Do You Suffer from Freckles?
When the day was at its sunniest and brightest, three little figures appeared on Main Street. They were Tommy and Annika and Pippi – a very wet Pippi, who left a little trickle of water in her path.
“Aren’t we lucky, though?” said Annika. “Look at all the shops, and we have a whole apron pocket full of gold pieces!” Tommy was so happy when he thought of this that he gave a high skip.
“Well, let’s get going,” said Pippi. “First of all I want to buy myself a piano.”
“But, Pippi,” said Tommy, “you can’t play the piano, can you?”
“How can I tell,” said Pippi, “when I’ve never tried? I’ve never had any piano to try on. And this much I can tell you, Tommy – to play the piano without any piano, that takes a powerful lot of practicing.”
There didn’t seem to be any piano store. Instead the children came to a perfume shop. In the show window was a large jar of freckle salve, and beside the jar was a sign, which read: DO YOU SUFFER FROM FRECKLES?
“What does the sign say?” ask Pippi. She couldn’t read very well because she didn’t want to go to school as other children did.
“It says, ‘Do you suffer from freckles?’” said Annika.
“Does it indeed?” said Pippi thoughtfully. “Well, a civil question deserves a civil answer. Let’s go in.”
She opened the door and entered the shop, closely followed by Tommy and Annika. An elderly lady stood back of the counter. Pippi went right up to her. “No!” she said decidedly.
“What is it you want?” asked the lady.
“No,” said Pippi once more.
“I don’t understand what you mean,” said the lady.
“No, I don’t suffer from freckles,” said Pippi.
Then the lady understood, but she took one look at Pippi and burst out, “But, my dear child, your whole face is covered with freckles!”
“I know it,” said Pippi, “but I don’t suffer from them. I love them. Good morning.”
She turned to leave, but when she got to the door she looked back and cried, “But if you should happen to get in any salve that gives people more freckles, then you can send me seven or eight jars.”
Extract from the book Pippi Goes on Board
By Astrid Lindgren
All Rights Reserved.
New York, Viking Press c1985
Call Number: J English LIN
Extract submitted by Krist Chan
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If there is one thing you can change about yourself, what would it be?
May 29th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
If i could change something abt myself, i wld definitely not want to be so tall.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:39 am
I probably would not change anything because I am who I am, and like Pippi, it’s acceptance and contentment that generate happiness
June 7th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
I would exchange places with you nivla any day - get knocked on the head by the banister once in a while is a great feeling compared to the smells I get from down here. Be thankful
June 20th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
So… what about those who go for plastic surgery. Do you think that plastic surgery is wrong?