Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking (Swedish Pippi Langstrump) is
a fictional character in a series of children's books by Swedish
author Astrid Lindgren, and adapted into multiple films and
television series. Pippi was named by Lindgren's then nine-year-old
daughter, Karin, who requested a get-well story from her mother one
day when she was home sick from school.
Nine-year-old Pippi is unconventional,
assertive, and has superhuman strength, being able to lift her
horse one-handed without difficulty. She frequently mocks and dupes
adults she encounters, an attitude likely to appeal to young
readers; however, Pippi usually reserves her worst behavior for the
most pompous and condescending of adults. Pippi's anger is reserved
for the most extreme cases, such as when a man ill-treats her
horse. Like Peter Pan, Pippi does not want to grow up. She is the
daughter of a buccaneer captain and as such has adventurous stories
to tell. She has four best friends: two animals (her horse and a
monkey) and two humans, the neighbor's children Tommy and
Annika.
After an initial rejection from Bonnier
Publishers in 1944, Lindgren's manuscript was accepted for
publication by the Swedish publisher Raben and Sjogren. The first
three Pippi chapter books were published from 1945 to 1948, with an
additional series of six books published in 1969–1975. Two
final stories were printed in 1979 and 2000. The books have been
translated into 64 languages.
Pippi and her world
Villa Villekulla, the house used for the film and series,
located on Gotland in the town of Vibble
Pippi ('quirky' in older Swedish slang) claims
her full name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint
Ephraim's Daughter Longstocking (Swedish: Pippilotta Viktualia
Rullgardina Krusmynta Efraimsdotter Langstrump). Her fiery red hair
is worn in keckes, or pigtails, that are so tightly wound that they
stick out sideways from her head.
Pippi lives in a small Swedish village, sharing
the house she styles "Villa Villekulla" with her monkey, Mr.
Nilsson, and her horse (nameless in the books; the horse has names
in adaptations, most notably "Lilla Gubben," Swedish for "little
old man" - other names include Horatio and Alfonso) but no adults
or relatives. She befriends the two children living next door:
Tommy and Annika Settergren. The three have many adventures. Tommy
and Annika's mother, Mrs. Settergren, often disapproves of Pippi's
manners and lack of education, but eventually comes to appreciate
that Pippi would never put Tommy and Annika in danger, and that
Pippi values her friendship with the pair above almost anything
else in her life. Pippi took Tommy and Annika on many adventures.
Pippi's two main possessions are a suitcase full of gold coins
(which she used to buy her horse) and a large chest of drawers
containing various small treasures.
Personality
Pippi is portrayed as being a friendly and kind
and naughty girl, but one possessing no "proper" manners and having
no training or experience in the way one behaves in normal society,
which is to say any society other than the very freewheeling and
non-regimented one aboard her father's ship. Due to leading a life
at sea, Pippi has received a very limited conventional education.
This is balanced by the fact that she seems to have a wide range of
competency in housekeeping skills; she demonstrates that she is
able to cook for herself, clean and repair her house, keep her pets
cared for, and otherwise manage her affairs despite her illiteracy
and lack of mathematical knowledge. Her behavior is highly
exasperating to many adults, but she enjoys sharing recollections
of her memories of sailing across the world. Pippi tends to tell
many "tall tales" about her travels but appears to do so for the
purpose of entertainment and will admit to her untruths when
questioned. Otherwise she seems trustworthy and loyal to her
friends and victims of bullying.
Father
Pippi is the daughter of a South Seas seafarer
Ephraim Longstocking, captain of the sailing ship Hoptoad
(Hoppetossa in Swedish), from whom Pippi inherited her common sense
and incredible strength. Captain Longstocking is the only person
known who can match Pippi in physical ability. He originally bought
Villa Villekulla to give his daughter a more stable home life than
that on board the ship, although Pippi loves the seafaring life and
is a better sailor and helmsman than most of her father's crew.
Pippi retired to the Villa Villekulla after her
father was believed lost at sea, but Pippi was determined in her
belief that her father was still alive, had been made the king
(negerkung or "negro king" in the original) of en massa negrer ("a
large group of negroes"), and would come to look for her at Villa
Villekulla.
As it turned out, Captain Longstocking had been
washed ashore upon a South Sea island known as Kurrekurredutt Isle,
where he was made the "fat white chief" by its native people. The
Captain returned to Sweden to bring Pippi to his new home in the
South Seas, but Pippi found herself attached to the Villa and her
new friends Tommy and Annika, and decided to stay where she was,
though the children sometimes took trips with her father aboard the
Hoptoad, including a trip to Kurrekurredutt, where she was
confirmed as the "fat white chief's" daughter, Princess
Pippilotta.
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