Good evening Officers Kling and Klang,
This is Mrs. Settergreen, and I live in the small house next to Villa Villekulla in our small town. I have just been made aware that a small, nine-year old girl has been living in Villa Villekulla without parents. My children, Tommy and Annika went over to meet her a few days ago and they told me that her mother passed away many years ago, and her father is a pirate who has been made king of a cannibal island somewhere in the Pacific. The children informed me that she does not live quite alone, for she cares for a pet monkey named Mr. Nilsson and a horse that lives on the porch of her house. Apparently her father purchased the house many years ago and he thought they would live together when he grew old and could not sail the seas any longer. But unfortunately, he was blown into the ocean on their latest adventure and now she is waiting for his return. She has been nothing but kind to my children, and despite her odd appearance and manners, I believe that the claims Mrs. Prysselius made against her are misguided. It is my understanding that as officers of our town, Mrs. Prysselius approached you in order to inquire whether or not the child was properly supervised in her house, and if she wasn’t, whether arrangements could be made to move her to a proper children’s home. However, I believe that she is a strong, independent-minded, and remarkable young girl.
I’m writing you this letter because Tommy and Annika have just informed me that a novel will be published about the story of this young girl, and her adventures with my children. A neighbor of ours in the town wrote the novel, and her name is Astrid Lindgren. She is a fellow Swede and a loving mother, who apparently heard the story of this remarkable child, and wrote the novel to help remedy her sick child’s boredom while stuck in bed. I am told that the novel will tell of the great adventures of the child, including a time where she was fighting bullies, playing tag with some policemen (may I assume this to be you two?), going to school, sitting on a gate and climbing a tree, arranging a picnic, going to the circus, entertaining two burglars, going to a coffee party (where I was present), saving a life, and celebrating her birthday. I hope this novel serves to inform you of the child’s remarkable character, and how she is properly equipped to handle herself in her home at Villa Villekulla.
Please let me know your thoughts on the novel, and how you perceive this child’s behaviors.
Thank you kindly. Please say hello to your wives for me, and let them know that despite what happened at the last coffee party, they are welcome again this week for tea.
Mrs. Settergreen
Dear Mrs. Settergreen,
We are very thankful for your letter about the child living at Villa Villekulla. We filed a report as soon as you wrote to us. We are pleased to report that we have closed the case in regards to the novel written by Astrid Lindgren. We have learned that in fact, it has already been released! The novel is named after the child, Pippi Longstocking. It was released just this year, 1945 but makes no mention of time. It was a quick read for adults like us however, for Lindgren’s daughter and other young children, we believe this is a great chapter book for those looking to challenge themselves to a longer story. There are some illustrations woven within the story however, they are simply complementary to the witty, quick, and fluid writing style. The story of young Pippi and her adventures with your children, Tommy and Annika has changed our perceptions of the young girl. The author’s rich characterization paints the perfect image in our minds of her red pigtails, odd dress, strange habits, and unnatural pets. Each chapter tells a different adventure that Pippi encounters, and therefore, each chapter teaches a different lesson about what makes her so remarkable. We learned from her adventure at the circus where she carried Adolf, the strongest man in the world, that she is the strongest girl in the world and could pick up her horse with just one hand. We learned that there isn’t anything Pippi is afraid of, and that whatever you thought you couldn’t do or weren’t strong enough to do, Pippi could do and Pippi would do. Pippi never minds cleaning up around the house, as long as she gets to scrub the floor with the brush skates that she fashioned for herself, which allow her to skate around the kitchen. There is never a time where Pippi lets anyone or anything defeat her, and she would definitely never let any harm come to her closest friends, Tommy and Annika. She makes herself breakfast in the morning, cleans and repairs her house Villa Villekulla during the day, and counts her many gold coins and dances the schottische at night. All in all, Pippi is a very self-resilient, generous, kind, funny, and free-spirited girl.
She’s taught us to be independent and not let life’s little things get us down. She reminds us to be adventurous and always open to try new things. The story about when someone offered her a salve to cure freckles and asked her if she “suffers from freckles” and she responds that she “doesn’t suffer from them” but in fact, “loves them,” reminds us to accept ourselves. We even make an appearance in the book, which we are very proud of. In the chapter titled “Pippi Plays Tag with Some Policemen,” the author was referring to us! Although the child refused to go to the children’s home, the story shows us to always challenge conventions. When she gave Tommy and Annika birthday presents on her own birthday, this taught us to always care for our friends the way she does for hers. When she defeated the supposed “strongest man in the world” and told someone to keep in mind that she was the “strongest girl in the world,” she reminded us the strength and power of being a woman. Whether it’s riding her horse through the school gates or dancing with burglars, she taught us the importance of enjoying life, not sweating the small stuff, and to not take ourselves too seriously. All in all, with the help of Astrid Lindgren’s novel, we have determined as officers of this small town that Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim’s Daughter Longstocking, or Pippi for short, is a very remarkable child and has our permission to remain in her house at Villa Villekulla until the arrival of her father from the Pacific. We will be writing to Mrs. Prysselius to make her aware of this, if she has not picked up a copy of the book already and been inspired herself. We have heard that the book will be published into over 70 different languages! Thank you so much again for writing to us, and for making us aware of this amazing novel. We will recommend it to all who come into our police station, if they haven’t heard of it already. The story of Pippi Lonstocking will never cease to make us smile, question our actions, and enjoy the company of friends and family.
Thank you for writing to us. It is because of citizens like you, that our small town can remain safe from harm – with the help of such charming officers as ourselves! Oh – also, our wives wanted us to inform you that after reading the chapter regarding the coffee party in the novel, they now understand why Pippi acted out and put her face into the entire cake without saving any for the rest of the guests! They graciously accept your invitation for tea, and will see you later on this week.
Enjoy your day!
Sincerely,
Officers Kling and Klang