''Alfie and His Secret Friend'' () is a 1976 children's book by

Gunilla Bergström Gunilla Elisabet Dukure Bergström (3 July 1942 – 23 August 2021) was a Swedish author, journalist, and illustrator. She is best known for her series of children's books about the character Alfie Atkins (Swedish: ''Alfons Åberg''), which she ...

. Translated by Robert Swindells, it was published in English in 1979. As an episode of the

animated television series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

it originally aired over SVT on 1 January 1980.

Plot

Alfie is bored and plays with his secret friend

Malcolm Malcolm, Malcom, Máel Coluim, or Maol Choluim may refer to: People * Malcolm (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Malcom (footballer) (born 1997), Brazilian football forward * Clan Malcolm * Maol Choluim de Innerp ...

. They play with a toy train, and suddenly Alfie's father's

tobacco pipe A tobacco pipe, often called simply a pipe, is a device specifically made to smoke tobacco. It comprises a chamber (the bowl (smoking), bowl) for the tobacco from which a thin hollow stem (shank) emerges, ending in a mouthpiece. Pipes can range ...

, which they have used for the locomotive, is gone. Alfie's father is upset when they lay the table, while eating and hurry to

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

. Malcolm is always there. When they're gone Malcolm gets a present, because he is moving away. It includes new batteries for Alfie's

flashlight A flashlight (US English) or electric torch (Commonwealth English), usually shortened to torch, is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, but these have been displaced ...

. Using the flashlight, they finally find the tobacco pipe.

In the real world

In February 2009 a 23-year-old man in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, accused for

drunk driving Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is in ...

, was freed by the law court in a trial which was given attention when he blamed a guy named Mållgan (Malcolm's original Swedish name) for driving his car.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=October 2019 1976 children's books Rabén & Sjögren books Works by Gunilla Bergström