“I write because, if I don't, my characters will murder me in my sleep.”

“No Fridolf, bother all this learning. I can't study anymore because I must climb the mast to see what kind of weather we're going to have tomorrow.”

“The children came to a perfume shop. In the show window was a large jar of freckle salve, and beside the jar was a sign, which read: DO YOU SUFFER FROM FRECKLES?'What does the sign say?' ask Pippi. She couldn’t read very well because she didn’t want to go to school as other children did.'It says, "Do you suffer from freckles?"' said Annika.'Does it indeed?' said Pippi thoughtfully. 'Well, a civil question deserves a civil answer. Let’s go in.'She opened the door and entered the shop, closely followed by Tommy and Annika. An elderly lady stood back of the counter. Pippi went right up to her. 'No!' she said decidedly.'What is it you want?' asked the lady.'No,' said Pippi once more.'I don’t understand what you mean,' said the lady.'No, I don’t suffer from freckles,' said Pippi.Then the lady understood, but she took one look at Pippi and burst out, 'But, my dear child, your whole face is covered with freckles!''I know it,' said Pippi, 'but I don’t suffer from them. I love them. Good morning.'She turned to leave, but when she got to the door she looked back and cried, 'But if you should happen to get in any salve that gives people more freckles, then you can send me seven or eight jars.”

“The girl hurried away, but then Pippi shouted, "Did he have big ears that reached way down to his shoulders?""No," said the girl and turned and came running back in amazement. "You don't mean to say that you have seen a man walk by with such big ears?""I have never seen anyone who walks with his ears," said Pippi. "All the people I know walk with their feet.”

“But Nightshirts aren't dangerous," Pippi assured her. "They don't bite anybody except in self defense.”

“You understand Teacher, don't you, that when you have a mother who's an angel and a father who is a cannibal king, and when you have sailed on the ocean all your whole life, then you don't know just how to behave in school with all the apples and ibexes.”

“-"What's that for?"-"Have a little bread with your ice cream," she told me.”