Pippi Meets the Animalians
Kurrekurredutt Island: Harbor
A week after the Jim and Buck incident, the Hoppetossa was being loaded with cargo.
"I think you and your friends better get your things ready, Pippi. We're sailing out bright early tomorrow." Captain Longstocking said.
"Aye aye, Captain. I'll let the others know." Pippi said.
The next day, the Hoppetossa was loaded and ready to sail.
The people of Kurrekurredutt all came to see the Hoppetossa off.
Pippi, Tommy, Annika, Willie, Anna, and Calissa had each gotten a small sack of pearls as farewell gifts from Momo and Moana.
"Say father, where are we going?" Pippi asked.
"We're sailing to an island that lies in the Equator." Captain Longstocking replied. "It's a secret island that is only known to a very few people."
"Wow, a secret island. Tell me more, father." Pippi said.
"Well, no spoilers, but I can tell you that you'll be very surprised when you see the people of the island." Captain Longstocking said.
The people of Kurrekurredutt all waved and cheered goodbye as the Hoppetossa left the harbor and began sailing towards the Equator.
Ocean: Equator
At the Equator, the Hoppetossa began heading towards the point where the Equator intersects with the Prime Meridian.
In the captain's quarters of the Hoppetossa, Captain Longstocking was showing the kids their destination as he pointed at the intersection point of the Equator and the Prime Meridian.
"On this point, where the Equator meets the Prime Meridian, is where we're headed." Captain Longstocking said. "You're all in great luck, because this location is rarely visited, the name of this island is known as Animalia."
"Wow, an island that no one hardly knows about." Willie said.
"I wonder why it's so secret." Anna said.
Later, Pippi and Captain Longstocking were on the deck, while Tommy, Annika, Willie, Anna, and Calissa kept on lookout.
As the Hoppetossa started getting closer to its destination, it started passing by a ship.
The ship had no name on the hull, and a lot of things on the deck were covered with tarps.
"Ship ahoy!" Pippi shouted as she noticed the ship.
On the bridge of the ship was a large, burly, muscular man; he had red hair, a red beard, and he wore a safari outfit.
"Ah, I searched for 6 months to find the secret island with no luck, but today, I feel confident that I will see it." the man said.
"But boss, even if we do find the island, would we really stand a chance against them?" one of the man's underlings asked as he came into the bridge.
"Don't worry about them. Phillip Gunner always gets his catch." the man replied.
Meanwhile, on the deck of the Hoppetossa, Pippi and Captain Longstocking were keeping an eye on the ship.
"What do you see, my dear?" Captain Longstocking asked.
"I see two men in the bridge; one large and bearded, and the other one seems to be an underling." Pippi replied. "There are also some stuff on the deck, most of it look like crates, considering their box shapes."
Then, a gust of wind slightly blew on the tarp to reveal a big cage.
"Hey, that's no crate! It's a cage!" Pippi said.
"I could go get a closer look without being seen." Calissa said as she came down onto the deck and prepared to dive into the water.
"Better not." Captain Longstocking said. "They might have a radar onboard, they won't have to see you, they'll still know you're there."
"Okay, I won't go." Calissa said as she ceased her attempt to dive into the water and got back on deck.
"Y'know, father. It'd be best to move on before we attract some unwanted attention." Pippi said.
"Right you are, my dear." Captain Longstocking said. "Full speed ahead, men! We're moving out!"
"Aye aye, Captain!" Fridolf said, and the Hoppetossa sailed away, before anyone on Phillip Gunner's ship saw the Hoppetossa.
Equator/Prime Meridian Intersection: Animalia
The Hoppetossa finally reached the intersecting point of the Equator and the Prime Meridian, where the island of Animalia was located.
"We are finally here, Animalia. Ah, this place looks exactly like it was since I last visited here 13 years ago." Captain Longstocking said. "First, me and Pippi will let the people know who we are, then we'll come back."
Pippi and Captain Longstocking got ashore and headed further into the island.
The environment of Animalia was mostly a jungle with green, lively trees everywhere.
"Wow, I didn't expect this to be a jungle." Pippi said. "Father, when are we gonna meet some people around here?"
"Patient, my dear." Captain Longstocking said. "First we have to ring the Greeting Bell."
Captain Longstocking walked up to a large golden bell beside a large wooden gate and rang it five times.
Then, two shadowy figures that were keeping watch from the top of the gate nodded with each other and came down to the other side of the gate.
Then, the gate opened and the shadowy figures are revealed to be an anthropomorphic dog and an anthropomorphic rabbit, both of them appeared to be female.
"Woah! They're animals!" Pippi said.
"Are you Captain Efraim Longstocking, captain of the Hoppetossa ship?" the rabbit asked.
"Why yes, yes I am." Captain Longstocking replied. "I have the supplies your people asked for, they're on my ship."
"My name is Isabelle, and my friend here is Bonnie." the dog introduced herself and the rabbit.
"Wait here, me and my daughter will head back to the Hoppetossa and come back with the supplies." Captain Longstocking said.
Back at the Hoppetossa, Pippi and her father returned, as Captain Longstocking and his men were unloading supplies, Pippi told her friends about the people she met on the island.
"So there were a talking dog and a talking rabbit?" Annika said.
"Yes, and not only that, they could stand on their hind feet, they almost seemed human." Pippi replied. "But they were just two. I wonder, what if there are more talking animals?"
"For your information, kids. They are known as Animalians." Captain Longstocking said. "There are Animalians of various animals, but they are limited to only certain species of mammals."
"Well, so much for seeing turtles or birds." Willie said.
"Come on now kids. I don't want to keep the Animalians waiting any longer." Captain Longstocking said.
The Hoppetossa crew had unloaded every last bit of supplies and Captain Longstocking went to get Isabelle and Bonnie.
Isabelle and Bonnie called for more Animalians to help carry the supplies into the city that was further in mainland.
"Captain Longstocking! Welcome back, Captain!" a lot of Animalians said as they greeted Captain Longstocking.
"It seems they remember you from your last visit, Captain Longstocking." Isabelle said.
"It's no surprise. He was so popular the last time he was here." Bonnie said.
"We should have a party to celebrate Captain Longstocking's return to Animalia!" a male tiger Animalian suggested.
And soon, a party was thrown in honor of Captain Longstocking.
Tommy, Annika, Willie, and Anna played with some Animalian kids, while Pippi and Calissa were eating some fish.
"Yum, this is good. What kind of fish is this?" Calissa asked.
"It's a special kind of fish that live only around Animalia, we call it, Meridia Equana." Isabelle replied. "The only kind of meat that we typically eat are fishes and birds. We don't eat the meat of mammals."
"All Animalians are omnivores, regardless of the kind of mammal that we are." Bonnie said.
Then, the party continued on until nighttime, by this time, everyone had worn themselves out and fell asleep.
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