Poor Pingu

Pinga in a Box

Pinga is playing in the kitchen, and bumps her head several times on the table. She sees her cuddly rabbit on top of the toy box and goes over to get it. Also on the top of the toy box is an empty box and, as Pinga gets her rabbit, the box falls upside-down over her. She wanders around bumping into things, but as she’s got the box over herself she doesn’t get hurt. She goes past Pingu, who is sitting on his bed reading, and he grabs hold of the box and lifts it off her. Pingu has an idea! He explains his idea to Pinga, then turns the box the right way up, puts Pinga inside, tells her to be quiet and puts on the lid. He calls Mother, who comes to see what he wants. Pingu tells Mother that the box is for her, and as she’s about to open it to see what it is Pinga jumps up in the box and startles her. Mother sees the funny side of it and gives Pinga a cuddle. Pingu and Pinga, who has her rabbit with her, then go out on the sledge, taking the box with them. They come to Grandfather’s house, and stop. Grandfather is inside, banging, so they put the box outside the door, Pinga hides inside, Pingu knocks on the door and then he hides. Grandfather opens the door, spots the box, looks it over carefully and then goes to open it. Pinga jumps up as she did before, startling Grandfather who almost has a heart attack with the shock. When he recovers he tells them off for playing such a prank and makes Pinga cry. Then he sees the amusing side and gives them a hug. Pingu and Pinga continue their journey and reach the post office. Nobody is about, so they set the prank up again, putting the box with Pinga inside next to some other boxes by the door. Pingu hears Father approaching on the motorised sledge and quickly hides. Father loads some of the boxes, including the one that Pinga is in, onto the sledge and drives off to deliver them. Pingu comes out of hiding, spots that Pinga has dropped her rabbit, picks it up and runs shouting after them. Father doesn’t hear, and stops only to deliver two of the boxes to one igloo and a third box to another, leaving Pinga’s box still on the sledge. Pingu is still rushing to catch up, but stops when he passes the second igloo as the owner is still outside with the box. He grabs the box and empties it on the ground to see if it’s Pinga’s box, but it isn’t, so he tosses the box aside and rushes on, leaving a puzzled recipient behind. He catches up just as Father is about to deliver Pinga’s box to a third igloo; Father has picked up the box and is carrying it round the sledge. Father stops when he sees Pingu, and Pinga pops up out of the box and startles Father, who then laughs. Father puts the box on the ground and Pingu reunites Pinga with her rabbit, and gives her a big hug.