Pippi Longstocking

The circus comes to town, and Annika and Tommy get money from their father to go. They rush over to Pippi and invite her, but Pippi doesn’t understand what a “surkus” is (90). The siblings take some time to explain, and Pippi finds it strange that she must pay to look at something when she looks at things all the time. Still, she is curious and agrees to go. At the ticket booth, Pippi gives the lady a gold coin and refuses the large amount of change for the tickets, which only cost $1.25 each. During the first act, Pippi only mildly interferes, picking up a horse’s leg and letting it go. In the second act, she hops on the back of a tall black horse with a female performer, angering and embarrassing the circus rider since Pippi’s skills outshine even a practiced performer. The ringmaster becomes angry with Pippi and tries to have security throw her out, but they cannot match her strength and give up. During the tightrope act, Pippi climbs up to the platform and performs daring tricks, pleasing the crowd and making them cheer. When the strong man act begins, the ringmaster offers $100 to anyone who can beat “The Mighty Adolf” (97).