Pippi On The Run

It was a fine Spring evening when Tommy and Annika decided to head over to Villa Villekulla to look for their old friend Pippi Longstocking. You see, Tommy and Annika had already visited Pippi's big house earlier in the day, and search as they might no Pippi was to be found.

They called out her name as they approached the porch and opened the front door. Mr. Nilsson had been finishing his afternoon nap a little late in the day and Tommy came over and gave his head a gentle rubbing. "Hey Mr. Nilsson," said Tommy, "where has Pippi gone? We haven't seen your mistress all day long."

"Gosh, Tommy, do you think anything could have happened to her?" his sister asked. Tommy admitted he didn't know. With nothing to do but wait Annika lingered over to the bread box and sighed when she looked in. "No rolls, no bread at all and she loves fresh rolls." Then Annika was inspired. "Tommy! Why don't we bake fresh rolls for Pippi?"

Tommy agreed it was a splendid idea and they started working on the rolls immediately. Annika confessed she didn't know how to light the oven, but Tommy reassured her that he knew how.

Little did Tommy and Annika realize that Pippi was on her way home after a long day of horseback riding and had no idea that they were there or what they were up to. She was galloping gaily on the back of her horse thinking of how wonderful it was to be alive and living at Villa Villekulla was sometimes much more fun than sailing over the south seas. She was also thinking how yummy a warm, fresh bread roll would be right then and planned on making some when she got home.

"Old Man!" Pippi said to the horse, (Old Man was what she had named the horse,) "that's our house, Villa Villekulla!" Pippi had become excited over the smoke she saw coming out of the windows of the Villa. "It's on fire!" Off she rode to rescue her burning home.

Coughing could be heard from inside the house. Pippi quickly jumped from Old Man to grab the garden hose and started spraying water into the window. Tommy and Annika couldn't be more surprised. "Hey!" Tommy yelled, "Hold the water! Stop that!"

"Holy Smokes!" said Pippi, thinking her friends were in danger, "Tommy! Annika! Don't worry, I'll save you!" She dropped the hose and rushed in. "Where is it burning the hardest?" Pippi waved her hands through the smoke trying to see. "The stove." said Tommy, opening all the windows. Pippi opened the oven and took out the baking pan. "Oh, what is this?"

Annika explained, "We wanted to bake you some nice, fresh rolls but I think we baked them a little too long." The rolls were black and as hard as rocks. Pippi took a bite and spit it out. "Yes, you baked the rolls a bit long all right but don't worry. We'll just make some new ones!" Pippi, Tommy and Annika started at the baking right away.

While they baked they all started banging on jugs, metal bowls and any dishes with silverware. While they were drumming out they're music Tommy invented a new song:


We're all together
Yes, all together and together we'll be happy and we'll have a lot of fun!
We're all together
Yes, all together
and together we will have a lot of fun!

Annika bit into a fresh roll and looked at her watch. "My goodness! We were supposed to be home for dinner at eight, Tom. Wow! Are we late!" Annika rushed out the door. "Well, you may be a little late for dinner, but you'll be very early for breakfast." Pippi pointed out. Tommy ran after Annika and waved to Pippi. "So long Pippi! See you tomorrow!" "Goodbye!" said Pippi and returned to her drumming.

As Tommy and Annika rushed into their yard they saw their mother and father standing in the doorway with arms folded, looking very cross. "Hi," said Tommy, "have you two had your dinner already?" His dad looked at him sternly, "Naturally. Since when do we have dinner at ten o'clock?"

Annika looked at her watch again. "Gosh, can that be the right time?" "It can!" his mother said angrily, "and if you can't look at your watch once in a while, you can forget all about going over to Pippi's anymore!"

"We didn't come late on purpose, we just forgot." Annika pleaded. "That's no excuse," he mother warned, "I'm getting tired of this. You two are always late." "Yes and you are always scolding us!" Annika said running into the house. "I don't scold!" Her mother said. "Yes you do."

Tommy and Annika ran up their room and began to get ready for bed. Tommy was reading while he changed his clothes. "Books. Always reading them. What are you reading about now?" Annika said. Their mother called up telling them not to forget to brush their teeth. "If we ever make up our minds to run away, this book will be handy. What fun these kids in the book have by running away from home." Their mother called saying not to forget to wash behind their ears.

As they got into bed and turned off the light Annika suggested they themselves run away from home to avoid all the scolding. Tommy and Annika drifted off to sleep with this in their minds.

The next day Pippi was up bright and early to see how things were going at the Settergren house. She jumped on her horse and rode over. At that time Tommy was on his way to the breakfast table in the yard, trying to read his book and get to his seat at the same time. When he did get to his seat he started to reach for his food still looking only at the book. When Tommy accidentally stuck his fingers in the butter his mother took away the book. "That ends the reading at the table."

"Here comes Pippi!" Their father called. They all greeted Pippi as Tommy and Annika's father left for work. "Pippi, will you join us for breakfast?" Mrs. Settergren offered. "No thank you, I've had breakfast already." Pippi refused politely. "What are we doing today Pippi?" Annika asked Pippi as she sat down. "I think I know." Mrs. Settergren said, "Tommy and Annika are weeding the strawberry patch."

Tommy jumped at this news, "Weed the strawberries today? Just when we're having great weather! Can't we do that another day?" "That's what you always say." answered his mother, "No, now is the time."

Annika glared at her mother, "That is the most awful thing I can think of."

"If it isn't done today the weeds are going to take over!"

"Let the weeds take over!" Annika argued, while Pippi and Tommy looked at each other and smiled, very amused. "I don't want to stay here and weed the strawberry patch, when we're having such a beautiful day! I won't!" Annika banged her fist on the table and knocked over the pitcher of milk. Her mother gasped, "What's wrong, Annika? You never behave like a spoiled child. Now you pick up that pitcher, don't leave it lying there. Get some more milk! And you don't have to look sour just because this happened."

Annika picked up the pitcher. "I do have to look sour, because you're scolding us all the time!"

"I really don't do I?" Her mother asked.

"Yes, you do. I'm going to run away! Like the kids in that book Tommy is reading!"

Mrs. Settergren laughed at this threat. "Sure, go ahead and run away." Annika put the pitcher on the table. "You don't believe me, but I'll do it. Just watch." Annika stomped off. Tommy called to her, "Hey Annika, I'll run away with you!" He got up and rubbed his mother's head, "So long, Mama. We're running away."

"I guess they mean it." said Mrs. Settergren, with an astonished look on her face. Pippi sat back and put her legs on the table as if nothing had happened. "Yes, it will be nice without them."

"Nice you say? You don't know how bad it feels to have a fight with your children." She started clearing off the breakfast table. "Say, Pippi? Would they really run away?"

"It isn't bad for kids to escape now and then. Back on the Kurrekurredutt Island I met some parents whose children ran away every chance they got. This concerned the mother and father when it first started happening, but after a while they found it was easier to let the kids take care of themselves. Finally, the kids ran away forever and were never heard from again. Do you think the parents were sad? Certainly not! They were happy as ever and they knew they're children were happy too, and they hadn't had to do a thing! As for Tommy and Annika if they do run away, then you can rest up."

"Oh, please don't tease like that, Pippi. I think they're serious about this." said Mrs. Settergren.

"Should I plan to accompany them on their expedition you think?" Pippi smiled.

"Oh, that's fine Pippi, would you? They don't mind taking orders from you." Mrs. Settergren asked, having grown much respect for Pippi.

"Why not?" said Pippi and she went towards her horse. "Mrs. Settergren? Take care of Mr. Nilsson until we're back."

"Why not?" she agreed.

"I'll bring him over when we're ready to leave. See ya!"

Tommy and Annika were sitting on the veranda of Villa Villekulla when Pippi came riding back. "What are you two runaways doing here? By now I thought you would have been half way down to the cow pasture."

"Pippi can you run away with us?" Tommy asked. "Runaway? From here? Why? What for? I don't have to weed strawberries."

"Aw, couldn't you anyway? There's no fun in it otherwise." Annika said. Pippi shook her head. "Aw, come on Pippi." Tommy pleaded. "Well, all right," Pippi agreed, "but we'll have to make sandwiches. You need a lot of sandwiches when you're running away."

Tommy and Annika were finishing up the sandwiches and packing at Villa Villekulla while Pippi took Mr. Nilsson to the Settergrens. "Now look Mr. Nilsson, while I'm away you behave like a fine gentlemen and not the way you do at Villa Villekulla, understand?"

Mrs. Settergren came out to pick up the monkey. "Pippi, you don't think he'll try to runaway too, do you?" Pippi shook her head, "No way. Not him, he's a real homebody." and she was on her way. "Oh, Pippi!" Mrs. Settergren called, "You will make sure to keep an eye on them?" Pippi promised and said to make sure of Mr. Nilsson for he could be quite a handful.

Pippi, Tommy and Annika were on the back of the horse and on their way. Pippi had told them she hadn't brought any golden coins from her suitcase. "That's half the fun of it," explained Pippi, "getting along without money." Tommy wasn't so sure they could all runaway without any money. "And why not?" Pippi objected, "the whole world is full of people who have no money, and you ask if can be done? Really, Tommy!"

While they rode they sang this song:

Wake up you lazy bones
there's a lot of work to do
but the lazy bones says
"Not today, tomorrow I'll work for you."


Wake up you lazy bones
you have work to do today
but the lazy bones says
"Not today, today I'm going out to play."

Tra-la-la-la-la-la
how hard I'll work tomorrow
Tra-la-la-la-la-la
that's why I'm resting up today


Wake up you lazy bones
for you rested yesterday
and the things you said you'd do tomorrow
you must do today.


Tra-la-la-la-la-la
I'll do them all tomorrow
Tra-la-la-la-la-la
That's why I'm resting up today


Wake up you lazy bones
use your fingers and your thumbs
Don't you put it off for another day
for tomorrow never comes

This last line was sung only by Annika. "Your mother wrote that little ditty didn't she?" Pippi asked. "This is great." Tommy said, looking over the sights of the road. "Yes, but I don't think we're going to have any really great adventures just by running away." Annika said.

"You can never tell." Tommy pointed out.

"Let's just hope for the best." said Pippi.

The first thing they found was a large patch of wild strawberries. They got down and started picking them and eating them. Annika decided to take a piece of straw and put the strawberries on it in a row. Old Man, the horse decided to have a drink at a nice little stream running next to the strawberries. Tommy pointed out an animal that he thought was a groundhog. Tommy and Annika were awestruck. What they didn't know is that it was a family of badgers.

Just seeing the animals excited Tommy so much he did five cartwheels. "You thought we weren't going to have any adventures." Tommy told his sister, "I think we're off to a swell start!" They all agreed. Annika was spinning in circles and fell down right next to Pippi. Annika gave Pippi her string of strawberries. "How lovely." said Pippi and she rolls them down her nose to her tongue.

Tommy was stepping on the stones in the creek and singing the new song he made at Pippi's the night before. He never did finish singing because he stepped on a loose stone and fell into the water. Pippi, Annika and Tommy started laughing when this happened. They all were very delighted that they had decided to run away.

Pippi, Tommy and Annika were riding Old Man when they reached a fork in the road after sundown. "Which way?" Annika wondered. "We'll flip a coin, that's the only way to decide." Pippi said. "I thought you said you didn't bring any coins." Tommy asked. "It's only a penny." Pippi admitted and through the coin in the air, head for a right turn, tales for a left one. Pippi caught it and it faced heads up. "Looks like we are going to the right. Giddy up, Old Man."

Annika complained that the road they chose was dinky. "Dinky or not Annika, once you flip a coin that's it."

"It'll begin to rain soon too, you'll see." Annika stated. "In that book where the kids run away it never seemed to rain." Tommy said. "Where are we going to spend the night?" Annika asked.

"There's a place for a night. You can always find someplace." said Pippi crossing Old Man through some Oleander bushes. "For all we know, around this bend there may be a beautiful castle where there maybe a Count who's expecting us."

They stopped right in front of an old tumbledown house and Pippi smiled, "As I predicted! There's the castle." Annika groaned, "Some castle." A flash of lightning lit up the old house and a little thunder was to be heard. They all got off the horse and took shelter under a bench that had been tipped over. It started to rain and there was another flash of lightning and a crash of thunder. This scared Pippi's horse and he started to run off. "Stay Old Man! This won't last forever, just a passing thunderstorm..." but old Man was gone. "Sure is a dependable old horse, isn't he?"

"Pippi, what are we going to do now? We can't runaway without Old Man." said Annika

"Aah! We'll get along."

"But suppose he keeps on running and never comes back?" asked Tommy. "He'll most likely return to Villa Villekulla and keep the hot chocolate warm until we get back." Pippi laughed. "Come, we can't stay here forever." And they turned to go into the house.

As soon as they entered they heard a very strange low whistling sound. "Gee, Pippi it's scary." Annika said. Pippi only smiled and looked around, "Would it help to hold on to my apron?" To Tommy it sounded like music. "Someone's playing in here I think."

"It's probably a ghost." said Annika, nervously. "Maybe it's an angel who has run away from heaven." Pippi speculated. Annika could only admit that she was scared. "My Papa always says to keep calm in a storm. So whoever is in there I'm going to look 'em strait in the eye."

When they followed the sound to a large room they found a man in a pinstripe suit, hat, and long red beard using a violin staff on a handsaw. This is what was making the sound. Pippi interrupted the music and greeted him. "Hi!" she said. The man stopped playing and looked at them. "Welcome!" he said, and pointed to the empty wall, "There's the sofa, or if you prefer you can sit in the easy chair." pointing to a corner that was empty. Pippi strolled over the a different empty corner of the room and said, "Thank you, I think I'll take the rocking chair." Then she sat on the floor, grabbed her ankles and rocked back and forth. "That's a fine rocking chair." said the man and started to fiddle the handsaw again. Pippi agreed that the chair was fine, yet a little rickety.

"Lovely weather." said the man. "Yes, if you don't mind lightning." admitted Pippi. The man agreed, "Well, we must get acquainted. I am called Conrad and you are?"

"Well," said Pippi, "we're not called Conrad. I'm Pippi, and they're Tommy and Annika."

Conrad looked over. "A pleasure to meet you. And little Annika is so scared her heart must be in her throat. Are you scared of me or the lightning, Annika?"

"B-b-both." Annika said.

"Lightning I cannot change," he told her, "but me you don't have a thing to worry about. I'm just an ordinary country peddler who is as dangerous to use as an earthworm."

"You're a peddler, you say? What does a peddler do?" Tommy asked.

"Goes around from house to house selling things. Don't you know that?"

"And what do you sell?"

Conrad was about to answer when Pippi interrupted, "Trinkets, frills, gadgets, brocaded doodads that no one but a real old lady will buy!"

Conrad objected, "What do you mean trinkets, gadgets and doodads? Listen young lady, I sell Conrad's Super Gluer. The super glue that sticks when other glues come unstuck. Observe." Conrad whipped out a can of his amazing glue. It was green a gloopy and he gave each of them a can to look at. "Now be careful that you don't get stuck because you will have to remain stuck forever. Yessiree. Conrad's Gripping Super Gluer is much more than a glue. A thousand and one handy household uses. Wash dishes with Conrad's Super Gluer and you'll never have to wash those dishes again. Smear a little on your bricks when you build your house and you'll have to dynamite the house to tear it down. Feed your hens a little Super Gluer and you'll get unbreakable eggs, you can't beat that! Ha ha! A little joke there kids. Unbreakable eggs nobody can beat that?"

By this time Pippi had smeared the glue on her hands and shoes and was climbing the wall to the ceiling. Conrad watched in surprise. "I knew the glue was good, but not that good."

Pippi called to Tommy and Annika and they watched too. "You better be careful not to get stuck up there!" Conrad called. "Don't worry," Pippi said, "I can get down. Now watch out! Here I come!" And Pippi fell to the ground. "Wow. Now I know how flies feel. They must have fun."

Another big crash of thunder was heard and they all looked out. Conrad had his chin to the windowsill and Pippi was on his back. "How beautiful it is when there's lightning." said Conrad. Tommy agreed and so did Pippi, but Annika said she hated it and wished she were home. Pippi told her when the storm was over she'd remember the strawberry patch and change her mind again.

"Pippi when are we going to eat?" Tommy asked.

"Say, that's right Tommy. It's time to eat." and Pippi got off of Conrad's back. Conrad tried to move but he couldn't. "Oh! What is this? I'm stuck here. I got my beard caught in Conrad's own Super Gluer. Ohh! I told you it was good. It sticks to everything. Including my beard! It's guaranteed!"

Tommy started laughing at him. "You should be ashamed of yourself." Annika said. "Whose idea was it to spread glue all over this darned windowsill?" Conrad asked. Tommy admitted it was his. "Hmph! I may be spending the rest of my life like this."

"I'm strong, Conrad. I'll get you loose." Pippi said, pulling on him. "No, don't do that. You'll pull the beard out by the roots." Pippi found a pair of scissors and freed Conrad from the windowsill.

They put out a blanket on the floor and settled down to dinner. "I was thinking of giving up the glue business, but I'll stick with it." Conrad joked. "This is a nicer dinner than I expected." Tommy said. "These hot dogs are delicious, Conrad." said Annika. Conrad took a pickled hot dog for himself as Pippi, Tommy and Annika explained their venture. "So, you're running away are you?" Conrad said, "In a way, so am I."

"From prison, or somewhere like that?" Annika asked.

"No, are you? Not me. I'm running and running. Going a little farther everyday, because I think it's more fun somewhere else and you know, sometimes it is."

"Here for example?" said Pippi. "Oh, yes. When you run away you don't have to wash behind your ears-" Annika got up quickly and looked behind Conrad's ears. "Mommy even when you run away you should wash behind your ears. You should too."

"Then thank your mother kindly for being so observant." said Conrad, quite bewildered by the advice.

Before going to bed they thought it would be fun to dance. Conrad joined Pippi for a waltz on the ceiling. Tommy blew the harmonica and Annika learned to fiddle the handsaw. As they were getting tucked in to bed, all was quiet. They could hear the drops of water going into the cups to catch the water from the leaky roof of the old house.

"Conrad, we forgot to wash behind your ears!" Annika exclaimed. "Sometimes I get lucky." Conrad admitted.

"Promise me you'll do it in the morning," Annika said, "or I'll have to do it myself."

"Ah-Ha! You're beginning to sound like your Mama, Annika." Pippi pointed out.

"Wait," said Conrad, "just what makes you so concerned with ears, eh?"

"I hate to think of you traveling all alone and being dirty behind you're ears. You ought to clean them."

"But he won't be more alone with dirty ears, will he?" Pippi asked.

"No one notices these ears." Conrad stated.

"But you can have clean ears anyway, can't you?" Annika persisted.

"Oh, a philosopher, that's just what I need. All these years and no one has found anything wrong with these ears."

"Annika," Tommy said, "forget all about washing them. We'll be splitting up with Conrad tomorrow. You don't want him to glad to see the last of you, do you?"

"No. But it is sad we won't be seeing him again." Annika yawned.

As soon as the sun came up Conrad started packing to leave while Pippi, Tommy and Annika were still asleep. "Goodbye, little Annika. I'm on my way, before you wake up and start washing my ears." Then Conrad got on his bicycle and slowly rode away, humming to himself.

Annika had woken up just then and noticed Conrad missing. She jumped out and saw him riding away, quite far now. She called promising she wouldn't wash behind his ears, but he didn't hear her.

Pippi and Tommy had heard and looked out to see Conrad almost out of sight. "Oh, well," Pippi sighed, "say goodbye to him kids..." "We have his glue though." Tommy said holding up three jars he had left behind.

"Pippi this dinky little country path goes nowhere," said Annika, "shouldn't we be heading back to the main road?"

"Oh, no. Once you flip a coin there's no going back."

"Yes but-"

"Yes but yes but nothing! We have to go wherever this little road takes us."

As soon as they were on their way, down the road they reached a steep cliff. "How are we going to get down there?" Tommy asked. "There's no little road down the cliff, Pippi, now we have to turn back." said Annika thinking of home. Pippi thought that if Annika wanted to run away so badly she was going to run all the way. "No way! Not when we have all these gadgets. Throw the knapsacks down."

"Why? We might need them later!" Annika objected.

"I said throw them down, not throw them away." Soon Pippi had a rope that tied them all to the top of the cliff so they could work their way down. "Pippi, why don't we just use Conrad's Super Gluer?" Annika asked. "We don't need super glue for easy work like this." Pippi said. "But if one of us slips we'll all fall together."

"No, I'm sticking to this cliff as if I had the super glue anyway." said Pippi.

Annika was having trouble finding her way down in the middle of the cliff. "As long as I live I'll never again toss a penny." she promised firmly. Annika tried to grab a handhold but it wasn't big enough. She slipped and was held only by the rope that was around her waist. "Help! Pippi! Help! Pippi! Ahh!" Annika was panicking. "Don't get excited, try to grab hold of the cliff!" Pippi grabbed the rope Annika was tied to and stood on the side of the cliff without falling off.

"Pippi! You can't stand like that! It's impossible!" Tommy exclaimed. "Yeah," Pippi laughed, "but don't tell anyone." Tommy started laughing and then he fell down with Annika. Pippi took a hold of his rope and walked down the cliff. Tommy sang his new song on the way down.

As soon as they got down to the bottom of the cliff they saw beautiful, clear water river and decided to go fishing.