Pippi Sits on the Gate and Climbs a Tree
- Pippi, Annika, and Tommy are sitting on a fence eating pears from one of Pippi's pear trees when a young girl approaches and asks if they have seen her papa.
- After a few jokes at the girl's expense, Pippi tells a rather involved story about a Chinese man she knew of in Shanghai who had ears so large he and his friends could camp under them.
- Pippi says the man's name is Hai Shang (which means at sea in Chinese), and that he had numerous children including a baby named Peter.
- When Tommy interrupts to say that a Chinese baby can't be called Peter, Pippi incorporates his comment into the story and uses it as the reason that this child, Peter, was so difficult.
- This child, Peter, refused to eat anything from May to October and eventually died of his stubbornness.
- When the girl who's been listening to this story gives Pippi a funny look, Pippi asks her if she thinks Pippi has been lying.
- The girl says no, to which Pippi replies, "But it's just what I'm doing. I'm lying so my tongue is turning black" (5.31).
- Pippi then berates the girl for believing her, at which point the girl leaves (who can blame her?) and Pippi suggests tree-climbing to Tommy and Annika.
- They climb a big oak, where Pippi thinks it would be great to have coffee.
- When they finish their treetop coffee party, Pippi throws all the china to the ground (to see how strong it is, duh).
- She then discovers that the tree is hollow and climbs inside it.
- Annika is frightened when Pippi disappears, but Tommy joins her.
- Eventually they persuade Annika to climb down inside the trunk too, and the children decide it will be their new hiding spot.
- The bell rings for dinner at Tommy and Annika's house and they run home, planning to come over again the next day as soon as they get out of school.