Pippi Longstocking - Pippi's Unusual Strength

Pippi's Unusual Strength

Pippi's strength has been described in various ways:

• "The strongest girl in the world."
• "She is so strong you won't believe it!"
• In one of the books, she is described as having "The strength of ten policemen."
• On a VHS cover it is said that "She has the strength of Superman."

It is never explained how she can be so strong. Pippi's strength amazes and confounds people, including the children, though they eventually begin to take it in stride. Pippi herself makes no mention of her extraordinary strength, though she is obviously aware of it. She is not at all violent, and when circumstances require her to protect herself or others, she usually takes great care not to hurt anyone. This is seen in the first book, when she neutralizes five large bullies singlehandedly, and also when she engages two policemen (who were determined to take her to an orphanage against her will) in a game of tag.

She is also seen in the various movies picking up a horse (the books often mention Pippi moving her horse Old Man by carrying him from one place to another), a car, weights/barbells weighing over 1,000 pounds; she also pulls bars out of a jail window and throws pirates across a room.