Pingu and the Doll

Pingu Helps Grandfather

Pingu’s family are all at home. Pingu is reading a comic, Pinga is playing doctors, with her teddy as the patient, Father is reading the paper and Mother is knitting. The phone rings. Father answers. It’s Grandfather, who’s had a fall putting up a picture and broken his foot! When Father has rung off and told the family what has happened to Grandfather, he and Mother have a discussion. Pingu goes and sits on the motorised sled, ready to go. The discussion shows no sign of ending, so Pingu calls out to hurry them up. They briefly stop talking, and then resume. Pingu is fed up with waiting, so he gets off the sled and starts walking to Grandfather’s house, muttering to himself. Father gets onto the sled and calls to Mother and Pinga. They come, and then Mother says she’s forgotten something and goes back in to get it. She returns wearing her floral hat. Father moans about the delay, but then Pinga also says she’s forgotten something and goes to get it, coming back carrying her doctor’s bag. Mother and Pinga get on the sled and Father asks if they’re ready to go. They both nod, but then Father can’t start the sled! He also goes back inside and returns, sheepishly showing Mother and Pinga the sled starter key, which he’d forgotten. Mother and Pinga both laugh, and they all set off on the sled. By now Pingu has reached Grandfather’s house. He enters, and commiserates with Grandfather. He then sees the smashed picture on the floor and the stilts, one broken, that Grandfather was using to get high enough, and has an idea. He splints Grandfathers foot using the broken stilt, tying it on with some cloth. Father, Mother and Pinga arrive. Pinga rushes in to help and is surprised to find Grandfather standing, with his foot splinted and using the unbroken stilt as a crutch. They take Grandfather to the hospital. A doctor takes Grandfather inside to be treated, while the others wait outside. Pingu brushes away a tear as Grandfather goes in, and is consoled by Mother. Grandfather then comes out in a wheelchair, with his foot and the broken stilt both neatly bandaged up. Grandfather gives the stilts to Pingu, who gets on them and walks around, to everyone’s amusement.