Chapter 11

           OnedayTommyandAnnikafoundaletterintheirmailbox. 

           Itwasaddressed toTMMYandANIKA, andwhentheyopenedittheyfoundacardwhichread: 

           TMMYANDANIKAAREINVITEDTOPIPPI’STOMOROTOHERBERTHDAYPARTY. DRES:WAREWATEVERYOULIK. 

           TommyandAnnikaweresohappytheybegantoskipanddance. Theyunderstoodperfectlywellwhatwasprintedonthecardalthoughthespellingwasalittleunusual. Pippihadhadagreatdealoftroublewritingit. Tobesure,shehadnotrecognizedtheletteriinschoolthedayshewasthere,butallthesameshecouldwritealittle. Whenshewassailingontheoceanoneofthesailorsonherfather’sshipusedtotakeherupondeckintheeveningnowandthenandtrytoteachhertowrite. UnfortunatelyPippiwasnotaverypatientpupil. Allofasuddenshewouldsay,"No,Fridolf"—thatwashisname—"no,Fridolf,botherallthislearning!Ican’tstudyanymorenowbecauseImustclimbthemasttoseewhatkindofweatherwe’regoingtohavetomorrow. 

           Soitwasnowonderthewritingdidn’tgosowellnow. Onewholenightshesatstrugglingwiththatinvitation, andatdawn,justasthestarswerepalingintheskyoverVillaVillekulla,shetiptoedovertoTommy’sandAnnika’shouseanddroppedtheletterintotheirmailbox. 

           AssoonasTommyandAnnikacamehomefromschooltheybegantogetalldressedupfortheparty. Annikaaskedhermothertocurlherhair,andhermotherdid,andtieditwithabigpinksatinbow. Tommycombedhishairwithwatersothatitwouldlieallniceandsmooth.Hecertainlydidn’twantanycurls.