On a tranquil Swedish country farm, a cat gives birth to a litter of kittens, and one tiny soul is born without a tail. The kindly farmer faces an order from the farm’s harsh owner to discard the tailless kitten, so he secretly smuggles the young cat into the car of a family heading back to Uppsala after a summer spent near the farm. Discovered on arrival, the stowaway is named Peter-No-Tail, Pelle Svanslös, Mats Åhlfeldt as Pelle Svanslös, by the children Olle and Birgitta. The tale moves forward as the family—among them Mamman, [Helena Brodin], and Pappan, [Axel Düberg]—welcomes the rescued kitten into their home. The quiet resilience of Peter begins to shape his early days in a new place where he will soon learn what it means to belong.
Peter settles into life with his adoptive family, and spring arrives with a fresh wave of adventures. When Birgitta takes him out for a walk, a menacing bulldog gives chase, and Peter darts into an alley where Elake Måns, [Ernst-Hugo Järegård], the notorious long-tailed bully among the town’s cats, holds sway. Måns is backed by two eager but dim-witted twins, Bill and Bull, Carl Billquist and Björn Gustafson. In a ploy to impress a shy young female cat named Maja Gräddnos, Ewa Fröling, Måns engineers a scheme that backfires on him, and Maja’s hospitality ultimately reveals Peter’s genuine, courteous nature. Instead of humiliation, Peter earns a small moment of grace when Maja invites him in to share some fish, and Måns himself ends up soaked with a garden hose while trying to puff up his own charm.
The town hosts a spring ball, where a quirky competition tests the contestants’ wits and agility by showing their tail-length on a clever display. Peter faces an almost impossible hurdle: a difficult mental arithmetic question that seems to demand a tail for a clue. A friend from Peter’s earlier days—a snake he befriended—reveals the correct answer and, in a dramatic moment, bites Måns’ long tail, humiliating him before the crowd. Enraged, Måns retaliates by sneaking into Peter’s home and accusing him of devouring Olle’s birthday cake, resulting in Peter being locked away in a stark ironing room as punishment. Yet when a fire breaks out during the night, Peter’s frantic meowing wakes the sleeping family, and his bravery saves lives. In a heartfelt moment of forgiveness, Birgitta awards Peter a medal for his courage, recognizing the quiet heroism that often goes unseen.
Måns, never one to yield, dismisses Peter’s medal as a hollow symbol and counters with a grand plan of his own: the Cat Championship, a new sport with a glittering gold medallion as the prize. The challenges include a distance jump, a shotput-like toss, and a hurdle race. Måns rigs every test to trip Peter up—inside-out spike shoes threaten Peter’s feet, the shotput is unusually heavy, and the hurdle race is tainted by Måns’ cheating. When the truth surfaces, the referee disqualifies Måns, and the gold medallion is awarded to Peter. The crowd, led by Maja, cheers Peter’s fair victory, and a sense of pride fills the town as they celebrate his perseverance and kind heart.
Yet Måns remains determined to exile Peter from the city. He rallies fellow country cats to oppose Peter, and he looses a dangerous bulldog to chase him away. Most cats seek safety in the trees, but a young kitten named Fridolf finds himself in danger atop fragile scaffolding. Peter acts quickly, rescuing Fridolf from the collapsing platform, while the bulldog turns its attention toward Måns, Bill, and Bull, scattering them away. Peter’s brave rescue earns him praise from the town cats, who finally welcome him into their community with a sense of belonging he had long sought. In the end, Peter’s family—Mamman and Pappan—reunite with him, and the trio carries him back to the farm where his journey began, closing a circle of courage, acceptance, and enduring friendship.
- Pelle Svanslös, Mats Åhlfeldt
- Maja Gräddnos, Ewa Fröling
- Elake Måns, Ernst-Hugo Järegård
- Bill, Carl Billquist
- Bull, Björn Gustafson
- Gullan från Arkadien, Lena-Pia Bernhardsson
- Rickard från Rickomberga, Nils Eklund
- Mamman, Helena Brodin
- Den Tjocka Råttan, Eddie Axberg
- Gammel-Maja, Wallis Grahn
- Laban från Observatorielunden, Charlie Elvegård
- Murre från Skogstibble, Åke Lagergren
- Fritz, Jan Sjödin
