Pingu Has a Day Off

Overview

Pingu is at school, and the class are given the rest of the day off. As they set off home, Pingu asks if they’d like to play, but they’re all going to go home. When Pingu arrives home Mother is busy cleaning the floor, and suggests that Pingu might like to help. Pingu’s not too keen, so Mother suggests he could help with the washing, or chopping firewood. Pingu is not keen on these either, and he goes out on his sledge. He passes a signpost, and tosses a snowball at it, so that snow covers the directions. He passes Pingg’s house; Pingg is busy helping his father with the firewood and can’t come with Pingu. He then passes the fish stall, where Pingo is helping his grandfather. Pingo is also too busy to come with Pingu. He meets Pingi helping her mother push a sledge loaded with vegetables; she also can’t come with him. He reaches a pool, tosses in a stone and when nothing much happens lies down for a rest. He hears cawing, and sees the Mother Bird taking a fish to her chicks. This gets him thinking; about Mother cleaning the floor, about Pingg with the firewood, Pingo at the fish stall and Pingi pushing the sledge. He then sees the Mother Bird fly off with the fish bone, and sets off back home. On the way he goes straight past his friends, and rattles the signpost so that the snow is cleared from the directions, all without stopping. When he arrives home, Mother is still cleaning the floor. To her surprise he gets her to her feet and settles her in the chair with the paper, and starts cleaning the floor himself. Mother is delighted by Pingu’s change of heart.