Chapter 3 Pippi hides and seeks with the police

It soon became known to the townspeople that a little girl of nine years lived alone in Villekulla.Both mothers and fathers shook their heads, agreeing that this is absolutely impossible.All children have to be looked after by adults who tell them what to do and what not to do, and all children have to go to school and read the multiplication tables.It was then decided that the little girl from Villekulla should be sent to a children's home immediately. One afternoon Pippi invited Tommy and Annika to her house for tea and ginger biscuits.She put the refreshments outside on the front porch steps.It was a sunny day, and the flowers in Pippi's garden were fragrant.Mr. Nelson climbed up and down the porch railing, sticking his nose out now and then, begging for a gingerbread biscuit.

"It's so wonderful to be alive." Pippi stretched her feet as far as she could. At this moment, two heavily armed policemen entered the courtyard gate. "Oh," said Pippi, "it must be my day. The police are the best thing I know. Except, of course, candied rhubarb leaves." She ran to meet the police, her face beaming. "Are you the girl who moved into Villekulla?" asked a policeman. "It's not me," said Pippi, "I'm her little aunt who lives four floors up on the other side of town." She said it just to have fun with the police.But they didn't find it funny at all.They told her not to be smart.Then they told her that kind people in the town had arranged for her to be admitted to a children's home.

"I was already at the children's home," said Pippi. "What, already entered?" said a policeman, "Which one is it?" "It's this family," said Pippi proudly. "I'm a child, and this is my home. There's no grown-up here, so I think this is a children's home." "Good boy," the police car said with a laugh, "you don't understand, you have to go to a formal correctional institution, someone can take care of you." "Can horses come in too?" Pippi asked. "No, of course not," said the policeman.

"I don't even think so," Pippi said with a dark face, "What about monkeys?" "No, of course not! I think you should know that." "Oh," Pippi said, "then you have to find another doll to enter your institution. Because I don't want to enter." "Well, but don't you know, you should go to school," said the policeman. "What are you doing at school?" "Learn something, it goes without saying." "Learn what?" Pippi asked. "Learn all sorts of things," said the policeman, "many useful things, like the multiplication table."

"For nine years, I have lived well without any penalty table," Pippi said, "so I think I will be able to live well in the future." "Come on!" said the policeman, "you don't know anything, think about how unhappy you will be in the future. For example, when you grow up, if someone asks you what the capital of Portugal is called, you won't be able to answer." "Oh, I can answer that," said Pippi, "and I replied: 'You really want to know what the capital of Portugal is called, so write to Portugal and ask.'" "Well, don't you feel sorry that you don't know what it's called yourself?"

"Maybe," said Pippi, "I think I sometimes lie awake in bed at night thinking and thinking, 'What the hell is the capital of Portugal called?' It's fun." Pippi said while doing somersaults. "I've been to Lisbon with my dad, though," she said while doing somersaults, because she could talk while doing somersaults. At this time, a policeman said, Pippi should not think that he can do whatever he likes.She just had to go to the children's home, right away.He went over and grabbed her hand.But Pippi slipped away immediately, touched him lightly and said, "Let's hide and seek!" Before the policeman had time to turn his eyes, Pippi had already jumped onto the pillars of the front porch, moved and jumped forward a few times. The balcony above the porch.The two policemen didn't want to follow her example, so they ran into the house and went up to the second floor.When they came to the balcony outside, Pippi was already on the roof.She climbed on the tiles like a monkey.In a second she was standing on the steeple of the house, and jumped up the chimney with one easy jump.The two policemen stared blankly on the balcony below, pulling their hair anxiously.Below, Tommy and Annika stood on the grass looking up at Pippi.

"Hide-and-seek is really fun," Pippi cried. "Thank you for coming to my house. You can see that today is my happy day." The two policemen thought for a while, went to get a ladder, and leaned on the roof.They climbed up the ladder one by one to bring the leather down.But they seemed a little frightened when they went up to the roof, and they walked towards Pippi balancing their bodies all the way. "Don't be afraid," cried Pippi, "it's not dangerous at all. It's just fun." The policeman was two steps away from reaching Pippi, but Pippi quickly jumped down the chimney, laughing and screaming, and ran along the roof to the other side of the gable.There is a tree more than one meter away from the house.

"Look at me jumping." Pippi yelled and jumped down to the top of a green tree, grabbed a branch and hung it, swayed back and forth a few times, and then fell to the ground.Then she ran to the other gable and took the ladder. When the two policemen saw Pippi jumping down, they were already a little stupid. When they balanced their bodies and walked back along the roof with difficulty, they were even more stupid when they were about to get off the ladder.At first they were mad with rage, and yelled at Pippi, who was standing below looking up at them, to be smart and put the ladder back, or to show her something.

"Why are you so angry?" Pippi scolded them, "We are just playing hide-and-seek, everyone should be friendly!" The two policemen thought for a while, and finally one of them said softly: "Um, ah, thanks for putting the ladder back, can we get on with it?" "Of course," said Pippi, and immediately put the ladder back. "Then we can have tea and spend a happy afternoon together." But the two policemen didn't keep their promises, and rushed towards Pippi as soon as they reached the ground, yelling. "Now there's something for you, you naughty boy!"

But Pippi said: "No, I don't have time to play with you right now. But I must admit, it's fun." As she spoke, she tightly grasped the leather belts of the two of them, carried them across the orchard, through the gate of the yard, and came to the road.When she got there she put them down, and it took them a long time to move again. "Wait a minute." Pippi yelled and ran into the kitchen.She brought out two heart-shaped ginger cookies. "Would you like to try it?" she said. "It's kind of burnt, but I don't think it matters." Then she went back to Tommy and Annika.They stood watching, amazed.The two policemen hurried back to town and told all the well-meaning mothers and fathers that it was inappropriate for Pippi to enter the children's home.Of course they didn't talk about going to the roof.After hearing this, everyone agreed that perhaps it would be better to let Pippi stay at Villa Villecula.If she wants to go to school, she can arrange it by herself.

Pippi, Tommy, and Annika had a really good afternoon that day.They continued eating the tea which had been interrupted by the police.Pippi ate fourteen ginger biscuits in one sitting, and said: "Those two cops aren't what I call the best cops. Not at all! Children's homes, punishment tables, Lisbon, too much nonsense like that." Then she unhooked the horse, and the three of them rode together.Annika was afraid at first and didn't dare to ride, but when she saw Tommy and Pippi riding so happily, she asked Pippi to put her on the horse too.The horse ran round and round the orchard, and Tommy sang, "Noisy, there's a bunch of Swedes!" When Tommy and Annika went to bed that night, Tommy said: "Annika, Pippi is so happy to be here, don't you think?" "Of course," said Annika. "I can't even remember what she played before she came, do you remember?" "Well, let's play croquet and things like that," said Annika, "but I think it's a lot more fun with Pippi after all. Riding horses and all!"