One minute Pippi's firing guns into the air and the next minute the story's over. It's abrupt for sure, and it may leave you with a That's it? kind of feeling, but we actually think Pippi's last words make for a rather profound ending.
That's because Pippi's cry of "I'm going to be a pirate when I grow up. … Are you?" is about a lot more than her potential to become a pirate when she grows up. In fact it's about her not growing up at all. Ever.
After attempting to fit into adult society at Mrs. Settergren's coffee party and then spending a day wondering what to do with herself (before saving a couple of kids from a burning building), Pippi, upon reaching the ripe age of ten, has found her place. The town has cheered for her, Mrs. Settergren has decided to at least tolerate her (otherwise, Tommy and Annika wouldn't be hanging out for the late show at Villa Villekulla), and Pippi has embraced her role as a Peter Pan-esque figure: one who will never grow up, or at the very least, one who will never be on the side of the persnickety adults who populate her story.