Pingu Refuses to Help

Pingu and Pinga are in their bedroom. Pingu is reading, and nibbling on some cereal in a bowl, while Pinga plays with the bricks. Mother is in the kitchen, feeling a bit harassed. First the washing machine finishes, then the phone rings and then a pot on the stove starts to boil. She calls for help. Pingu ignores the call. Pinga responds and goes to the stove, but she’s too little to do anything about the pot. Mother comes over, sorts out the pot and then she and Pinga go to the washing machine. Mother unloads the washing into the basket, and calls to Pingu to come and help, but he doesn’t respond. Mother goes outside with Pinga. She’s just started hanging out the washing when Father arrives home. He greets Mother and Pinga. Mother tells him that Pingu’s not being very helpful, so Father goes to speak to Pingu about it. When Father reaches the bedroom, the door is shut and locked. Father bangs on the door and calls to Pingu, who just ignores it and continues with what he is doing. Mother, Father and Pinga confer, and then leave Pingu to it. Pingu finishes his bowl of cereal and decides he wants some more. He goes to the door, opens it, checks that the coast is clear, then goes to the cereal packet and puts some in his bowl. He then wonders why it’s so quiet and goes to look outside. Mother and Father are hanging out the washing, watched by Pinga. Feeling a bit left out, Pingu goes back inside. He checks the washing machine, and finds a small cloth that has been left behind. He rushes outside to give it to Mother, but she, Father and Pinga all ignore him. Pingu tries to get their attention, but they all turn away and go inside. Pingu looks inside, and sees Mother giving Pinga a heaped bowl of cereal. He disconsolately trudges back outside. The washing on the line starts to judder, and the line frays and then breaks. Pingu grabs the broken ends of the line, one in each hand, just in time to prevent the washing from falling to the ground. He struggles to keep his grip, and moans with the strain. Pinga hears him and goes outside to find out what’s going on, then rushes back in to tell Mother and Father what’s happened, but it was too late. They rush out and Father repairs the line while Pinga tries to cheer Pingu up. Mother then cheers Pingu up by giving him a big hug.