Pippy Longstocking
Astrid Lindgre
Astrid Lindgre
Book review : Laila saein – Face Features
“No! but it`s my birthday, isn`t it? And so I can give birthday presents too, can’t I, or does it says in your school books that such a thing can’t be done?”
Pippy asked her friends Tommy and Annika. Her friends were wonderstruck.
Yes, this is Pippy- Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim`s daughter Longstocking, daughter of Captain Efraim Longstocking, nine years old. She can`t understand what others can understand. She doesn’t study in schools, she lives on her own, which is rather nice, because there is nobody to tell her to go to bed when she is having most fun, or to make her take cod-liver tablets when she most feels like eating peppermints. Her parents died years ago. In fact, she can do exactly what she likes
With a horse and a monkey, Mr.Nelson and her two friends Tommy and Annika, neighbours, lived in Villa Villekkulla. With her extraordinary strength Pippy makes everyday things so exciting and adventurous.
People can find in her character many things so bad, cheap or mistakes, cultureless behaviours, ill manners. She doesn’t know how to write and read, how to behave in a party or in public , schools. She doesn’t know which dress is good or bad and how to stitch it, how to do make up, how to mingle with pompous ladies.
Timmy and Annika usually go to school morning 8 0`clock, hand in hand, swinging their school bags. At that time Pippy usually grooms her horse or dressing Mr.Nelson his little blue suit. Pippy wanted to get Christmas vacation just like Timmy and Annika .Amazing, childish, little foolish too, in the class Pippy wouldn’t behave decently as people think.
Her teacher got fed up with her. She politely asked her teacher, “Have I behaved badly” Much astonished “Goodness, I didn’t know that!” she looked very sad. “You know teacher, don`t you, that when you have a mother who is an angel and a father who is a cannibal king and when you have sailed the ocean all your whole life, then you don’t know just how to behave in schools.”With her extraordinary strength she fought with thieves, helped others, sometimes she acts as a life saver, same time she plays tag with some policemen. But she is so humane with her friends, teachers, neighbours and even burglers too. She gives whatever she has like golden watches, necklaces, precious stones, simply to make others happy. With a ringing laugh she did many foolish and great things.
It’s a magical story that I ever read, catapulting me to a world of childish innocence and thrilling imagination. I appreciate the wonderful craftwork of Astrid Lindgren, the writer. Through this eccentric story, through the character of one screw less Pippy, the writer expresses the humanity to the entire world, a gentle reminder that we should love and be loved. Pippy`s each and every action makes others happy, then how we can forgive others and be unselfish, beyond all the story teaches how the people should live in such a world filled with sorrows, crisis , disasters . Pippy is a beacon of hope, friendship and love to all the lives she cared to touch.
Note:
Thank you dear Paul Lalley for making me and the children so happy by picking up Pippy Longstocking and sending it to us.
