of coffee there after dinner, she takes the horse out into the garden without thinking twice.

Next to the Villa "Chicken" there is another house, also surrounded by a garden. Dad, mom and two cute kids live in this house - a boy and a girl. The boy's name is Tommi, and the girl's name is Annika. These are nice, well-bred and obedient children. Tommy never begs for anything from anyone and does all his mother's tasks without wrangling. Annika isn't naughty when she doesn't get what she wants, and she always looks so smart in her neat, starched calico dresses. Tommy and Annika played together in their garden, but still they lacked children's company, and they dreamed of finding a playmate for themselves. At a time when Pippi was still swimming with her father on the seas and oceans, Tommy and Annika sometimes climbed onto the fence separating the garden of the Chicken Villa from their garden, and each time they said:

What a pity that no one lives in this house. It would be great if someone with children settled here.

On that clear summer evening, when Pippi first crossed the threshold of her villa, Tommy and Annika were not at home. Mom sent them to visit their grandmother for a week. Therefore, they had no idea that someone settled in a neighboring house. They returned from their grandmother in the evening, and in the morning they stood at their gate, looked at the street, still not knowing anything, and discussed what they should do. And just at that moment, when it seemed to them that they would not be able to come up with anything funny and the day would pass tediously, just at that moment the gate of the neighboring house opened and a girl ran out into the street. She was the most amazing girl Tommy and Annika had ever seen.

Pippi Longstocking went for a morning walk. This is what she looked like: her carrot-colored hair was braided into two tight pigtails sticking out in different directions; his nose was like a tiny potato, and besides, it was speckled from freckles; white teeth glittered in a large wide mouth. She was wearing a blue dress, but since she apparently did not have enough blue material, she sewed red shreds into it here and there. On very thin and thin legs she pulled on long stockings of different colors: one is brown, and the other is black. And the huge black shoes looked like they were about to fall off. Papa bought them for her in South Africa to grow out, and Pippi would never want to wear others.

And when Tommy and Annika saw that a monkey was sitting on the shoulder of an unfamiliar girl, they simply froze in amazement. The little monkey was wearing blue trousers, a yellow jacket, and a white straw hat.

Pippi walked along the street, stepping on the pavement with one foot, and on the pavement with the other. Tommy and Annika kept their eyes on her, but she disappeared around the corner. However, the girl soon returned, but now she was walking backwards. And she walked like that only because she was too lazy to turn around when she decided to return home. As she drew level with Tommy and Annika's gate, she stopped. For a minute the children looked at each other in silence. Finally Tommy said:

“Why are you backing away like a cancer?”

Why am I hiding like a cancer? Pippi asked. We seem to live in a free country, right? Can't every man walk as he pleases? And in general, if you want to know, in Egypt everyone walks like that, and this does not surprise anyone in the least.

- How do you know? Tommy asked. You haven't been to Egypt.

- How?! I have not been to Egypt?! Peppy was outraged. - So, put it on your nose: I was in Egypt and in general I traveled all over the world and saw enough of all sorts of miracles. I've seen funnier things than people who move backwards like crabs. I wonder what you would say if I walked down the street on my hands, as they walk in India?

- It will lie! Tommy said.

Pippi thought for a moment.

“Right, I’m lying,” she said sadly.

- A complete lie! Annika confirmed, finally deciding to put in a word too.

“Yeah, a complete lie,” Pippi agreed, becoming more and more sad. – But sometimes I start to forget what was and what was not. And how can you demand that a little girl, whose mother is an angel in heaven, and her father is a Negro king on an island in the ocean, always speaks only the truth. And besides, - she added, her freckled muzzle lit up, - there is not a person in all the Belgian Congo who would say at least one true word. All day long everyone lies there. They lie from seven in the morning until sunset. So if I ever accidentally lie to you, you should not be angry with me. After all, I lived in this very Belgian Congo for a very long time. But we can still make friends! Right?

- Still would! exclaimed Tommy, and suddenly he realized that this day would by no means be called boring.

“Why don’t you, for example, come and have breakfast with me now?” Pippi asked.

"Indeed," said Tommy, "why don't we do it?" Went!

- That's great! Annika screamed. - Come quickly! Let's go!

“But first I must introduce you to Mr. Nilsson,” Pippi remembered.

At these words the little monkey took off his hat and bowed politely.

Pippi pushed open the dilapidated gate, and the children moved along the gravel path straight to the house. Huge old mossy trees grew in the garden, just made for climbing. All three went up to the terrace. There was a horse there. She dipped her head into the soup bowl and chewed on the oats.

- Listen, why do you have a horse on the terrace? Tommy wondered. All the horses he had ever seen lived in stables.

“You see,” Peppy began thoughtfully, “in the kitchen she would only get in the way, and in the living room she would be uncomfortable - there is too much furniture.

Tommy and Annika looked at the horse and entered the house. In addition to the kitchen, the house had two more rooms - a bedroom and a living room. But, apparently, Peppy did not remember cleaning for a whole week. Tommy and Annika looked around apprehensively to see if the negro king was sitting in some corner. After all, they had never seen a Negro king in their lives. But the children did not find any signs of either dad or mom.

Do you live here all alone? Annika asked with fear.

- Of course not! We live together: Mr. Nilsson, the horse and me.

“And you don’t have a father or a mother?”

- Well, yes! Pippi exclaimed happily.

- And who tells you in the evenings: "It's time to go to bed"?

- I'm talking to myself. First, I say to myself in a very gentle voice: "Pippi, go to bed." And if I do not obey, then I repeat already strictly. When that doesn't help either, it flies off me great. It's clear?

Tommy and Annika couldn't figure it out, but then they thought maybe it wasn't so bad.

The children entered the kitchen, and Pippi sang:

Get the frying pan on the stove!
We will bake pancakes.
There is flour, and salt, and butter,
We'll be eating soon!

Peppy took three eggs from the basket and, tossing them over her head, broke one after the other. The first egg flowed right on her head and blinded her eyes. But on the other hand, she managed to deftly catch the other two in a saucepan.

“I was always told that eggs are very good for hair,” she said, rubbing her eyes. You will now see how quickly my hair will begin to grow. Listen, they are already creaking. Here in Brazil, no one goes out into the street without smearing his head thickly with an egg. I remember there was an old man there, so stupid, he ate all the eggs instead of pouring them on his head. And he became so bald that when he left the house, a real commotion arose in the city, and he had to call police cars with loudspeakers to restore order ...

Pippi spoke and at the same time picked out the eggshells that had fallen into the saucepan. Then she took off a long-handled brush that hung on a nail and began to beat the dough with it so hard that she spattered all the walls. What was left in the saucepan, she poured into a frying pan that had been on fire for a long time. The pancake immediately browned on one side, and she tossed it in the pan, so deftly that it turned over in the air and flopped back down with the uncooked side. When the pancake was baked, Pippi threw it across the kitchen right onto a plate that was on the table.

– Eat! she called. - Eat quickly before it gets cold.

Tommy and Annika did not force themselves to beg and found that the pancake was very tasty. When the food was over, Pippi invited her new friends into the living room. In addition to the chest of drawers huge amount there were no small drawers, no other furniture in the living room. Peppy took turns pulling out the drawers and showing Tommy and Annika all the treasures she kept.

There were rare bird eggs, outlandish shells and colorful sea pebbles. There were also carved boxes, elegant mirrors in a silver frame, beads and many other little things that Pippi and her father bought during their travels around the world. Pippi immediately wanted to give her new friends something to remember. Tommy got a dagger with a mother-of-pearl handle, and Annika got a box with lots and lots of snails carved on the lid. In the box was a ring with a green stone.

“Now take your gifts and go home,” Pippi said suddenly. - After all, if you do not leave here, then tomorrow you will not be able to come to me again. And that would be very sad.

Tommy and Annika were of the same opinion and went home. They passed the horse, which had already eaten all the oats, and ran out of the garden through the gate. In parting, Mr. Nilsson waved his hat to them.

How Pippi gets into a fight

The next morning Annika woke up very early. She quickly jumped out of bed and crept up to her brother.

“Wake up, Tommy,” she whispered, and shook his arm. - Wake up, let's go to that strange girl in big shoes.

Tommy immediately woke up.

“You know, even in my sleep I felt that something very interesting was waiting for us today, although I didn’t remember what it was,” he said, taking off his pajama jacket.

They both ran to the bathroom, washed and brushed their teeth much faster than usual, dressed instantly and, to the surprise of my mother, a whole hour earlier than usual, went downstairs and sat down in the kitchen at the table, declaring that they wanted to immediately drink chocolate.

What are you going to do this early? Mom asked. - Why are you in such a hurry?

"We're going to the girl who's moved in next door," Tommy replied.

“Maybe we can spend the whole day there!” Annika added.

Just that morning, Pippi was going to bake cakes. She kneaded a lot of dough and began to roll it out right on the floor.

“I think, Mr. Nilsson,” Peppy turned to the monkey, “that it’s not worth taking on the dough if you are going to bake less than five thousand cakes.

And, stretching out on the floor, she again began to work with a rolling pin with ardor.

“Come on, Mr. Nilsson, stop fiddling with the dough,” she said with irritation, and at that moment the bell rang.

Pippi, covered in flour like a miller, jumped up from the floor and rushed to open it. When she shook hands cordially with Tommy and Annika, a cloud of anguish enveloped them all.

“How nice of you to stop by to see me,” she said, and pulled back her apron, causing another cloud of flour to rise.

Tommy and Annika even coughed - so they swallowed flour.

- What are you doing? Tommy asked.

“If I tell you that I’m cleaning the pipe, you still won’t believe me, because you are such a cunning one,” Pippi replied. - Of course, I'm baking cakes. It will become even clearer soon. In the meantime, sit down on this chest.

And she picked up the rolling pin again.

Tommy and Annika sat on the chest and watched, as if in a movie, how Pippi rolls out the dough on the floor, how he throws the cakes on the baking sheets and how he puts the baking sheets in the oven.

- All! Pippi finally exclaimed and slammed the oven door with a crash, pushing the last baking sheet into it.

– What are we going to do now? Tommy asked.

What are you going to do, I don't know. Anyway, I won't mess around. I'm a speaker... And a speaker doesn't have a single free minute.

- Who are you? Annika asked.

- Director!

What does "director" mean? Tommy asked.

- A director is someone who always puts everything in order. Everyone knows that, ”Pippi said, sweeping the flour left on the floor into a pile. - After all, the abyss of all sorts of different things is scattered on the earth. Someone has to keep order. That's what the director does!

- The abyss of what things? Annika asked.

“Yes, very different ones,” Pippi explained. - And gold bars, and ostrich feathers, and dead rats, and multi-colored candies, and small nuts, well, and all sorts of others.

Tommy and Annika thought tidying up was a lot of fun, and they wanted to become announcers too. Moreover, Tommy said that he hoped to find a gold bar, and not a small nut.

“We'll see how lucky we are,” said Pippi. “You always find something. But we need to hurry. And then, just look, all sorts of other announcers will run in and steal all the gold bars that are lying around in these places.

And three dilektory immediately set off. They decided first of all to put things in order near the houses, since Pippi said that the best things are always lying around near human habitation, although sometimes it happens to find a nut in the forest more often.

“As a rule, this is so,” Pippi explained, “but it happens differently. I remember once during one trip I decided to clean up the jungle on the island of Borne? Oh, and you know what I found in the thicket itself, where no human foot has ever set foot? Do you know what I found there? .. A real artificial leg, and a completely new one. I later gave it to a one-legged old man, and he said that he would not buy such a beautiful piece of wood for any money.

Tommy and Annika looked at Pippi with all their eyes to learn how to act like real announcers. And Pippi rushed along the street from sidewalk to sidewalk, now and then putting her palm to her eyes with a visor to see better, and tirelessly searched. Suddenly she knelt down and put her hand between the rails of the fence.

“Strange,” she said disappointedly, “it seemed to me that a golden ingot sparkled here.

“Is it true that you can take whatever you find?” Annika asked.

“Well, yes, everything that lies on the ground,” Pippi confirmed.

On the lawn in front of the house, right on the grass, an elderly gentleman was lying and sleeping.

- Look here! Pippi exclaimed. “He lies on the ground, and we found him. Let's take it!

Tommy and Annika were seriously scared.

“No, no, Pippi, what are you… You can’t take him away… It’s impossible,” said Tommy. “Yes, and what would we do with it?”

- What would you do with it? Pippi asked. Yes, it can be of great use. You can put him, for example, in a rabbit cage and feed him with dandelion leaves ... Well, if you don’t want to take him, okay, let him lie. It's just a shame that other dilectors will come and pick up this uncle.

Now I actually found something! - and pointed to a rusty tin can lying in the grass. - This is a find! Wow! This jar will always come in handy.

Tommy looked at the jar in bewilderment.

- What will it be useful for? - he asked.

- Whatever you want! Pippi replied. - Firstly, you can put gingerbread in it, and then it will turn into a beautiful Gingerbread Jar. Secondly, you can not put gingerbread in it. And then it will be a Jar-without-gingerbread and, of course, it will not be so beautiful, but still not everyone comes across such jars, that's for sure.

Pippi carefully examined the rusty can she found, which also turned out to be full of holes, and, after thinking, said:

“But this jar is more like a No-Gingerbread Jar. Also, you can put it on your head. Like this! Look, she covered my whole face. How dark it has become! Now I will play in the night. How interesting!

With the jar on her head, Peppy began to run up and down the street until she sprawled on the ground, tripping over a piece of wire. The can rolled into the ditch with a crash.

“You see,” Pippi said, picking up the jar, “if I didn’t have this thing on me, I would break my nose.”

“But I think,” Annika remarked, “that if you hadn’t put a jar on your head, you would never have tripped over this wire ...

But Pippi interrupted her with a jubilant cry: she saw an empty reel on the road.

- How lucky am I today! What a happy day! - she exclaimed. - What a small, small reel! Do you know how great it is to let out of it bubble! And if you thread a rope through the hole, then this coil can be worn around the neck like a necklace. In general, I went home for a rope.

Just at that moment, a gate in the fence surrounding one of the houses opened, and a girl ran out into the street. She looked extremely frightened, and this is not surprising - five boys were chasing her. The boys surrounded her and pressed her against the fence. They were in a very advantageous position to attack. All five immediately got into a boxing stance and began to beat the girl. She began to cry and raised her hands to protect her face.

- Beat her, guys! shouted the biggest and strongest of the boys. - So that she doesn’t show her nose to our street anymore.

- Oh! Annika exclaimed. - Why, they beat Villa! Ugly boys!

A humorous story by a famous Swedish writer about the wonderful journeys and funny adventures of a girl named Pippi Longstocking, who had a kind heart, a generous soul and a too hot head.

Peppy settles in the villa "Chicken"

I. How Pippi settled in the Chicken Villa

On the outskirts of a small Swedish town you will see a very neglected garden. And in the garden stands a dilapidated house blackened by time. It is in this house that Pippi Longstocking lives. She was nine years old, but, imagine, she lives there all alone. She has neither a father nor a mother, and, frankly, this even has its advantages - no one drives her to sleep just in the middle of the game and no one forces her to drink fish oil when she wants to eat sweets.

Before Pippi had a father, and she loved him very much. Of course, she also once had a mother, but Pippi no longer remembers her at all. Mom died a long time ago when Pippi was still a tiny girl, lying in a stroller and screaming so terribly that no one dared to approach her. Pippi is sure that her mother now lives in heaven and looks from there through a small hole at her daughter. Therefore, Peppy often waves her hand and every time says:

Don't be afraid, mom, I won't disappear!

But Pippi remembers her father very well. He was a sea captain, his ship plowed the seas and oceans, and Peppy was never separated from her father. But then one day, during a strong storm, a huge wave washed him into the sea, and he disappeared. But Pippi was sure that one day her dad would return, she could not imagine that he had drowned. She decided that her father ended up on an island where many, many blacks live, became king there and walks around with a golden crown on his head day and night.

My dad is a Negro king! Not every girl can boast of such an amazing dad, ”Pippi often repeated with visible pleasure. - When dad builds a boat, he will come for me, and I will become a Negro princess. Gay goop! That will be great!

This old house, surrounded by neglected gardens, was bought by my father many years ago. He was going to live here with Pippi when he was old and no longer able to drive ships. But after dad disappeared into the sea, Peppy went straight to her villa "Chicken" to wait for his return there. Villa "Chicken" - that was the name of this old house. There was furniture in the rooms, utensils hung in the kitchen - it seemed that everything had been specially prepared so that Pippi could settle here. One quiet summer evening, Peppy said goodbye to the sailors on her father's ship. They all loved Pippi so much, and Pippi loved them all so much that it was very sad to part.

Goodbye guys! - said Pippi and kissed each one in turn on the forehead. - Do not be afraid, I will not disappear!

She left alone ... A strange girl ... But can you keep her! - Said the sailor Fridolf, when Pippi disappeared around the bend, and brushed away a tear.

He was right, Pippi is indeed a strange girl. Most striking is her extraordinary physical strength, and there is no policeman on earth who could handle it. She could jokingly pick up a horse if she wanted to - and you know, she often does this. After all, Pippi has a horse, which she bought on the very day she settled in her villa. Pippi has always dreamed of a horse. The horse lives on her terrace. And when Pippi wants to have a cup of coffee there after dinner, she, without hesitation, takes the horse out into the garden.

Next to Villa Hen there is another house, also surrounded by a garden. Dad, mom and two cute kids live in this house - a boy and a girl. The boy's name is Tommy and the girl's name is Annika. These are nice, well-bred and obedient children. Tommy never begs for anything from anyone and does all his mother's tasks without wrangling. Annika isn't naughty when she doesn't get what she wants, and she always looks so smart in her neat, starched calico dresses. Tommy and Annika played together in their garden, but still they lacked children's company, and they dreamed of finding a playmate for themselves. At a time when Pippi was still swimming with her father on the seas and oceans, Tommy and Annika sometimes climbed the fence separating the garden of the Villa "Hen" from their garden, and each time they said:

What a pity that no one lives in this house. It would be great if someone with children settled here.

On that clear summer evening, when Pippi first crossed the threshold of her villa, Tommy and Annika were away. Mom sent them to visit their grandmother for a week. Therefore, they had no idea that someone settled in a neighboring house. They returned from their grandmother in the evening, and in the morning they stood at their gate, looked at the street, still not knowing anything, and discussed what they should do. And just at that moment, when it seemed to them that they would not be able to come up with anything funny, and the day would pass tediously, just at that moment the gate of the neighboring house opened, and a girl ran out into the street. She was the most amazing girl Tommy and Annika had ever seen.

Pippi Longstocking went for a morning walk. This is what she looked like: her carrot-colored hair was braided into two tight pigtails sticking out in different directions; his nose was like a tiny potato, and besides, it was speckled from freckles; white teeth glittered in a large wide mouth. She was wearing a blue dress, but since she apparently did not have enough blue material, she sewed red shreds into it here and there. On very thin and thin legs she pulled on long stockings of different colors: one brown and the other black. And the huge black shoes looked like they were about to fall off. Papa bought them for her in South Africa to grow out, and Pippi would never want to wear others.

Peppy walked along the street, with one foot on the sidewalk, the other on the pavement. Tommy and Annika kept their eyes on her, but she disappeared around the corner. However, the girl soon returned, but now she was walking backwards. And she walked like that only because she was too lazy to turn around when she decided to return home. As she drew level with Tommy and Annika's gate, she stopped. For a minute the children looked at each other in silence. Finally Tommy said:

Why are you backing like a cancer?

Why am I hiding like a cancer? Pippi asked. - We seem to live in a free country, right? Can't every man walk as he pleases? And in general, if you want to know, in Egypt everyone walks like that, and this does not surprise anyone in the least.

How do you know? asked Tommy. - You haven't been to Egypt.

How?! I have not been to Egypt?! Peppy was outraged. - So, kill yourself on the nose: I was in Egypt and generally traveled all over the world and saw enough of all sorts of miracles. I've seen funnier things than people who move backwards like crabs. I wonder what you would say if I walked down the street on my hands, as they walk in India?

Pippi thought for a moment.

That's right, I'm lying, - she said sadly.

A complete lie! Annika confirmed, finally deciding to put in a word too.

Yeah, a complete lie, agreed Pippi, becoming more and more sad. - But sometimes I start to forget what was and what was not. And how can you demand that a little girl, whose mother is an angel in heaven, and her father is a Negro king on an island in the ocean, always speaks only the truth. And besides, - she added, her freckled muzzle lit up, - there is not a person in all the Belgian Congo who would say at least one true word. All day long everyone lies there. They lie from seven in the morning until sunset. So if I ever accidentally lie to you, you should not be angry with me. After all, I lived in this very Belgian Congo for a very long time. But we can still make friends! Right?

Still would! exclaimed Tommy, and suddenly he realized that this day would by no means be called boring.

Why don't you, for example, come and have breakfast with me now? asked Pippi.

Really,” said Tommy, “why don't we do it? Went!

That's great! Annika screamed. - Come quickly! Come on!

But first I must introduce you to Mr. Nilsson, - Pippi remembered.

At these words the little monkey took off his hat and bowed politely.

Listen, why do you have a horse on the terrace? Tommy wondered. All the horses he had ever seen lived in stables.

You see, - Peppy began thoughtfully, - in the kitchen she would only get in the way, and in the living room she would be uncomfortable - there is too much furniture.

Do you live here all alone? Annika asked with fear.

Of course not! We live together: Mr. Nilsson, the horse and me.

And you don't have a mom or a dad?

Well, yes! Pippi exclaimed happily.

And who tells you in the evenings: "It's time to go to bed?"

I say to myself. First, I say to myself in a very gentle voice: "Pippi, go to bed." And if I do not obey, then I repeat already strictly. When that doesn't help either, it flies off me great. It's clear?

Tommy and Annika couldn't figure it out, but then they thought maybe it wasn't so bad.

The children entered the kitchen, and Pippi sang:

Get the frying pan on the stove!
We will bake pancakes.
There is flour, and salt, and butter,
We'll be eating soon!

Eat! she called. - Eat quickly before it gets cold.

Tommy and Annika did not force themselves to beg and found that the pancake was very tasty. When the food was over, Pippi invited her new friends into the living room. Apart from a chest of drawers with a huge number of small drawers, there was no other furniture in the living room. Peppy took turns pulling out the drawers and showing Tommy and Annika all the treasures she kept. There were rare bird eggs, outlandish shells and colorful sea pebbles. There were also carved boxes, elegant mirrors in a silver frame, beads and many other little things that Pippi and her father bought during their travels around the world. Pippi immediately wanted to give her new friends something to remember. Tommy got a dagger with a mother-of-pearl handle, and Annika got a box with lots and lots of snails carved on the lid. In the box was a ring with a green stone.

Now take your gifts and go home, ”Pippi said suddenly. - After all, if you do not leave here, then tomorrow you will not be able to come to me again. And that would be very sad.

II. How Pippi gets into a fight

The next morning Annika woke up very early. She quickly jumped out of bed and crept up to her brother.

Wake up, Tommy, she whispered and shook his arm. - Wake up, let's go to that strange girl in big shoes.

Tommy immediately woke up.

You know, even in a dream I felt that something very interesting was waiting for us today, although I didn’t remember what it was, ”he said, taking off his pajama jacket.

What are you going to do this early? Mom asked. - Why are you in such a hurry?

We go to the girl who settled in the next house, - Tommy answered.

And maybe we'll spend the whole day there! Annika added.

Just that morning, Pippi was going to bake cakes. She kneaded a lot of dough and began to roll it out right on the floor.

I think, Mr. Nilsson, - Pippi turned to the monkey, - that it’s not worth taking on the dough if you are going to bake less than five thousand cakes.

And, stretching out on the floor, she again began to work with a rolling pin with ardor.

Come on, Mr. Nilson, stop messing with the dough, - she said with irritation, and at that moment the bell rang.

Pippi, covered in flour like a miller, jumped up from the floor and rushed to open it. As she shook hands cordially with Tommy and Annika, a cloud of anguish enveloped them all.

How nice of you to stop by to see me,” she said, and pulled down her apron, causing another cloud of flour to rise.

Tommy and Annika even coughed - so they swallowed flour.

What are you doing? asked Tommy.

If I tell you that I’m cleaning the pipe, you still won’t believe me, because you are such a cunning one, ”Pippi answered. - Of course, I'm baking cakes. It will become even clearer soon. In the meantime, sit down on this chest.

And she picked up the rolling pin again.

Tommy and Annika sat on the chest and watched, as if in a movie, how Pippi rolled out the dough on the floor, how she threw the cakes on the baking sheets and how she put the baking sheets in the oven.

All! Pippi finally exclaimed and slammed the oven door with a bang, pushing the last baking sheet into it.

What are we going to do now? asked Tommy.

What are you going to do, I don't know. Anyway, I won't mess around. I'm a speaker... And a speaker doesn't have a single free minute.

Who are you? Annika asked.

Director!

What does "director" mean? asked Tommy.

A director is someone who always puts everything in order. Everyone knows that, ”Pippi said, sweeping the flour left on the floor into a pile. - After all, the abyss of all sorts of different things is scattered on the earth. Someone has to keep order. That's what the director does!

The abyss of what things? Annika asked.

Yes, very different, - explained Peppy. - And gold bars, and ostrich feathers, and dead rats, and multi-colored candies, and small nuts, well, and all sorts of others.

Tommy and Annika thought tidying up was a lot of fun, and they wanted to become announcers too. Moreover, Tommy said that he hoped to find a gold bar, and not a small nut.

Let's see how lucky we are, said Peppy. - You always find something. But we need to hurry. And then, just look, all sorts of other announcers will run in and steal all the gold bars that are lying around in these places.

As a rule, this is so, - Pippi explained, - but it happens differently. I remember once during one trip I decided to clean up the jungle on the island of Borneo, and do you know what I found in the thicket itself, where no human foot has ever set foot? Do you know what I found there? .. A real artificial leg, and a completely new one. I later gave it to a one-legged old man, and he said that he would not buy such a beautiful piece of wood for any money.

Strange, - she said disappointedly, - it seemed to me that a golden ingot sparkled here.

But really, you can take everything you find? Annika asked.

Well, yes, everything that lies on the ground, ”Pippi confirmed.

On the lawn in front of the house, right on the grass, an elderly gentleman was lying and sleeping.

Look! Pippi exclaimed. - He lies on the ground, and we found him. Let's take it!

Tommy and Annika were seriously scared.

No, no, Pippi, what are you ... You can’t take it away ... It’s impossible, ”said Tommy. And what would we do with him?

What would they do with it? Pippi asked. Yes, it can be of great use. You can put him, for example, in a rabbit cage and feed him with dandelion leaves ... But if you don’t want to take him, then okay, let him lie. It's just a shame that other dilectors will come and pick up this uncle.

And now I actually found something! - and pointed to a rusty tin can lying in the grass. - This is a find! Wow! This jar will always come in handy.

Tommy looked at the jar in bewilderment.

And what will it be useful for? - he asked.

Yes, whatever you want! Pippi answered. - Firstly, you can put gingerbread in it, and then it will turn into a beautiful Gingerbread Jar. Secondly, you can not put gingerbread cookies in it. And then it will be a Can Without Gingerbread, and, of course, it will not be so beautiful, but still not everyone comes across such cans, that's for sure.

Pippi carefully examined the rusty can she found, which also turned out to be full of holes, and, after thinking, said:

But this jar is more like a No Gingerbread Jar. You can also put it on your head. Like this! Look, she covered my whole face. How dark it has become! Now I will play in the night. How interesting!

With the jar on her head, Peppy began to run up and down the street until she sprawled on the ground, tripping over a piece of wire. The can rolled into the ditch with a crash.

You see, ”Pippi said, raising the jar,“ if I didn’t have this thing on me, I would have bloodied my nose.

And I think, - Annika remarked, - that if you had not put a jar on your head, you would never have tripped over this wire ...

But Pippi interrupted her with a jubilant cry: she saw an empty reel on the road.

How lucky am I today! What a happy day! - she exclaimed. - What a small, small reel! Do you know how great it is to blow soap bubbles out of it! And if you thread a rope through the hole, then this coil can be worn around the neck like a necklace. In general, I went home for the rope.

Hit her guys! shouted the biggest and strongest of the boys. - So that she doesn’t show her nose to our street anymore.

Oh! Annika exclaimed. - Why, they are beating Ville! Ugly boys!

That big one over there is named Bengt,” said Tommy. - He always fights. Nasty guy. Yes, five attacked one girl!

Pippi went up to the boys and poked Bengt in the back with her index finger.

Hey, listen, there is an opinion that if you fight with little Ville, then it's better to do it one on one, and not swoop in with five.

Bengt turned around and saw a girl he had never met here before. Yes, yes, a completely unfamiliar girl, who even dared to touch him with her finger! For a moment he froze in amazement, and then his face broke into a mocking smile.

Hey guys, drop Ville and look at this scarecrow! He pointed to Peppy. - That's so kikimora!

He was directly twisted with laughter, he laughed, resting his hands on his knees. All the boys immediately surrounded Pippi, and Ville, wiping her tears, quietly stepped aside and stood next to Tommy.

No, just look at her hair! - Bengt did not let up. - Red as fire. And shoes, shoes! Hey you, lend me one - I was just about to go boating, but I didn't know where to get it!

He grabbed Pippi by the scythe, but immediately pulled his hand away with a mock grimace:

Oh, oh, get burned!

And all five boys began to jump around Pippi and yell in different voices:

Redhead! Redhead!

And Pippi stood in the ring of raging children and laughed merrily.

Bengt expected the girl to get angry, or better yet, cry; and I certainly did not expect that she would look calmly and even friendly at them. Convinced that words could not catch her, Bengt pushed Pippi.

I can’t say that you treat the ladies politely, ”Pippi noticed and, grabbing Bengt with her strong hands, threw him into the air so high that he hung on a branch of a birch growing nearby. Then she grabbed another boy and threw him onto another branch. The third she threw at the gate of the villa. The fourth one was thrown over the fence right into the flower bed. And the last, the fifth, she squeezed into a toy carriage that stood on the road. Pippi, Tommy, Annika and Ville silently looked at the boys, who seemed to be speechless with amazement.

Hey you cowards! Pippi exclaimed at last. - Five of you attack one girl - this is meanness! And then you pull the scythe and push another small, defenseless girl ... Fu, how nasty you are ... Shame on you! Well, let's go home, - she said, referring to Tommy and Annika. - And if they dare to lay a finger on you, Ville, tell me.

Pippi raised her eyes to Bengt, who, afraid to move, was still hanging on a branch, and said:

If you want to say something else about the color of my hair or the size of my shoes, go ahead and say it while I'm here.

But Bengt lost all desire to speak out on any topic. Pippi waited a little, then took the tin can in one hand and the spool in the other and left, followed by Tommy and Annika.

When the children returned to Pippi's garden, she said:

My dears, I am so annoyed: I found two such wonderful things, and you - nothing. You have to search a little more. Tommy, why don't you take a look in the hollow of that old tree over there? Speakers should not pass by such trees.

Tommy said that anyway neither he nor Annika would find anything good, but since Pippi asked him to look, he was ready. And he put his hand in the hole.

Oh! he exclaimed in amazement, and pulled out of the hollow a small leather-bound notebook with a silver pencil. - Strange! said Tommy, examining his find.

Here you see! I told you that there is no the best occupation than being a broadcaster, and I just don't know why so few people choose this profession for themselves. Joiners and chimney sweeps as much as you want, but go and look for announcers.

Then Pippi turned to Annika.

And why don't you rummage under this stump! You often find the most wonderful things under old stumps. - Annika listened to Pippi's advice, and immediately she had a red coral necklace in her hands. The brother and sister even opened their mouths in surprise and decided that from now on they will always be announcers.

Suddenly, Peppy remembered that she had gone to bed only in the morning, because she played ball, and she immediately wanted to sleep.

Please come with me and cover me well and tuck in my blanket.

When Pippi, sitting on the edge of the bed, began to take off her shoes, she said thoughtfully:

This Bengt wanted to go boating. I also found a wheeler! she snorted contemptuously. - I'll teach him another time.

Listen, Peppy, - Tommy asked politely, - but still, why do you have such hefty shoes?

Of course, for convenience. And for what else? - Pippi said and lay down. She always slept with her feet on the pillow and her head under the covers.

In Guatemala absolutely everyone sleeps like this, and I believe that this is the only correct and reasonable way to sleep. So much more convenient. Do you fall asleep without a lullaby? For example, I must sing a lullaby to myself, otherwise my eyes won't close.

And a second later Tommy and Annika heard some strange sounds from under the covers. It was Pippi singing a lullaby to herself. Then, so as not to disturb her, they tiptoed towards the exit. At the door they turned and glanced once more at the bed, but all they saw was Peppy's feet resting on the pillow. The children went home. Annika, clutching her coral beads tightly in her hand, asked:

Tommy, don't you think Peppy put those things in the hollow and under the stump on purpose so we could find them?

What to guess, - answered Tommy. - With Peppy you never know what's what, it's already clear to me.

III. How Pippi plays tag with the police

Soon a rumor spread in the small town that a nine-year-old girl was living all alone in an abandoned villa. And the adults of this town believed that it could not continue like this. All children should have someone to raise them. All children should go to school and learn the multiplication table. Therefore, the adults decided that this little girl should be sent to an orphanage. One afternoon, Pippi invited Tommy and Annika for coffee and buns. She placed the cups right on the steps of the terrace. The sun was warm, and the scent of flowers wafted from the flower beds. Mr. Nilson climbed up and down the balustrade, and the horse pulled its muzzle from time to time to get a bun.

How wonderful life is! - said Pippi and stretched out her legs. Just at that moment, the gate swung open and two uniformed policemen entered the garden.

Oh! Pippi exclaimed. - What a happy day! More than anything in the world - after rhubarb cream, of course - I love cops.

With a happy smile on her face, she moved towards the policemen.

Are you the same girl who settled in this villa? one of the policemen asked.

No, no, Pippi replied. - I'm a thin old woman and I live on the third floor in a mansion on the other side of the city.

Pippi answered that because she wanted to joke. But the police did not find this joke funny, they strictly told her to stop fooling around, and then told her that good people decided to give her a place in orphanage.

And I already live in an orphanage, ”Pippi answered.

What nonsense are you talking about! the policeman shouted. - Where is your orphanage located?

Yes, right here. I am a child and this is my home. So this is the orphanage. And as you can see, there is plenty of room.

Oh, sweet girl, you don't understand this, said the other policeman and laughed. - You must go to a real orphanage, where you will be brought up.

Can you bring a horse to this orphanage?

Of course not! - answered the policeman.

I thought so, - Pippi said gloomily. - Well, what about the monkey?

And you can't monkey. You yourself understand this.

In that case, let the others go to the orphanage, I'm not going there!

But you have to go to school.

Why do I have to go to school?

To learn different things.

What kind of things? Pippi didn't let up.

Well, very different. all sorts of useful things. For example, learn the multiplication table.

For the past nine years I have been doing fine without this table of respect, ”Pippi answered,“ which means that I will continue to live without it.

Well, think, it will be unpleasant for you if you remain an ignoramus for the rest of your life! Imagine, you grow up big, and suddenly someone asks you what the capital of Portugal is called. And you can't answer.

Why can't I answer this? I'll say this: "If it's so important for you to know what the main city of Portugal is, then write directly to Portugal - the Portuguese will be happy to tell you the name of their capital."

And you will not be ashamed that you yourself could not answer?

Perhaps it will, - said Peppy. - And I won’t fall asleep for a long time that evening, I’ll lie down and remember: well, really, what is the name of the capital of Portugal? But I will soon be consoled, - then Peppy made a stand, walked on her hands and added: - Because I was in Lisbon with my dad.

Here the first policeman intervened in the conversation and said that Pippi should not imagine that she could do as she wanted - she was ordered to go to the orphanage and there was nothing more to talk about in vain. And he went up to Pippi and seized her by the hand. But Pippi immediately broke free and, lightly slapping the policeman on the back, shouted:

I pissed you off! You to drive!

And before he had time to recover, she jumped onto the balustrade of the terrace, and from there quickly climbed to the balcony of the second floor.

The police did not want to climb up in this way. So they both rushed into the house and up the stairs. But when they found themselves on the balcony, Peppy was already sitting on the roof. She climbed the tiles with the agility of an ape. In an instant, she was on the ridge of the roof, and from there she jumped onto the pipe.

The policemen sat on the balcony and scratched their heads in confusion.

Tommy and Annika watched Pippi enthusiastically from the lawn.

What fun it is to play tag! Pippi called out to the policemen. How nice of you to come and play with me. Today is my lucky day, that's for sure!

After some thought, the policemen went for the ladder, leaned it against the wall of the house, and one by one began to climb onto the roof. Slipping on the tiles and balancing with difficulty, they moved towards Pippi, but they looked very frightened.

Bolder! Bolder! Pippi encouraged them. - It's not scary at all.

But when the police almost crawled to Pippi, she, bursting with merry laughter, and even squealing with pleasure, jumped off the pipe and climbed onto another roof slope. There was a tree on the other side of the house.

Look, I'm falling! - Pippi shouted and, jumping from the ledge, hung on a branch, swaying on it, and then deftly slid down the trunk. Finding herself on the ground, Pippi ran around the house and put aside the ladder along which the policemen climbed to the roof. The police got scared when Pippi jumped into the tree. But they were simply horrified to see that the girl had taken the ladder away. Finally furious, they yelled, threatened Pippi with terrible punishments and demanded that Pippi immediately put the ladder in its place, otherwise they would not talk to her like that.

Why are you angry? Pippi asked them reproachfully. - We play tag, why be angry in vain?

The policemen were silent for a while, and finally one of them said in embarrassment:

Listen, girl, please, put the ladder back so we can go down.

With pleasure, ”Pippi answered and immediately set up a ladder. - And then we can, if you want, have a coffee and generally have fun together.

But the policemen turned out to be insidious people. As soon as they stepped on the ground, they rushed to Pippi, grabbed her and shouted:

Now you've got yourself a bad girl!

I don't play with you anymore. I don’t mess around with those who cheat in the game, ”Pippi answered and, taking both policemen by their belts, dragged them out of the garden into the street. There she let them go, but they could not come to their senses for a long time.

One minute! - Peppy called to them and rushed to the kitchen with all her legs. Soon she reappeared, holding a bun in her hands.

Take it, please! True, they got a little burnt, but it does not matter.

Then Peppy went up to Tommy and Annika, who were standing with their mouths open, and only wondered. And the police hurried back to the city and told those who sent them that Pippi was not suitable for an orphanage. The police, of course, concealed the fact that they were sitting on the roof. And the adults decided: if so, let this girl live as she wants. The main thing is that she goes to school, but otherwise she is free to dispose of herself.

As for Pippi, Tommy and Annika, they had a great time for the rest of the day. First they finished their coffee, and Pippi, having successfully managed fourteen buns, said:

Still, they were some kind of not real policemen - they chatted something about the orphanage, about the table of respect and about Lisbon ...

Then Peppy took the horse out into the garden, and the children began to ride.

True, Annika was initially afraid of the horse. But when she saw Tommy and Peppy jumping around the garden merrily, she decided to try it too. Pippi deftly sat her down, the horse trotted along the road, and Tommy sang at the top of his voice:

The Swedes are rushing, rumbling.
The fight will be hot!

In the evening, when Tommy and Annika were already in their beds, Tommy said:

It's great that Peppy came here to live. Right, Annika?

Well, of course, great!

You know, I don't even remember what we actually played before.

We played skittles, croquet or just ball. But Pippi is much more fun! .. And then there's a horse and a monkey! Right?

IV. How Pippi goes to school

Of course both Tommy and Annika went to school. Every morning at exactly eight, they, hand in hand, with textbooks in their bags, hit the road.

Just at this hour, Pippi loved most of all to ride a horse, or dress up Nilsson, or do exercises, which consisted in the fact that forty-three times in a row, without bending, she jumped on the spot. Then Peppy sat down at the kitchen table and drank a large cup of coffee and ate several cheese sandwiches in complete peace.

As they passed the Chicken Villa, Tommy and Annika looked longingly over the fence - they really wanted to turn here and lose all day with their new girlfriend. Now, if Peppy also went to school, they would not be so offended by spending so much time on teaching.

What fun it is to run home after school, especially if there are three of us, huh, Pippi? said Tommy once, vaguely hoping to seduce her.

And we would go to school together too, huh? Annika added pleadingly.

The more the guys thought about the fact that Peppy did not go to school, the sadder they became in their souls. And in the end, they decided at all costs to persuade her to go to school with them.

You can’t even imagine what a wonderful teacher we have, ”Tommy once said, looking slyly at Pippi. He and Annika ran over to her, having done their homework hastily.

You don't know how interesting it is in our class! Annika picked up. - If they didn’t let me go to school, I would just go crazy with grief.

Pippi, sitting on a low bench, washed her feet in a huge basin. She did not say anything in response, only began to splash so much that she spilled almost all the water.

Yes, and you don’t have to sit there for long, only until two hours, ”Tommy began again.

You understand, only until two, and you won’t have time to look back, like a bell. And besides, there are holidays. Christmas, Easter, summer ... - Annika continued in tune with him.

Pippi thought for a moment, but was still silent. Suddenly, with a determined look, she threw the rest of the water from the basin right onto the floor, although Mr. Nilsson was sitting there and playing with a mirror.

This is unfair, - Pippi said sternly, not paying the slightest attention either to Mr. Nilsson's anger or to his wet pants. “This is terribly unfair, and I will not put up with it!”

What's unfair? Tommy was surprised.

In four months it will be Christmas and you will have Christmas holidays. What will start for me? There were tears in Peppy's voice. "I won't have any Christmas holidays, not even the short ones," she went on plaintively. - It needs to be changed. Tomorrow I'm going to school.

Tommy and Annika clapped their hands for joy.

Hooray! Hooray! So we'll be waiting for you tomorrow at exactly eight at our gates.

No, said Peppy. - It's too early for me. And besides, I'll ride to school.

No sooner said than done. At ten o'clock Pippi took her horse out into the garden and set off.

A few minutes later, all the inhabitants of the town rushed to the windows, following with horror the little girl who was carried by the enraged horse. In fact, nothing terrible happened. Peppy was just in a hurry to go to school. She galloped into the yard, jumped to the ground and tied her horse to a tree. Approaching the classroom door, she flung it open with such a roar that all the children jumped in their seats in surprise, and, waving her wide-brimmed hat, shouted with all her might:

Hello! I hope I'm not late for the table of respect?

Tommy and Annika warned the teacher that she had to come to class new girl, whose name is Pippi Longstocking. The teacher already heard about Pippi - in a small town where everyone knows about everyone, there was a lot of talk about her. And since the teacher was sweet and kind, she decided to do everything to make Pippi like it at school.

Without waiting for an invitation, Peppy sat down at an empty desk. But the teacher did not make any remarks to her. On the contrary, she said very kindly:

Welcome to our school, dear Peppy. I hope you enjoy your stay with us and learn a lot here.

And I hope that I will soon have Christmas holidays, - answered Pippi. - That's why I came here. Justice first.

Please tell me your full name. I will put you on the list of students.

My name is Peppilotta Victualina Rollgardina, daughter of Captain Ephroim Longstocking, formerly the Storm of the Seas, and now the Negro King. Generally speaking, Pippi is my pet name. Dad thought Peppilotta was too long to pronounce.

Sure, the teacher said. - Then we'll call you Pippi too. Now let's see what you know. You are already a big girl and probably know a lot. Let's start with arithmetic. Tell me, please, Pippi, how much will it be if you add five to seven?

Pippi looked at the teacher with bewilderment and displeasure.

If you, who are so big, do not know this yourself, do you really think that I will begin to count for you? she answered the teacher.

All the students' eyes widened in surprise. And the teacher patiently explained that they don’t answer like that at school, that they say “you” to the teacher and, turning to her, they call her “freken”.

Forgive me, please, - said Pippi, embarrassed. I didn't know that and I won't do it again.

I hope so, said the teacher. “You didn’t want to count for me, but I will gladly count for you: if you add five to seven, you get twelve.”

Just think about it! Pippi exclaimed. It turns out you can figure it out yourself. Why did you ask me then? .. Oh, I said “you” again - forgive me, please.

And in punishment, Pippi pinched herself painfully on the ear.

The teacher decided not to pay any attention to it and asked the following question:

Okay, Pippi, now tell me, what is eight and four?

I think sixty-seven, - answered Peppy.

Wrong, - said the teacher, - eight and four will be twelve.

Well, old lady, this is too much! You just said yourself that five plus seven is twelve. Some kind of order is needed in the school! And if you really want to do all these calculations, then you would stand in a corner and count yourself to your health, and in the meantime we would go to the yard to play tag ... Oh, I seem to be saying “you” again! Forgive me for the last time. I will try to behave better.

The teacher said that she was ready to forgive Pippi this time too, but, apparently, it’s better not to ask her questions on arithmetic yet, it’s better to call other children.

Tommy, please solve this problem: Lisey had seven apples, and Axel had nine. How many apples did they have together?

Yes, count it, Tommy, - Pippi suddenly intervened, - and, besides, tell me: why did Axel's stomach hurt more than Lisey's, and in whose garden did they pick apples?

Freken again pretended not to hear anything, and said, turning to Annika:

Well, Annika, now you count. Gustav went on an excursion with his comrades. They gave him one crown with him, and he returned with seven öre. How much money did Gustav spend?

And I want to know, - said Peppy, - why did this boy waste money so much? And what did he buy with them: lemonade or something else? And did he wash his ears well when he was going on a tour?

The teacher decided not to do arithmetic anymore today. She thought that perhaps Pippi's reading would go better. So she took out a cardboard box with a picture of a hedgehog on it. Under the picture was a large letter "Yo".

Well, Pippi, now I will show you an interesting thing. This is Yo-e-e-zhik. And the letter that is shown here is called "Yo".

Well, yes? And I always thought that yo is a big stick with three small ones across and two fly specks at the top. Tell me, please, what does a hedgehog have in common with fly flecks?

The teacher didn't answer Pippi's question, but took out another card, on which a snake was drawn, and said that the letter under the picture was called Z.

When talking about snakes, I always remember how I fought a giant snake in India. You can’t even imagine what a terrible snake it was: fourteen meters long and angry like a wasp. Every day she ate at least five adult Indians, and for a snack she ate two small children. And then one day she decided to feast on me. She wrapped herself around me, but I did not lose my head and hit her on the head with all my might. Bach! Then she hisses like: f-f-f! And I once again - bam! And then she - wow! Yes, yes, that's exactly what it was. Very scary story!

Peppy took a breath, and the teacher, who by this time had finally realized that Peppy was a difficult child, suggested that the whole class draw something. “Probably, drawing will captivate Pippi and she will sit quietly for a while,” thought the freken and handed out paper and colored pencils to the children.

You can draw whatever you want,” she said, and sitting down at her table began to check the notebooks. After a minute she looked up to see how the children were painting, and found that no one was painting, but everyone was looking at Pippi, who, lying face down, was painting right on the floor.

Listen, Pippi, - the teacher said with irritation, - why don't you draw on paper?

I painted it all over a long time ago. But the portrait of my horse did not fit on this tiny piece of paper. Now I'm drawing just the front legs, and when I get to the tail, I'll have to go out into the corridor.

The teacher thought for a moment, but decided not to give up.

And now, children, stand up and we will sing a song, she suggested.

All the children got up from their seats, all except Pippi, who continued to lie on the floor.

Go ahead, sing, and I'll rest a little, - she said, - otherwise if I sing, the glasses will fly.

But then the teacher's patience snapped, and she told the children to go for a walk in the schoolyard - she needs to talk to Pippi face to face. As soon as all the children left, Pippi got up from the floor and went to the teacher's table.

You know what, Miss, - she said, - this is what I think: it was very interesting for me to come here and see what you are doing here. But I don't feel like going here anymore. And with the Christmas holidays, let it be, as it will be. There are too many apples, hedgehogs and snakes in your school for me. Head turned right around. You, freken, I hope you will not be upset by this?

But the teacher said that she was very upset, and most of all that Peppy did not want to behave properly.

Any girl will be kicked out of school if she behaves like you, Peppy.

How did I misbehave? Pippi asked in surprise. “Honestly, I didn’t notice it,” she added sadly.

It was impossible not to feel sorry for her, because not a single girl in the world knew how to be so sincerely upset as she was.

Pippi was silent for a minute, and then she stammered:

You see, freken, when your mother is an angel, and your father is a Negro king, and you yourself have sailed the seas all your life, you don’t know how to behave at school among all these apples, hedgehogs and snakes.

Freken told Pippi that she understands this, is no longer angry with her, and Pippi will be able to come to school again when she grows up a little. Then Peppy beamed with happiness and said:

You freakin are amazingly cute. And here's a keepsake from me, freken.

Pippi took a small, elegant golden bell out of her pocket and placed it on the table in front of the teacher. The teacher said that she could not accept such an expensive gift from her.

No, I beg you, freken, you must accept my gift! Pippi exclaimed. “Otherwise I’ll come to school again tomorrow, and that won’t please anyone.”

Then Pippi ran out into the schoolyard and jumped on her horse. All the children surrounded Pippi, everyone wanted to stroke the horse and see how Pippi leaves the yard.

I remember I went to school in Argentina, that was school! - said Pippi and looked at the guys. - Oh, you should go there! After the Christmas holidays, the Easter holidays begin there in three days, and when the Easter holidays end, the summer holidays begin three days later. The summer holidays end on the first of November, and here, however, the guys have to work hard, because the Christmas holidays begin only on the eleventh. But, in the end, you can come to terms with this, because in Argentina they don’t give lessons. True, sometimes it happens that some Argentinean boy climbs into the closet so that no one sees him, and secretly teaches a little lessons. But he flies great from his mother, if she notices it. They don’t go through arithmetic there at all, and if some boy accidentally knows how many five and seven will be, and even foolishly blurts out about this teacher, then she will put him in a corner for the whole day. Reading there is done only on free days, and then, if there are books to read, but no one has books there ...

What do they do at school then? asked the little boy in astonishment.

They eat sweets, - answered Peppy. - There is a candy factory near the school. So, a special pipe was led from her directly to the classroom, and therefore the children do not have a minute of free time - just have time to chew.

And what does the teacher do? asked the little girl.

Stupid! Pippi said. - Surely she didn’t guess: the teacher picks up candy papers and makes candy wrappers. Do you really think that the guys themselves are engaged in candy wrappers there? No, you bastards! The guys there do not even go to school themselves, but send their younger brothers and sisters ... Well, hello! Pippi shouted joyfully and waved her big hat. “And you poor fellows will have to count how many apples Axel had. You won't see me here soon...

Peppy rode out the gate noisily. The horse galloped so fast that stones flew from under its hooves, and windowpanes rattled.

V. How Pippi climbs into the hollow

One warm and clear day, Pippi, Tommy and Annika were basking in the sun. Peppy climbed one of the gate posts, Annika climbed the other, and Tommy perched on the gate itself. A pear that grew nearby pulled its branches straight to the gate, and the children could, without moving, pick small golden-red pears. They chewed pear after pear and spit out the grains right into the street.

Villa "Chicken" was located, as you know, on the very outskirts of the city, where the street turned into a highway. The inhabitants of the town liked to go for a walk in this direction - there were the most picturesque places.

So, the guys were serenely basking in the sun and eating pears, when an unfamiliar girl appeared. Seeing the guys sitting at the gate, she stopped and asked:

Tell me, did my dad pass here?

What does he look like, your dad? Pippi asked. - He has blue eyes?

Yes, the girl said.

He is of average height, neither tall nor short.

Yes, yes ... - the girl confirmed.

Black hat and black shoes...

No, we didn't see him!

The girl pouted and, without saying a word, went on.

Oh you, wait! Pippi called after her. - Is he bald?

No, he is not bald.

Then he was very lucky! Pippi laughed and spat out the grains.

And his ears, like burdocks, hang down to his shoulders?

No, - said the girl and turned around. - Have you seen a man with such ears?

No, we haven't seen, such people don't exist. At least in our country,” Pippi added after a pause. - In China, it's different. Once in Shanghai I saw a Chinese man with ears so big that they served as his cape. It used to be a downpour, a Chinese would cover his ears - and order: he was warm and dry. And when during the rain he met friends and acquaintances, he covered them with his ears. So they sat and sang their sad songs until the rain passed. This Chinese man's name was Hai-Shang. You should have seen how he rushed to work in the morning. He always flew in literally at the last minute, because he liked to sleep. He ran out into the street, spread his huge ears, the wind inflated them like sails, and drove Hai-Shang with incredible speed ...

The girl, with her mouth open, listened to Pippi, and Tommy and Annika even stopped chewing pears.

Hai-Shang had so many children that he couldn’t even count them, - Pippi did not let up. - The youngest was called Peter.

Was that Chinese boy named Peter? Tommy doubted. - Can't be!

That's what Hai-Sang's wife used to say. You can't call a Chinese child Peter, she told her husband. But Hai-Shang was incredibly stubborn. He wanted his youngest son to be called Peter, and nothing else. He got so angry that he sat down in a corner, covered himself with his ears and sat there until his poor wife gave in and named the boy Peter...

Wow! Annika whispered.

Peter was the most spoiled child in all of Shanghai and was so naughty during meals that his mother was in despair. You know that in China they eat swallow's nests. And then one day his mother served him a full plate of swallow nests and fed him with a spoon, saying: “Eat, Peterhen, we will eat this nest for dad!” But Peter pressed his lips tight and shook his head. And when Hai-Shang saw how his youngest son was eating, he became so furious that he ordered not to give Peter anything else until he ate this nest "for dad." And I already told you that Hai-Shang knew how to get his way. And so this nest began to be cooked for Peter every single day from May to October. On the fourteenth of July, Hai-Shang's mother asked Hai-Shang to give Peter two meatballs. But the father was relentless.

All this is nonsense, - suddenly said a strange girl.

Exactly, literally these words were spoken by Hai-Shang, - Pippi confirmed, not in the least embarrassed. “All this is nonsense,” he said, “a boy can eat this swallow’s nest, you just have to break his stubbornness.” But when Peter was offered a nest, he only pursed his lips.

How did this boy live if he did not eat anything from May to October? Tommy was surprised.

And he didn't live. He died on the eighteenth of October - "out of sheer stubbornness," as his father said. They buried him on the nineteenth. And on October 20, a swallow flew in and laid the egg in the very nest that was still on the table. So this nest came in handy, and no trouble happened, ”Pippi finished happily.

She then looked suspiciously at the girl who was standing on the road in confusion.

You have a strange look, - said Peppy. - Don't you think I'm lying? Come on confess! And Peppy raised her hand menacingly.

No, what are you ... - the girl answered frightened. I don't mean to say that you're lying, but...

So, in your opinion, I’m not lying ... - Peppy interrupted her, - but in fact I’m lying, and how! I spit whatever comes into my head. Do you really think a boy can live without food from May to October? Well, another three or four months, all right, but from May to October - this is already nonsense. And you know perfectly well that I'm lying. So why are you allowing yourself to drive all sorts of rubbish into your head?

Then the girl quickly walked down the street and never looked back.

How trusting people are! said Pippi, turning to Tommy and Annika. - Do not eat from May to October! Just think how stupid!

And she called after the girl:

No, we haven't seen your dad. We didn't see a single baldhead all day. But yesterday, seventeen bald men walked past us ... holding hands!

Pippi's garden was indeed very beautiful. Of course, it cannot be said that it was well looked after, but it was decorated with beautiful lawns that had not been mowed for a long time, and old rose bushes bent under the weight of white, red and tea roses. They might not have been the most exquisite varieties of roses, but they smelled great. There were fruit trees and, most importantly, a few old branched oaks and elms that were so easy to climb.

But in Tommy and Annika's garden with climbing trees, things were very bad, and besides, mother was always afraid that the children would fall and break. Therefore, they never had a chance to climb trees in their lives. And suddenly Pippi said:

Let's climb this oak tree!

Tommy was so delighted with this idea that he immediately jumped off the gate. Annika was at first somewhat embarrassed by Pippi's offer, but when she saw that there were a lot of knots on the tree that she could grab onto, she decided to try it too. At a height of several meters above the ground, the oak trunk forked, forming something like a hut. Soon the whole trinity was already sitting in this hut, and over their heads the oak spread its mighty crown with a green roof.

Let's drink coffee here! I'm running to the kitchen now.

Tommy and Annika clapped their hands and shouted "Bravo!" A few minutes later Pippi brought a steaming coffee pot. She had baked the buns the day before. Pippi went up to the oak tree and started throwing coffee cups up. Tommy and Annika tried to catch them in the air. But out of three cups, two hit the barrel and broke. However, Pippi was not upset at all, but immediately rushed home for other cups. Then it was the turn of the buns - they flashed in the air, but there was nothing to be afraid of. And finally, Peppy climbed up the tree with a coffee pot in her hand. In one pocket of her dress was a bottle of cream, in the other a box of sugar.

It seemed to Tommy and Annika that they had never drunk such delicious coffee before. In general, they drank coffee very rarely, only at a party. But now they were visiting. Annika turned awkwardly and spilled some coffee on her dress. At first she was wet and warm, then it became wet and cold, but she said that it was nothing.

When the coffee was finished, Pippi, without getting off the oak, began to throw dishes on the grass.

I want to check,” she explained, “whether cups are now made of good porcelain.

By some miracle, one cup and all three saucers survived. And the coffee pot only broke off the spout.

Pippi, meanwhile, wanted to climb higher on the oak.

Look, look! she suddenly shouted. - There is a huge hollow in the tree!

And in fact, in the trunk of an oak tree, a little higher than where they sat, there was a huge hole, hidden from them by the foliage.

I'm going there too now! exclaimed Tommy. - All right, Peppy? - But there was no answer.

Peppy! Where are you? asked Tommy anxiously.

I'm in a tree! It is empty to the ground. But through this hole I see a coffee pot on the grass.

And how will you get out of there? Annika was scared.

I will never get out of here, ”Pippi answered from the hollow. - I will stand here until I become a pensioner. And you will carry food to me and lower it on a rope five or six times a day, no more ...

Annika began to cry.

Why these tears, why sobs? - Pippi suddenly sang and added: - Climb here to me, we will play prisoners who are languishing in the dungeon.

I’m not going anywhere,” Annika yelled, and for greater safety, she immediately jumped from the tree.

Hey, Annika, I see you through the hole... Don't step on the coffee pot! This is a well-deserved old coffee pot that hasn't done anything wrong. It's not his fault he doesn't have a nose!

Annika walked close to the tree and saw the tip of Peppy's finger in a crack in the bark. This comforted her a little, but still she continued to worry.

Peppy, can't you really get out? she asked.

Pippi's finger disappeared, and a minute later her laughing face appeared in the hole in the hollow.

Well, to be honest, I can. One has only to want, ”Pippi said and, pulling herself up in her arms, got out to the waist.

Oh, if it's so easy to get out, then I'll climb too! shouted Tommy, still perched in the tree. - I'll climb into the hollow and also wither a little.

You know what, - said Pippi, - let's bring a stepladder here.

She quickly got out of the hollow and jumped to the ground. The children ran after the ladder. Peppy dragged her with difficulty up to the oak and lowered her into the hollow.

Tommy couldn't wait to get in there. It turned out to be not so easy - the hole in the hollow was high, under the very crown. But Tommy courageously climbed up and then disappeared into a dark hole. Annika decided she would never see her brother again. She clung to the crack, trying to see what was going on inside the hollow.

Well, yes? Is it true?

Honestly!

Annika climbed the tree again and, with Pippi's help, got to the hole in the hollow, but, seeing how dark it was, she involuntarily recoiled. Pippi, grabbing Annika tightly by the arm, began to calm her down.

Don't be afraid, Annika, - the brother's voice sounded in the hollow. - If you break, I'll catch you.

But Annika did not fall, but quite safely went down the stairs to Tommy. A minute later, Pippi was next to them.

Well, isn't that great! exclaimed Tommy.

Annika couldn't help but agree with her brother. The hollow was not nearly as dark as she thought. Light penetrated through the cracks in the bark. Annika walked over to one of these cracks to see if the coffee pot could be seen from here.

Now we have a real hiding place, - said Tommy. Nobody will ever know we're here. And if people come looking for us, we can watch them from here. That will be great!..

And also, - Peppy interrupted him, - we will take a long twig, stick it in here and beat everyone who comes close to the tree. And people will think that a ghost lives in the oak.

They liked this proposal so much that all three began to jump on the spot and hug each other. But then the gong sounded: Tommy and Annika were called to dinner.

What a pity, - said Tommy, - we must go home. But tomorrow, as soon as we get back from school, we'll climb in here.

Okay, said Peppy.

And they went up the stairs. First Pippi, followed by Annika and finally Tommy. And then they jumped out of the tree. First Pippi, followed by Annika and finally Tommy.

VI. How Pippi arranges a tour

Today we do not study, - said Tommy, - we have a sanitary day at school.

How! Pippi exclaimed. - Another injustice. Why don't I have any sanitation day? And I really need him! Just look how dirty the kitchen floor is. However, I can wash it without a sanitary day. Now I'll take care of it! I would like to see who will prevent me from doing this. And you guys sit down on the kitchen table and don't get in the way.

Tommy and Annika obediently climbed onto the table. Mr. Nilson also jumped there - he liked to sleep, curled up in a ball, on Annika's knees. Peppy warmed up a large cauldron of water and, without hesitation, poured out hot water right on the floor. Then she took off her shoes, and carefully placed her huge black shoes on the breadbasket. Tying a broom to each leg, she began to drive around the floor, sliding through the water, as if on water skis.

When I mop the floor, it always seems to me that I am a figure skating champion, ”she said, and lifted her left leg so high that the brush broke off her leg and beat off the edge of the glass shade of the hanging lamp. - Oh, something, but grace and grace I have more than enough! she added, and jumped over the back of the chair.

That's all, ”Pippi said a few minutes later and untied the second brush. Now the kitchen is clean.

How, you do not wipe the floor with a rag? Annika asked in surprise.

No, why, let him dry in the sun ... I think he will not catch a cold ...

Tommy and Annika jumped off the table and carefully walked out of the kitchen so as not to get their feet wet.

The sky was amazingly blue and the sun shone brightly even though September was in full swing. The day turned out to be extremely clear, and it was tempting to go into the forest. Suddenly Pippi suggested:

Let's take Mr. Nilsson and go on a tour.

Let's! Let's! shouted Tommy and Annika excitedly.

Then run home as soon as possible and ask your mother for time off. In the meantime, I'll pack a basket of food for the road.

Tommy and Annika did just that. They ran home and soon returned. Peppy was already waiting for them at the gate. In one hand she held a hefty stick, in the other a basket of provisions, and Mr. Nilson sat on her shoulder.

First, the guys walked along the highway. Then they turned into a meadow. Behind the meadow, among birches and hazel bushes, an inviting path wound. So without haste they reached the hedge, beyond which they could see an even more attractive lawn. But a cow was standing right at the gate, and it was clear from everything that she did not intend to move a single step from here. Annika, of course, was frightened, and then Tommy courageously approached the cow and tried to drive her away. But the cow did not even move and only stared at the guys with her big, bulging eyes. Pippi got tired of waiting, she put the basket on the grass, went up to the cow and pushed her so hard that the cow rushed off into the hazel without looking back.

Just think - a cow, but stubborn like a donkey! - said Pippi and jumped over the fence.

Oh what a beautiful lawn! Annika exclaimed, and ran hopping across the grass.

Tommy took out a penknife - Pippi's gift - and cut off a stick for himself and Annika. True, at the same time he injured his finger, but said that it was nothing.

Let's pick mushrooms, ”Pippi suggested and picked a beautiful red fly agaric. - I don't know for sure if this mushroom is edible. But I think so, since you can’t drink it, then you can eat it. What else to do with it?

She bit off a large piece of the mushroom and began to chew it.

Indeed, very tasty! But let's better pick mushrooms another time, - she said cheerfully and threw the fly agaric high, high, even higher than the trees.

What's in your basket, Peppy? Annika asked.

But I won’t tell you this for anything in the world, ”Pippi answered. - First we have to find a suitable place for a picnic.

They dispersed in search of a suitable place. Annika offered to sit by a large flat rock.

It's very comfortable here, she said.

But there are a lot of red ants here, and I don’t intend to eat with them, because I’m not familiar with them, ”Pippi objected.

Right! Pippi picked it up. - And I think it's better to bite yourself than to be bitten. No, there isn't enough sun for my freckles. And what could be better than freckles!

Close your eyes while I play tablecloth.

Tommy and Annika closed their eyes. They heard Pippi lift the lid of the basket and rustle the paper.

One, two, three - look! cried Pippi.

Tommy and Annika opened their eyes and screamed with delight when they saw all the supplies that Pippi had laid out on the stone. Two huge sandwiches, one with meatballs, the other with ham, a whole mountain of sugared pancakes, a few slices of smoked sausage and three small pineapple puddings. After all, Pippi learned to cook from the cook on the ship.

Oh, it's beautiful when there is a sanitary day, - Tommy said with difficulty, since his mouth was stuffed with pancakes. - That would be every day sanitary!

No, I don’t agree to wash the floor so often, ”Pippi said. - Of course, it's fun, I don't argue, but every day is still tiring.

In the end, they were so full that they were no longer able to move, and silently basked in the sun.

I don’t think it’s so difficult to fly ... - Pippi suddenly said, looking thoughtfully from the hill into the hollow: the path ran steeply down the slope, and it was far from the lawn.

I'm just sure that you can learn to fly, - Pippi continued. - Of course, flopping to the ground is not sweet, but it is not necessary to start immediately from a great height. Honestly, I'll try now.

No, Pippi, please don't! shouted Tommy and Annika in fright. - Pippi, dear, don't do it!

But Pippi was already standing at the edge of the cliff.

- "Geese, geese!" - "Ha-ha-ha!" - "Do you want to eat?" - "Yes Yes Yes!" "Well, fly as you wish!" And the geese flew.

When Pippi said: “And the geese flew!”, She waved her hands and jumped down the hill. Half a second later there was a dull thud - Pippi flopped to the ground. Tommy and Annika, lying on their stomachs, looked down in horror. But Pippi immediately jumped to her feet and rubbed her bruised knees.

I didn't flap my wings! I forgot! she explained cheerfully. "And besides, I'm getting heavy from the pancakes."

And only then did the guys realize that Mr. Nilson had disappeared. It was clear that he had decided to undertake a self-guided tour. A few minutes ago, he was sitting nearby and merrily fiddling with the twigs of the basket. And when Peppy decided to learn to fly, they forgot about him. And now Mr. Nilsson and the trace caught a cold. Peppy was so upset that she threw one shoe into a deep ditch with water.

Don't, never take a monkey with you when you go somewhere! Why didn't I leave Mr. Nilsson at home? I would sit there with my horse. It would only be fair, ”Pippi said and climbed into the ditch for a shoe. The water was waist deep.

Well, since such a thing, you have to plunge headlong. - Peppy dived and sat under the water for so long that bubbles went up. Finally she surfaced.

Well, now you can not go to the hairdresser to wash your hair, - she said, snorting. She looked very pleased.

Peppy climbed out of the ditch and put on her shoes. Then everyone went in search of Mr. Nilsson.

And now I look like rain, ”Pippi said suddenly. - Dripping from the dress: drip-drip! Squishes in shoes: squelching, squelching ... How nice it is! And you, Annika, try diving!

Annika looked so elegant: she was wearing a pink dress that went very well with her golden curls, and on her feet were white leather shoes.

Definitely, only another time, - she answered slyly.

Well, how can I not be angry with Mr. Nilsson? It's always like that with him. Once in Sarabaya, he ran away from me in the same way and entered the service of an old widow ... Well, of course, I thought of a widow, ”Pippi added, after a pause.

And then Tommy suggested that everyone disperse in different directions. Annika was afraid to go alone, but Tommy said:

Oh you coward!

Not wanting to be ridiculed any longer, Annika dutifully but reluctantly wandered alone along the path, while Tommy went through the meadow. He did not find Mr. Nilson, but he saw a huge bull - or rather, the bull saw Tommy. And the bull didn't like Tommy. It was an angry bull, and he could not stand children. The bull lowered its head and lunged at Tommy with a roar. Tommy yelled throughout the forest. Peppy and Annika heard the scream and ran to the rescue. And they saw the bull lift Tommy up on his horns and throw him very high.

What a stupid bastard, - said Pippi to Annika, who was crying bitterly. - Do they behave like that! Look, he's soiled Tommy's white sailor suit! I'll have to talk to him, teach him the mind-reason.

Peppy ran up to the bull and grabbed him by the tail.

I'm sorry if I interrupted you, she said.

At first the bull did not pay any attention to her, but Pippi pulled harder. Then the bull turned around and saw a girl, whom he also wanted to hang up on his horns.

I repeat, please forgive me if I interrupted. Forgive me so generously and for the fact that I am forced to hit you ... - with these words, Peppy hit the bull with her fist on the horn with all her might. - This season it is not fashionable to wear two horns. All the best bulls have already switched to one horn, and some have completely abandoned the horns, she finished and hit the other horn.

Since the horns of bulls do not feel pain, our bull did not know if he still had horns or not. Just in case, he nevertheless decided to wrestle, and if someone else had been in Peppy's place, a wet place would have remained from him.

Ha ha ha! Stop tickling me! Peppy laughed. - You can't even imagine how ticklish I am. Ha ha ha! Stop it! Stop it, or I'm about to die of laughter.

But the bull did not heed her request, and Pippi had to jump on his back to rest for at least a minute. But there was no respite, because the bull did not like the fact that Pippi sat on him astride. He began to jump, kick, lift his head and twist his tail, trying in every possible way to free himself from his burden. But Pippi dug her heels into her sides and tenaciously held on to her withers. The bull rushed about the meadow like a mad one and bellowed. His nostrils flared, and Pippi laughed and screamed and waved to Tommy and Annika, who were trembling with fear. And the bull continued to rush about, still hoping to throw off Pippi.

Oh, my dear, dance and knock with your hooves! sang Pippi, sitting firmly on the bull's back.

Finally, the bull was so tired that he lay down on the grass, dreaming of only one thing: that all the children would disappear from the face of the earth. Before, he had never imagined that children were so difficult to handle.

Oh, do you feel like taking a nap? Pippi asked him amiably. Well, then I won't interfere.

She jumped off the back of the bull and walked towards Tommy and Annika, who were standing at a distance. Tommy stopped crying; falling, he tore off the skin on his arm, but Annika bandaged his wound with a handkerchief, and it no longer hurt.

Oh Pippi! .. - Annika exclaimed hotly when Pippi approached them.

Hush, - said Pippi in a whisper, - do not wake the bull, otherwise he will wake up and be capricious. Mr Nilsson! Mr Nilsson! she yelled at the top of her voice, not at all afraid to disturb the bull's sleep. - It's time for us to go home!

And suddenly the children saw Mr. Nilsson. He sat on the top of a pine and tried in vain to catch his tail. He looked very sad. And in fact, it is not very pleasant for such a little monkey to be alone in the forest. He instantly descended from the pine tree, sat down on Pippi's shoulder and, as always in a fit of joy, began to wave his straw hat.

So this time you didn't get hired by an elderly widow? True, this is a lie. But the truth cannot be a lie, besides, Mr. Nilsson knows how to cook meatballs very well, to the surprise of everyone, ”Pippi suddenly said.

The children decided to return home. Water was still dripping from Peppy's dress - drip-drip, and there was still squelching in her shoes - squelch-slurp, Tommy and Annika believed that, despite the adventures with the bull, they had a great day, and sang the song they learned in school. Actually, it was a summer song, and now it was autumn, but, nevertheless, it seemed to them that it was suitable for such an occasion. Pippi also sang, but since she did not know the words, she invented them herself.

VII. How Pippi goes to the circus

A circus came to the small town where Peppy, Tommy and Annika lived, and all the children began to ask their dads and moms for money for tickets. Tommy and Annika did the same; their dad immediately took out several shiny silver crowns from his purse.

Clutching the money into a fist, Tommy and Annika rushed to Pippi as fast as they could. They found her on the terrace near the horse.

The horse's tail was braided into many thin braids, which Peppy decorated with red roses.

Today, if I'm not mistaken, is her birthday, and she should dress up, ”Pippi explained.

Peppy, - said Tommy, breathless from a fast run, - will you go with us to the circus?

With you, I'm ready to go even to the ends of the world, but it's hard for me to say if I'll go to cheese, because I don't know what kind of thing this is - cheese? They don't treat their teeth? If they are cured, I won't go.

What are you, stupid, they don’t treat any teeth there. This is the most beautiful place on earth. There are horses and clowns and beautiful ladies walking on a tightrope!

But you have to pay money for this,” Annika said and opened her fist to see if she had lost the shiny two-crown and two five-er coins that her father had given her.

I am rich, like Koschey the Immortal, and I can certainly buy myself this very cheese. True, if I keep a few more horses, then the house will probably become crowded. Somehow I will place clowns and ladies, but with horses it will be worse ...

But don't you understand, - Tommy interrupted her, - you won't have to buy any circus. Paying money to watch...

This is still not enough! - Pippi was indignant and quickly closed her eyes. Do you have to pay money to watch? And all I do all day long is to stare around. I can never count how much money I have already seen enough.

But after a few seconds, Peppy carefully opened her eyes - she closed her eyes so tightly that she felt dizzy.

OK! - she exclaimed. - Let it cost what it costs. I can't see anything!

Finally, Tommy and Annika somehow explained to Pippi what a circus was, and then Pippi took out several gold coins from her leather suitcase. Then she put on a hat the size of a mill wheel and went to the circus with her friends.

People were crowding at the entrance to the circus, and there were queues at the ticket offices. When Pippi approached the cash register, she stuck her head in the window and, seeing a nice old lady there, asked:

How much does it cost to see you?

But the lady was a foreigner, she did not understand what Pippi was asking her, and answered in broken language:

Vevochka, the best place is five kroons, another place is three kroons, and one place is worth one kroon.

All right, - said Pippi, - but you have to promise me that you will walk the tightrope.

Over Pippi's shoulder, Tommy saw that she was taking a ticket for three crowns. Pippi handed the cashier a gold coin, and the elderly lady looked with disbelief, first at the girl, then at the coin. She even tried the coin on her tooth to see if it was counterfeit. Convinced that the coin was really gold, the cashier gave Pippi a ticket and change - a lot of nickel coins.

What am I going to do with this bunch of dull money? Take them for yourself, then I can look at you twice, even if standing, - said Peppy.

Since Pippi flatly refused to take any change, the cashier had to exchange her ticket for a five-crown ticket, and besides, give five-crown tickets to Tommy and Annika without charging them a single oera surcharge.

That's how it happened that Pippi and her friends sat on the most best places- on chairs upholstered in red velvet, immediately behind the arena barrier. Tommy and Annika twirled around, looking around and waving to their schoolmates, who were seated farther away.

What is this strange yurt? - Pippi asked, looking at the circus with surprise. - And someone scattered sawdust on the floor. I'm not that neat, but, really, this is too much!

Tommy explained to Pippi that all the circuses in the world sprinkle the arena with sawdust to make it easier for the horses to run and jump.

Musicians were sitting on the balcony, who suddenly began to play a march loudly. Pippi clapped her hands furiously and even jumped up and down a few times for joy.

Do you have to pay for music, or can you listen to it for free? she asked.

Just at that moment, the director of the circus appeared from behind the curtain covering the artistic entrance. He was wearing a black tailcoat, and in his hand he held a long whip. Following him, two white horses with a red plume on their heads ran into the arena. The headmaster snapped his whip and the horses placed their front feet on the barrier. One of the horses was next to the children. Annika did not like this proximity, and she pressed herself against the very back of her chair. And Pippi leaned forward and, clasping the horse's hoof with both hands, said:

Hello horse! I can send you greetings from my horse. She also has a birthday today, but I decorated her tail with roses, not her head ...

However, Pippi had to immediately let go of her hoof, because the director cracked his whip again, and the horses, having jumped off the barrier, again rushed in a circle.

When the number ended, the headmaster bowed politely, and the horses also bowed their plumed heads. And immediately the curtain at the exit trembled again, and a jet-black horse jumped out into the arena, and on its back stood beautiful girl in green silk tights. Her name was Miss Carmencita, as it was written in the program. The horse raced along the barrier, and Miss Carmencita stood calmly and smiled. But suddenly, at the moment when the horse was rushing past the place where Pippi was sitting, something flashed in the air. That something was Pippi herself. She jumped on her horse's back and stood behind Miss Carmencita. Miss Carmencita was so surprised that she almost fell to the ground. Then she became angry and began to wave her arms, trying to push Pippi, but she did not succeed.

No, - Pippi shouted to her, - now I'll have a little fun too! Do you think you're the only one who wants to ride? Everyone paid money, you are not alone!

Then Miss Carmencita herself decided to jump off the horse, but she did not succeed either, because Pippi held her tightly with both hands. And the audience rolled with laughter: Miss Carmencita looks very funny with this red-haired swirling creature in huge black shoes, apparently specially shod for performing in the circus! But the director of the circus did not laugh, he signaled to the attendants in red uniforms to stop the horse.

Has the number already expired? asked Pippi. What a pity, we had so much fun!

Nasty boy, get out of my sirk! - the director gritted through his teeth.

Pippi looked at him reproachfully.

Why are you angry with me?.. I thought everyone came here to have fun. Is not it? she asked.

Pippi jumped off her horse and sat down in her seat, but two uniformed men approached her. They grabbed her by the hands and wanted to take her out of the circus, but nothing came of them. Pippi sat so firmly in the chair that there was no way to tear her away from the seat. The attendants tried to pick her up again, then shrugged their shoulders and stepped aside.

Meanwhile, the next number began. Miss Elvira appeared in the arena and walked towards the tightrope. She was wearing a pink dress, and she held an umbrella in her hand. With small graceful steps she walked along the rope, and then she began to perform various acrobatic tricks ... It was a very beautiful number. In conclusion, Miss Elvira surprised the audience by walking back, backing away like a cancer. When she finally found herself on a small platform, from which a rope was stretched, Pippi was already standing there.

Well, now let me walk around, everyone should take turns, - the girl said firmly, noticing Miss Elvira's surprised look.

Miss Elvira did not answer, she jumped down and threw herself on the neck of the director of the circus, who, as it turned out, was her father. Again, the director of the circus sent attendants in red uniforms, this time five people, to expel Pippi from the circus. But then the audience began to shout: “Let this red-haired girl perform!”, And everyone clapped their feet and clapped their hands.

Pippi walked on the tightrope. And everyone saw that Miss Elvira was nothing compared to her. When she reached the middle of the rope, she lifted her leg so that the toe of her shoe hung over her head like a canopy. Then she made a "gun" and began to spin on one leg.

But the director of the circus was not at all happy that Pippi was performing with him. He wanted only one thing: to get rid of her by any means. He went to the mechanism that tensions the rope and turned the lever. He expected Pippi to fall when the rope loosened. But this did not happen. The rope hung, but then Peppy began to swing on it, like on a swing. She flew higher and higher and suddenly jumped right on the headmaster's back. From surprise, he was so frightened that he spun around on the spot.

That's the horse! Pippi cried cheerfully. - Only for some reason without red feathers on the head!

However, Peppy decided that it was time for her to return to Tommy and Annika. She jumped off the headmaster's back and sat down sedately in her seat, waiting for the next number to begin. But the director lingered backstage: after everything that had happened, he needed to drink a glass of water and put his costume and hair in order. Then he went out to the public, bowed and said:

My dear ladies and gentlemen! Now you will see one miracle of nature. The strongest man on the planet! Strong man Adolf, whom no one has ever won! Attention, Adolf is coming!

Music began to play, and a hefty fellow in flesh-colored tights adorned with sequins jumped out into the arena. The skin of a leopard flaunted on his shoulders. Adolf bowed to the audience with a smug smile.

Pay attention to his muscle, - said the director and patted the strong man on the shoulder - the muscles on his arms swelled like billiard balls.

Now, dear ladies and gentlemen, I have to make a fam one interesting offer: that person who wins the strong man Adolf, will receive a hundred crowns. Take the challenge of the strongman Adolf and - a hundred crowns of fashi!

But no one entered the arena.

Why does he speak so incomprehensibly? What did he say? asked Pippi.

He says he will give a hundred crowns to the one who defeats this big man, - Tommy explained.

I can, of course, put it on both shoulder blades, ”Pippi said. - But, in my opinion, you shouldn't - he looks so cute.

What are you, Pippi, boasting! After all, he is the strong guy in the world,” Annika whispered.

I believe. Well, I'm the strongest girl in the world, ”Pippi objected. - Don't forget it!

And the strong man Adolf, meanwhile, lifted heavy weights and bent pieces of iron rails to prove how strong he was.

So, gentlemen, - shouted the director of the circus, - is there really such a daredevil who will accept the call of Adolf? Well, then I'll hide those hundred crowns! he finished, waving a hundred-crown note.

No, I cannot allow this, ”Pippi said decisively and jumped over the barrier into the arena.

When the director saw Pippi again, he became indescribably furious.

Disappear! .. So that my eye does not see you anymore! he shouted.

Why are you treating me so badly? Pippi asked reproachfully. - I just want to measure my strength with Adolf.

This trashy girl knows no shame! yelled the director. - Get out! Otherwise, the strong man Adolf will grind you to powder! ..

But Pippi, ignoring the director of the circus, went up to the strong man Adolf, took her hand and shook it heartily.

Well, let's fight one on one, - she said.

Strong man Adolf, not understanding anything, goggled at her.

Keep in mind, in a minute I will start without warning, ”Pippi said.

And so she did. When a minute passed, Pippi attacked the strong man Adolf, and ... no one noticed how it happened ... but everyone saw that Adolf was lying stretched out on the carpet. The strong man immediately jumped to his feet. He was crimson red.

Hooray, Peppy! shouted Tommy and Annika.

And after them, all the spectators began to shout:

Hooray, Peppy! Hooray, Peppy!

The director of the circus sat on the barrier of the arena and bit his lips in anger. But strong man Adolf was even more angry than the director. He had never experienced such disgrace in his entire life. Now he will show this red-haired girl what he is worth! Adolf rushed at Pippi, grabbed her with his muscular arms and tried to knock her to the ground, but Pippi stood firm as a rock.

Come on, come on, one more time, come on, press! she encouraged Adolf.

But then Pippi escaped from his arms, and in a moment Adolf was again lying on the carpet. Peppy stood beside him and waited. She didn't have to wait long. With a furious cry, Adolf jumped to his feet and once again pounced on Pippi.

Gili-dili-dili-pom! Pippi exclaimed.

And all the people in the circus threw their hats into the air, stamped their feet and yelled at the top of their lungs:

Hooray, Peppy! Hooray, Peppy!

When the strong man Adolf flew at Pippi for the third time, she threw him into the air, caught him on the fly and carried him around the arena with her raised arm. Then Pippi threw him again on the carpet and, holding her knee so that he would not get up, said:

Well, baby, I don't think I need to mess with you anymore. In any case, it will not be more fun.

Pippi won! Pippi won! the audience shouted.

Strongman Adolf shamefully fled from the arena, and the director of the circus was forced to hand Pippi a hundred-crown piece of paper, although at the same time he looked as if he wanted to eat the girl.

Please, dear ladies, take your hundred crowns.

Why do I need this paper? Put it in your pocket if you like. And Pippi sat down in her seat.

This circus is boring,” she told Tommy and Annika, “and taking a nap is never bad. But if you need my help, wake me up.

Pippi settled herself comfortably in her chair and fell asleep. So she snored sweetly while clowns, sword-swallowers and gutta-percha people showed their art to Tommy, Annika and all the other spectators.

But still, I think that the best number was Pippi's number, - said Tommy, turning to Annika.

VIII. How thieves get to Pippi

After Pippi's performance at the circus, there was not a single person left in the entire small town who had not heard of her incredible physical strength. They even wrote about her in the newspapers. But people from other cities did not know, of course, what an amazing girl Peppy was.

One dark autumn evening, two tramps were walking past the Hen Villa. They were real thieves - they wandered around the country to look out for where to steal something. Seeing the light in Pippi's windows, they decided to go in and ask for a piece of bread and butter. And it must have happened that just that evening Pippi poured all the gold coins out of her leather suitcase right onto the floor and counted them. There were so many coins that Pippi would never be able to count them anyway. But she still tried to do it - for the sake of order.

Seventy-five, seventy-six, seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine, seventy-eleven, seventy-twelve, seventy-thirteen, seventy-seventeen… Oh, how tired my neck is! they count to another, otherwise how can you count so much money. How many of them - either four hundred, or a thousand coins!

Just at that moment there was a knock at the door.

If you want - enter, if you don't want - don't enter, do as you wish! she called.

The door opened and the thieves entered the room. You can imagine the look on their faces when they saw the red-haired girl sitting on the floor counting the gold coins.

Are you alone at home? one of them asked her when his speech returned.

Not at all, - Pippi answered, - Mr. Nilsson is also here.

How could the thieves know that Mr. Nilsson was a little monkey, who at that time was just fast asleep in his wooden bed, painted green? Of course, they thought that Mr. Nilsson was the owner of the house, and they winked knowingly, as if saying to each other: "Well, we'll look here later."

We came to you to find out what time it is, - said another thief.

They were so excited at the sight of the gold coins that they did not even ask for bread.

And you first guess the riddle, - said Pippi. - “They go, they go, but they won’t leave the place” - what is it? And if you know any riddles, you can guess me too ...

The thieves decided that Peppy was too small to answer what time it was. And without saying a word, they turned to the door and left.

Oh, you hefty uncles, but could not guess that this is a watch. Well, go away, please! Pippi called after them and turned to her coins.

And the thieves stood in the street and rubbed their hands with pleasure.

Have you ever seen so much money? one asked the other. - Wow!

Today we are very lucky, - picked up another.

Let's wait a bit until the girl and this Mr. Nilson fall asleep, and then we climb into their house and take away all the money.

The thieves sat comfortably in the garden and began to wait. Soon it began to pour rain, they were soaked to the skin, besides, they were tormented by hunger. In a word, they were not very comfortable, but the thought of the impending theft encouraged them.

One by one, the windows in all the surrounding houses went out, but in Pippi's house the fire was still burning. The fact is that Pippi decided today at all costs to learn how to dance the twist and gave herself a vow not to go to bed until she accurately performs all the complex figures of this dance. But in the end, the lights went out in her house too.

The thieves waited a little longer so that Mr. Nilsson could fall asleep soundly. Then they crept silently to the back door and took out their lock picks, intending to pick the lock. One of the thieves - his name was Blom - accidentally pressed the doorknob. It turned out that the door was not locked.

See what foolish people don't lock the door at night, Blom whispered.

So much the better for us, - answered his friend named Thug Carl.

He turned on the flashlight and illuminated the kitchen. But in the kitchen they did not find anything interesting for themselves. Then they moved into the room where Pippi was sleeping and Mr. Nilsson's doll green bed stood.

Having slightly opened the door, the Thug cautiously looked into the room: it was quiet and dark there. Thug Carl began to fumble with the beam of a flashlight on the walls. When the beam fell on Pippi's bed, the thieves, to their great surprise, saw only two legs lying on the pillow. Pippi, as usual, slept with her feet on the pillow and covered with a blanket over her head.

This, apparently, is the same girl, - whispered the Thug to Karl Blom. - She's fast asleep. I wonder where this Nilson sleeps?

Mr. Nilson, with your permission, - a voice came from under the blanket, - I ask you to call him Mr. Nilson. He sleeps in a green doll bed.

Frightened, the thieves wanted to run away immediately, but then the meaning of Pippi's words came to them: Mr. Nilsson, it turns out, is sleeping in a doll's bed! They lit the crib with a flashlight and the monkey sleeping in it, covered with a blanket.

Thug Carl couldn't help but laugh.

Just think, Blom,” he said, laughing, “Mr. Nilson is a monkey. Ha ha ha! Monkey!

And who would you like him to be, ”Pippi’s voice rang out again,“ a meat grinder, or what?

Where's your dad and mom, girl? Blom asked.

They are never at home, - answered Peppy.

Thug Carl and Blom were so surprised that they even cackled.

Listen, girl, - said Brute Carl, - get out of bed, we want to talk to you.

So, you still decided to play riddles with me? Well, then first guess the one that I have already guessed for you: “They go, they go, but they won’t leave the place.”

But Blom resolutely went to the bed and pulled off the blanket from Pippi.

Listen, - said Pippi, looking seriously into his eyes, - can you dance the twist? I've learned today.

You ask too many questions, - said Brute Karl. - And now we will ask you: where did you hide the money that you counted on the floor in the evening?

They are in the closet, in the suitcase, ”Pippi answered innocently.

I hope you don't mind if we take this suitcase, little one? - asked Brute Carl.

Please, said Peppy.

Blom went to the closet and took out the suitcase.

And now, I hope you, little one, will also not mind if I take back my suitcase? asked Pippi.

Peppy jumped to her feet and ran to Blom. He did not have time to come to his senses, as the suitcase was already in the hands of the girl.

Quit joking around, little one, - Brute Carl said angrily, - let's get the suitcase here! - And he grabbed Pippi tightly by the hand.

And I just want to joke with you! - Pippi exclaimed and threw Carl the Thug on the closet. Blom was there a minute later.

Here both thieves were seriously frightened - they realized that they were facing an unusual girl, but gold seduced them so much that they somehow coped with their fear.

Come on, Blom! shouted Brute Carl, and both, jumping off the closet, attacked Pippi, who was still holding the suitcase in her hands.

But Pippi poked each with her index finger, and the thieves flew off to different corners of the room. Before they could get up from the floor, Pippi grabbed a long rope and tied their hands and feet in no time. Here our thieves changed, as they say, the record.

Blom also began to beg for mercy and even shed a tear.

Peppy carefully put the suitcase back in the closet. Then she turned to her captives:

Can any of you dance the twist?

And then how, - Brute Carl readily responded, - we both know how.

That's great! Pippi exclaimed and clapped her hands. - Let's Dance? I just learned this dance today.

With pleasure, - said Brute Carl. But he looked somewhat embarrassed.

Then Pippi brought huge scissors and cut the rope with which the thieves were tied.

But the trouble is, there is no music, ”Pippi said worriedly.

However, she immediately found a way out. - Maybe you will play on the comb with tissue paper? she turned to Blom. - And I'll dance with this one, - Peppy pointed to the Thug Carl.

Blom, of course, willingly undertook to play the scallop, and Thug Carl - to dance. Blom played so loudly that his music could be heard throughout the house. Mr. Nilsson woke up and, sitting up on the bed, watched with pleasure how Pippi circled the room with Thug Carl. Peppy danced with such passion, as if her life depended on this dance.

Blom eventually stated that he could not play the comb because his lips were very ticklish. And Brute Carl, who had been roaming the roads all day, said that his legs hurt.

No, no, my dears, I didn’t dance, at least a little more, ”Pippi said and spun again in the dance.

And Blom had to play again, and Thug Carl had no choice but to start dancing again.

ABOUT! I could dance until Thursday, - said Peppy, when three o'clock in the morning struck, - but maybe you are tired and want to eat?

The thieves were really tired and hungry, but they did not dare to admit it.

Pippi took out bread, cheese, butter, ham, a piece of cold veal, a jug of milk from the buffet, and they all - Blom, Brute Carl and Pippi - sat down at the kitchen table and began to eat on both cheeks until they ate to satiety. Pippi poured the rest of the milk into her ear.

No the best remedy against inflammation of the ear, she explained.

Poor thing, does your ear hurt? Blom exclaimed.

No, what are you, it doesn’t hurt at all, but it can get sick.

In the end, the thieves got up, warmly thanked for the food and began to say goodbye.

How glad I am that you came to see me! Is it really time for you to leave? Pippi asked sadly. "I've never met a man who can dance the twist better than you," she said to Thug Carl. “And you,” she turned to Blom, “should practice playing the comb more often, then your lips will not tickle.

When the thieves were already at the door, Peppy gave each of them a gold coin.

You earned them honestly,” she said.

IX. How Pippi is invited for a cup of coffee

One day, Tommy and Annika's mother invited several noble ladies for a cup of coffee. On this occasion, she baked pies and decided that she would do right if she allowed the children to invite her new girlfriend. “I will be even calmer,” she thought. “The children will play together and will not distract me from the guests.”

When Tommy and Annika heard that they could invite Pippi to their place, they were indescribably delighted and immediately ran to invite her to visit.

They found Pippi in the garden. She watered the last stunted autumn flowers from an old rusty watering can. It was drizzling, and Tommy noticed that in such weather the flowers were not watered.

It’s easy for you to say, ”Pippi objected angrily,“ but maybe I didn’t sleep a minute all night and dreamed about how I would water the flower bed in the morning. Am I going to let my dream come true because of some lousy rain! No! This will not happen!..

But then Annika announced the good news: mother invites Peppy for a cup of coffee.

Me? For a cup of coffee? - Pippi exclaimed and was so excited that she began to water instead of Tommy's rose bush. - Oh! .. What should I do! .. I'm so nervous! .. What if I fail to behave as I should? ..

What are you, Peppy, you'll be fine! Annika reassured her.

No ... No ... this is still unknown, ”Pippi objected. - I will try, you can believe me, but I have been told many times that I don’t know how to behave, although I try my best ... It’s not so easy at all ... But I promise you that this time I will be right out of my skin climb so you don't have to blush for me.

That's great, - said Tommy, and the children ran home in the rain.

Don't forget, exactly at three o'clock! Annika shouted from a distance, peering out from under the umbrella.

At precisely three o'clock, Pippi Longstocking stood in front of the front door of the villa where the Settergren family lived. She was dressed to the nines. She loosened her hair, and it fluttered in the wind like a lion's mane. She painted her lips brightly with red chalk, and smeared her eyebrows with soot so thickly that she looked simply awesome. She also painted her nails with crayons, and attached huge green pompoms to her shoes. “Now I am sure that I will be the most beautiful at this feast,” Pippi muttered contentedly, ringing the doorbell.

Three respectable ladies, Tommy and Annika, and their mother were already sitting in the Settergren's living room. The table was festively set. There was a fire in the fireplace. The ladies were talking quietly to their mother, while Tommy and Annika sat on the couch and looked at the album. Everything breathed peace.

But suddenly the peace was broken at once:

R-rr-guns forward-rr-roar!

This deafening command came from the hallway, and a moment later Pippi Longstocking was standing on the threshold of the living room. Her cry was so loud and so unexpected that the respectable ladies just jumped in their chairs.

R-r-rota, step-oo-m mar-r-rsh! - And Pippi, minting a step, went up to Fra Settergren and shook her hand warmly.

Gently bend your knees! Ah, two, three! she yelled and curtsied.

Smiling at the hostess, Peppy spoke in a normal voice:

The fact is that I am incredibly shy and if I had not commanded myself, I would still be trampling around in the hallway, not daring to enter.

Then Peppy walked around all three ladies and kissed each one on the cheek.

Charmant. Charmant. Great honor! she kept repeating. This phrase was once uttered in her presence by a refined gentleman when he was introduced to a lady.

Then she sat down in the most comfortable chair. Fru Settergren expected the children to go upstairs to Tommy and Annika's room when their friend arrived, but Pippi - it was clear - was not going to move. She patted her knees, glancing now and then at the set table, and suddenly said:

The table looks very appetizing. When will we start?

Just at that moment, Ella, the girl who helped Frau Settergren with the housework, entered the living room and brought in a steaming coffee pot.

I ask you to the table, - Fru Settergren turned to the guests.

Chur, I'm the first! shouted Pippi, and before the respectable ladies could get up from their chairs, she was already at the table.

Without hesitation, she put a whole mountain of sweets on her plate, threw seven lumps of sugar into a cup, poured at least half a jug of cream into it and, leaning back in a chair, pushed all her prey towards her.

Putting the plate of sweet pie on her lap, Pippi began to dip the biscuits into the coffee and pop them into her mouth with extraordinary speed. She stuffed her mouth so full of biscuits that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't utter a word. With the same swiftness she dealt with the pie. Then, jumping up from her seat, Peppy began to beat the plate like a tambourine, and circled around the table, looking for something else to eat. The respectable ladies threw disapproving glances at her, but she did not notice them. Chirping merrily, Pippi continued to jump around the table, now and then putting into her mouth now a cake, then caramel, then cookies.

How nice of you to invite me. I've never been invited for a cup of coffee before.

In the middle of the table was a huge creamy cake adorned with a red candied flower. For a minute Pippi stood with her hands behind her back, unable to take her eyes off the red flower, and suddenly she bent over the cake and bit the whole candied flower out of it. She did it so fast that she was smeared with cream up to her ears.

Ha ha ha, laughed Peppy. - Now let's play hide and seek. But I have to drive all the time, I can't see anything.

Peppy stuck out her tongue and began to lick her lips and cheeks.

Needless to say, trouble happened, she said. - But since the cake died anyway, I have no choice but to finish it off as soon as possible.

No sooner said than done. Armed with a spatula, Pippi quickly swallowed the cake and patted her stomach with a satisfied look.

At this time, Frau Settergren had just gone into the kitchen to get something, so she did not know what was going on in the living room. But the other ladies looked sternly at Pippi. Apparently, they also wanted to taste this cake. Pippi noticed that the ladies were unhappy and decided to cheer them up.

You shouldn't get upset over trifles, she told them. - Take care of your health. Guests should always have fun.

She grabbed a bowl of sawn sugar and dumped the sugar on the floor.

Oh what have I done! How could I goof off! After all, I thought it was granulated sugar. It is true what they say: trouble has come - open the gate. If you scatter sawn sugar, there is only one way to get out of the situation: you must immediately scatter the sand.

Pippi grabbed another sugar bowl from the table, this time with granulated sugar, and, taking a mouthful of sand, began to blow with all her might, splashing the sand around the room like a fountain.

If that doesn't help, then nothing will!

And she turned the sugar bowl over and spilled the rest of the sand on the floor.

I ask everyone to pay attention, this time I was not mistaken, I scattered granulated sugar, and not lump sugar, which means that I corrected my mistake. Do you know how nice it is to walk on the sand? she asked the respectable ladies and, without hesitation, took off her shoes and stockings.

I assure you, you should also try, - she again turned to the ladies. There is nothing better in the world, trust me!

Just at that moment, Fru Settergren returned from the kitchen. Seeing that sugar was scattered all over the floor, she abruptly grabbed Pippi by the arm and led her to the sofa where Tommy and Annika were sitting. She herself sat down with her guests and offered them another cup of coffee. Upon discovering that the cake had disappeared without a trace, Fru Settergren was very happy, deciding that the ladies appreciated her culinary art.

Peppy, Tommy and Annika were talking quietly on the sofa. The fire was still burning in the fireplace. The ladies drank coffee, and the living room was once again quiet and still. And as always, when the ladies drink coffee, the conversation turned to domestic workers. They talked about how difficult it is now to find a good hard-working girl and how casually they all treat their duties. And the ladies agreed that it’s not worth keeping domestic workers at all, it’s better to do everything yourself - you will at least know that everything is done in good faith. Pippi sat on the sofa and silently listened to the conversation of the ladies.

My grandmother had a worker, whose name was Malin, - she suddenly said loudly. - This Malin had only one drawback: she was tormented by calluses on her legs. As soon as guests came to the grandmother, Malin rushed at them, trying to bite into the caviar. And cursed ... Oh! How she cursed! You could hear it all over the block! However, she did not always swear, but only when she was in a cheerful mood. But the guests, after all, were unaware that Malin was having so much fun. And then one day a very old lady, the pastor's wife, came to visit her grandmother. Malin had just entered her grandmother. Before the pastor's wife had time to sit down in a chair, Malin burst into the room and sank her teeth into her leg. The pastor's wife screamed so much that Malin clenched her jaw even tighter in fright. And then, imagine, she was no longer able to unclench them until Friday. So Grandma had to peel the potatoes herself. But the potatoes were at least once peeled properly. Grandma cleaned it so hard that when she finished, there was a mountain of peelings on the table in front of her, and there were no potatoes left at all. Only one cleaning! But after that Friday, the pastor's wife did not go to her grandmother again: the old woman did not understand jokes. But Malin was in a great mood. But her character - no doubt - was still not easy. Once, when her grandmother poked her in the ear with a fork, she sulked all day.

Pippi looked around and gave the ladies a friendly smile.

Yes, that's what this Malin was like ... You have to endure, ”she said thoughtfully and folded her hands on her stomach with a sigh.

The ladies pretended not to hear Pippi's chatter, and continued their conversation:

If my Rose were at least clean, she could still be kept in the house, said Frau Berggren, but she is so dirty, a real pig.

And you should only look at Malin, ”Pippi said loudly again. - That's a slob so a slob! Grandmother said that she couldn’t get enough of her, and even considered her a black woman for a long time, she was so black. But then it turned out that it was just unwashed dirt. And once, at a charity ball in the town hall, Malin received the first prize for the dirtiest nails ... It’s even scary to think, - Peppy finished cheerfully, - how dirty people can be!

Fru Settergren looked sternly at Pippi.

Imagine, - said Mrs Grenberg, - one of these days my Britta, going to a party, put on my blue silk dress! Well, isn't that arrogance!

Of course, of course, - Pippi picked up, - I see that your Britta is from the same dough as our Malin. Grandmother had a pink sweater, which she treasured very much. But the trouble is that Malin was just crazy about this very jacket. And every morning, grandmother and Malin began to argue about who should wear this sweater. Finally, they agreed that they would wear it in turn, every other day, at least this is fair. But you can't even imagine how difficult it was with Malin. Even in those days when it was Grandma's turn to wear this sweater, Malin could suddenly declare: "If you don't give me a pink sweater, I won't give you cherry mousse for dessert." So what was the poor old woman to do? After all, cherry mousse was her favorite dish! I had to give up! And when Malin, wearing a pink sweater, returned to the kitchen, she shone like a polished penny and whipped cherry mousse so diligently that she splattered all the walls ...

For a moment there was silence in the living room. Frau Alexandersen interrupted him:

I can't guarantee it, of course, but I still suspect that my Gulda is stealing. I have noticed more than once that things disappear from the house ...

But Malin ... - Pippi began, but Fru Settergren cut her off sternly.

Children, - she said, - immediately go upstairs.

Now, I’ll just tell you that Malin also stole, ”Pippi did not let up. - Stealing like a magpie. Her hands itched right away ... She even got up in the middle of the night and stole a little. Otherwise, she assured her, she would not sleep. One day she stole her grandmother's piano and managed to hide it in the top drawer of her chest of drawers. Grandmother always admired her dexterity ...

But then Tommy and Annika grabbed Pippi by the arms and dragged her to the stairs, and the ladies poured themselves a third cup of coffee.

It's not that I can complain about my Ella, - said Fru Settergren, - but now she beats the dishes ...

And suddenly the red head appeared on the stairs again.

And how many Malin interrupted the dishes - do not count! Pippi called from above. - All the acquaintances were simply amazed, take my word for it! She set aside one day a week for this business - then she did nothing else. From morning to evening, all she did was break the dishes. Grandma said it happened on Tuesdays. Every Tuesday at five o'clock in the morning, Malin went to the kitchen to beat the dishes. She started with coffee cups, glasses and other small things, then took on flat and deep plates, and finally she took to dishes and soup bowls. All morning there was such a noise in the kitchen that my heart rejoiced, as my grandmother used to say. And if Malin had a free hour after dinner, then she, armed with a hammer, went to the living room and beat the old plates hanging there on the walls, ”Pippi finished and disappeared like a cuckoo in a clock.

But then Fru Settergren's patience snapped. She ran upstairs, flew into the children's room and, jumping up to Pippi, who was just at that time teaching Tommy to stand on his head, shouted:

Don't you dare come to us again if you're behaving so badly!

Pippi looked at Fra Settergren in amazement, and her eyes filled with tears.

It was not for nothing that I was afraid that I would not be able to behave properly, ”she said very sadly. “I didn’t even have to try, I’ll never learn it anyway. I'd rather drown in the sea...

Peppy bowed politely to her hostess, said goodbye to Tommy and Annika, and slowly descended the stairs. But just at that time, the respectable ladies also got up, preparing to leave. Pippi sat down in the hallway on a box for galoshes and watched the ladies straighten their hats and put on their raincoats in front of the mirror.

What a pity that you do not approve of your domestic workers, ”Pippi said suddenly. - If only you had such a servant as Malin ... You won’t find another like that, - grandmother always said so. Just think, one day in July, when Malin was supposed to serve roast pig for dinner... Do you know what she did? She had read in a cookbook that piglets were served in July with paper roses in their ears and a fresh apple in their mouths. Poor Malin did not understand that an apple and roses should be in the mouth and ears of a piglet ... You just looked at what she looked like when she, with tissue paper roses in her ears and with a huge apple in her teeth, brought into the dining room pig dish. “Malin, you are a beast!” - said the grandmother. And poor Malin could not even utter a word in response. She only shook her head, so that the paper rustled in her ears. True, she tried to say something, but it turned out only: "Boo-boo-boo." And she couldn’t bite anyone - the apple interfered, and just so many guests were sitting at the table ... Yes, it was a difficult day for poor Malin ... - Peppy finished sadly.

The ladies were already dressed and were saying goodbye to Frau Settergren. Peppy also came up to her and whispered:

I'm sorry I don't know how to behave. Farewell.

Then Pippi put on her huge hat and ran out after the ladies. At the gate, their paths parted. Pippi turned left towards her villa, and the ladies turned right. But in less than a few minutes, they heard someone's ragged breathing behind them. Turning around, they saw that Pippi was catching up with them.

You know, my grandmother was very sad when Malin left her. Imagine, one Tuesday after Malin broke more than a dozen teacups, she suddenly packed up her things, got on a steamer and sailed somewhere, so that Grandma had to finish the dishes herself, and she, poor thing, was unusual for this and hurt her hands. So the grandmother never saw Malin again. And she was a great girl, - said the grandmother.

Having blurted out all this, Pippi turned and ran back, while the ladies continued on their way. But when they walked the whole street, Pippi's cry suddenly reached them:

A still-e Ma-li-n no-ko-g-yes-a didn’t sweep under the cro-va-ty-mi-and!

X. How Peppy Saves Two Babies

One Sunday afternoon, Pippi was sitting at home, wondering what to do with her. She did not expect Tommy and Annika - her friends had gone with their parents to visit.

The day passed unnoticed in pleasant pursuits. Pippi got up early and served Mr. Nilsson breakfast in bed: fruit juice and a bun. The monkey looked so touching as she sat in light blue nightgown on the bed, holding a glass in both hands. Then Pippi brushed the horse with a comb and gave it food, along the way telling a long story about her wanderings on the seas. After that, Peppy went to her room and painted a large picture right on the wallpaper depicting a fat lady in a black hat and red dress. In one hand this lady held yellow flower, and in the other - a dead rat. Pippi was very pleased with this picture - in her opinion, she decorated the room. Having finished with her art, she sat down near the chest of drawers and began sorting through her treasures: bird eggs and shells, which she collected with her father in various distant countries or bought in small overseas shops. When Pippi got tired of rummaging through the boxes, she tried to teach Mr. Nilsson to dance the twist. But he flatly refused. She wanted to teach the horse how to dance, but instead she crawled on all fours into the closet and covered herself with a box there - it was called playing sardines, but the game did not work out because there were no Tommy and Annika, who usually imitated other sardines. But it's starting to get dark. The girl pressed her potato-like nose against the window pane and looked out into the garden, where the gray autumn twilight was gathering. Then she realized that she had not yet ridden, and decided to immediately go for a short walk.

She put on her huge hat, called Mr. Nilsson, who was sitting and sorting through the colorful sea stones, saddled the horse and carried it out into the garden. They set off - Mr. Nilsson on Pippi, and Pippi on horseback.

After sunset, it froze, and the horse's hooves clanged loudly on the hardened ground. Mr. Nilson tried to pluck leaves from the trees they passed. But Peppy drove the horse so hard that he couldn't do it. On the contrary, the branches were constantly lashing over his ears, and Mr. Nilsson had difficulty keeping his straw hat on his head.

Pippi galloped at full speed through the streets of a small town, and people shied aside, making way for her.

Of course, in our small town, as in every city, there is a main square. It overlooks the town hall painted with ocher and beautiful old mansions, among which stands a large three-story house. It was built recently, and everyone called it a skyscraper, because it is the tallest building in the city. In those Sunday afternoon hours, the city seemed to doze, immersed in peace and quiet. And suddenly a wild cry cut through the silence.

The skyscraper is on fire! Fire!

Fire! Frightened people ran from all sides to the square. A fire engine roared down the street with a piercing howl. And two girls on the sidewalk, who at first thought it was very fun to watch the fire, suddenly began to cry - they were afraid that their house would catch fire. Soon a huge crowd gathered in the square in front of the skyscraper. The police tried to disperse it, because the fire could spread to neighboring houses. From the windows of the skyscraper, flames have already escaped. Under a rain of sparks in puffs of black smoke, firefighters continued to bravely fight the fire. The fire broke out on the first floor, but the flames engulfed the entire house with rapid speed. And suddenly the people standing in the square went cold with horror. The attic window under the roof flew open, and two little boys appeared in it. The unfortunate boys cried and begged for help.

We can’t get out of here, - the older boy shouted, - someone lit a fire on the stairs!

The eldest was five years old, his brother was a year younger. Their mother was away on business, and they were left alone at home.

The crowd in the square was excited. Many cried looking at the babies. Brandmajor was seriously alarmed. The firefighters had, of course, a sliding ladder, but it did not reach the attic. And it was almost impossible to enter the house to carry the children. Indescribable horror seized everyone when it became clear that the children were doomed to death - because the flame was about to crawl to the attic. And the kids were still standing at the window and roaring loudly.

Pippi was also in the crowd in the square. Without getting off the horse, she looked with interest fire engine and was already wondering in her mind if she could buy herself the same one. She liked this car because it was bright red and besides, it hummed extremely piercingly. Then Peppy began to watch how the flames engulfed the house more and more violently, and regretted that the sparks did not reach her.

Like all the people crowding in the square, Pippi immediately noticed the kids in the attic window, and she was surprised that the kids had such a frightened look. She could not understand why the fire did not amuse them, and even asked standing nearby of people:

Tell me, why are these children yelling?

At first she heard only sobs in response. But then some fat man said:

Wouldn't you be screaming if you were standing up there and couldn't get out?

I never cry at all! Pippi snapped. - But since the children want to go down and can't, why won't anyone help them?

Yes, because it's impossible. How to help them?

Pippi was even more surprised:

Isn't anyone going to bring a long rope here?

And what good is a rope! - cut off the fat man. - Children are too small to go down the rope. Anyway, now it's too late - you can't get to them by rope! What, you don't understand yourself?

It's still how to say, ”Pippi answered calmly. - Come on, get me a rope.

Nobody believed that Pippi could do anything, but they gave her the rope anyway. Near the fountain, in front of the skyscraper, a tall tree grew. Its upper branches were approx.