Пеппи Длинныйчулок

           Sherememberedthatshehadn’tbeenridingforacoupleofdaysanddecidedtogoatonce. ThatwouldbeaniceendingtoapleasantSunday. 

           Accordinglysheputonherbighat,fetchedMr.Nilssonfromacornerwherehesatplayingmarbles,saddledthehorse,andliftedhimdownfromtheporch. AndofftheywentMr.NilssononPippiandPippionthehorse. 

           Itwasquitecoldandtheroadswerefrozen,sotherewasagoodcrunchysoundastheyrodealong. Mr.NilssonsatonPippi’sshoulderandtriedtocatchholdofsomeofthebranchesofthetreesastheywentby, butPippirodesofastthatitwasnouse. Instead,thebrancheskeptboxinghimintheears, andhehadahardtimekeepinghisstrawhatonhishead. 

           Pippirodethroughthelittletown,andpeoplepressedarduouslyupagainstthewallswhenshecamestormingby. 

           Thetownhadamarketsquare,ofcourse. Therewereseveralcharmingoldone-storybuildingsandalittleyellow-paintedtownhall.Andtherewasalsoanuglywretchofabuilding,newlybuiltandthreestorieshigh. Itwascalled"TheSkyscraper"becauseitwastallerthananyoftheotherhousesintown. 

           OnaSundayafternoonthelittletownwasalwaysquietandpeaceful, butsuddenlythequietwasbrokenbyloudcries."TheSkyscraper’sburning!Fire!Fire!" 

           Peoplecamerunningexcitedlyfromalldirections. Thefireenginecameclangingdownthestreet, andthelittlechildrenwhousuallythoughtfireenginesweresuchfunnowcriedfromfrightbecausetheyweresuretheirownhouseswouldcatchfiretoo.