Adapted for reader's theater from Pippi Longstocking, Viking, 1950 Parts (6) Narrator 1 Narrator 2 Pippi Tommy Annika Teacher (students)
NOTE: Villekulla is pronounced "VIL-luh-KOO-luh." Annika is pronounced "AH-nik-kuh."
NARRATOR 1: In a little town in Sweden, there was a tumbledown house called Villa Villekulla. And
in this house lived a girl with carrot-colored pigtails and shoes twice as long as
her feet.
NARRATOR 2: This was no ordinary girl. She was the strongest girl in the world, and her name was
Pippi Longstocking.
NARRATOR 1: Pippi lived there all by herselfexcept for a monkey named Mr. Nilsson and a horse on
the porch. There was no one to tell her what to do, so Pippi did just what she liked.
NARRATOR 2: One of the things Pippi liked best was to play with her friends Tommy and Annika. And
more than anything in the world, Tommy and Annika liked to play with Pippi. Of course,
Tommy and Annika had to go to school.
ANNIKA: (to Tommy) If only Pippi would go too, how much fun we could have!
NARRATOR 1: They decided to try to persuade her. One afternoon in Pippi's kitchen, Tommy said,
TOMMY: You can't imagine what a nice teacher we have.
ANNIKA: If you only knew what fun it is in school! I'd die if I couldn't go to school.
NARRATOR 2: Pippi sat soaking her feet in a tub. She said nothing, but just wiggled her toes so
the water splashed around everywhere.
TOMMY: You don't have to stay so long. Just until two oนclock.
ANNIKA: Yes, and besides, we get Christmas vacation and Easter vacation and summer vacation.
NARRATOR 1: Suddenly, Pippi poured all the water out on the kitchen floor.
PIPPI: It is absolutely unfair! I won't stand for it!
TOMMY: Whatนs the matter?
PIPPI: In four months, it will be Christmas, and then you'll have Christmas vacation! But
what'll I get? No Christmas vacation-not even the tiniest bit of one. Something will
have to be done about that. Tomorrow morning, I'll begin school!
ANNIKA: Hurray!
TOMMY: We'll wait for you outside our gate at eight o'clock.
PIPPI: Oh, no, I can't begin as early as that! And besides, I'm going to ride to school.
NARRATOR 2: And ride she did!
NARRATOR 1: The next day, at exactly ten o'clock, Pippi lifted her horse off the porch. Then she
galloped wildly through the town.
NARRATOR 2: When she reached the schoolyard, she jumped off the horse, tied him to a tree, and
burst into the schoolroom.
PIPPI: Hi there! Did I get here in time for pluttification?
NARRATOR 1: Tommy and Annika had told their teacher that Pippi was coming. She had decided to do
all she could to make Pippi happy in school.
TEACHER: Welcome to school, Pippi. I hope you will enjoy yourself here and learn a great deal.
PIPPI: Yes, and I hope I'll get some Christmas vacation. That is the reason Iนve come. It's only
fair, you know.
TEACHER: If you would first tell me your whole name, I'll register you in school.
PIPPI: My name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter
Longstocking, daughter of Captain Efraim Longstocking, formerly the Terror of the Sea,
now a cannibal king. Pippi is really only a nickname, because Papa thought Pippilotta
was too long to say.
TEACHER: Well, then, we shall call you Pippi, too. But now suppose we test you a little and see
what you know. Pippi, can you tell me what seven and five are?
PIPPI: (shocked) Well, if you don't know that yourself, I'm certainly not going to tell you!
OTHER CHILDREN: (gasp)
NARRATOR 2: All the children stared at Pippi in horror.
TEACHER: (gently) Pippi, we don't answer that way in school.
PIPPI: (sincerely) I beg your pardon. I didn't know that. I won't do it again.
TEACHER: No, let us hope not. And now I will tell you that seven and five are twelve.
PIPPI: See that! You knew it yourself! So why are you asking?
NARRATOR 1: The teacher decided to act as if nothing had happened.
TEACHER: Well, now, Pippi, how much do you think eight and four are?
PIPPI: Oh, about sixty-seven.
TEACHER: Of course not! Eight and four are twelve!
PIPPI: Well now, really, that is carrying things too far! You just said that seven and five
are twelve. There should be some rhyme and reason to things, even in school!
NARRATOR 2: The teacher decided there was no point trying to teach Pippi any more arithmetic.
TEACHER: Tommy, if Lisa has seven apples and Axel has nine apples, how many apples do they have
together?
PIPPI: Yes, you tell her, Tommy, and tell me too, if Lisa gets a stomach-ache and Axel gets
mo