Chapter 3

           Itsoonbecameknownthroughoutthelittletownthatanine-year-oldgirlwaslivingallbyherselfinVillaVillekulla, andalltheladiesandgentle-meninthetownthoughtthiswouldneverdo. Allchildrenmusthavesomeonetoadvisethem, andallchildrenmustgotoschooltolearnthemultiplicationtables. Sotheladiesandgentle-mendecidedthatthelittlegirlinVillaVillekullamustimmediatelybeplacedinachildren’shome. 

           OnelovelyafternoonPippihadinvitedTommyandAnnikaoverforafternooncoffeeandpepparkakor. Shehadspreadthepartyoutonthefrontsteps. Itwassosunnyandbeautifulthere,andtheairwasfilledwiththefragranceoftheflowersinPippi’sgarden. Mr.Nilssonclimbedaroundontheporchrailing,andeverynowandthenthehorsestuckouthisheadsothathe’dbeinvitedtohaveacookie. 

           "Oh,isn’titglorioustobealive?"saidPippi,stretchingoutherlegsasfarasshecouldreach. 

           Justatthatmomenttwopoliceofficersinfulluniformcameinthroughthegate. 

           "Hurray!"saidPippi."Thismustbemyluckydaytoo! PolicemenaretheverybestthingsIknow.Nexttorhubarbpudding." Andwithherfacebeamingshewenttomeetthem. 

           "IsthisthegirlwhohasmovedintoVillaVillekulla?"askedoneofthepolicemen. 

           "Quitethecontrary,"saidPippi."Thisisatinylittleauntiewholivesonthethirdfloorattheotherendofthetown." 

           Shesaidthatonlybecauseshewantedtohavealittlefunwiththepolicemen,buttheydidn’tthinkitwasfunnyatall. 

           Theysaidsheshouldn’tbesuchasmarty. Andthentheywentontotellherthatsomenicepeopleinthetownwerearrangingforhertogetintoachildren’shome.