KURREKURREDUTT, an island in the South Pacific inhabited by dark-skinned cannibals. Kurrekurredutt is ruled by King Efraim Longstocking, the infamous sea pirate and captain of the sailing ship Hoptoad. During a violent storm he was blown overboard, washing ashore on Kurrekurredutt. Initially the inhabitants wished to eat Efraim, but chose to make him king after witnessing Ehfraim tear down a palm tree with his bare hands. A stone monument on the beach marks the occasion. King Efraim I rules the natives hard to ensure that his influence will last during his long absences, when he chooses to sail the seas or visit his daughter Pippilotta.
There are one-hundred and twenty six natives of Kurrekurredutt, not including the king or his crew. The living quarters are small cozy huts nestled among the palm trees, the King inhabiting the largest one. A smaller hut was constructed for Princess Pippi, and the crew have their own quarters for when the ship is anchored at shore.
Celebrations are held in the royal square, where King Efraim may sit in a bamboo throne adorned with red hibiscus flowers. Princess Pippi has a smaller throne standing next to her father's. The natives enjoy dancing around a fire lit in the clearing.
For enjoyment the children of the island will retreat to the coral cliffs which plunge straight into the sea. They may play in the many caves cut into the rock, or dive for oysters in the waters below. The large pearls gathered from the shellfish are used by the children as marbles. Shark infest the same waters, necessitating a lookout. Princess Pippi later constructed a net around the area to keep out the predators, and a ladder to the largest cave, a popular place for the children to eat and sleep in.
On other days the children may play in a bamboo hut contructed for them by Pippi, or climb a coconut tree with steps carved into it. A hibiscus swing tied between two other coconut trees allows the children to hurl themselves into the water should they swing high enough. Sometimes they may journey into the jungle to the tallest mountain and view the waterfall there.
The king has begun to spend more and more time on the island, only venturing offshore occasionally to trade pearls for snuff. His daughter Pippi returned to her home in Sweden.
(Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Långstrump går ombord
, Stockholm, 1957; Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Långstrump i Söderhavet, Stockholm, 1959)
VILLA VILLEKULLA, a residence in a small town in Sweden. Located on the edge of town where the street becomes a quaint country road, Villa Villekulla is the home of Pippi Longstocking, a precocious little girl with great wealth and extraordinary strength. The house was purchased by her father Efraim as a place to live in once he retired from sailing the seas. Pippi moved in after Efraim was blown overboard in a storm.
Villa Villekulla has one floor encompassing a kitchen, bedroom and parlor. Pippi sleeps in the bedroom with her monkey Mr. Nilsson; she also owns a horse that lives outside on the porch. The parlor houses a large trunk full of the many treasures Pippi and her father gathered while sailing the seas, and Pippi is fond of dispensing these to visitors as gifts. A trunk in the attic holds most of Efraim's personal effects, including his pirate paraphernalia.
The garden is messy and overgrown with grass and rose bushes. The property is also home to several large oaks and elms, plus a number of fruit-bearing trees. One big oak tree is hollow inside, creating a favorite hiding spot for Pippi and her friends. On Thursdays soda pop and chocolate appear inside.
Pippi is in possession of a large amount of money, never goes to school, and lives completely without adult supervision. Any visitor wishing to bother her for these particular reasons is advised against doing so, since the majority of adults cannot reason with Pippi, and eventually find themselves lifted into the air by her.
(Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Långstrump, Stockholm, 1950; Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Långstrump går ombord, Stockholm, 1957; Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Långstrump i Söderhavet, Stockholm, 1959)