“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.”

“As the children were sitting there eating pears, a girl came walking along the road from town. When she saw the children she stopped and asked, "Have you seen my papa go by?""M-m-m," said Pippi. "How did he look? Did he have blue eyes?""Yes," said the girl."Medium large, not too tall and not too short?""Yes," said the girl."Black hat and black shoes?""Yes, exactly," said the girl eagerly."No, that one we haven't seen," said Pippi decidedly.”

“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.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?' I asked her.'You know,' she said, 'when you say stuff like that I just want to slap you.''What?''You heard me.' She picked up her beer and took a swallow, still watching me. Then she said, 'Colie, you should never be surprised when people treat you with respect. You should expect it.'I shook my head. 'You don’t know-' I began. But, as usual, she didn’t let me finish.'Yes,' she said simply. 'I do know. I’ve watched you, Colie. You walk around like a dog waiting to be kicked, and when someone does, you pout and cry like you didn’t deserve it.''No one deserves to be kicked,' I said.'I disagree,' she said flatly. 'You do if you don’t think you’re worth any better.”

“Well, well, so you aren't going to be a maidservant this time?" said Pippi, stroking his back. "Oh, that was a lie, that's true," she continued. "But still, if it's true, how can it be a lie?" she argued. "You wait and see, it's going to turn out he was a maidservant in Arabie after all, and if that's the case, I know who's making the meatballs at our house hereafter!”

“now look, she said, stretched out on the bed, I don’t want anything personal, let’s just do it, I don’t want to get involved, got it? she kicked off her high-heeled shoes… sure, he said, standing there, let’s just pretend that we’ve already done it, there’s nothing less involved than that, is there? what the hell do you mean? she asked. I mean, he said, I’d rather drink anyhow. and he poured himself one. it was a lousy night in Vegas and he walked to the window and looked out at the dumb lights. you a fag? she asked, you a god damned fag? no, he said. you don’t have to get shitty,...”