PINOCCHIO

THE TALE OF APUPPET

By C COLLODI

[Illustration: "HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GO IN?"]

[Illustration]

PINOCCHIO

THE TALE OF APUPPET

By C COLLODI

Illustrated ByALICE CARSEY

WHITMAN PUBLISHING CO. RACINE, WISCONSIN

COPYRIGHT 1916 BYWHITMAN PUBLISHING CO. RACINE, WISCONSINPRINTED IN U. S. A. 

Transcriber's Note:

The untitled illustration on page 26 was not listed in the List ofIllustrations of the source book. 

In several cases, missing punctuation was added or wrong punctuationremoved. 

The following typos were fixed: thouand to thousand Harelquin to Harlequin pretrified to petrified

CONTENTS

 Chap. Page I THE PIECE OF WOOD THAT LAUGHED AND CRIED LIKE A CHILD 9 II MASTER CHERRY GIVES THE WOOD AWAY 12 III GEPPETTO NAMES HIS PUPPET PINOCCHIO 16 IV THE TALKING-CRICKET SCOLDS PINOCCHIO 23 V THE FLYING EGG 26 VI PINOCCHIO'S FEET BURN TO CINDERS 29 VII GEPPETTO GIVES HIS OWN BREAKFAST TO PINOCCHIO 31 VIII GEPPETTO MAKES PINOCCHIO NEW FEET 35 IX PINOCCHIO GOES TO SEE A PUPPET-SHOW 39 X THE PUPPETS RECOGNIZE THEIR BROTHER PINOCCHIO 42 XI FIRE-EATER SNEEZES AND PARDONS PINOCCHIO 45 XII PINOCCHIO RECEIVES A PRESENT OF FIVE GOLD PIECES 49 XIII THE INN OF THE RED CRAW-FISH 57 XIV PINOCCHIO FALLS AMONG ASSASSINS 61 XV THE ASSASSINS HANG PINOCCHIO TO THE BIG OAK 65 XVI THE BEAUTIFUL CHILD RESCUES THE PUPPET 71 XVII PINOCCHIO WILL NOT TAKE HIS MEDICINE 75 XVIII PINOCCHIO AGAIN MEETS THE FOX AND THE CAT 81 XIX PINOCCHIO IS ROBBED OF HIS MONEY 87 XX PINOCCHIO STARTS BACK TO THE FAIRY'S HOUSE 91 XXI PINOCCHIO ACTS AS WATCH-DOG 94 XXII PINOCCHIO DISCOVERS THE ROBBERS 97 XXIII PINOCCHIO FLIES TO THE SEASHORE 101 XXIV PINOCCHIO FINDS THE FAIRY AGAIN 109 XXV PINOCCHIO PROMISES THE FAIRY TO BE GOOD 116 XXVI THE TERRIBLE DOG-FISH 120 XXVII PINOCCHIO IS ARRESTED BY THE GENDARMES 126XXVIII PINOCCHIO ESCAPES BEING FRIED LIKE A FISH 133 XXIX HE RETURNS TO THE FAIRY'S HOUSE 139 XXX THE "LAND OF BOOBIES" 147 XXXI PINOCCHIO ENJOYS FIVE MONTHS OF HAPPINESS 153 XXXII PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY 160XXXIII PINOCCHIO IS TRAINED FOR THE CIRCUS 167 XXXIV PINOCCHIO IS SWALLOWED BY THE DOG-FISH 178 XXXV A HAPPY SURPRISE FOR PINOCCHIO 186 XXXVI PINOCCHIO AT LAST CEASES TO BE A PUPPET AND BECOMES A BOY 194

LINE ILLUSTRATIONS

DECORATIVE TITLE PAGE 1THE RUNAWAY PUPPET 9GEPPETTO CARRIED OFF HIS FINE PIECE OF WOOD 12HE SET TO WORK TO CUT OUT HIS PUPPET 16A LITTLE CHICKEN POPPED OUT 17PINOCCHIO THREW HIS HAMMER AT THE TALKING-CRICKET 23UNTITLED 26POOR PINOCCHIO'S FEET BURN TO CINDERS 29GEPPETTO MAKES HIS PUPPET SOME CLOTHES 35THE PUPPETS BEGAN TO DANCE MERRILY 45PINOCCHIO MEETS THE CAT AND THE FOX 49SPLASH! SPLASH! THEY FELL INTO THE DITCH 52DINNER AT THE RED CRAW-FISH INN 57PINOCCHIO ESCAPES FROM HIS ASSASSINS 61THEY HUNG PINOCCHIO TO THE BIG OAK TREE 65FOUR RABBITS AS BLACK AS INK ENTERED 69THE FALCON SAVES PINOCCHIO 71PINOCCHIO REFUSES TO TAKE HIS MEDICINE 75TREACHEROUS COMPANIONS 81THE JUDGE WAS A BIG APE 87PINOCCHIO GETS HIS FOOT CAUGHT IN A TRAP 94THE NEW WATCH-DOG 97PINOCCHIO'S WILD RIDE ON THE PIGEON'S BACK 101AN IMMENSE SERPENT STRETCHED ACROSS THE ROAD 104PINOCCHIO BRAVES THE SEA TO SAVE HIS FATHER 109"SCHOOL GIVES ME PAIN ALL OVER THE BODY" 116PINOCCHIO STARTS OFF HAPPILY FOR SCHOOL 120"OH, I AM SICK OF BEING A PUPPET!" 121THE BOYS THREW THEIR BOOKS AT POOR PINOCCHIO 126THE FISHERMAN PUT HIS HAND INTO THE NET 133THE DOG SEIZES PINOCCHIO AND ESCAPES 139"HERE IS THE COACH!" SHOUTED CANDLEWICK 147THEY ARRIVE IN THE "LAND OF THE BOOBIES" 153THE BOYS ARE TURNED INTO DONKEYS 160THE LITTLE DONKEYS ARE SOLD 167ALL HIS FRIENDS WERE INVITED 172THE PUPPET WAS WRIGGLING LIKE AN EEL 178SWALLOWED BY THE DOG-FISH 186IT WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE ON THE TUNNY'S BACK 189THE BLIND CAT AND THE TAILLESS FOX 194

[Illustration]

PINOCCHIO

CHAPTER I

THE PIECE OF WOOD THAT LAUGHED AND CRIED LIKE A CHILD

There was once upon a time a piece of wood in the shop of an oldcarpenter named Master Antonio. Everybody, however, called him MasterCherry, on account of the end of his nose, which was always as red andpolished as a ripe cherry. 

No sooner had Master Cherry set eyes on the piece of wood than his facebeamed with delight, and, rubbing his hands together with satisfaction, he said softly to himself:

"This wood has come at the right moment; it will just do to make the legof a little table. "

He immediately took a sharp axe with which to remove the bark and therough surface, but just as he was going to give the first stroke heheard a very small voice say imploringly, "Do not strike me so hard!"

He turned his terrified eyes all around the room to try and discoverwhere the little voice could possibly have come from, but he saw nobody!He looked under the bench--nobody; he looked into a cupboard that wasalways shut--nobody; he looked into a basket of shavings andsawdust--nobody; he even opened the door of the shop and gave a glanceinto the street--and still nobody. Who, then, could it be?

"I see how it is, " he said, laughing and scratching his wig, "evidentlythat little voice was all my imagination. Let us set to work again. "

And, taking up the axe, he struck a tremendous blow on the piece ofwood. 

"Oh! oh! you have hurt me!" cried the same little voice dolefully. 

This time Master Cherry was petrified. His eyes started out of his headwith fright, his mouth remained open, and his tongue hung out almost tothe end of his chin, like a mask on a fountain. As soon as he hadrecovered the use of his speech he began to say, stuttering andtrembling with fear:

"But where on earth can that little voice have come from that said 'Oh!oh!'? Is it possible that this piece of wood can have learned to cry andto lament like a child? I cannot believe it. This piece of wood isnothing but a log for fuel like all the others, and thrown on the fireit would about suffice to boil a saucepan of beans. How then? Can anyonebe hidden inside it? If anyone is hidden inside, so much the worse forhim. I will settle him at once. "

So saying, he seized the poor piece of wood and commenced beating itwithout mercy against the walls of the room. 

Then he stopped to listen if he could hear any little voice lamenting. He waited two minutes--nothing; five minutes--nothing; tenminutes--still nothing!

"I see how it is, " he then said, forcing himself to laugh, and pushingup his wig; "evidently the little voice that said 'Oh! oh!' was all myimagination! Let us set to work again. "

Putting the axe aside, he took his plane, to plane and polish the bit ofwood; but whilst he was running it up and down he heard the same littlevoice say, laughing:

"Stop! you are tickling me all over!"

This time poor Master Cherry fell down as if he had been struck bylightning. When he at last opened his eyes he found himself seated onthe floor. 

His face was changed, even the end of his nose, instead of beingcrimson, as it was nearly always, had become blue from fright. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER II

MASTER CHERRY GIVES THE WOOD AWAY

At that moment some one knocked at the door. 

"Come in, " said the carpenter, without having the strength to rise tohis feet. 

A lively little old man immediately walked into the shop. His name wasGeppetto, but when the boys of the neighborhood wished to make him angrythey called him Pudding, because his yellow wig greatly resembled apudding made of Indian corn. 

Geppetto was very fiery. Woe to him who called him Pudding! He becamefurious and there was no holding him. 

"Good-day, Master Antonio, " said Geppetto; "what are you doing there onthe floor?"

"I am teaching the alphabet to the ants. "

"Much good may that do you. "

"What has brought you to me, neighbor Geppetto?"

"My legs. But to tell the truth. Master Antonio, I came to ask a favorof you. "

"Here I am, ready to serve you, " replied the carpenter, getting on hisknees. 

"This morning an idea came into my head. "

"Let us hear it. "

"I thought I would make a beautiful wooden puppet; one that could dance, fence, and leap like an acrobat. With this puppet I would travel aboutthe world to earn a piece of bread and a glass of wine. What do youthink of it?"

"Bravo, Pudding!" exclaimed the same little voice, and it was impossibleto say where it came from. 

Hearing himself called Pudding, Geppetto became as red as a turkey-cockfrom rage and, turning to the carpenter, he said in a fury:

"Why do you insult me?"

"Who insults you?"

"You called me Pudding!"

"It was not I!"

"Do you think I called myself Pudding? It was you, I say!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

And, becoming more and more angry, from words they came to blows, and, flying at each other, they bit and fought, and scratched. 

When the fight was over Master Antonio was in possession of Geppetto'syellow wig, and Geppetto discovered that the grey wig belonging to thecarpenter remained between his teeth. 

"Give me back my wig, " screamed Master Antonio. 

"And you, return me mine, and let us be friends again. "

The two old men having each recovered his own wig, shook hands and sworethat they would remain friends to the end of their lives. 

"Well, then, neighbor Geppetto, " said the carpenter, to prove that peacewas made, "what is the favor that you wish of me?"

"I want a little wood to make my puppet; will you give me some?"

Master Antonio was delighted, and he immediately went to the bench andfetched the piece of wood that had caused him so much fear. But just ashe was going to give it to his friend the piece of wood gave a shakeand, wriggling violently out of his hands, struck with all of its forceagainst the dried-up shins of poor Geppetto. 

"Ah! is that the courteous way in which you make your presents, MasterAntonio? You have almost lamed me!"

"I swear to you that it was not I!"

"Then you would have it that it was I?"

"The wood is entirely to blame!"

"I know that it was the wood; but it was you that hit my legs with it!"

"I did not hit you with it!"

"Liar!"

"Geppetto, don't insult me or I will call you Pudding!"

"Knave!"

"Pudding!"

"Donkey!"

"Pudding!"

"Baboon!"

"Pudding!"

On hearing himself called Pudding for the third time Geppetto, mad withrage, fell upon the carpenter and they fought desperately. 

When the battle was over, Master Antonio had two more scratches on hisnose, and his adversary had lost two buttons off his waistcoat. Theiraccounts being thus squared, they shook hands and swore to remain goodfriends for the rest of their lives. 

Geppetto carried off his fine piece of wood and, thanking MasterAntonio, returned limping to his house. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER III

GEPPETTO NAMES HIS PUPPET PINOCCHIO

Geppetto lived in a small ground-floor room that was only lighted fromthe staircase. The furniture could not have been simpler--a ricketychair, a poor bed, and a broken-down table. At the end of the room therewas a fireplace with a lighted fire; but the fire was painted, and bythe fire was a painted saucepan that was boiling cheerfully and sendingout a cloud of smoke that looked exactly like real smoke. 

As soon as he reached home Geppetto took his tools and set to work tocut out and model his puppet. 

[Illustration: A Little Chicken Popped Out, Very Gay and Polite]

"What name shall I give him?" he said to himself; "I think I will callhim Pinocchio. It is a name that will bring him luck. I once knew awhole family so called. There was Pinocchio the father, Pinocchia themother, and Pinocchi the children, and all of them did well. Therichest of them was a beggar. "

Having found a name for his puppet he began to work in good earnest, andhe first made his hair, then his forehead, and then his eyes. 

The eyes being finished, imagine his astonishment when he perceived thatthey moved and looked fixedly at him. 

Geppetto, seeing himself stared at by those two wooden eyes, said in anangry voice:

"Wicked wooden eyes, why do you look at me?"

No one answered. 

He then proceeded to carve the nose, but no sooner had he made it thanit began to grow. And it grew, and grew, and grew, until in a fewminutes it had become an immense nose that seemed as if it would neverend. 

Poor Geppetto tired himself out with cutting it off, but the more he cutand shortened it, the longer did that impertinent nose become!

The mouth was not even completed when it began to laugh and deride him. 

"Stop laughing!" said Geppetto, provoked; but he might as well havespoken to the wall. 

"Stop laughing, I say!" he roared in a threatening tone. 

The mouth then ceased laughing, but put out its tongue as far as itwould go. 

Geppetto, not to spoil his handiwork, pretended not to see and continuedhis labors. After the mouth he fashioned the chin, then the throat, thenthe shoulders, the stomach, the arms and the hands. 

The hands were scarcely finished when Geppetto felt his wig snatchedfrom his head. He turned round, and what did he see? He saw his yellowwig in the puppet's hand. 

"Pinocchio! Give me back my wig instantly!"

But Pinocchio, instead of returning it, put it on his own head and wasin consequence nearly smothered. 

Geppetto at this insolent and derisive behavior felt sadder and moremelancholy than he had ever been in his life before; and, turning toPinocchio, he said to him:

"You young rascal! You are not yet completed and you are alreadybeginning to show want of respect to your father! That is bad, my boy, very bad!"

And he dried a tear. 

The legs and the feet remained to be done. 

When Geppetto had finished the feet he received a kick on the point ofhis nose. 

"I deserve it!" he said to himself; "I should have thought of it sooner!Now it is too late!"

He then took the puppet under the arms and placed him on the floor toteach him to walk. 

Pinocchio's legs were stiff and he could not move, but Geppetto led himby the hand and showed him how to put one foot before the other. 

When his legs became limber Pinocchio began to walk by himself and torun about the room, until, having gone out of the house door, he jumpedinto the street and escaped. 

Poor Geppetto rushed after him but was not able to overtake him, forthat rascal Pinocchio leaped in front of him like a hare and knockinghis wooden feet together against the pavement made as much clatter astwenty pairs of peasants' clogs. 

"Stop him! stop him!" shouted Geppetto; but the people in the street, seeing a wooden puppet running like a race-horse, stood still inastonishment to look at it, and laughed and laughed. 

At last, as good luck would have it, a soldier arrived who, hearing theuproar, imagined that a colt had escaped from his master. Plantinghimself courageously with his legs apart in the middle of the road, hewaited with the determined purpose of stopping him and thus preventingthe chance of worse disasters. 

When Pinocchio, still at some distance, saw the soldier barricading thewhole street, he endeavored to take him by surprise and to pass betweenhis legs. But he failed entirely. 

The soldier without disturbing himself in the least caught him cleverlyby the nose and gave him to Geppetto. Wishing to punish him, Geppettointended to pull his ears at once. But imagine his feelings when hecould not succeed in finding them. And do you know the reason? In hishurry to model him he had forgotten to make any ears. 

He then took him by the collar and as he was leading him away he said tohim, shaking his head threateningly:

"We will go home at once, and as soon as we arrive we will settle ouraccounts, never doubt it. "

At this information Pinocchio threw himself on the ground and would nottake another step. In the meanwhile a crowd of idlers and inquisitivepeople began to assemble and to make a ring around them. 

Some of them said one thing, some another. 

"Poor puppet!" said several, "he is right not to wish to return home!Who knows how Geppetto, that bad old man, will beat him!"

And the others added maliciously:

"Geppetto seems a good man! but with boys he is a regular tyrant! Ifthat poor puppet is left in his hands he is quite capable of tearing himin pieces!"

It ended in so much being said and done that the soldier at last setPinocchio at liberty and led Geppetto to prison. The poor man, not beingready with words to defend himself, cried like a calf and as he wasbeing led away to prison sobbed out:

"Wretched boy! And to think how I labored to make him a well-conductedpuppet! But it serves me right! I should have thought of it sooner!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER IV

THE TALKING-CRICKET SCOLDS PINOCCHIO

While poor Geppetto was being taken to prison for no fault of his, thatimp Pinocchio, finding himself free from the clutches of the soldier, ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. That he might reach homethe quicker he rushed across the fields, and in his mad hurry he jumpedhigh banks, thorn hedges and ditches full of water. 

Arriving at the house he found the street door ajar. He pushed it open, went in, and having fastened the latch, threw himself on the floor andgave a great sigh of satisfaction. 

But soon he heard some one in the room who was saying:

"Cri-cri-cri!"

"Who calls me?" said Pinocchio in a fright. 

"It is I!"

Pinocchio turned round and saw a big cricket crawling slowly up thewall. 

"Tell me, Cricket, who may you be?"

"I am the Talking-Cricket, and I have lived in this room a hundred yearsor more. "

"Now, however, this room is mine, " said the puppet, "and if you would dome a pleasure go away at once, without even turning round. "

"I will not go, " answered the Cricket, "until I have told you a greattruth. "

"Tell it me, then, and be quick about it. "

"Woe to those boys who rebel against their parents and run away fromhome. They will never come to any good in the world, and sooner or laterthey will repent bitterly. "

"Sing away, Cricket, as you please, and as long as you please. For me, Ihave made up my mind to run away tomorrow at daybreak, because if Iremain I shall not escape the fate of all other boys; I shall be sent toschool and shall be made to study either by love or by force. To tellyou in confidence, I have no wish to learn; it is much more amusing torun after butterflies, or to climb trees and to take the young birds outof their nests. "

"Poor little goose! But do you not know that in that way you will growup a perfect donkey, and that every one will make fun of you?"

"Hold your tongue, you wicked, ill-omened croaker!" shouted Pinocchio. 

But the Cricket, who was patient and philosophical, instead of becomingangry at this impertinence, continued in the same tone:

"But if you do not wish to go to school why not at least learn a trade, if only to enable you to earn honestly a piece of bread!"

"Do you want me to tell you?" replied Pinocchio, who was beginning tolose patience. "Amongst all the trades in the world there is only onethat really takes my fancy. "

"And that trade--what is it?"

"It is to eat, drink, sleep and amuse myself, and to lead a vagabondlife from morning to night. "

"As a rule, " said the Talking-Cricket, "all those who follow that tradeend almost always either in a hospital or in prison. "

"Take care, you wicked, ill-omened croaker! Woe to you if I fly into apassion!"

"Poor Pinocchio! I really pity you!"

"Why do you pity me?"

"Because you are a puppet and, what is worse, because you have a woodenhead. "

At these last words Pinocchio jumped up in a rage and, snatching awooden hammer from the bench, he threw it at the Talking-Cricket. 

Perhaps he never meant to hit him, but unfortunately it struck himexactly on the head, so that the poor Cricket had scarcely breath to cry"Cri-cri-cri!" and then he remained dried up and flattened against thewall. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER V

THE FLYING EGG

Night was coming on and Pinocchio, remembering that he had eaten nothingall day, began to feel a gnawing in his stomach that very much resembledappetite. 

After a few minutes his appetite had become hunger and in no time hishunger became ravenous. 

Poor Pinocchio ran quickly to the fireplace, where a saucepan wasboiling, and was going to take off the lid to see what was in it, butthe saucepan was only painted on the wall. You can imagine his feelings. His nose, which was already long, became longer by at least threeinches. 

He then began to run about the room, searching in the drawers and inevery imaginable place, in hopes of finding a bit of bread. If it wasonly a bit of dry bread, a crust, a bone left by a dog, a little moldypudding of Indian corn, a fish bone, a cherry stone--in fact, anythingthat he could gnaw. But he could find nothing, nothing at all, absolutely nothing. 

And in the meanwhile his hunger grew and grew. Poor Pinocchio had noother relief than yawning, and his yawns were so tremendous thatsometimes his mouth almost reached his ears. And after he had yawned hespluttered and felt as if he were going to faint. 

Then he began to cry desperately, and he said:

"The Talking-Cricket was right. I did wrong to rebel against my papa andto run away from home. If my papa were here I should not now be dying ofyawning! Oh! what a dreadful illness hunger is!"

Just then he thought he saw something in the dust-heap--something roundand white that looked like a hen's egg. To give a spring and seize holdof it was the affair of a moment. It was indeed an egg. 

Pinocchio's joy was beyond description. Almost believing it must be adream he kept turning the egg over in his hands, feeling it and kissingit. And as he kissed it he said:

"And now, how shall I cook it? Shall I make an omelet? No, it would bebetter to cook it in a saucer! Or would it not be more savory to fry itin the frying-pan? Or shall I simply boil it? No, the quickest way ofall is to cook it in a saucer: I am in such a hurry to eat it!"

Without loss of time he placed an earthenware saucer on a brazier fullof red-hot embers. Into the saucer instead of oil or butter he poured alittle water; and when the water began to smoke, tac! he broke theegg-shell over it and let the contents drop in. But, instead of thewhite and the yolk a little chicken popped out very gay and polite. Making a beautiful courtesy it said to him:

"A thousand thanks, Master Pinocchio, for saving me the trouble ofbreaking the shell. Adieu until we meet again. Keep well, and my bestcompliments to all at home!"

Thus saying, it spread its wings, darted through the open window and, flying away, was lost to sight. 

The poor puppet stood as if he had been bewitched, with his eyes fixed, his mouth open, and the egg-shell in his hand. Recovering, however, fromhis first stupefaction, he began to cry and scream, and to stamp hisfeet on the floor in desperation, and amidst his sobs he said:

"Ah, indeed, the Talking-Cricket was right. If I had not run away fromhome, and if my papa were here, I should not now be dying of hunger! Oh!what a dreadful illness hunger is!"

And, as his stomach cried out more than ever and he did not know how toquiet it, he thought he would leave the house and make an excursion inthe neighborhood in hopes of finding some charitable person who wouldgive him a piece of bread. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VI

PINOCCHIO'S FEET BURN TO CINDERS

It was a wild and stormy night. The thunder was tremendous and thelightning so vivid that the sky seemed on fire. 

Pinocchio had a great fear of thunder, but hunger was stronger thanfear. He therefore closed the house door and made a rush for thevillage, which he reached in a hundred bounds, with his tongue hangingout and panting for breath like a dog after game. 

But he found it all dark and deserted. The shops were closed, thewindows shut, and there was not so much as a dog in the street. Itseemed the land of the dead. 

Pinocchio, urged by desperation and hunger, took hold of the bell of ahouse and began to ring it with all his might, saying to himself:

"That will bring somebody. "

And so it did. A little old man appeared at a window with a night-cap onhis head and called to him angrily:

"What do you want at such an hour?"

"Would you be kind enough to give me a little bread?"

"Wait there, I will be back directly, " said the little old man, thinkingit was one of those rascally boys who amuse themselves at night byringing the house-bells to rouse respectable people who are sleepingquietly. 

After half a minute the window was again opened and the voice of thesame little old man shouted to Pinocchio:

"Come underneath and hold out your cap. "

Pinocchio pulled off his cap; but, just as he held it out, an enormousbasin of water was poured down on him, soaking him from head to foot asif he had been a pot of dried-up geraniums. 

He returned home like a wet chicken, quite exhausted with fatigue andhunger; and, having no longer strength to stand, he sat down and restedhis damp and muddy feet on a brazier full of burning embers. 

And then he fell asleep, and whilst he slept his feet, which werewooden, took fire, and little by little they burnt away and becamecinders. 

Pinocchio continued to sleep and to snore as if his feet belonged tosome one else. At last about daybreak he awoke because some one wasknocking at the door. 

"Who is there?" he asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes. 

"It is I!" answered a voice. 

And Pinocchio recognized Geppetto's voice. 

CHAPTER VII

GEPPETTO GIVES HIS OWN BREAKFAST TO PINOCCHIO

Poor Pinocchio, whose eyes were still half shut from sleep, had not asyet discovered that his feet were burnt off. The moment, therefore, thathe heard his father's voice he slipped off his stool to run and open thedoor; but, after stumbling two or three times, he fell his whole lengthon the floor. 

And the noise he made in falling was as if a sack of wooden ladles hadbeen thrown from a fifth story. 

"Open the door!" shouted Geppetto from the street. 

"Dear papa, I cannot, " answered the puppet, crying and rolling about onthe ground. 

"Why can't you?"

"Because my feet have been eaten. "

"And who has eaten your feet?"

"The cat, " said Pinocchio, seeing the cat, who was amusing herself bymaking some shavings dance with her forepaws. 

"Open the door, I tell you!" repeated Geppetto. "If you don't, when Iget into the house you shall have the cat from me!"

"I cannot stand up, believe me. Oh, poor me! poor me! I shall have towalk on my knees for the rest of my life!"

Geppetto, believing that all this lamentation was only another of thepuppet's tricks, thought of a means of putting an end to it, and, climbing up the wall, he got in at the window. 

He was very angry and at first he did nothing but scold; but when he sawhis Pinocchio lying on the ground and really without feet he was quiteovercome. He took him in his arms and began to kiss and caress him, andto say a thousand endearing things to him, and as the big tears ran downhis cheeks he said, sobbing:

"My little Pinocchio! how did you manage to burn your feet?"

"I don't know, papa, but it has been such a dreadful night that I shallremember it as long as I live. It thundered and lightened, and I wasvery hungry, and then the Talking-Cricket said to me: 'It serves youright; you have been wicked and you deserve it, ' and I said to him:'Take care, Cricket!' and he said: 'You are a puppet and you have awooden head, ' and I threw the handle of a hammer at him, and he died, but the fault was his, for I didn't wish to kill him, and the proof ofit is that I put an earthenware saucer on a brazier of burning embers, but a chicken flew out and said: 'Adieu until we meet again, and manycompliments to all at home': and I got still more hungry, for whichreason that little old man in a night-cap, opening the window, said tome: 'Come underneath and hold out your hat, ' and poured a basinful ofwater on my head, because asking for a little bread isn't a disgrace, isit? and I returned home at once, and because I was always very hungry Iput my feet on the brazier to dry them, and then you returned, and Ifound they were burnt off, and I am always hungry, but I have no longerany feet! Oh! oh! oh! oh!" And poor Pinocchio began to cry and to roarso loudly that he was heard five miles off. 

Geppetto, who from all this jumbled account had only understood onething, which was that the puppet was dying of hunger, drew from hispocket three pears and, giving them to him, said:

"These three pears were intended for my breakfast, but I will give themto you willingly. Eat them, and I hope they will do you good. "

"If you wish me to eat them, be kind enough to peel them for me. "

"Peel them?" said Geppetto, astonished. "I should never have thought, myboy, that you were so dainty and fastidious. That is bad! In this worldwe should accustom ourselves from childhood to like and to eateverything, for there is no saying to what we may be brought. There areso many chances!"

"You are no doubt right, " interrupted Pinocchio, "but I will never eatfruit that has not been peeled. I cannot bear rind. "

So good Geppetto peeled the three pears and put the rind on a corner ofthe table. 

Having eaten the first pear in two mouthfuls, Pinocchio was about tothrow away the core, but Geppetto caught hold of his arm and said tohim:

"Do not throw it away; in this world everything may be of use. "

"But core I am determined I will not eat, " shouted the puppet, turningupon him like a viper. 

"Who knows! there are so many chances!" repeated Geppetto, withoutlosing his temper. 

And so the three cores, instead of being thrown out of the window, wereplaced on the corner of the table, together with the three rinds. 

Having eaten, or rather having devoured the three pears, Pinocchioyawned tremendously, and then said in a fretful tone:

"I am as hungry as ever!"

"But, my boy, I have nothing more to give you!"

"Nothing, really nothing?"

"I have only the rind and the cores of the three pears. "

"One must have patience!" said Pinocchio; "if there is nothing else Iwill eat a rind. "

And he began to chew it. At first he made a wry face, but then one afteranother he quickly disposed of the rinds: and after the rinds even thecores, and when he had eaten up everything he clapped his hands on hissides in his satisfaction and said joyfully:

"Ah! now I feel comfortable. "

"You see, now, " observed Geppetto, "that I was right when I said to youthat it did not do to accustom ourselves to be too particular or toodainty in our tastes. We can never know, my dear boy, what may happen tous. There are so many chances!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VIII

GEPPETTO MAKES PINOCCHIO NEW FEET

No sooner had the puppet satisfied his hunger than he began to cry andto grumble because he wanted a pair of new feet. 

But Geppetto, to punish him for his naughtiness, allowed him to cry andto despair for half the day. He then said to him:

"Why should I make you new feet? To enable you, perhaps, to escape againfrom home?"

"I promise you, " said the puppet, sobbing, "that for the future I willbe good. "

"All boys, " replied Geppetto, "when they are bent upon obtainingsomething, say the same thing. "

"I promise you that I will go to school and that I will study and bringhome a good report. "

"All boys, when they are bent on obtaining something, repeat the samestory. "

"But I am not like other boys! I am better than all of them and I alwaysspeak the truth. I promise you, papa, that I will learn a trade and thatI will be the consolation and the staff of your old age. "

Geppetto's eyes filled with tears and his heart was sad at seeing hispoor Pinocchio in such a pitiable state. He did not say another word, but, taking his tools and two small pieces of well-seasoned wood, he setto work with great diligence. 

In less than an hour the feet were finished: two little feet--swift, well-knit and nervous. They might have been modelled by an artist ofgenius. 

Geppetto then said to the puppet:

"Shut your eyes and go to sleep!"

And Pinocchio shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep. 

And whilst he pretended to sleep, Geppetto, with a little glue which hehad melted in an egg-shell, fastened his feet in their place, and it wasso well done that not even a trace could be seen of where they werejoined. 

No sooner had the puppet discovered that he had feet than he jumped downfrom the table on which he was lying and began to spring and to cut athousand capers about the room, as if he had gone mad with the greatnessof his delight. 

"To reward you for what you have done for me, " said Pinocchio to hisfather, "I will go to school at once. "

"Good boy. "

"But to go to school I shall want some clothes. "

Geppetto, who was poor and who had not so much as a penny in his pocket, then made him a little dress of flowered paper, a pair of shoes from thebark of a tree, and a cap of the crumb of bread. 

Pinocchio ran immediately to look at himself in a crock of water, and hewas so pleased with his appearance that he said, strutting about like apeacock:

"I look quite like a gentleman!"

"Yes, indeed, " answered Geppetto, "for bear in mind that it is not fineclothes that make the gentleman, but rather clean clothes. "

"By the bye, " added the puppet, "to go to school I am still inwant--indeed, I am without the best thing, and the most important. "

"And what is it?"

"I have no spelling-book. "

"You are right: but what shall we do to get one?"

"It is quite easy. We have only to go to the bookseller's and buy it. "

"And the money?"

"I have got none. "

"Neither have I, " added the good old man, very sadly. 

And Pinocchio, although he was a very merry boy, became sad also, because poverty, when it is real poverty, is understood byeverybody--even by boys. 

"Well, patience!" exclaimed Geppetto, all at once rising to his feet, and putting on his old corduroy coat, all patched and darned, he ran outof the house. 

He returned shortly, holding in his hand a spelling-book for Pinocchio, but the old coat was gone. The poor man was in his shirt-sleeves and outof doors it was snowing. 

"And the coat, papa?"

"I have sold it. "

"Why did you sell it?"

"Because I found it too hot. "

Pinocchio understood this answer in an instant, and unable to restrainthe impulse of his good heart he sprang up and, throwing his arms aroundGeppetto's neck, he began kissing him again and again. 

CHAPTER IX

PINOCCHIO GOES TO SEE A PUPPET-SHOW

As soon as it stopped snowing Pinocchio set out for school with his finespelling-book under his arm. As he went along he began to imagine athousand things in his little brain and to build a thousand castles inthe air, one more beautiful than the other. 

And, talking to himself, he said:

"Today at school I will learn to read at once; then tomorrow I willbegin to write, and the day after tomorrow to figure. Then, with myacquirements, I will earn a great deal of money, and with the firstmoney I have in my pocket I will immediately buy for my papa a beautifulnew cloth coat. But what am I saying? Cloth, indeed! It shall be allmade of gold and silver, and it shall have diamond buttons. That poorman really deserves it, for to buy me books and have me taught he hasremained in his shirt-sleeves. And in this cold! It is only fathers whoare capable of such sacrifices!"

Whilst he was saying this with great emotion, he thought that he heardmusic in the distance that sounded like fifes and the beating of a bigdrum: Fi-fie-fi, fi-fi-fi; zum, zum, zum. 

He stopped and listened. The sounds came from the end of a cross streetthat led to a little village on the seashore. 

"What can that music be? What a pity that I have to go to school, orelse--"

And he remained irresolute. It was, however, necessary to come to adecision. Should he go to school? or should he go after the fifes?

"Today I will go and hear the fifes, and tomorrow I will go to school, "finally decided the young scapegrace, shrugging his shoulders. 

The more he ran the nearer came the sounds of the fifes and the beatingof the big drum: Fi-fi-fi; zum, zum, zum, zum. 

At last he found himself in the middle of a square quite full of people, who were all crowded round a building made of wood and canvas, andpainted a thousand colors. 

"What is that building?" asked Pinocchio, turning to a little boy whobelonged to the place. 

"Read the placard--it is all written--and then you will know. "

"I would read it willingly, but it so happens that today I don't knowhow to read. "

"Bravo, blockhead! Then I will read it to you. The writing on thatplacard in those letters red as fire is:

 "THE GREAT PUPPET THEATER. "

"Has the play begun long?"

"It is beginning now. "

"How much does it cost to go in?"

"A dime. "

Pinocchio, who was in a fever of curiosity, lost all control of himself, and without any shame he said to the little boy to whom he was talking:

"Would you lend me a dime until tomorrow?"

"I would lend it to you willingly, " said the other, "but it so happensthat today I cannot give it to you. "

"I will sell you my jacket for a dime, " the puppet then said to him. 

"What do you think that I could do with a jacket of flowered paper? Ifthere were rain and it got wet, it would be impossible to get it off myback. "

"Will you buy my shoes?"

"They would only be of use to light the fire. "

"How much will you give me for my cap?"

"That would be a wonderful acquisition indeed! A cap of bread crumb!There would be a risk of the mice coming to eat it whilst it was on myhead. "

Pinocchio was on thorns. He was on the point of making another offer, but he had not the courage. He hesitated, felt irresolute andremorseful. At last he said:

"Will you give me a dime for this new spelling-book?"

"I am a boy and I don't buy from boys, " replied his little interlocutor, who had much more sense than he had. 

"I will buy the spelling-book for a dime, " called out a hawker of oldclothes, who had been listening to the conversation. 

And the book was sold there and then. And to think that poor Geppettohad remained at home trembling with cold in his shirt-sleeves in orderthat his son should have a spelling-book. 

CHAPTER X

THE PUPPETS RECOGNIZE THEIR BROTHER PINOCCHIO

When Pinocchio came into the little puppet theater, an incident occurredthat almost produced a revolution. 

The curtain had gone up and the play had already begun. 

On the stage Harlequin and Punch were as usual quarrelling with eachother and threatening every moment to come to blows. 

All at once Harlequin stopped short and, turning to the public, hepointed with his hand to some one far down in the pit and exclaimed in adramatic tone:

"Gods of the firmament! Do I dream or am I awake? But surely that isPinocchio!"

"It is indeed Pinocchio!" cried Punch. 

"It is indeed himself!" screamed Miss Rose, peeping from behind thescenes. 

"It is Pinocchio! it is Pinocchio!" shouted all the puppets in chorus, leaping from all sides on to the stage. "It is Pinocchio! It is ourbrother Pinocchio! Long live Pinocchio!"

"Pinocchio, come up here to me, " cried Harlequin, "and throw yourselfinto the arms of your wooden brothers!"

At this affectionate invitation Pinocchio made a leap from the end ofthe pit into the reserved seats; another leap landed him on the head ofthe leader of the orchestra, and he then sprang upon the stage. 

The embraces, the friendly pinches, and the demonstrations of warmbrotherly affection that Pinocchio received from the excited crowd ofactors and actresses of the puppet dramatic company are beyonddescription. 

The sight was doubtless a moving one, but the public in the pit, findingthat the play was stopped, became impatient and began to shout: "We willhave the play--go on with the play!"

It was all breath thrown away. The puppets, instead of continuing therecital, redoubled their noise and outcries, and, putting Pinocchio ontheir shoulders, they carried him in triumph before the footlights. 

At that moment out came the showman. He was very big, and so ugly thatthe sight of him was enough to frighten anyone. His beard was as blackas ink, and so long that it reached from his chin to the ground. I needonly say that he trod upon it when he walked. His mouth was as big as anoven, and his eyes were like two lanterns of red glass with lightsburning inside them. He carried a large whip made of snakes and foxes'tails twisted together, which he cracked constantly. 

At his unexpected appearance there was a profound silence: no one daredto breathe. A fly might have been heard in the stillness. The poorpuppets of both sexes trembled like so many leaves. 

"Why have you come to raise a disturbance in my theater?" asked theshowman of Pinocchio, in the gruff voice of a hobgoblin suffering from asevere cold in the head. 

"Believe me, honored sir, it was not my fault!"

"That is enough! Tonight we will settle our accounts. "

As soon as the play was over the showman went into the kitchen, where afine sheep, preparing for his supper, was turning slowly on the spit infront of the fire. As there was not enough wood to finish roasting andbrowning it, he called Harlequin and Punch, and said to them:

"Bring that puppet here: you will find him hanging on a nail. It seemsto me that he is made of very dry wood and I am sure that if he werethrown on the fire he would make a beautiful blaze for the roast. "

At first Harlequin and Punch hesitated; but, appalled by a severe glancefrom their master, they obeyed. In a short time they returned to thekitchen carrying poor Pinocchio, who was wriggling like an eel taken outof water and screaming desperately: "Papa! papa! save me! I will notdie, I will not die!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XI

FIRE-EATER SNEEZES AND PARDONS PINOCCHIO

The showman, Fire-Eater--for that was his name--looked like a wickedman, especially with his black beard that covered his chest and legslike an apron. On the whole, however, he had not a bad heart. In proofof this, when he saw poor Pinocchio brought before him, struggling andscreaming "I will not die, I will not die!" he was quite moved and feltvery sorry for him. He tried to hold out, but after a little he couldstand it no longer and he sneezed violently. When he heard the sneeze, Harlequin, who up to that moment had been in the deepest affliction andbowed down like a weeping willow, became quite cheerful and, leaningtowards Pinocchio, he whispered to him softly:

"Good news, brother. The showman has sneezed and that is a sign that hepities you, and consequently you are saved. "

Most men, when they feel compassion for somebody, either weep or atleast pretend to dry their eyes. Fire-Eater, on the contrary, wheneverhe was really overcome, had the habit of sneezing. 

After he had sneezed, the showman, still acting the ruffian, shouted toPinocchio:

"Have done crying! Your lamentations have given me a pain in my stomach. I feel a spasm that almost--Etchoo! etchoo!" and he sneezed again twice. 

"Bless you!" said Pinocchio. 

"Thank you! And your papa and your mamma, are they still alive?" askedFire-Eater. 

"Papa, yes; my mamma I have never known. "

"Who can say what a sorrow it would be for your poor old father if Iwere to have you thrown amongst those burning coals! Poor old man! Ipity him! Etchoo! etchoo! etchoo!" and he sneezed again three times. 

"Bless you" said Pinocchio. 

"Thank you! All the same, some compassion is due to me, for as you see Ihave no more wood with which to finish roasting my mutton, and, to tellyou the truth, under the circumstances you would have been of great useto me! However, I have had pity on you, so I must have patience. Insteadof you I will burn under the spit one of the puppets belonging to mycompany. Ho there, gendarmes!"

At this call two wooden gendarmes immediately appeared. They were verylong and very thin, and had on cocked hats, and held unsheathed swordsin their hands. 

The showman said to them in a hoarse voice:

"Take Harlequin, bind him securely, and then throw him on the fire toburn. I am determined that my mutton shall be well roasted. "

Only imagine that poor Harlequin! His terror was so great that his legsbent under him, and he fell with his face on the ground. 

At this agonizing sight Pinocchio, weeping bitterly, threw himself atthe showman's feet and, bathing his long beard with his tears, he beganto say, in a supplicating voice:

"Have pity, Sir Fire-Eater!"

"Here there are no sirs, " the showman answered severely. 

"Have pity, Sir Knight!"

"Here there are no knights!"

"Have pity, Commander!"

"Here there are no commanders!"

"Have pity, Excellence!"

Upon hearing himself called Excellence the showman began to smile andbecame at once kinder and more tractable. Turning to Pinocchio, heasked:

"Well, what do you want from me?"

"I implore you to pardon poor Harlequin. "

"For him there can be no pardon. As I have spared you he must be put onthe fire, for I am determined that my mutton shall be well roasted. "

"In that case, " cried Pinocchio proudly, rising and throwing away hiscap of bread crumb--"in that case I know my duty. Come on, gendarmes!Bind me and throw me amongst the flames. No, it is not just that poorHarlequin, my true friend, should die for me!"

These words, pronounced in a loud, heroic voice, made all the puppetswho were present cry. Even the gendarmes, although they were made ofwood, wept like two newly born lambs. 

Fire-Eater at first remained as hard and unmoved as ice, but little bylittle he began to melt and to sneeze. And, having sneezed four or fivetimes, he opened his arms affectionately and said to Pinocchio:

"You are a good, brave boy! Come here and give me a kiss. "

Pinocchio ran at once and, climbing like a squirrel up the showman'sbeard, he deposited a hearty kiss on the point of his nose. 

"Then the pardon is granted?" asked poor Harlequin in a faint voice thatwas scarcely audible. 

"The pardon is granted!" answered Fire-Eater; he then added, sighing andshaking his head:

"I must have patience! Tonight I shall have to resign myself to eat themutton half raw; but another time, woe to him who displeases me!"

At the news of the pardon the puppets all ran to the stage and, havinglighted the lamps and chandeliers as if for a full-dress performance, they began to leap and to dance merrily. At dawn they were stilldancing. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XII

PINOCCHIO RECEIVES A PRESENT OF FIVE GOLD PIECES

The following day Fire-Eater called Pinocchio to one side and asked him:

"What is your father's name?"

"Geppetto. "

"And what trade does he follow?"

"He is a beggar. "

"Does he gain much?"

"Gain much? Why, he has never a penny in his pocket. Only think, inorder to buy a spelling-book so that I could go to school he was obligedto sell the only coat he had to wear--a coat that, between patches anddarns, was not fit to be seen. "

"Poor devil! I feel almost sorry for him! Here are five gold pieces. Goat once and take them to him with my compliments. "

Pinocchio was overjoyed and thanked the showman a thousand times. Heembraced all the puppets of the company one by one, even to thegendarmes, and set out to return home. 

But he had not gone far when he met on the road a Fox lame of one foot, and a Cat blind of both eyes, and they were going along helping eachother like good companions in misfortune. The Fox, who was lame, walkedleaning on the Cat; and the Cat, who was blind, was guided by the Fox. 

"Good-day, Pinocchio, " said the Fox, greeting him politely. 

"How do you come to know my name?" asked the puppet. 

"I know your father well. "

"Where did you see him?"

"I saw him yesterday at the door of his house. "

"And what was he doing?"

"He was in his shirt-sleeves and shivering with cold. "

"Poor papa! But that is over; for the future he shall shiver no more!"

"Why?"

"Because I have become a gentleman. "

"A gentleman--you!" said the Fox, and he began to laugh rudely andscornfully. The Cat also began to laugh, but to conceal it she combedher whiskers with her forepaws. 

[Illustration: Splash! Splash! They fell Into the Very Middle of theDitch]

"There is little to laugh at, " cried Pinocchio angrily. "I am reallysorry to make your mouth water, but if you know anything about it, youcan see that these are five gold pieces. "

And he pulled out the money that Fire-Eater had given him. 

At the jingling of the money the Fox, with an involuntary movement, stretched out the paw that seemed crippled, and the Cat opened wide twoeyes that looked like two green lanterns. It is true that she shut themagain, and so quickly that Pinocchio observed nothing. 

"And now, " asked the Fox, "what are you going to do with all thatmoney?"

"First of all, " answered the puppet, "I intend to buy a new coat for mypapa, made of gold and silver, and with diamond buttons; and then I willbuy a spelling-book for myself. "

"For yourself?"

"Yes indeed, for I wish to go to school to study in earnest. "

"Look at me!" said the Fox. "Through my foolish passion for study I havelost a leg. "

"Look at me!" said the Cat. "Through my foolish passion for study I havelost the sight of both my eyes. "

At that moment a white Blackbird, that was perched on the hedge by theroad, began his usual song, and said:

"Pinocchio, don't listen to the advice of bad companions; if you do youwill repent it!"

Poor Blackbird! If only he had not spoken! The Cat, with a great leap, sprang upon him, and without even giving him time to say "Oh!" ate himin a mouthful, feathers and all. 

Having eaten him and cleaned her mouth she shut her eyes again andfeigned blindness as before. 

"Poor Blackbird!" said Pinocchio to the Cat, "why did you treat him sobadly?"

"I did it to give him a lesson. He will learn another time not tomeddle in other people's conversation. "

They had gone almost half-way when the Fox, halting suddenly, said tothe puppet:

"Would you like to double your money?"

"In what way?"

"Would you like to make out of your five miserable sovereigns, ahundred, a thousand, two thousand?"

"I should think so! but in what way?"

"The way is easy enough. Instead of returning home you must go with us. "

"And where do you wish to take me?"

"To the land of the Owls. "

Pinocchio reflected a moment, and then he said resolutely:

"No, I will not go. I am already close to the house, and I will returnhome to my papa, who is waiting for me. Who can tell how often the poorold man must have sighed yesterday when I did not come back! I haveindeed been a bad son, and the Talking-Cricket was right when he said:'Disobedient boys never come to any good in the world. ' I have found itto be true, for many misfortunes have happened to me. Even yesterday inFire-Eater's house I ran the risk--Oh! it makes me shudder only to thinkof it!"

"Well, then, " said the Fox, "you are quite decided to go home? Go, then, and so much the worse for you. "

"So much the worse for you!" repeated the Cat. 

"Think well of it, Pinocchio, for you are giving a kick to fortune. "

"To fortune!" repeated the Cat. 

"Between today and tomorrow your five sovereigns would have become twothousand. "

"Two thousand!" repeated the Cat. 

"But how is it possible that they could become so many?" askedPinocchio, remaining with his mouth open from astonishment. 

"I will explain it to you at once, " said the Fox. "You must know that inthe land of the Owls there is a sacred field called by everybody theField of Miracles. In this field you must dig a little hole, and you putinto it, we will say, one gold sovereign. You then cover up the holewith a little earth; you must water it with two pails of water from thefountain, then sprinkle it with two pinches of salt, and when nightcomes you can go quietly to bed. In the meanwhile, during the night, thegold piece will grow and flower, and in the morning when you get up andreturn to the field, what do you find? You find a beautiful tree ladenwith as many gold sovereigns as a fine ear of corn has grains in themonth of June. "

"So that, " said Pinocchio, more and more bewildered, "supposing I buriedmy five sovereigns in that field, how many should I find there thefollowing morning?"

"That is an exceedingly easy calculation, " replied the Fox, "acalculation that you can make on the ends of your fingers. Everysovereign will give you an increase of five hundred; multiply fivehundred by five, and the following morning will find you with twothousand five hundred shining gold pieces in your pocket. "

"Oh! how delightful!" cried Pinocchio, dancing for joy. "As soon as everI have obtained those sovereigns, I will keep two thousand for myselfand the other five hundred I will make a present of to you two. "

"A present to us?" cried the Fox with indignation and appearing muchoffended. "What are you dreaming of?"

"What are you dreaming of?" repeated the Cat. 

"We do not work, " said the Fox, "for interest: we work solely to enrichothers. "

"Others!" repeated the Cat. 

"What good people!" thought Pinocchio to himself, and, forgetting thereand then his papa, the new coat, the spelling-book, and all his goodresolutions, he said to the Fox and the Cat:

"Let us be off at once. I will go with you. "

[Illustration: A LITTLE CHICKEN POPPED OUT, VERY GAY AND POLITE]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XIII

THE INN OF THE RED CRAW-FISH

They walked, and walked, and walked, until at last, towards evening, they arrived, all tired out, at the inn of The Red Craw-Fish. 

"Let us stop here a little, " said the Fox, "that we may have somethingto eat, and rest ourselves for an hour or two. We will start again atmidnight, so as to arrive at the Field of Miracles by dawn tomorrowmorning. "

Having gone into the inn they all three sat down to table, but none ofthem had any appetite. 

The Cat, who was suffering from indigestion and feeling seriouslyindisposed, could only eat thirty-five fish with tomato sauce and fourportions of tripe with Parmesan cheese; and because she thought thetripe was not seasoned enough, she asked three times for the butter andgrated cheese!

The Fox would also willingly have picked a little, but as his doctor hadordered him a strict diet, he was forced to content himself simply witha hare dressed with a sweet and sour sauce, and garnished lightly withfat chickens and early pullets. After the hare he sent for a made dishof partridges, rabbits, frogs, lizards and other delicacies; he couldnot touch anything else. He cared so little for food, he said, that hecould put nothing to his lips. 

The one who ate the least was Pinocchio. He asked for some walnuts and ahunch of bread, and left everything on his plate. The poor boy'sthoughts were continually fixed on the Field of Miracles. 

When they had supped, the Fox said to the host:

"Give us two good rooms, one for Mr. Pinocchio, and the other for me andmy companion. We will snatch a little sleep before we leave. Remember, however, that at midnight we wish to be called to continue our journey. "

"Yes, gentlemen, " answered the host, and he winked at the Fox and theCat, as much as to say: "I know what you are up to. We understand oneanother!"

No sooner had Pinocchio got into bed than he fell asleep at once andbegan to dream. And he dreamed that he was in the middle of a field, andthe field was full of shrubs covered with clusters of gold sovereigns, and as they swung in the wind they went zin, zin, zin, almost as if theywould say: "Let who will, come and take us. " But just as Pinocchio wasstretching out his hand to pick handfuls of those beautiful gold piecesand to put them in his pocket, he was suddenly awakened by three violentblows on the door of his room. 

It was the host who had come to tell him that midnight had struck. 

"Are my companions ready?" asked the puppet. 

"Ready! Why, they left two hours ago. "

"Why were they in such a hurry?"

"Because the Cat had received a message to say that her eldest kittenwas ill with chilblains on his feet and was in danger of death. "

"Did they pay for the supper?"

"What are you thinking of? They are too well educated to dream ofoffering such an insult to a gentleman like you. "

"What a pity! It is an insult that would have given me so muchpleasure!" said Pinocchio, scratching his head. He then asked:

"And where did my good friends say they would wait for me?"

"At the Field of Miracles, tomorrow morning at daybreak. "

Pinocchio paid a sovereign for his supper and that of his companions, and then left. 

Outside the inn it was so pitch dark that he had almost to grope hisway, for it was impossible to see a hand's breadth in front of him. Somenight-birds flying across the road from one hedge to the other brushedPinocchio's nose with their wings as they passed, which caused him somuch terror that, springing back, he shouted: "Who goes there?" and theecho in the surrounding hills repeated in the distance: "Who goes there?Who goes there?"

As he was walking along he saw a little insect shining dimly on thetrunk of a tree, like a night-light in a lamp of transparent china. 

"Who are you?" asked Pinocchio. 

"I am the ghost of the Talking-Cricket, " answered the insect in a lowvoice, so weak and faint that it seemed to come from the other world. 

"What do you want with me?" said the puppet. 

"I want to give you some advice. Go back and take the four sovereignsthat you have left to your poor father, who is weeping and in despairbecause you have not returned to him. "

"By tomorrow my papa will be a gentleman, for these four sovereigns willhave become two thousand. "

"Don't trust to those who promise to make you rich in a day. Usuallythey are either mad or rogues! Give ear to me, and go back, my boy. "

"On the contrary, I am determined to go on. "

"The hour is late!"

"I am determined to go on. "

"The night is dark!"

"I am determined to go on. "

"The road is dangerous!"

"I am determined to go on. "

"Remember that boys who are bent on following their caprices, and willhave their own way, sooner or later repent it. "

"Always the same stories. Good-night, Cricket. "

"Good-night, Pinocchio, and may Heaven preserve you from dangers andfrom assassins. "

No sooner had he said these words than the Talking-Cricket vanishedsuddenly like a light that has been blown out, and the road becamedarker than ever. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XIV

PINOCCHIO FALLS AMONGST ASSASSINS

"Really, " said the puppet to himself, as he resumed his journey, "howunfortunate we poor boys are. Everybody scolds us and gives us goodadvice. See now; because I don't choose to listen to that tiresomeCricket, who knows, according to him, how many misfortunes are to happento me! I am even to meet with assassins! That is, however, of littleconsequence, for I don't believe in assassins--I have never believed inthem. For me, I think that assassins have been invented purposely bypapas to frighten boys who want to go out at night. Besides, supposing Iwas to come across them here in the road, do you imagine they wouldfrighten me? Not the least in the world. I should go to meet them andcry: 'Gentlemen assassins, what do you want with me? Remember that withme there is no joking. Therefore go about your business and be quiet!'At this speech they would run away like the wind. If, however, they wereso badly educated as not to run away, why, then I would run away myselfand there would be an end of it. "

But Pinocchio had not time to finish his reasoning, for at that momenthe thought that he heard a slight rustle of leaves behind him. 

He turned to look and saw in the gloom two evil-looking black figurescompletely enveloped in charcoal sacks. They were running after him ontiptoe and making great leaps like two phantoms. 

"Here they are in reality!" he said to himself and, not knowing where tohide his gold pieces, he put them in his mouth precisely under histongue. 

Then he tried to escape. But he had not gone a step when he felt himselfseized by the arm and heard two horrid, sepulchral voices saying to him:

"Your money or your life!"

Pinocchio, not being able to answer in words, owing to the money thatwas in his mouth, made a thousand low bows and a thousand pantomimes. Hetried thus to make the two muffled figures, whose eyes were only visiblethrough the holes in their sacks, understand that he was a poor puppet, and that he had not as much as a counterfeit nickel in his pocket. 

"Come, now! Less nonsense and out with the money!" cried the twobrigands threateningly. 

And the puppet made a gesture with his hands to signify: "I have none. "

"Deliver up your money or you are dead, " said the tallest of thebrigands. 

"Dead!" repeated the other. 

"And after we have killed you, we will also kill your father!"

"Also your father!"

"No, no, no, not my poor papa!" cried Pinocchio in a despairing voice, and as he said it the sovereigns clinked in his mouth. 

"Ah! you rascal! Then you have hidden your money under your tongue! Spitit out at once!"

Pinocchio was obstinate. 

"Ah! you pretend to be deaf, do you? Wait a moment, leave it to us tofind a means to make you give it up. "

And one of them seized the puppet by the end of his nose, and the othertook him by the chin, and began to pull them brutally, the one up andthe other down, to force him to open his mouth. But it was all to nopurpose. Pinocchio's mouth seemed to be nailed and riveted together. 

Then the shorter assassin drew out an ugly knife and tried to put itbetween his lips like a lever or chisel. But Pinocchio, as quick aslightning, caught his hand with his teeth, and with one bite bit itclear off and spat it out. Imagine his astonishment when instead of ahand he perceived that a cat's paw lay on the ground. 

Encouraged by this first victory he used his nails to such purpose thathe succeeded in liberating himself from his assailants, and, jumping thehedge by the roadside, he began to fly across the country. The assassinsran after him like two dogs chasing a hare, and the one who had lost apaw ran on one leg, and no one ever knew how he managed it. 

After a race of some miles Pinocchio could go no more. Giving himselfup for lost, he climbed the trunk of a very high pine tree and seatedhimself in the topmost branches. The assassins attempted to climb afterhim, but when they had reached half-way up they slid down again andarrived on the ground with the skin grazed from their hands and knees. 

But they were not to be beaten by so little; collecting a quantity ofdry wood, they piled it beneath the pine and set fire to it. In lesstime than it takes to tell, the pine began to burn and to flame like acandle blown by the wind. Pinocchio, seeing that the flames weremounting higher every instant, and not wishing to end his life like aroasted pigeon, made a stupendous leap from the top of the tree andstarted afresh across the fields and vineyards. The assassins followedhim, and kept behind him without once giving up. 

The day began to break and they were still pursuing him. SuddenlyPinocchio found his way barred by a wide, deep ditch full of stagnantwater the color of coffee. What was he to do? "One! two! three!" criedthe puppet, and, making a rush, he sprang to the other side. Theassassins also jumped, but not having measured the distanceproperly--splash! splash! they fell into the very middle of the ditch. Pinocchio, who heard the plunge and the splashing of the water, shoutedout, laughing, and without stopping:

"A fine bath to you, gentleman assassins. "

And he felt convinced that they were drowned, when, turning to look, heperceived that, on the contrary, they were both running after him, stillenveloped in their sacks, with the water dripping from them as if theyhad been two hollow baskets. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XV

THE ASSASSINS HANG PINOCCHIO TO THE BIG OAK

At this sight the puppet's courage failed him and he was on the point ofthrowing himself on the ground and giving himself over for lost. Turning, however, his eyes in every direction, he saw, at some distance, a small house as white as snow. 

"If only I had breath to reach that house, " he said to himself, "perhapsI should be saved. "

And, without delaying an instant, he recommenced running for his lifethrough the wood, and the assassins after him. 

At last, after a desperate race of nearly two hours, he arrived quitebreathless at the door of the house, and knocked. 

No one answered. 

He knocked again with great violence, for he heard the sound of stepsapproaching him and the heavy panting of his persecutors. The samesilence. 

Seeing that knocking was useless, he began in desperation to kick andpommel the door with all his might. The window then opened and abeautiful Child appeared at it. She had blue hair and a face as white asa waxen image; her eyes were closed and her hands were crossed on herbreast. Without moving her lips in the least, she said, in a voice thatseemed to come from the other world:

"In this house there is no one. They are all dead. "

"Then at least open the door for me yourself, " shouted Pinocchio, cryingand imploring. 

"I am dead also. "

"Dead? Then what are you doing there at the window?"

"I am waiting for the bier to come to carry me away. "

Having said this she immediately disappeared and the window was closedagain without the slightest noise. 

"Oh! beautiful Child with blue hair, " cried Pinocchio, "open the door, for pity's sake! Have compassion on a poor boy pursued by assas--"

But he could not finish the word, for he felt himself seized by thecollar and the same two horrible voices said to him threateningly:

"You shall not escape from us again!"

The puppet, seeing death staring him in the face, was taken with such aviolent fit of trembling that the joints of his wooden legs began tocreak, and the sovereigns hidden under his tongue to clink. 

"Now, then, " demanded the assassins, "will you open your mouth--yes orno? Ah! no answer? Leave it to us: this time we will force you to openit!"

And, drawing out two long, horrid knives as sharp as razors, clash!--they attempted to stab him twice. 

But the puppet, luckily for him, was made of very hard wood; the knivestherefore broke into a thousand pieces and the assassins were left withthe handles in their hands, staring at each other. 

"I see what we must do, " said one of them. "He must be hung! let us hanghim!"

"Let us hang him!" repeated the other. 

Without loss of time they tied his arms behind him, passed a runningnoose round his throat, and hung him to the branch of a tree called theBig Oak. 

They then sat down on the grass and waited for his last struggle. But atthe end of three hours the puppet's eyes were still open, his mouthclosed, and he was kicking more than ever. 

Losing patience, they turned to Pinocchio and said in a bantering tone:

"Good-bye till tomorrow. Let us hope that when we return you will bepolite enough to allow yourself to be found quite dead, and with yourmouth wide open. "

And they walked off. 

In the meantime a tempestuous northerly wind began to blow and roarangrily, and it beat the poor puppet from side to side, making him swingviolently, like the clatter of a bell ringing for a wedding. And theswinging gave him atrocious spasms, and the running noose, becomingstill tighter round his throat, took away his breath. 

Little by little his eyes began to grow dim, but although he felt thatdeath was near he still continued to hope that some charitable personwould come to his assistance before it was too late. But when, afterwaiting and waiting, he found that no one came, absolutely no one, thenhe remembered his poor father, and, thinking he was dying, he stammeredout:

"Oh, papa! papa! if only you were here!"

[Illustration: Four Rabbits as Black as Ink Entered Carrying a LittleBier]

His breath failed him and he could say no more. He shut his eyes, openedhis mouth, stretched his legs, gave a long shudder, and hung stiff andinsensible. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XVI

THE BEAUTIFUL CHILD RESCUES THE PUPPET

While poor Pinocchio, suspended to a branch of the Big Oak, wasapparently more dead than alive, the beautiful Child with blue hair cameagain to the window. When she saw the unhappy puppet hanging by histhroat, and dancing up and down in the gusts of the north wind, she wasmoved by compassion. Striking her hands together, she gave three littleclaps. 

At this signal there came a sound of the sweep of wings flying rapidlyand a large Falcon flew on to the window-sill. 

"What are your orders, gracious Fairy?" he asked, inclining his beak insign of reverence. 

"Do you see that puppet dangling from a branch of the Big Oak?"

"I see him. "

"Very well. Fly there at once: with your strong beak break the knot thatkeeps him suspended in the air, and lay him gently on the grass at thefoot of the tree. "

The Falcon flew away and after two minutes he returned, saying:

"I have done as you commanded. "

"And how did you find him?"

"To see him he appeared dead, but he cannot really be quite dead, for Ihad no sooner loosened the running noose that tightened his throat than, giving a sigh, he muttered in a faint voice: 'Now I feel better!'"

The Fairy then struck her hands together twice and a magnificent Poodleappeared, walking upright on his hind legs exactly as if he had been aman. 

He was in the full-dress livery of a coachman. On his head he had athree-cornered cap braided with gold, his curly white wig came down onto his shoulders, he had a chocolate-colored waistcoat with diamondbuttons, and two large pockets to contain the bones that his mistressgave him at dinner. He had, besides, a pair of short crimson velvetbreeches, silk stockings, cut-down shoes, and hanging behind him aspecies of umbrella case made of blue satin, to put his tail into whenthe weather was rainy. 

"Be quick, Medoro, like a good dog!" said the Fairy to the Poodle. "Havethe most beautiful carriage in my coach-house harnessed, and take theroad to the wood. When you come to the Big Oak you will find a poorpuppet stretched on the grass half dead. Pick him up gently and lay himflat on the cushions of the carriage and bring him here to me. Do youunderstand?"

The Poodle, to show that he had understood, shook the case of bluesatin three or four times and ran off like a race-horse. 

Shortly afterwards a beautiful little carriage came out of thecoach-house. The cushions were stuffed with canary feathers and it waslined on the inside with whipped cream, custard and vanilla wafers. Thelittle carriage was drawn by a hundred pairs of white mice, and thePoodle, seated on the coach-box, cracked his whip from side to side likea driver when he is afraid that he is behind time. 

Scarcely had a quarter of an hour passed, when the carriage returned. The Fairy, who was waiting at the door of the house, took the poorpuppet in her arms and carried him into a little room that waswainscoted with mother-of-pearl. She sent at once to summon the mostfamous doctors in the neighborhood. 

They came immediately, one after the other: namely, a Crow, an Owl, anda Talking-Cricket. 

"I wish to know from you, gentlemen, " said the Fairy, "if thisunfortunate puppet is alive or dead!"

At this request the Crow, advancing first, felt Pinocchio's pulse; hethen felt his nose and then the little toe of his foot: and, having donethis carefully, he pronounced solemnly the following words:

"To my belief the puppet is already quite dead; but, if unfortunately heshould not be dead, then it would be a sign that he is still alive!"

"I regret, " said the Owl, "to be obliged to contradict the Crow, myillustrious friend and colleague; but, in my opinion the puppet is stillalive; but, if unfortunately he should not be alive, then it would be asign that he is dead indeed!"

"And you--have you nothing to say?" asked the Fairy of theTalking-Cricket. 

"In my opinion, the wisest thing a prudent doctor can do, when he doesnot know what he is talking about, is to be silent. For the rest, thatpuppet there has a face that is not new to me. I have known him for sometime!"

Pinocchio, who up to that moment had lain immovable, like a real pieceof wood, was seized with a fit of convulsive trembling that shook thewhole bed. 

"That puppet there, " continued the Talking-Cricket, "is a confirmedrogue. "

Pinocchio opened his eyes, but shut them again immediately. 

"He is a ragamuffin, a do-nothing, a vagabond. "

Pinocchio hid his face beneath the clothes. 

"That puppet there is a disobedient son who will make his poor fatherdie of a broken heart!"

At that instant a suffocated sound of sobs and crying was heard in theroom. Imagine everybody's astonishment when, having raised the sheets alittle, it was discovered that the sounds came from Pinocchio. 

"When a dead person cries, it is a sign that he is on the road to getwell, " said the Crow solemnly. 

"I grieve to contradict my illustrious friend and colleague, " added theOwl; "but for me, when the dead person cries, it is a sign that he issorry to die. "

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XVII

PINOCCHIO WILL NOT TAKE HIS MEDICINE

As soon as the three doctors had left the room the Fairy approachedPinocchio and, having touched his forehead, she perceived that he was ina high fever. 

She therefore dissolved a certain white powder in half a tumbler ofwater and, offering it to the puppet, she said to him lovingly:

"Drink it and in a few days you will be cured. "

Pinocchio looked at the tumbler, made a wry face, and then asked in aplaintive voice:

"Is it sweet or bitter?"

"It is bitter, but it will do you good. "

"If it is bitter, I will not take it. "

"Listen to me: drink it. "

"I don't like anything bitter. "

"Drink it, and when you have drunk it I will give you a lump of sugar totake away the taste. "

"Where is the lump of sugar?"

"Here it is, " said the Fairy, taking a piece from a gold sugar-basin. 

"Give me first the lump of sugar and then I will drink that bad bitterwater. "

"Do you promise me?"

"Yes. "

The Fairy gave him the sugar and Pinocchio, having crunched it up andswallowed it in a second, said, licking his lips:

"It would be a fine thing if sugar were medicine! I would take it everyday. "

"Now keep your promise and drink these few drops of water, which willrestore you to health. "

Pinocchio took the tumbler unwillingly in his hand and put the point ofhis nose to it: he then approached it to his lips: he then again put hisnose to it, and at last said:

"It is too bitter! too bitter! I cannot drink it. "

"How can you tell that, when you have not even tasted it?"

"I can imagine it! I know it from the smell. I want first another lumpof sugar and then I will drink it!"

The Fairy then, with all the patience of a good mamma, put another lumpof sugar in his mouth, and again presented the tumbler to him. 

"I cannot drink it so!" said the puppet, making a thousand grimaces. 

"Why?"

"Because that pillow that is down there on my feet bothers me. "

The Fairy removed the pillow. 

"It is useless. Even so I cannot drink it. "

"What is the matter now?"

"The door of the room, which is half open, bothers me. "

The Fairy went and closed the door. 

"In short, " cried Pinocchio, bursting into tears, "I will not drink thatbitter water--no, no, no!"

"My boy, you will repent it. "

"I don't care. "

"Your illness is serious. "

"I don't care. "

"The fever in a few hours will carry you into the other world. "

"I don't care. "

"Are you not afraid of death?"

"I am not in the least afraid! I would rather die than drink that bittermedicine. "

At that moment the door of the room flew open and four rabbits as blackas ink entered carrying on their shoulders a little bier. 

"What do you want with me?" cried Pinocchio, sitting up in bed in agreat fright. 

"We have come to take you, " said the biggest rabbit. 

"To take me? But I am not yet dead!"

"No, not yet? but you have only a few minutes to live, as you haverefused the medicine that would have cured you of the fever. "

"Oh, Fairy, Fairy!" the puppet then began to scream, "give me thetumbler at once; be quick, for pity's sake, for I will not die--no, Iwill not die. "

And, taking the tumbler in both hands, he emptied it at a gulp. 

"We must have patience!" said the rabbits; "this time we have made ourjourney in vain. " And, taking the little bier again on their shoulders, they left the room, grumbling and murmuring between their teeth. 

In fact, a few minutes afterwards, Pinocchio jumped down from the bedquite well, because wooden puppets have the privilege of being seldomill and of being cured very quickly. 

The Fairy, seeing him running and rushing about the room as gay and aslively as a young cock, said to him:

"Then my medicine has really done you good?"

"Good? I should think so! It has restored me to life!"

"Then why on earth did you require so much persuasion to take it?"

"Because you see that we boys are all like that! We are more afraid ofmedicine than of the illness. "

"Disgraceful! Boys ought to know that a good remedy taken in time maysave them from a serious illness, and perhaps even from death. "

"Oh! but another time I shall not require so much persuasion. I shallremember those black rabbits with the bier on their shoulders and then Ishall immediately take the tumbler in my hand, and down it will go!"

"Now, come here to me and tell me how it came about that you fell intothe hands of those assassins. "

"You see, the showman, Fire-Eater, gave me some gold pieces and said tome: 'Go, and take them to your father!' and instead I met on the road aFox and a Cat, who said to me: 'Would you like those pieces of gold tobecome a thousand or two? Come with us and we will take you to the Fieldof Miracles, ' and I said: 'Let us go. ' And they said: 'Let us stop atthe inn of The Red Craw-Fish, ' and after midnight they left. And when Iawoke I found that they were no longer there, because they had goneaway. Then I began to travel by night, for you cannot imagine how darkit was; and on that account I met on the road two assassins in charcoalsacks who said to me: 'Out with your money, ' and I said to them: 'I havegot none, ' because I had hidden the four gold pieces in my mouth, andone of the assassins tried to put his hand in my mouth, and I bit hishand off and spat it out, but instead of a hand it was a cat's paw. Andthe assassins ran after me, and I ran, and ran, until at last theycaught me and tied me by the neck to a tree in this wood, and said tome: 'Tomorrow we shall return here and then you will be dead with yourmouth open and we shall be able to carry off the pieces of gold that youhave hidden under your tongue. "

"And the four pieces--where have you put them?" asked the Fairy. 

"I have lost them!" said Pinocchio, but he was telling a lie, for he hadthem in his pocket. 

He had scarcely told the lie when his nose, which was already long, grewat once two inches longer. 

"And where did you lose them?"

"In the wood near here. "

At this second lie his nose went on growing. 

"If you have lost them in the wood near here, " said the Fairy, "we willlook for them and we shall find them: because everything that is lost inthat wood is always found. "

"Ah! now I remember all about it, " replied the puppet, getting quiteconfused; "I didn't lose the four gold pieces, I swallowed them whilst Iwas drinking your medicine. "

At this lie his nose grew to such an extraordinary length that poorPinocchio could not move in any direction. If he turned to one side hestruck his nose against the bed or the window-panes, if he turned to theother he struck it against the walls or the door, if he raised his heada little he ran the risk of sticking it into one of the Fairy's eyes. 

And the Fairy looked at him and laughed. 

"What are you laughing at?" asked the puppet, very confused and anxiousat finding his nose growing so prodigiously. 

"I am laughing at the lie you have told. "

"And how can you possibly know that I have told a lie?"

"Lies, my dear boy, are found out immediately, because they are of twosorts. There are lies that have short legs, and lies that have longnoses. Your lie, as it happens, is one of those that have a long nose. "

Pinocchio, not knowing where to hide himself for shame, tried to run outof the room; but he did not succeed, for his nose had increased so muchthat it could no longer pass through the door. 

[Illustration: SPLASH! SPLASH! THEY FELL INTO THE VERY MIDDLE OF THEDITCH]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XVIII

PINOCCHIO AGAIN MEETS THE FOX AND THE CAT

The Fairy allowed the puppet to cry for a good half-hour over his nose, which could no longer pass through the door of the room. This she did togive him a severe lesson, and to correct him of the disgraceful fault oftelling lies--the most disgraceful fault that a boy can have. But whenshe saw him quite disfigured and his eyes swollen out of his head fromweeping, she felt full of compassion for him. She therefore beat herhands together and at that signal a thousand large birds calledWoodpeckers flew in at the window. They immediately perched onPinocchio's nose and began to peck at it with such zeal that in a fewminutes his enormous and ridiculous nose was reduced to its usualdimensions. 

"What a good Fairy you are, " said the puppet, drying his eyes, "and howmuch I love you!"

"I love you also, " answered the Fairy; "and if you will remain with meyou shall be my little brother and I will be your good little sister. "

"I would remain willingly if it were not for my poor papa. "

"I have thought of everything. I have already let your father know, andhe will be here tonight. "

"Really?" shouted Pinocchio, jumping for joy. "Then, little Fairy, ifyou consent, I should like to go and meet him. I am so anxious to give akiss to that poor old man, who has suffered so much on my account, thatI am counting the minutes. "

"Go, then, but be careful not to lose yourself. Take the road throughthe wood and I am sure that you will meet him. "

Pinocchio set out, and as soon as he was in the wood he began to runlike a kid. But when he had reached a certain spot, almost in front ofthe Big Oak, he stopped, because he thought he heard people amongst thebushes. In fact, two persons came out on to the road. Can you guess whothey were? His two traveling companions, the Fox and the Cat, with whomhe had supped at the inn of The Red Craw-Fish. 

"Why, here is our dear Pinocchio!" cried the Fox, kissing and embracinghim. "How came you to be here?"

"How come you to be here?" repeated the Cat. 

"It is a long story, " answered the puppet, "which I will tell you when Ihave time. But do you know that the other night, when you left me aloneat the inn, I met with assassins on the road?"

"Assassins! Oh, poor Pinocchio! And what did they want?"

"They wanted to rob me of my gold pieces. "

"Villains!" said the Fox. 

"Infamous villains!" repeated the Cat. 

"But I ran away from them, " continued the puppet, "and they followed me, and at last they overtook me and hung me to a branch of that oak tree. "

And Pinocchio pointed to the Big Oak, which was two steps from them. 

"Is it possible to hear of anything more dreadful?" said the Fox. "Inwhat a world we are condemned to live! Where can respectable people likeus find a safe refuge?"

Whilst they were thus talking Pinocchio observed that the Cat was lameof her front right leg, for in fact she had lost her paw with all itsclaws. He therefore asked her:

"What have you done with your paw?"

The Cat tried to answer, but became confused. Therefore the Fox saidimmediately:

"My friend is too modest, and that is why she doesn't speak. I willanswer for her. I must tell you that an hour ago we met an old wolf onthe road, almost fainting from want of food, who asked alms of us. Nothaving so much as a fish-bone to give him, what did my friend, who hasreally the heart of a Cæsar, do? She bit off one of her fore paws andthrew it to that poor beast that he might appease his hunger. "

And the Fox, in relating this, dried a tear. 

Pinocchio was also touched and, approaching the Cat, he whispered intoher ear:

"If all cats resembled you, how fortunate the mice would be!"

"And now, what are you doing here?" asked the Fox of the puppet. 

"I am waiting for my papa, whom I expect to arrive every moment. "

"And your gold pieces?"

"I have got them in my pocket, all but one that I spent at the inn ofThe Red Craw-Fish. "

"And to think that, instead of four pieces, by tomorrow they mightbecome one or two thousand! Why do you not listen to my advice? Why willyou not go and bury them in the Field of Miracles?"

"Today it is impossible; I will go another day. "

"Another day it will be too late!" said the Fox. 

"Why?"

"Because the field has been bought by a gentleman and after tomorrow noone will be allowed to bury money there. "

"How far off is the Field of Miracles?"

"Not two miles. Will you come with us? In half an hour you will bethere. You can bury your money at once, and in a few minutes you willcollect two thousand, and this evening you will return with your pocketsfull. Will you come with us?"

Pinocchio thought of the good Fairy, old Geppetto, and the warnings ofthe Talking-Cricket, and he hesitated a little before answering. Heended, however, by doing as all boys do who have not a grain of senseand who have no heart--he ended by giving his head a little shake andsaying to the Fox and the Cat:

"Let us go: I will come with you. "

And they went. 

After having walked half the day they reached a town that was called"Trap for Blockheads. " As soon as Pinocchio entered this town he sawthat the streets were crowded with dogs who were yawning from hunger, shorn sheep trembling with cold, cocks without combs begging for a grainof Indian corn, large butterflies that could no longer fly because theyhad sold their beautiful colored wings, peacocks which had no tails andwere ashamed to be seen, and pheasants that went scratching about in asubdued fashion, mourning for their brilliant gold and silver feathersgone forever. 

In the midst of this crowd of beggars and shamefaced creatures somelordly carriage passed from time to time containing a Fox, or a thievingMagpie, or some other ravenous bird of prey. 

"And where is the Field of Miracles?" asked Pinocchio. 

"It is here, not two steps from us. "

They crossed the town and, having gone beyond the walls, they came to asolitary field. 

"Here we are, " said the Fox to the puppet. "Now stoop down and dig withyour hands a little hole in the ground and put your gold pieces intoit. "

Pinocchio obeyed. He dug a hole, put into it the four gold pieces thathe had left, and then filled up the hole with a little earth. 

"Now, then, " said the Fox, "go to that canal close to us, fetch a can ofwater, and water the ground where you have sowed them. "

Pinocchio went to the canal, and, as he had no can, he took off one ofhis old shoes and filling it with water he watered the ground over thehole. 

He then asked:

"Is there anything else to be done?"

"Nothing else, " answered the Fox. "We can now go away. You can return inabout twenty minutes and you will find a shrub already pushing throughthe ground, with its branches quite loaded with money. "

The poor puppet, beside himself with joy, thanked the Fox and the Cat athousand times, and promised them a beautiful present. 

"We wish for no presents, " answered the two rascals. "It is enough forus to have taught you the way to enrich yourself without undergoing hardwork, and we are as happy as people out for a holiday. "

Thus saying, they took leave of Pinocchio, and, wishing him a goodharvest, went about their business. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XIX

PINOCCHIO IS ROBBED OF HIS MONEY

The puppet returned to the town and began to count the minutes one byone, and when he thought that it must be time he took the road leadingto the Field of Miracles. 

And as he walked along with hurried steps his heart beat fast--tic, tac, tic, tac--like a drawing-room clock when it is really going well. Meanwhile he was thinking to himself:

"And if, instead of a thousand gold pieces, I were to find on thebranches of the tree two thousand? And instead of two thousand, supposing I found five thousand? and instead of five thousand, that Ifound a hundred thousand? Oh! what a fine gentleman I should thenbecome! I would have a beautiful palace, a thousand little wooden horsesand a thousand stables to amuse myself with, a cellar full of currantwine and sweet syrups, and a library quite full of candies, tarts, plum-cakes, macaroons, and biscuits with cream. "

Whilst he was building these castles in the air he had arrived in theneighborhood of the field, and he stopped to look about for a tree withits branches laden with money, but he saw nothing. He advanced anotherhundred steps--nothing; he entered the field and went right up to thelittle hole where he had buried his sovereigns--and nothing. He thenbecame very thoughtful and, forgetting the rules of society and goodmanners, he took his hands out of his pocket and gave his head a longscratch. 

At that moment he heard an explosion of laughter close to him and, looking up, he saw a large Parrot perched on a tree, who was pruning thefew feathers he had left. 

"Why are you laughing?" asked Pinocchio in an angry voice. 

"I am laughing because in pruning my feathers I tickled myself under mywings. "

The puppet did not answer, but went to the canal and, filling the sameold shoe full of water, he proceeded to water the earth afresh thatcovered his gold pieces. 

While he was thus occupied another laugh, still more impertinent thanthe first, rang out in the silence of that solitary place. 

"Once for all, " shouted Pinocchio in a rage, "may I know, youill-educated Parrot, what you are laughing at?"

"I am laughing at those simpletons who believe in all the foolish thingsthat are told them, and who allow themselves to be entrapped by thosewho are more cunning than they are. "

"Are you perhaps speaking of me?"

"Yes, I am speaking of you, poor Pinocchio--of you who are simpleenough to believe that money can be sown and gathered in fields in thesame way as beans and gourds. I also believed it once and today I amsuffering for it. Today--but it is too late--I have at last learned thatto put a few pennies honestly together it is necessary to know how toearn them, either by the work of our own hands or by the cleverness ofour own brains. "

"I don't understand you, " said the puppet, who was already tremblingwith fear. 

"Have patience! I will explain myself better, " rejoined the Parrot. "Youmust know, then, that while you were in the town the Fox and the Catreturned to the field; they took the buried money and then fled like thewind. And now he that catches them will be clever. "

Pinocchio remained with his mouth open and, not choosing to believe theParrot's words, he began with his hands and nails to dig up the earththat he had watered. And he dug, and dug, and dug, and made such a deephole that a rick of straw might have stood upright in it, but the moneywas no longer there. 

He rushed back to the town in a state of desperation and went at once tothe Courts of Justice to denounce the two knaves who had robbed him tothe judge. 

The judge was a big ape of the gorilla tribe, an old ape respectable forhis age, his white beard, but especially for his gold spectacles withoutglasses that he was always obliged to wear, on account of aninflammation of the eyes that had tormented him for many years. 

Pinocchio related in the presence of the judge all the particulars ofthe infamous fraud of which he had been the victim. He gave the names, the surnames, and other details, of the two rascals, and ended bydemanding justice. 

The judge listened with great benignity; took a lively interest in thestory; was much touched and moved; and when the puppet had nothingfurther to say he stretched out his hand and rang a bell. 

At this summons two mastiffs immediately appeared dressed as gendarmes. The judge then, pointing to Pinocchio, said to them:

"That poor devil has been robbed of four gold pieces; take him away andput him immediately into prison. "

The puppet was petrified on hearing this unexpected sentence and triedto protest; but the gendarmes, to avoid losing time, stopped his mouthand carried him off to the lockup. 

And there he remained for four months--four long months--and he wouldhave remained longer still if a fortunate chance had not released him. The young Emperor who reigned over the town of "Trap for Blockheads, "having won a splendid victory over his enemies, ordered great publicrejoicings. There were illuminations, fireworks, horse races andvelocipede races, and as a further sign of triumph he commanded that theprisons should be opened and all the prisoners freed. 

"If the others are to be let out of prison, I will go also, " saidPinocchio to the jailor. 

"No, not you, " said the jailor, "because you do not belong to thefortunate class. "

"I beg your pardon, " replied Pinocchio, "I am also a criminal. "

"In that case you are perfectly right, " said the jailor, and, taking offhis hat and bowing to him respectfully, he opened the prison doors andlet him escape. 

CHAPTER XX

PINOCCHIO STARTS BACK TO THE FAIRY'S HOUSE

You can imagine Pinocchio's joy when he found himself free. Withoutstopping to take breath he immediately left the town and took the roadthat led to the Fairy's house. 

On account of the rainy weather the road had become a marsh into whichhe sank knee-deep. But the puppet would not give in. Tormented by thedesire of seeing his father and his little sister with blue hair again, he ran on like a greyhound, and as he ran he was splashed with mud fromhead to foot. And he said to himself as he went along: "How manymisfortunes have happened to me. But I deserved them, for I am anobstinate, passionate puppet. I am always bent upon having my own way, without listening to those who wish me well, and who have a thousandtimes more sense than I have! But from this time forth I am determinedto change and to become orderly and obedient. For at last I have seenthat disobedient boys come to no good and gain nothing. And has my papawaited for me? Shall I find him at the Fairy's house? Poor man, it is solong since I last saw him: I am dying to embrace him and to cover himwith kisses! And will the Fairy forgive me my bad conduct to her? Tothink of all the kindness and loving care I received from her, to thinkthat if I am now alive I owe it to her! Would it be possible to find amore ungrateful boy, or one with less heart than I have?"

Whilst he was saying this he stopped suddenly, frightened to death, andmade four steps backwards. 

What had he seen?

He had seen an immense Serpent stretched across the road. Its skin wasgreen, it had red eyes, and a pointed tail that was smoking like achimney. 

It would be impossible to imagine the puppet's terror. He walked away toa safe distance and, sitting down on a heap of stones, waited until theSerpent should have gone about its business and left the road clear. 

He waited an hour; two hours; three hours; but the Serpent was alwaysthere, and even from a distance he could see the red light of his fieryeyes and the column of smoke that ascended from the end of his tail. 

At last Pinocchio, trying to feel courageous, approached to within a fewsteps, and said to the Serpent in a little soft, insinuating voice:

"Excuse me. Sir Serpent, but would you be so good as to move a little toone side--just enough to allow me to pass?"

He might as well have spoken to the wall. Nobody moved. 

He began again in the same soft voice:

"You must know. Sir Serpent, that I am on my way home, where my fatheris waiting for me, and it is such a long time since I saw him last! Willyou, therefore, allow me to continue my road?"

He waited for a sign in answer to this request, but there was none; infact, the Serpent, who up to that moment had been sprightly and full oflife, became motionless and almost rigid. He shut his eyes and his tailceased smoking. 

"Can he really be dead?" said Pinocchio, rubbing his hands with delight. He determined to jump over him and reach the other side of the road. But, just as he was going to leap, the Serpent raised himself suddenlyon end, like a spring set in motion; and the puppet, drawing back, inhis terror caught his feet and fell to the ground. 

And he fell so awkwardly that his head stuck in the mud and his legswent into the air. 

At the sight of the puppet kicking violently with his head in the mud, the Serpent went into convulsions of laughter, and laughed, and laughed, until he broke a blood-vessel in his chest and died. And that time hewas really dead. 

Pinocchio then set off running, in hopes that he should reach theFairy's house before dark. But before long he began to suffer sodreadfully from hunger that he could not bear it, and he jumped into afield by the wayside, intending to pick some bunches of Muscatel grapes. Oh, that he had never done it!

He had scarcely reached the vines when crack--his legs were caughtbetween two cutting iron bars and he became so giddy with pain thatstars of every color danced before his eyes. 

The poor puppet had been taken in a trap put there to capture some bigpolecats which were the scourge of the poultry-yards in theneighborhood. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXI

PINOCCHIO ACTS AS WATCH-DOG

Pinocchio began to cry and scream, but his tears and groans wereuseless, for there was not a house to be seen, and not a living soulpassed down the road. 

At last night came on. 

Partly from the pain of the trap, that cut his legs, and a little fromfear at finding himself alone in the dark in the midst of the fields, the puppet was on the point of fainting. Just at that moment he saw aFirefly flitting over his head. He called to it and said:

"Oh, little Firefly, will you have pity on me and liberate me from thistorture?"

"Poor boy!" said the Firefly, stopping and looking at him withcompassion; "but how could your legs have been caught by those sharpirons?"

"I came into the field to pick two bunches of these Muscatel grapes, and--"

"But were the grapes yours?"

"No. "

"Then who taught you to carry off other people's property?"

"I was so hungry. "

"Hunger, my boy, is not a good reason for appropriating what does notbelong to us. "

"That is true, that is true!" said Pinocchio, crying. "I will never doit again. "

At this moment their conversation was interrupted by a slight sound ofapproaching footsteps. It was the owner of the field coming on tiptoe tosee if one of the polecats that ate his chickens during the night hadbeen caught in his trap. 

His astonishment was great when, having brought out his lantern fromunder his coat, he perceived that instead of a polecat a boy had beentaken. 

"Ah, little thief, " said the angry peasant, "then it is you who carriesoff my chickens?"

"No, it is not I; indeed it is not!" cried Pinocchio, sobbing. "I onlycame into the field to take two bunches of grapes!"

"He who steals grapes is quite capable of stealing chickens. Leave it tome, I will give you a lesson that you will not forget in a hurry. "

Opening the trap, he seized the puppet by the collar and carried him tohis house as if he had been a young lamb. 

When he reached the yard in front of the house he threw him roughly onthe ground and, putting his foot on his neck, he said to him:

"It is late and I want to go to bed; we will settle our accountstomorrow. In the meanwhile, as the dog who kept guard at night diedtoday, you shall take his place at once. You shall be my watch-dog. "

And, taking a great collar covered with brass knobs, he strapped it sotightly round his throat that he was not able to draw his head out ofit. A heavy chain attached to the collar was fastened to the wall. 

"If it should rain tonight, " he then said to him, "you can go and liedown in the kennel; the straw that has served as a bed for my poor dogfor the last four years is still there. If unfortunately robbers shouldcome, remember to keep your ears pricked and to bark. "

After giving him this last injunction the man went into the house, shutthe door, and put up the chain. 

Poor Pinocchio remained lying on the ground more dead than alive fromthe effects of cold, hunger and fear. From time to time he put his handsangrily to the collar that tightened his throat and said, crying:

"It serves me right! Decidedly, it serves me right! I was determined tobe a vagabond and a good-for-nothing. I would listen to bad companions, and that is why I always meet with misfortunes. If I had been a goodlittle boy, as so many are; if I had remained at home with my poor papa, I should not now be in the midst of the fields and obliged to be thewatch-dog to a peasant's house. Oh, if I could be born again! But now itis too late and I must have patience!"

Relieved by this little outburst, which came straight from his heart, hewent into the dog-kennel and fell asleep. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXII

PINOCCHIO DISCOVERS THE ROBBERS

He had been sleeping heavily for about two hours when, towards midnight, hewas aroused by a whispering of strange voices that seemed to come from thecourtyard. Putting the point of his nose out of the kennel, he saw fourlittle beasts with dark fur, that looked like cats, standing consultingtogether. But they were not cats; they were polecats--carnivorous littleanimals, especially greedy for eggs and young chickens. One of thepolecats, leaving his companions, came to the opening of the kennel andsaid in a low voice:

"Good evening, Melampo. "

"My name is not Melampo, " answered the puppet. 

"Oh! then who are you?"

"I am Pinocchio. "

"And what are you doing here?"

"I am acting as watch-dog. "

"Then where is Melampo? Where is the old dog who lived in this kennel?"

"He died this morning. "

"Is he dead? Poor beast! He was so good. But, judging you by your face, I should say that you were also a good dog. "

"I beg your pardon, I am not a dog. "

"Not a dog? Then what are you?"

"I am a puppet. "

"And you are acting as watch-dog?"

"That is only too true--as a punishment. "

"Well, then, I will offer you the same conditions that we made with thedeceased Melampo, and I am sure you will be satisfied with them. "

"What are these conditions?"

"One night in every week you are to permit us to visit this poultry-yardas we have hitherto done, and to carry off eight chickens. Of thesechickens seven are to be eaten by us, and one we will give to you, onthe express understanding, however, that you pretend to be asleep, andthat it never enters your head to bark and to waken the peasant. "

"Did Melampo act in this manner?" asked Pinocchio. 

"Certainly, and we were always on the best terms with him. Sleepquietly, and rest assured that before we go we will leave by the kennela beautiful chicken ready plucked for your breakfast tomorrow. Have weunderstood each other clearly?"

"Only too clearly!" answered Pinocchio, and he shook his headthreateningly, as much as to say: "You shall hear of this shortly!"

The four polecats, thinking themselves safe, repaired to thepoultry-yard, which was close to the kennel, and, having opened thewooden gate with their teeth and claws, they slipped in one by one. Butthey had only just passed through when they heard the gate shut behindthem with great violence. 

It was Pinocchio who had shut it, and for greater security he put alarge stone against it to keep it closed. 

He then began to bark, and he barked exactly like a watch-dog: "Bow-wow, bow-wow. "

Hearing the barking, the peasant jumped out of bed and, taking his gun, he came to the window and asked:

"What is the matter?"

"There are robbers!" answered Pinocchio. 

"Where are they?"

"In the poultry-yard. "

"I will come down directly. "

In fact, in less time than it takes to say "Amen!" the peasant camedown. He rushed into the poultry-yard, caught the polecats, and, havingput them into a sack, he said to them in a tone of great satisfaction:

"At last you have fallen into my hands! I might punish you, but I am notso cruel. I will content myself instead by carrying you in the morningto the innkeeper of the neighboring village, who will skin and cook youas hares with a sweet and sour sauce. It is an honor that you don'tdeserve, but generous people like me don't consider such trifles!"

He then approached Pinocchio and began to caress him, and amongst otherthings he asked him:

"How did you manage to discover the four thieves? To think that Melampo, my faithful Melampo, never found out anything!"

The puppet might then have told him the whole story; he might haveinformed him of the disgraceful conditions that had been made betweenthe dog and the polecats; but he remembered that the dog was dead and hethought to himself:

"What is the good of accusing the dead? The dead are dead, and the bestthing to be done is to leave them in peace!"

"When the thieves got into the yard, were you asleep or awake?" thepeasant went on to ask him. 

"I was asleep, " answered Pinocchio, "but the polecats woke me with theirchatter and one of them came to the kennel and said to me: 'If youpromise not to bark, and not to wake the master, we will make you apresent of a fine chicken ready plucked!' To think that they should havehad the audacity to make such a proposal to me! For, although I am apuppet, possessing perhaps nearly all the faults in the world, there isone that I certainly will never be guilty of, that of making terms with, and sharing the gains of, dishonest people!"

"Well said, my boy!" cried the peasant, slapping him on the shoulder. "Such sentiments do you honor; and as a proof of my gratitude I will atonce set you at liberty, and you may return home. "

And he removed the dog-collar. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXIII

PINOCCHIO FLIES TO THE SEASHORE

As soon as Pinocchio was released from the heavy and humiliating weightof the dog-collar he started off across the fields and never stoppeduntil he had reached the high road that led to the Fairy's house. Hecould see amongst the trees the top of the Big Oak to which he had beenhung, but, although he looked in every direction, the little housebelonging to the beautiful Child with the blue hair was nowhere visible. 

Seized with a sad presentiment, he began to run with all the strength hehad left and in a few minutes he reached the field where the littlewhite house had once stood. But it was no longer there. Instead of thehouse he saw a marble stone, on which were engraved these sad words:

 HERE LIES THE CHILD WITH THE BLUE HAIR WHO DIED FROM SORROW BECAUSE SHE WAS ABANDONED BY HER LITTLE BROTHER PINOCCHIO

I leave you to imagine the puppet's feelings when he had with difficultyspelled out this epitaph. He fell with his face on the ground and, covering the tombstone with a thousand kisses, burst into an agony oftears. He cried all night and when morning came he was still crying, although he had no tears left, and his sobs and lamentations were soacute and heart-breaking that they aroused the echoes in the surroundinghills. 

And as he wept he said:

"Oh, little Fairy, why did you die? Why did I not die instead of you, Iwho am so wicked, whilst you were so good? And my papa? Where can he be?Oh, little Fairy, tell me where I can find him, for I want to remainwith him always and never leave him again, never again! Oh, littleFairy, tell me that it is not true that you are dead! If you really loveyour little brother, come to life again. Does it not grieve you to seeme alone and abandoned by everybody? If assassins come they will hang meagain to the branch of a tree, and then I should die indeed. What do youimagine that I can do here alone in the world? Now that I have lost youand my papa, who will give me food? Where shall I go to sleep at night?Who will make me a new jacket? Oh, it would be better, a hundred timesbetter, for me to die also! Yes, I want to die--oh! oh! oh!"

[Illustration: An Immense Serpent Stretched Across the Road]

And in his despair he tried to tear his hair, but his hair was madeof wood so he could not even have the satisfaction of sticking hisfingers into it. 

Just then a large Pigeon flew over his head and, stopping with distendedwings, called down to him from a great height:

"Tell me, child, what are you doing there?"

"Don't you see? I am crying!" said Pinocchio, raising his head towardsthe voice and rubbing his eyes with his jacket. 

"Tell me, " continued the Pigeon, "amongst your companions, do you happento know a puppet who is called Pinocchio?"

"Pinocchio? Did you say Pinocchio?" repeated the puppet, jumping quicklyto his feet. "I am Pinocchio!"

At this answer the Pigeon descended rapidly to the ground. He was largerthan a turkey. 

"Do you also know Geppetto?" he asked. 

"Do I know him! He is my poor papa! Has he perhaps spoken to you of me?Will you take me to him? Is he still alive? Answer me, for pity's sake:is he still alive?"

"I left him three days ago on the seashore. "

"What was he doing?"

"He was building a little boat for himself, to cross the ocean. For morethan three months that poor man has been going all round the worldlooking for you. Not having succeeded in finding you, he has now takenit into his head to go to the distant countries of the New World insearch of you. "

"How far is it from here to the shore?" asked Pinocchio breathlessly. 

"More than six hundred miles. "

"Six hundred miles? Oh, beautiful Pigeon, what a fine thing it would beto have your wings!"

"If you wish to go, I will carry you there. "

"How?"

"On my back. Do you weigh much?"

"I weigh next to nothing. I am as light as a feather. "

And without waiting for more Pinocchio jumped at once on the Pigeon'sback and, putting a leg on each side of him as men do on horseback, heexclaimed joyfully:

"Gallop, gallop, my little horse, for I am anxious to arrive quickly!"

The Pigeon took flight and in a few minutes had soared so high that theyalmost touched the clouds. Finding himself at such an immense height thepuppet had the curiosity to turn and look down; but his head spun roundand he became so frightened to save himself from the danger of fallinghe wound his arms tightly round the neck of his feathered steed. 

They flew all day. Towards evening the Pigeon said:

"I am very thirsty!"

"And I am very hungry!" rejoined Pinocchio. 

"Let us stop at that dovecote for a few minutes and then we willcontinue our journey, so that we may reach the seashore by dawntomorrow. "

They went into a deserted dovecote, where they found nothing but a basinfull of water and a basket full of vetch. 

The puppet had never in his life been able to eat vetch: according tohim it made him sick. That evening, however, he ate to repletion, andwhen he had nearly emptied the basket he turned to the Pigeon and saidto him:

"I never could have believed that vetch was so good!"

"Be assured, my boy, " replied the Pigeon, "that when hunger is real, andthere is nothing else to eat, even vetch becomes delicious. Hungerknows neither caprice nor greediness. "

Having quickly finished their little meal they recommenced their journeyand flew away. The following morning they reached the seashore. 

The Pigeon placed Pinocchio on the ground and, not wishing to betroubled with thanks for having done a good action, flew quickly awayand disappeared. 

The shore was crowded with people who were looking out to sea, shoutingand gesticulating. 

"What has happened?" asked Pinocchio of an old woman. 

"A poor father who has lost his son has gone away in a boat to searchfor him on the other side of the water, and today the sea is tempestuousand the little boat is in danger of sinking. "

"Where is the little boat?"

"It is out there in a line with my finger, " said the old woman, pointingto a little boat which, seen at that distance, looked like a nutshellwith a very little man in it. 

Pinocchio fixed his eyes on it and after looking attentively he gave apiercing scream, crying:

"It is my papa! It is my papa!"

The boat, meanwhile, beaten by the fury of the waves, at one momentdisappeared in the trough of the sea, and the next came again to thesurface. Pinocchio, standing on the top of a high rock, kept calling tohis father by name, and making every kind of signal to him with hishands, his handkerchief, and his cap. 

And, although he was so far off, Geppetto appeared to recognize his son, for he also took off his cap and waved it, and tried by gestures tomake him understand that he would have returned if it had been possible, but that the sea was so tempestuous that he could not use his oars orapproach the shore. 

Suddenly a tremendous wave rose and the boat disappeared. They waited, hoping it would come again to the surface, but it was seen no more. 

"Poor man!" said the fishermen who were assembled on the shore;murmuring a prayer, they turned to go home. 

Just then they heard a desperate cry and, looking back, they saw alittle boy who exclaimed, as he jumped from a rock into the sea:

"I will save my papa!"

Pinocchio, being made of wood, floated easily and he swam like a fish. At one moment they saw him disappear under the water, carried down bythe fury of the waves, and next he reappeared struggling with a leg oran arm. At last they lost sight of him and he was seen no more. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXIV

PINOCCHIO FINDS THE FAIRY AGAIN

Pinocchio, hoping to be in time to help his father, swam the wholenight. 

And what a horrible night it was! The rain came down in torrents, ithailed, the thunder was frightful, and the flashes of lightning made itas light as day. 

Towards morning he saw a long strip of land not far off. It was anisland in the midst of the sea. 

He tried his utmost to reach the shore, but it was all in vain. Thewaves, racing and tumbling over each other, knocked him about as if hehad been a stick or a wisp of straw. At last, fortunately for him, abillow rolled up with such fury and impetuosity that he was lifted upand thrown far on to the sands. 

He fell with such force that, as he struck the ground, his ribs and allhis joints cracked, but he comforted himself, saying:

"This time also I have made a wonderful escape!"

Little by little the sky cleared, the sun shone out in all his splendor, and the sea became as quiet and as smooth as oil. 

The puppet put his clothes in the sun to dry and began to look in everydirection in hopes of seeing on the vast expanse of water a little boatwith a little man in it. But, although he looked and looked, he couldsee nothing but the sky, and the sea, and the sail of some ship, but sofar away that it seemed no bigger than a fly. 

"If I only knew what this island was called!" he said to himself. "If Ionly knew whether it was inhabited by civilized people--I mean, bypeople who have not the bad habit of hanging boys to the branches of thetrees. But whom can I ask? Whom, if there is nobody?"

This idea of finding himself alone, alone, all alone, in the midst ofthis great uninhabited country, made him so melancholy that he was justbeginning to cry. But at that moment, at a short distance from theshore, he saw a big fish swimming by; it was going quietly on its ownbusiness with its head out of the water. 

Not knowing its name, the puppet called to it in a loud voice to makehimself heard:

"Eh, Sir Fish, will you permit me a word with you?"

"Two if you like, " answered the fish, who was a Dolphin, and so politethat few similar are to be found in any sea in the world. 

"Will you be kind enough to tell me if there are villages in this islandwhere it would be possible to obtain something to eat, without runningthe danger of being eaten?"

"Certainly there are, " replied the Dolphin. "Indeed, you will find oneat a short distance from here. "

"And what road must I take to go there?"

"You must take that path to your left and follow your nose. You cannotmake a mistake. "

"Will you tell me another thing? You who swim about the sea all day andall night, have you by chance met a little boat with my papa in it?"

"And who is your papa?"

"He is the best papa in the world, whilst it would be difficult to finda worse son than I am. "

"During the terrible storm last night, " answered the Dolphin, "thelittle boat must have gone to the bottom. "

"And my papa?"

"He must have been swallowed by the terrible Dog-Fish, who for some dayspast has been spreading devastation and ruin in our waters. "

"Is this Dog-Fish very big?" asked Pinocchio, who was already beginningto quake with fear. 

"Big!" replied the Dolphin. "That you may form some idea of his size, Ineed only tell you that he is bigger than a five-storied house, and thathis mouth is so enormous and so deep that a railway train with itssmoking engine could pass down his throat. "

"Mercy upon us!" exclaimed the terrified puppet; and, putting on hisclothes with the greatest haste, he said to the Dolphin:

"Good-bye, Sir Fish; excuse the trouble I have given you, and manythanks for your politeness. "

He then took the path that had been pointed out to him and began towalk fast--so fast, indeed, that he was almost running. And at theslightest noise he turned to look behind him, fearing that he might seethe terrible Dog-Fish with a railway train in its mouth following him. 

After a walk of half an hour he reached a little village called "TheVillage of the Industrious Bees. " The road was alive with people runninghere and there to attend to their business; all were at work, all hadsomething to do. You could not have found an idler or a vagabond, noteven if you had searched for him with a lighted lamp. 

"Ah!" said that lazy Pinocchio at once, "I see that this village willnever suit me! I wasn't born to work!"

In the meanwhile he was tormented by hunger, for he had eaten nothingfor twenty-four hours--not even vetch. What was he to do?

There were only two ways by which he could obtain food--either by askingfor a little work, or by begging for a nickel or for a mouthful ofbread. 

He was ashamed to beg, for his father had always preached to him that noone had a right to beg except the aged and the infirm. The really poorin this world, deserving of compassion and assistance, are only thosewho from age or sickness are no longer able to earn their own bread withthe labor of their hands. It is the duty of every one else to work; andif they will not work, so much the worse for them if they suffer fromhunger. 

At that moment a man came down the road, tired and panting for breath. He was dragging, alone, with fatigue and difficulty, two carts full ofcharcoal. 

Pinocchio, judging by his face that he was a kind man, approached himand, casting down his eyes with shame, he said to him in a low voice:

"Would you have the charity to give me a nickel, for I am dying ofhunger?"

"You shall have not only a nickel, " said the man, "but I will give you aquarter, provided that you help me to drag home these two carts ofcharcoal. "

"I am surprised at you!" answered the puppet in a tone of offense. "Letme tell you that I am not accustomed to do the work of a donkey: I havenever drawn a cart!"

"So much the better for you, " answered the man. "Then, my boy, if youare really dying of hunger, eat two fine slices of your pride, and becareful not to get indigestion. "

A few minutes afterwards a mason passed down the road carrying on hisshoulders a basket of lime. 

"Would you have the charity, good man, to give a nickel to a poor boywho is yawning for want of food?"

"Willingly, " answered the man. "Come with me and carry the lime, andinstead of a nickel I will give you a quarter. "

"But the lime is heavy, " objected Pinocchio, "and I don't want to tiremyself. "

"If you don't want to tire yourself, then, my boy, amuse yourself withyawning, and much good may it do you. "

In less than half an hour twenty other people went by, and Pinocchioasked charity of them all, but they all answered:

"Are you not ashamed to beg? Instead of idling about the roads, go andlook for a little work and learn to earn your bread. "

At last a nice little woman carrying two cans of water came by. 

"Will you let me drink a little water out of your can?" asked Pinocchio, who was burning with thirst. 

"Drink, my boy, if you wish it!" said the little woman, setting down thetwo cans. 

Pinocchio drank like a fish, and as he dried his mouth he mumbled:

"I have quenched my thirst. If I could only appease my hunger!"

The good woman, hearing these words, said at once:

"If you will help me to carry home these two cans of water I will giveyou a fine piece of bread. "

Pinocchio looked at the can and answered neither yes nor no. 

"And besides the bread you shall have a nice dish of cauliflower dressedwith oil and vinegar, " added the good woman. 

Pinocchio gave another look at the can and answered neither yes nor no. 

"And after the cauliflower I will give you a beautiful bonbon full ofsyrup. "

The temptation of this last dainty was so great that Pinocchio couldresist no longer and with an air of decision he said:

"I must have patience! I will carry the can to your house. "

The can was heavy and the puppet, not being strong enough to carry it inhis hand, had to resign himself to carry it on his head. 

When they reached the house the good little woman made Pinocchio sitdown at a small table already laid and she placed before him the bread, the cauliflower and the bonbon. 

Pinocchio did not eat, he devoured. His stomach was like an apartmentthat had been left empty and uninhabited for five months. 

When his ravenous hunger was somewhat appeased he raised his head tothank his benefactress, but he had no sooner looked at her than he gavea prolonged "Oh-h!" of astonishment and continued staring at her withwide open eyes, his fork in the air, and his mouth full of bread andcauliflower, as if he had been bewitched. 

"What has surprised you so much?" asked the good woman, laughing. 

"It is--" answered the puppet, "it is--it is--that you are like--thatyou remind me--yes, yes, yes, the same voice--the same eyes--the samehair--yes, yes, yes--you also have blue hair--as she had--Oh, littleFairy! tell me that it is you, really you! Do not make me cry any more!If you knew--I have cried so much, I have suffered so much. "

And, throwing himself at her feet on the floor, Pinocchio embraced theknees of the mysterious little woman and began to cry bitterly. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXV

PINOCCHIO PROMISES THE FAIRY TO BE GOOD

At first the good little woman maintained that she was not the littleFairy with blue hair, but, seeing that she was found out and not wishingto continue the comedy any longer, she ended by making herself known, and she said to Pinocchio:

"You little rogue! how did you ever discover who I was?"

"It was my great affection for you that told me. "

"Do you remember? You left me a child, and now that you have found meagain I am a woman--a woman almost old enough to be your mamma. "

"I am delighted at that, for now, instead of calling you little sister, I will call you mamma. I have wished for such a long time to have amamma like other boys! But how did you manage to grow so fast?"

"That is a secret. "

"Teach it to me, for I should also like to grow. Don't you see? I alwaysremain no bigger than a ninepin. "

"But you cannot grow, " replied the Fairy. 

"Why?"

"Because puppets never grow. They are born puppets, live puppets, anddie puppets. "

"Oh, I am sick of being a puppet!" cried Pinocchio, giving himself aslap. "It is time that I became a man. "

"And you will become one, if you know how to deserve it. "

"Not really? And what can I do to deserve it?"

"A very easy thing: by learning to be a good boy. "

"And you think I am not?"

"You are quite the contrary. Good boys are obedient, and you--"

"And I never obey. "

"Good boys like to learn and to work, and you--"

"And I instead lead an idle, vagabond life the year through. "

"Good boys always speak the truth. "

"And I always tell lies. "

"Good boys go willingly to school. "

"And school gives me pain all over the body. But from today I willchange my life. "

"Do you promise me?"

"I promise you. I will become a good little boy, and I will be theconsolation of my papa. Where is my poor papa at this moment?"

"I do not know. "

"Shall I ever have the happiness of seeing him again and kissing him?"

"I think so; indeed, I am sure of it. "

At this answer Pinocchio was so delighted that he took the Fairy's handsand began to kiss them with such fervor that he seemed beside himself. Then, raising his face and looking at her lovingly, he asked:

"Tell me, little mamma: then it was not true that you were dead?"

"It seems not, " said the Fairy, smiling. 

"If you only knew the sorrow I felt and the tightening of my throat whenI read, 'Here lies--'"

"I know it, and it is on that account that I have forgiven you. I sawfrom the sincerity of your grief that you had a good heart; and whenboys have good hearts, even if they are scamps and have got bad habits, there is always something to hope for; that is, there is always hopethat they will turn to better ways. That is why I came to look for youhere. I will be your mamma. "

"Oh, how delightful!" shouted Pinocchio, jumping for joy. 

"You must obey me and do everything that I bid you. "

"Willingly, willingly, willingly!"

"Tomorrow, " rejoined the Fairy, "you will begin to go to school. "

Pinocchio became at once a little less joyful. 

"Then you must choose an art, or a trade, according to your own wishes. "

Pinocchio became very grave. 

"What are you muttering between your teeth?" asked the Fairy in anangry voice. 

"I was saying, " moaned the puppet in a low voice, "that it seemed to metoo late for me to go to school now. "

"No, sir. Keep it in mind that it is never too late to learn and toinstruct ourselves. "

"But I do not wish to follow either an art or a trade. "

"Why?"

"Because it tires me to work. "

"My boy, " said the Fairy, "those who talk in that way end almost alwayseither in prison or in the hospital. Let me tell you that every man, whether he is born rich or poor, is obliged to do something in thisworld--to occupy himself, to work. Woe to those who lead slothful lives. Sloth is a dreadful illness and must be cured at once, in childhood. Ifnot, when we are old it can never be cured. "

Pinocchio was touched by these words and, lifting his head quickly, hesaid to the Fairy:

"I will study, I will work, I will do all that you tell me, for indeed Ihave become weary of being a puppet, and I wish at any price to become aboy. You promised me that I should, did you not?"

"I did promise you, and it now depends upon yourself. "

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXVI

THE TERRIBLE DOG-FISH

The following day Pinocchio went to the government school. Imagine thedelight of all the little rogues, when they saw a puppet walk into theirschool! They set up a roar of laughter that never ended. They played himall sorts of tricks. One boy carried off his cap, another pulled hisjacket behind; one tried to give him a pair of inky mustachios justunder his nose, and another attempted to tie strings to his feet andhands to make him dance. 

For a short time Pinocchio pretended not to care and got on as well ashe could; but at last, losing all patience, he turned to those who wereteasing him most and making game of him, and said to them, looking veryangry:

"Beware, boys! I have not come here to be your buffoon. I respectothers, and I intend to be respected. "

[Illustration: "Oh, I Am Sick of Being a Puppet!" Cried Pinocchio]

"Well said, boaster! You have spoken like a book!" howled the youngrascals, convulsed with mad laughter, and one of them, more impertinentthan the others, stretched out his hand, intending to seize the puppetby the end of his nose. 

But he was not in time, for Pinocchio stuck his leg out from under thetable and gave him a great kick on his shins. 

"Oh, what hard feet!" roared the boy, rubbing the bruise that the puppethad given him. 

"And what elbows! even harder than his feet!" said another, who for hisrude tricks had received a blow in the stomach. 

But, nevertheless, the kick and the blow acquired at once for Pinocchiothe sympathy and the esteem of all the boys in the school. They all madefriends with him and liked him heartily. 

And even the master praised him, for he found him attentive, studiousand intelligent--always the first to come to school, and the last toleave when school was over. 

But he had one fault: he made too many friends, and amongst them wereseveral young rascals well known for their dislike to study and love ofmischief. 

The master warned him every day, and even the good Fairy never failed totell him and to repeat constantly:

"Take care, Pinocchio! Those bad school-fellows of yours will end sooneror later by making you lose all love of study, and perhaps they may evenbring upon you some great misfortune. "

"There is no fear of that!" answered the puppet, shrugging his shouldersand touching his forehead as much as to say: "There is so much sensehere!"

Now it happened that one fine day, as he was on his way to school, hemet several of his usual companions who, coming up to him, asked:

"Have you heard the great news?"

"No. "

"In the sea near here a Dog-Fish has appeared as big as a mountain. "

"Not really? Can it be the same Dog-Fish that was there when my papa wasdrowned?"

"We are going to the shore to see him. Will you come with us?"

"No; I am going to school. "

"What matters school? We can go to school tomorrow. Whether we have alesson more or a lesson less, we shall always remain the same donkeys. "

"But what will the master say?"

"The master may say what he likes. He is paid on purpose to grumble allday. "

"And my mamma?"

"Mammas know nothing, " answered those bad little boys. 

"Do you know what I will do?" said Pinocchio. "I have reasons forwishing to see the Dog-Fish, but I will go and see him when school isover. "

"Poor donkey!" exclaimed one of the number. "Do you suppose that a fishof that size will wait your convenience? As soon as he is tired of beinghere he will start for another place, and then it will be too late. "

"How long does it take to go from here to the shore?" asked the puppet. 

"We can be there and back in an hour. "

"Then away!" shouted Pinocchio, "and he who runs fastest is the best!"

Having thus given the signal to start, the boys, with their books andcopy-books under their arms, rushed off across the fields, and Pinocchiowas always the first--he seemed to have wings to his feet. 

From time to time he turned to jeer at his companions, who were somedistance behind, and, seeing them panting for breath, covered with dust, and their tongues hanging out of their mouths, he laughed heartily. Theunfortunate boy little knew what terrors and horrible disasters he wasgoing to meet with!

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXVII

PINOCCHIO IS ARRESTED BY THE GENDARMES

When he arrived on the shore Pinocchio looked out to sea, but he saw noDog-Fish. The sea was as smooth as a great crystal mirror. 

"Where is the Dog-Fish?" he asked, turning to his companions. 

"He must have gone to have his breakfast, " said one of them, laughing. 

"Or he has thrown himself on to his bed to have a little nap, " addedanother, laughing still louder. 

From their absurd answers and silly laughter Pinocchio perceived thathis companions had been making a fool of him, in inducing him to believea tale with no truth in it. Taking it very badly, he said to themangrily:

"And now, may I ask what fun you could find in deceiving me with thestory of the Dog-Fish?"

"Oh, it was great fun!" answered the little rascals in chorus. 

"And in what did it consist?"

"In making you miss school and persuading you to come with us. Are younot ashamed of being always so punctual and so diligent with yourlessons? Are you not ashamed of studying so hard?"

"And if I study hard, what concern is it of yours?"

"It concerns us excessively, because it makes us appear in a bad lightto the master. "

"Why?"

"Because boys who study make those who, like us, have no wish to learn, seem worse by comparison. And that is too bad. We, too, have our pride!"

"Then what must I do to please you?"

"You must follow our example and hate school, lessons, and themaster--our three greatest enemies. "

"And if I wish to continue my studies?"

"In that case we will have nothing more to do with you, and at the firstopportunity we will make you pay for it. "

"Really, " said the puppet, shaking his head, "you make me inclined tolaugh. "

"Eh, Pinocchio" shouted the biggest of the boys, confronting him. "Noneof your superior airs: don't come here to crow over us, for if you arenot afraid of us, we are not afraid of you. Remember that you are oneagainst seven of us. "

"Seven, like the seven deadly sins, " said Pinocchio, with a shout oflaughter. 

"Listen to him! He has insulted us all! He called us the seven deadlysins!"

"Take that to begin with and keep it for your supper tonight, " said oneof the boys. 

And, so saying, he gave him a blow on the head with his fist. 

But it was give and take; for the puppet, as was to be expected, immediately returned the blow, and the fight in a moment became generaland desperate. 

Pinocchio, although he was one alone, defended himself like a hero. Heused his feet, which were of the hardest wood, to such purpose that hekept his enemies at a respectful distance. Wherever they touched theyleft a bruise by way of reminder. 

The boys, becoming furious at not being able to measure themselves handto hand with the puppet, had recourse to other weapons. Loosening theirsatchels, they commenced throwing their school-books at him--grammars, dictionaries, spelling-books, geography books, and other scholasticworks. But Pinocchio was quick and had sharp eyes, and always managed toduck in time, so that the books passed over his head and all fell intothe sea. 

Imagine the astonishment of the fish! Thinking that the books weresomething to eat they all arrived in shoals, but, having tasted a pageor two, or a frontispiece, they spat it quickly out and made a wry facethat seemed to say: "It isn't food for us; we are accustomed tosomething much better!"

The battle meantime had become fiercer than ever, when a big crab, whohad come out of the water and had climbed slowly up on the shore, calledout in a hoarse voice that sounded like a trumpet with a bad cold:

[Illustration: FOUR RABBITS AS BLACK AS INK ENTERED CARRYING A LITTLEBIER]

"Have done with that, you young ruffians, for you are nothing else!These hand-to-hand fights between boys seldom finish well. Some disasteris sure to happen!"

Poor crab! He might as well have preached to the wind. Even that youngrascal, Pinocchio, turning around, looked at him mockingly and saidrudely:

"Hold your tongue, you tiresome crab! You had better suck some liquoricelozenges to cure that cold in your throat. "

Just then the boys, who had no more books of their own to throw, spiedat a little distance the satchel that belonged to Pinocchio, and tookpossession of it. 

Amongst the books there was one bound in strong cardboard with the backand points of parchment. It was a Treatise on Arithmetic. 

One of the boys seized this volume and, aiming at Pinocchio's head, threw it at him with all the force he could muster. But instead ofhitting the puppet it struck one of his companions on the temple, who, turning as white as a sheet, said only:

"Oh, mother! help, I am dying!" and fell his whole length on the sand. Thinking he was dead, the terrified boys ran off as hard as their legscould carry them and in a few minutes they were out of sight. 

But Pinocchio remained. Although from grief and fright he was more deadthan alive, nevertheless he ran and soaked his handkerchief in the seaand began to bathe the temples of his poor school-fellow. Cryingbitterly in his despair, he kept calling him by name and saying to him:

"Eugene! my poor Eugene! Open your eyes and look at me! Why do you notanswer? I did not do it; indeed it was not I that hurt you so! believeme, it was not! Open your eyes, Eugene. If you keep your eyes shut Ishall die, too. Oh! what shall I do? how shall I ever return home? Howcan I ever have the courage to go back to my good mamma? What willbecome of me? Where can I fly to? Oh! how much better it would havebeen, a thousand times better, if I had only gone to school! Why did Ilisten to my companions? they have been my ruin. The master said to me, and my mamma repeated it often: 'Beware of bad companions!' Oh, dear!what will become of me, what will become of me, what will become of me?"

And Pinocchio began to cry and sob, and to strike his head with hisfists, and to call poor Eugene by his name. Suddenly he heard the soundof approaching footsteps. 

He turned and saw two soldiers. 

"What are you doing there, lying on the ground?" they asked Pinocchio. 

"I am helping my school-fellow. "

"Has he been hurt?"

"So it seems. "

"Hurt indeed!" said one of them, stooping down and examining Eugeneclosely. 

"This boy has been wounded in the temple. Who wounded him?"

"Not I, " stammered the puppet breathlessly. 

"If it was not you, who then did it?"

"Not I, " repeated Pinocchio. 

"And with what was he wounded?"

"With this book. " And the puppet picked up from the ground the Treatiseon Arithmetic, bound in cardboard and parchment, and showed it to thesoldier. 

"And to whom does this belong?"

"To me. "

"That is enough, nothing more is wanted. Get up and come with us atonce. "

"But I--"

"Come along with us!"

"But I am innocent. "

"Come along with us!"

Before they left, the soldiers called some fishermen who were passing atthat moment near the shore in their boat, and said to them:

"We give this boy who has been wounded in the head in your charge. Carryhim to your house and nurse him. Tomorrow we will come and see him. "

They then turned to Pinocchio and, having placed him between them, theysaid to him in a commanding voice:

"Forward! and walk quickly, or it will be the worse for you. "

Without requiring it to be repeated, the puppet set out along the roadleading to the village. But the poor little devil hardly knew where hewas. He thought he must be dreaming, and what a dreadful dream! He wasbeside himself. He saw double; his legs shook; his tongue clung to theroof of his mouth, and he could not utter a word. And yet, in the midstof his stupefaction and apathy, his heart was pierced by a cruelthorn--the thought that he would pass under the windows of the goodFairy's house between the soldiers. He would rather have died. 

They had already reached the village when a gust of wind blewPinocchio's cap off his head and carried it ten yards off. 

"Will you permit me, " said the puppet to the soldiers, "to go and getmy cap?"

"Go, then; but be quick about it. "

The puppet went and picked up his cap, but instead of putting it on hishead he took it between his teeth and began to run as hard as he couldtowards the seashore. 

The soldiers, thinking it would be difficult to overtake him, sent afterhim a large mastiff who had won the first prizes at all the dog races. Pinocchio ran, but the dog ran faster. The people came to their windowsand crowded into the street in their anxiety to see the end of thedesperate race. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXVIII

PINOCCHIO ESCAPES BEING FRIED LIKE A FISH

There came a moment in this desperate race--a terrible moment--whenPinocchio thought himself lost: for Alidoro, the mastiff, had run soswiftly that he had nearly come up with him. 

The puppet could hear the panting of the dreadful beast close behindhim; there was not a hand's breadth between them, he could even feel thedog's hot breath. 

Fortunately the shore was close and the sea but a few steps off. 

As soon as he reached the sands the puppet made a wonderful leap--a frogcould have done no better--and plunged into the water. 

Alidoro, on the contrary, wished to stop himself, but, carried away bythe impetus of the race, he also went into the sea. The unfortunate dogcould not swim, but he made great efforts to keep himself afloat withhis paws; but the more he struggled the farther he sank head downwardsunder the water. 

When he rose to the surface again his eyes were rolling with terror, andhe barked out:

"I am drowning! I am drowning!"

"Drown!" shouted Pinocchio from a distance, seeing himself safe from alldanger. 

"Help me, dear Pinocchio! Save me from death!"

At that agonizing cry the puppet, who had in reality an excellent heart, was moved with compassion, and, turning to the dog, he said:

"But if I save your life, will you promise to give me no furtherannoyance, and not to run after me?"

"I promise! I promise! Be quick, for pity's sake, for if you delayanother half-minute I shall be dead. "

Pinocchio hesitated; but, remembering that his father had often told himthat a good action is never lost, he swam to Alidoro, and, taking holdof his tail with both hands, brought him safe and sound on to the drysand of the beach. 

The poor dog could not stand. He had drunk so much salt water that hewas like a balloon. The puppet, however, not wishing to trust him toofar, thought it more prudent to jump again into the water. When he hadswum some distance from the shore he called out to the friend he hadrescued:

"Good-bye, Alidoro; a good journey to you, and take my compliments toall at home. "

"Good-bye, Pinocchio, " answered the dog; "a thousand thanks for havingsaved my life. You have done me a great service, and in this world whatis given is returned. If an occasion offers I shall not forget it. "

Pinocchio swam on, keeping always near the land. At last he thought thathe had reached a safe place. Giving a look along the shore, he sawamongst the rocks a kind of cave from which a cloud of smoke wasascending. 

"In that cave, " he said to himself, "there must be a fire. So much thebetter. I will go and dry and warm myself, and then? and then we shallsee. "

Having taken the resolution he approached the rocks, but, as he wasgoing to climb up, he felt something under the water that rose higherand higher and carried him into the air. He tried to escape, but it wastoo late, for, to his extreme surprise, he found himself enclosed in agreat net, together with a swarm of fish of every size and shape, whowere flapping and struggling like so many despairing souls. 

At the same moment a fisherman came out of the cave; he was so ugly, sohorribly ugly, that he looked like a sea monster. Instead of hair hishead was covered with a thick bush of green grass, his skin was green, his eyes were green, his long beard that came down to the ground wasalso green. He had the appearance of an immense lizard standing on itshind-paws. 

When the fisherman had drawn his net out of the sea, he exclaimed withgreat satisfaction:

"Thank Heaven! Again today I shall have a splendid feast of fish!"

"What a mercy that I am not a fish!" said Pinocchio to himself, regaining a little courage. 

The netful of fish was carried into the cave, which was dark and smoky. In the middle of the cave a large frying-pan full of oil was frying andsending out a smell of mushrooms that was suffocating. 

"Now we will see what fish we have taken!" said the green fisherman, and, putting into the net an enormous hand, so out of all proportionthat it looked like a baker's shovel, he pulled out a handful of fish. 

"These fish are good!" he said, looking at them and smelling themcomplacently. And after he had smelled them he threw them into a panwithout water. 

He repeated the same operation many times, and as he drew out the fishhis mouth watered and he said, chuckling to himself:

"What good whiting!"

"What exquisite sardines!"

"These soles are delicious!"

"And these crabs excellent!"

"What dear little anchovies!"

The last to remain in the net was Pinocchio. 

No sooner had the fisherman taken him out than he opened his big greeneyes with astonishment and cried, half frightened:

"What species of fish is this? Fish of this kind I never remember tohave eaten. "

And he looked at him again attentively and, having examined him well allover, he ended by saying:

"I know: he must be a craw-fish. "

Pinocchio, mortified at being mistaken for a craw-fish, said in an angryvoice:

"A craw-fish indeed! Do you take me for a craw-fish? what treatment! Letme tell you that I am a puppet. "

"A puppet?" replied the fisherman. "To tell the truth, a puppet isquite a new fish for me. All the better! I shall eat you with greaterpleasure. "

"Eat me! but will you understand that I am not a fish? Do you hear thatI talk and reason as you do?"

"That is quite true, " said the fisherman; "and as I see that you are afish possessed of the talent of talking and reasoning as I do, I willtreat you with all the attention that is your due. "

"And this attention?"

"In token of my friendship and particular regard, I will leave you thechoice of how you would like to be cooked. Would you like to be fried inthe frying-pan, or would you prefer to be stewed with tomato sauce?"

"To tell the truth, " answered Pinocchio, "if I am to choose, I shouldprefer to be set at liberty and to return home. "

"You are joking! Do you imagine that I would lose the opportunity oftasting such a rare fish? It is not every day, I assure you, that apuppet fish is caught in these waters. Leave it to me. I will fry you inthe frying-pan with the other fish, and you will be quite satisfied. Itis always consolation to be fried in company. "

At this speech the unhappy Pinocchio began to cry and scream and toimplore for mercy, and he said, sobbing: "How much better it would havebeen if I had gone to school! I would listen to my companions and now Iam paying for it. "

And he wriggled like an eel and made indescribable efforts to slip outof the clutches of the green fisherman. But it was useless: thefisherman took a long strip of rush and, having bound his hands and feetas if he had been a sausage, he threw him into the pan with the otherfish. 

He then fetched a wooden bowl full of flour and began to flour themeach in turn, and as soon as they were ready he threw them into thefrying-pan. 

The first to dance in the boiling oil were the poor whitings; the crabsfollowed, then the sardines, then the soles, then the anchovies, and atlast it was Pinocchio's turn. Seeing himself so near death, and such ahorrible death, he was so frightened, and trembled so violently, that hehad neither voice nor breath left for further entreaties. 

But the poor boy implored with his eyes! The green fisherman, however, without caring in the least, plunged him five or six times in the flour, until he was white from head to foot and looked like a puppet made ofplaster. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXIX

HE RETURNS TO THE FAIRY'S HOUSE

Just as the fisherman was on the point of throwing Pinocchio into thefrying-pan a large dog entered the cave, enticed there by the strong andsavory odor of fried fish. 

"Get out!" shouted the fisherman, threateningly, holding the flouredpuppet in his hand. 

But the poor dog, who was as hungry as a wolf, whined and wagged histail as much as to say:

"Give me a mouthful of fish and I will leave you in peace. "

"Get out, I tell you!" repeated the fisherman and he stretched out hisleg to give him a kick. 

But the dog, who, when he was really hungry, would not stand trifling, turned upon him, growling and showing his terrible tusks. 

At that moment a little feeble voice was heard in the cave, sayingentreatingly:

"Save me, Alidoro! If you do not save me I shall be fried!"

The dog recognized Pinocchio's voice and, to his extreme surprise, perceived that it proceeded from the floured bundle that the fishermanheld in his hand. 

So what do you think he did? He made a spring, seized the bundle in hismouth, and, holding it gently between his teeth, he rushed out of thecave and was gone like a flash of lightning. 

The fisherman, furious at seeing a fish he was so anxious to eatsnatched from him, ran after the dog, but he had not gone many stepswhen he was taken with a fit of coughing and had to give it up. 

Alidoro, when he had reached the path that led to the village, stoppedand put his friend Pinocchio gently on the ground. 

"How much I have to thank you for!" said the puppet. 

"There is no necessity, " replied the dog. "You saved me and I have nowreturned it. You know that we must all help each other in this world. "

"But how came you to come to the cave?"

"I was lying on the shore more dead than alive when the wind brought tome the smell of fried fish. The smell excited my appetite and I followedit up. If I had arrived a second later--"

"Do not mention it!" groaned Pinocchio, who was still trembling withfright. "Do not mention it! If you had arrived a second later I shouldby this time have been fried, eaten and digested. Brrr! It makes meshudder only to think of it!"

Alidoro, laughing, extended his right paw to the puppet, who shook itheartily in token of great friendship, and they then separated. 

The dog took the road home, and Pinocchio, left alone, went to a cottagenot far off and said to a little old man who was warming himself in thesun:

"Tell me, good man, do you know anything of a poor boy called Eugene whowas wounded in the head?"

"The boy was brought by some fishermen to this cottage, and now--"

"And now he is dead!" interrupted Pinocchio with great sorrow. 

"No, he is alive and has returned to his home. "

"Not really? not really?" cried the puppet, dancing with delight. "Thenthe wound was not serious?"

"It might have been very serious and even fatal, " answered the littleold man, "for they threw a thick book bound in cardboard at his head. "

"And who threw it at him?"

"One of his school-fellows, a certain Pinocchio. "

"And who is this Pinocchio?" asked the puppet, pretending ignorance. 

"They say that he is a bad boy, a vagabond, a regular good-for-nothing. "

"Calumnies! all calumnies!"

"Do you know this Pinocchio?"

"By sight!" answered the puppet. 

"And what is your opinion of him?" asked the little man. 

"He seems to me to be a very good boy, anxious to learn, and obedientand affectionate to his father and family. "

Whilst the puppet was firing off all these lies, he touched his nose andperceived that it had lengthened more than a hand. Very much alarmed hebegan to cry out:

"Don't believe, good man, what I have been telling you. I know Pinocchiovery well and I can assure you that he is a very bad boy, disobedientand idle, who, instead of going to school, runs off with his companionsto amuse himself. "

He had hardly finished speaking when his nose became shorter andreturned to the same size that it was before. 

"And why are you all covered with white?" asked the old man suddenly. 

"I will tell you. Without observing it I rubbed myself against a wallwhich had been freshly whitewashed, " answered the puppet, ashamed toconfess that he had been floured like a fish prepared for thefrying-pan. 

"And what have you done with your jacket, your trousers, and your cap?"

"I met with robbers, who took them from me. Tell me, good old man, couldyou perhaps give me some clothes to return home in?"

"My boy, as to clothes, I have nothing but a little sack in which I keepbeans. If you wish for it, take it; there it is. "

Pinocchio did not wait to be told twice. He took the sack at once andwith a pair of scissors he cut a hole at the end and at each side, andput it on like a shirt. And with this slight clothing he set off for thevillage. 

But as he went he did not feel at all comfortable--so little so, indeed, that for a step forward he took another backwards, and he said, talkingto himself:

"How shall I ever present myself to my good little Fairy? What will shesay when she sees me? Will she forgive me this second escapade? Oh, I amsure that she will not forgive me! And it serves me right, for I am arascal. I am always promising to correct myself and I never keep myword!"

When he reached the village it was night and very dark. A storm had comeon and as the rain was coming down in torrents he went straight to theFairy's house, resolved to knock at the door. 

But when he was there his courage failed him and instead of knocking heran away some twenty paces. He returned to the door a second time andlaid hold of the knocker, and, trembling, gave a little knock. 

He waited and waited. At last, after half an hour had passed, a windowon the top floor was opened--the house was four stories high--andPinocchio saw a big Snail with a lighted candle on her head looking out. She called to him:

"Who is there at this hour?"

"Is the Fairy at home?" asked the puppet. 

"The Fairy is asleep and must not be awakened; but who are you?"

"It is I. "

"Who is I?"

"Pinocchio. "

"And who is Pinocchio?"

"The puppet who lives in the Fairy's house. "

"Ah, I understand!" said the Snail. "Wait for me there. I will come downand open the door directly. "

"Be quick, for pity's sake, for I am dying of cold. "

"My boy, I am a snail, and snails are never in a hurry. "

An hour passed, and then two, and the door was not opened. Pinocchio, who was wet through and through, and trembling from cold and fear, atlast took courage and knocked again, and this time he knocked louder. 

At this second knock a window on the lower story opened and the sameSnail appeared at it. 

"Beautiful little Snail, " cried Pinocchio from the street, "I have beenwaiting for two hours! And two hours on such a bad night seem longerthan two years. Be quick, for pity's sake. "

"My boy, " answered the calm little animal--"my boy, I am a snail, andsnails are never in a hurry. "

And the window was shut again. 

Shortly afterwards midnight struck; then one o'clock, then two o'clock, and the door remained still closed. 

Pinocchio at last, losing all patience, seized the knocker in a rage, intending to give a blow that would resound through the house. But theknocker, which was iron, turned suddenly into an eel and, slipping outof his hands, disappeared in the stream of water that ran down themiddle of the street. 

"Ah! is that it?" shouted Pinocchio, blind with rage. "Since the knockerhas disappeared, I will kick instead with all my might. "

And, drawing a little back, he gave a tremendous kick against the housedoor. The blow was indeed so violent that his foot went through the woodand stuck; and when he tried to draw it back again it was trouble thrownaway, for it remained fixed like a nail that has been hammered down. 

Think of poor Pinocchio! He was obliged to spend the remainder of thenight with one foot on the ground and the other in the air. 

The following morning at daybreak the door was at last opened. Theclever little Snail had taken only nine hours to come down from thefourth story to the house-door. It is evident that her exertions musthave been great. 

"What are you doing with your foot stuck in the door?" she asked thepuppet. 

"It was an accident. Do try, beautiful little Snail, if you cannotrelease me from this torture. "

"My boy, that is the work of a carpenter, and I have never been acarpenter. "

"Beg the Fairy from me!"

"The Fairy is asleep and must not be awakened. "

"But what do you suppose that I can do all day nailed to this door?"

"Amuse yourself by counting the ants that pass down the street. "

"Bring me at least something to eat, for I am quite exhausted. "

"At once, " said the Snail. 

In fact, after three hours and a half she returned to Pinocchio carryinga silver tray on her head. The tray contained a loaf of bread, a roastchicken, and four ripe apricots. 

"Here is the breakfast that the Fairy has sent you, " said the Snail. 

The puppet felt very much comforted at the sight of these good things. But when he began to eat them, what was his disgust at making thediscovery that the bread was plaster, the chicken cardboard, and thefour apricots painted alabaster. 

He wanted to cry. In his desperation he tried to throw away the tray andall that was on it; but instead, either from grief or exhaustion, hefainted away. 

When he came to himself he found that he was lying on a sofa, and theFairy was beside him. 

"I will pardon you once more, " the Fairy said, "but woe to you if youbehave badly a third time!"

Pinocchio promised and swore that he would study, and that for thefuture he would always conduct himself well. 

And he kept his word for the remainder of the year. Indeed, at theexaminations before the holidays, he had the honor of being the first inthe school, and his behavior in general was so satisfactory andpraiseworthy that the Fairy was very much pleased, and said to him:

"Tomorrow your wish shall be gratified. "

"And that is?"

"Tomorrow you shall cease to be a wooden puppet and you shall become aboy. "

No one who had not witnessed it could ever imagine Pinocchio's joy atthis long-sighed-for good fortune. All his school-fellows were to beinvited for the following day to a grand breakfast at the Fairy's house, that they might celebrate together the great event. The Fairy hadprepared two hundred cups of coffee and milk, and four hundred rolls cutand buttered on each side. The day promised to be most happy anddelightful, but--

Unfortunately in the lives of puppets there is always a "but" thatspoils everything. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXX

THE "LAND OF BOOBIES"

Pinocchio, as was natural, asked the Fairy's permission to go round thetown to give out the invitations, and the Fairy said to him:

"Go, if you like, and invite your companions for the breakfast tomorrow, but remember to return home before dark. Have you understood?"

"I promise to be back in an hour, " answered the puppet. 

"Take care, Pinocchio! Boys are always very ready to promise, butgenerally they are little given to keep their word. "

"But I am not like other boys. When I say a thing, I do it. "

"We shall see. If you are disobedient, so much the worse for you. "

"Why?"

"Because boys who do not listen to the advice of those who know morethan they do always meet with some misfortune or other. "

"I have experienced that, " said Pinocchio, "but I shall never make thatmistake again. "

"We shall see if that is true. "

Without saying more the puppet took leave of his good Fairy, who waslike a mamma to him, and went out of the house singing and dancing. 

In less than an hour all his friends were invited. Some accepted at onceheartily; others at first required pressing; but when they heard thatthe rolls to be eaten with the coffee were to be buttered on both sidesthey ended by saying:

"We will come also, to do you a pleasure. "

Now I must tell you that amongst Pinocchio's friends and school-fellowsthere was one that he greatly preferred and was very fond of. This boy'sname was Romeo, but he always went by the nickname of Candlewick, because he was so thin, straight and bright, like the new wick of alittle nightlight. 

Candlewick was the laziest and the naughtiest boy in the school, butPinocchio was devoted to him. He had indeed gone at once to his house toinvite him to the breakfast, but he had not found him. He returned asecond time, but Candlewick was not there. He went a third time, but itwas in vain. Where could he search for him? He looked here, there, andeverywhere, and at last he saw him hiding on the porch of a peasant'scottage. 

"What are you doing there?" asked Pinocchio, coming up to him. 

"I am waiting for midnight, to start away. "

"And where are you going?"

"I am going to live in a country--the most delightful country in theworld: a real land of sweetmeats!"

"And what is it called?"

"It is called the 'Land of Boobies. ' Why do you not come, too?"

"I? No, never!"

"You are wrong, Pinocchio. If you do not come you will repent it. Wherecould you find a better country for us boys? There are no schools there;there are no masters; there are no books. In that delightful land nobodyever studies. On Saturday there is never school, and every week consistsof six Saturdays and one Sunday. Only think, the autumn holidays beginon the first of January and finish on the last day of December. That isthe country for me! That is what all civilized countries should belike!"

"But how are the days spent in the 'Land of Boobies'?"

They are spent in play and amusement from morning till night. When nightcomes you go to bed, and recommence the same life in the morning. Whatdo you think of it?"

"Hum!" said Pinocchio, and he shook his head slightly, as much as tosay, "That is a life that I also would willingly lead. "

"Well, will you go with me? Yes or no? Resolve quickly. "

"No, no, no, and again no. I promised my good Fairy to become a wellconducted boy, and I will keep my word. And as I see that the sun issetting I must leave you at once and run away. Good-bye, and a pleasantjourney to you. "

"Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"

"Home. My good Fairy wishes me to be back before dark. "

"Wait another two minutes. "

"It will make me too late. "

"Only two minutes. "

"And if the Fairy scolds me?"

"Let her scold. When she has scolded well she will hold her tongue, "said that rascal Candlewick. 

"And what are you going to do? Are you going alone or with companions?"

"Alone? Indeed not, there will be more than a hundred boys. "

"And do you make the journey on foot?"

"A coach will pass by shortly which is to take me to that happycountry. "

"What would I not give for the coach to pass by now!"

"Why?"

"That I might see you all start together. "

"Stay here a little longer and you will see us. "

"No, no, I must go home. "

"Wait another two minutes. "

"I have already delayed too long. The Fairy will be anxious about me. "

"Poor Fairy! Is she afraid that the bats will eat you?"

"But now, " continued Pinocchio, "are you really certain that there areno schools in that country?"

"Not even the shadow of one. "

"And no masters either?"

"Not one. "

"And no one is ever made to study?"

"Never, never, never!"

"What a delightful country!" said Pinocchio, his mouth watering. "What adelightful country! I have never been there, but I can quite imagineit. "

"Why will you not come also?"

"It is useless to tempt me. I promised my good Fairy to become asensible boy, and I will not break my word. "

"Good-bye, then, and give my compliments to all the boys at school, ifyou meet them in the street. "

"Good-bye, Candlewick; a pleasant journey to you; amuse yourself, andthink sometimes of your friends. "

Thus saying, the puppet made two steps to go, but then stopped, and, turning to his friend, he inquired:

"But are you quite certain that in that country all the weeks consist ofsix Saturdays and one Sunday?"

"Most certainly. "

"But do you know for certain that the holidays begin on the first ofJanuary and finish on the last day of December?"

"Assuredly. "

"What a delightful country!" repeated Pinocchio, looking enchanted. Then, with a resolute air, he added in a great hurry:

"This time really good-bye, and a pleasant journey to you. "

"Good-bye. "

"When do you start?"

"Shortly. "

"What a pity! If really it wanted only an hour to the time of yourstart, I should almost be tempted to wait. "

"And the Fairy?"

"It is already late. If I return home an hour sooner or later it willbe all the same. "

"Poor Pinocchio! And if the Fairy scolds you?"

"I must have patience! I will let her scold. When she has scolded wellshe will hold her tongue. "

In the meantime night had come on and it was quite dark. Suddenly theysaw in the distance a small light moving and they heard a noise oftalking, and the sound of a trumpet, but so small and feeble that itresembled the hum of a mosquito. 

"Here it is!" shouted Candlewick, jumping to his feet. 

"What is it?" asked Pinocchio in a whisper. 

"It is the coach coming to take me. Now will you come, yes or no?"

"But is it really true, " asked the puppet, "that in that country boysare never obliged to study?"

"Never, never, never!"

"What a delightful country! What a delightful country! What a delightfulcountry!"

[Illustration: THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE TO GET ON THETUNNY'S BACK]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXXI

PINOCCHIO ENJOYS FIVE MONTHS OF HAPPINESS

At last the coach arrived, and it arrived without making the slightestnoise, for its wheels were bound round with flax and rags. 

It was drawn by twelve pairs of donkeys, all the same size but ofdifferent colors. 

Some were gray, some white, some brindled like pepper and salt, andothers had large stripes of yellow and blue. 

But the most extraordinary thing was this: the twelve pairs, that is, the twenty-four donkeys, instead of being shod like other beasts ofburden, had on their feet men's boots made of white kid. 

And the coachman?

Picture to yourself a little man broader than he was long, flabby andgreasy like a lump of butter, with a small round face like an orange, alittle mouth that was always laughing, and a soft, caressing voice likea cat when she is trying to insinuate herself into the good graces ofthe mistress of the house. 

All the boys vied with each other in taking places in his coach, to beconducted to the "Land of Boobies. "

The coach was, in fact, quite full of boys between eight and fourteenyears old, heaped one upon another like herrings in a barrel. They wereuncomfortable, packed closely together and could hardly breathe; butnobody said "Oh!"--nobody grumbled. The consolation of knowing that in afew hours they would reach a country where there were no books, noschools, and no masters, made them so happy and resigned that they feltneither fatigue nor inconvenience, neither hunger, nor thirst, nor wantof sleep. 

As soon as the coach had drawn up the little man turned to Candlewickand with a thousand smirks and grimaces said to him, smiling:

"Tell me, my fine boy, would you also like to go to that fortunatecountry?"

"I certainly wish to go. "

"But I must warn you, my dear child, that there is not a place left inthe coach. You can see for yourself that it is quite full. "

"No matter, " replied Candlewick, "if there is no place inside, I willmanage to sit on the springs. "

And, giving a leap, he seated himself astride on the springs. 

"And you, my love!" said the little man, turning in a flattering mannerto Pinocchio, "what do you intend to do? Are you coming with us or areyou going to remain behind?"

"I remain behind, " answered Pinocchio. "I am going home. I intend tostudy, as all well conducted boys do. "

"Much good may it do you!"

"Pinocchio!" called out Candlewick, "listen to me: come with us and weshall have such fun. "

"No, no, no!"

"Come with us and we shall have such fun, " shouted in chorus a hundredvoices from the inside of the coach. 

"But if I come with you, what will my good Fairy say?" said the puppet, who was beginning to yield. 

"Do not trouble your head with melancholy thoughts. Consider only thatwe are going to a country where we shall be at liberty to run riot frommorning till night. "

Pinocchio did not answer, but he sighed; he sighed again; he sighed forthe third time, and he said finally:

"Make a little room for me, for I am coming, too. "

"The places are all full, " replied the little man; "but, to show you howwelcome you are, you shall have my seat on the box. "

"And you?"

"Oh, I will go on foot. "

"No, indeed, I could not allow that. I would rather mount one of thesedonkeys, " cried Pinocchio. 

Approaching the right-hand donkey of the first pair, he attempted tomount him, but the animal turned on him and, giving him a great blow inthe stomach, rolled him over with his legs in the air. 

You can imagine the impertinent and immoderate laughter of all the boyswho witnessed this scene. 

But the little man did not laugh. He approached the rebellious donkeyand, pretending to give him a kiss, bit off half of his ear. 

Pinocchio in the meantime had gotten up from the ground in a fury and, with a spring, he seated himself on the poor animal's back. And hesprang so well that the boys stopped laughing and began to shout:"Hurrah, Pinocchio!" and they clapped their hands and applauded him asif they would never finish. 

Now that Pinocchio was mounted, the coach started. Whilst the donkeyswere galloping and the coach was rattling over the stones of the highroad, the puppet thought that he heard a low voice that was scarcelyaudible saying to him:

"Poor fool! you would follow your own way, but you will repent it!"

Pinocchio, feeling almost frightened, looked from side to side to tryand discover where these words could come from, but he saw nobody. Thedonkeys galloped, the coach rattled, the boys inside slept, Candlewicksnored like a dormouse, and the little man seated on the box sangbetween his teeth:

 "During the night all sleep, But I sleep never. "

After they had gone another mile, Pinocchio heard the same little lowvoice saying to him:

"Bear it in mind, simpleton! Boys who refuse to study and turn theirbacks upon books, schools and masters, to pass their time in play andamusement, sooner or later come to a bad end. I know it by experience, and I can tell you. A day will come when you will weep as I am weepingnow, but then it will be too late!"

On hearing these words whispered very softly, the puppet, morefrightened than ever, sprang down from the back of his donkey and wentand took hold of his mouth. 

Imagine his surprise when he found that the donkey was crying--cryinglike a boy!

"Eh! Sir Coachman, " cried Pinocchio to the little man, "here is anextraordinary thing! This donkey is crying. "

"Let him cry; he will laugh when he is a bridegroom. "

"But have you by chance taught him to talk?"

"No; but he spent three years in a company of learned dogs, and helearned to mutter a few words. "

"Poor beast!"

"Come, come, " said the little man, "don't let us waste time in seeing adonkey cry. Mount him and let us go on: the night is cold and the roadis long. "

Pinocchio obeyed without another word. In the morning about daybreakthey arrived safely in the "Land of Boobies. "

It was a country unlike any other country in the world. The populationwas composed entirely of boys. The oldest were fourteen, and theyoungest scarcely eight years old. In the streets there was suchmerriment, noise and shouting that it was enough to turn anybody's head. There were troops of boys everywhere. Some were playing with nuts, somewith battledores, some with balls. Some rode velocipedes, others woodenhorses. A party were playing at hide and seek, a few were chasing eachother. Some were reciting, some singing, some leaping. Some were amusingthemselves with walking on their hands with their feet in the air;others were trundling hoops or strutting about dressed as generals, wearing leaf helmets and commanding a squadron of cardboard soldiers. Some were laughing, some shouting, some were calling out; others clappedtheir hands, or whistled, or clucked like a hen who has just laid anegg. 

In every square, canvas theaters had been erected and they were crowdedwith boys from morning till evening. On the walls of the houses therewere inscriptions written in charcoal: "Long live playthings, we willhave no more schools; down with arithmetic, " and similar other finesentiments, all in bad spelling. 

Pinocchio, Candlewick and the other boys who had made the journey withthe little man, had scarcely set foot in the town before they were inthe thick of the tumult, and I need not tell you that in a few minutesthey had made acquaintance with everybody. Where could happier or morecontented boys be found?

In the midst of continual games and every variety of amusement, thehours, the days and the weeks passed like lightning. 

"Oh, what a delightful life!" said Pinocchio, whenever by chance he metCandlewick. 

"See, then, if I was not right?" replied the other. "And to think thatyou did not want to come! To think that you had taken it into your headto return home to your Fairy, and to lose your time in studying! If youare this moment free from the bother of books and school, you mustacknowledge that you owe it to me, to my advice, and to my persuasions. It is only friends who know how to render such great services. "

"It is true, Candlewick! If I am now a really happy boy, it is all yourdoing. But do you know what the master used to say when he talked to meof you? He always said to me: 'Do not associate with that rascalCandlewick, for he is a bad companion, and will only lead you intomischief!'"

"Poor master!" replied the other, shaking his head. "I know only toowell that he disliked me, and amused himself by calumniating me; but Iam generous and I forgive him!"

"Noble soul!" said Pinocchio, embracing his friend affectionately andkissing him between the eyes. 

This delightful life had gone on for five months. The days had beenentirely spent in play and amusement, without a thought of books orschool, when one morning Pinocchio awoke to a most disagreeable surprisethat put him into a very bad humor. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXXII

PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY

The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, andin scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, thathis ears had grown more than a hand. 

You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very smallears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye. You canimagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his earshad become so long that they seemed like two brooms. 

He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-standwith water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never havewished to see. He saw his head embellished with a magnificent pair ofdonkey's ears!

Only think of poor Pinocchio's sorrow, shame and despair!

He began to cry and roar, and he beat his head against the wall, but themore he cried the longer his ears grew; they grew, and grew, and becamehairy towards the points. 

At the sound of his loud outcries a beautiful little Marmot that livedon the first floor came into the room. Seeing the puppet in such griefshe asked earnestly:

"What has happened to you, my dear fellow-lodger?"

"I am ill, my dear little Marmot, very ill, and my illness frightens me. Do you understand counting a pulse?"

"A little. "

"Then feel and see if by chance I have got fever. "

The little Marmot raised her right fore-paw, and, after having feltPinocchio's pulse, she said to him, sighing:

"My friend, I am grieved to be obliged to give you bad news!"

"What is it?"

"You have got a very bad fever!"

"What fever is it?"

"It is donkey fever. "

"That is a fever that I do not understand, " said the puppet, but heunderstood it only too well. 

"Then I will explain it to you, " said the Marmot. "You must know that intwo or three hours you will be no longer a puppet, or a boy. "

"Then what shall I be?"

"In two or three hours you will become really and truly a little donkey, like those that draw carts and carry cabbages and salad to market. "

"Oh, unfortunate that I am! unfortunate that I am!" cried Pinocchio, seizing his two ears with his hands and pulling them and tearing themfuriously as if they had been some one else's ears. 

"My dear boy, " said the Marmot, by way of consoling him, "you can donothing. It is destiny. It is written in the decrees of wisdom that allboys who are lazy, and who take a dislike to books, to schools, and tomasters, and who pass their time in amusement, games, and diversions, must end sooner or later by becoming transformed into so many littledonkeys. "

"But is it really so?" asked the puppet, sobbing. 

"It is indeed only too true! And tears are now useless. You should havethought of it sooner!"

"But it was not my fault; believe me, little Marmot, the fault was allCandlewick's!"

"And who is this Candlewick?"

"One of my school-fellows. I wanted to return home; I wanted to beobedient. I wished to study, but Candlewick said to me: 'Why should youbother yourself by studying? Why should you go to school? Come with usinstead to the "Land of Boobies"; there we shall none of us have tolearn; there we shall amuse ourselves from morning to night, and weshall always be merry'. "

"And why did you follow the advice of that false friend? of that badcompanion?"

"Why? Because, my dear little Marmot, I am a puppet with no sense, andwith no heart. Ah! if I had had the least heart I should never have leftthat good Fairy who loved me like a mamma, and who had done so much forme! And I would be no longer a puppet, for I would by this time havebecome a little boy like so many others: But if I meet Candlewick, woeto him! He shall hear what I think of him!"

And he turned to go out. But when he reached the door he remembered hisdonkey's ears, and, feeling ashamed to show them in public, what do youthink he did? He took a big cotton cap and, putting it on his head, hepulled it well down over the point of his nose. 

He then set out and went everywhere in search of Candlewick. He lookedfor him in the streets, in the squares, in the little theaters, in everypossible place, but he could not find him. He inquired for him ofeverybody he met, but no one had seen him. 

He then went to seek him at his house and, having reached the door, heknocked. 

"Who is there?" asked Candlewick from within. 

"It is I!" answered the puppet. 

"Wait a moment and I will let you in. "

After half an hour the door was opened and imagine Pinocchio's feelingswhen, upon going into the room, he saw his friend Candlewick with a bigcotton cap on his head which came down over his nose. 

At the sight of the cap Pinocchio felt almost consoled and thought tohimself:

"Has my friend got the same illness that I have? Is he also sufferingfrom donkey fever?"

And, pretending to have observed nothing, he asked him, smiling:

"How are you, my dear Candlewick?"

"Very well; as well as a mouse in a Parmesan cheese. "

"Are you saying that seriously?"

"Why should I tell you a lie?"

"Excuse me; but why, then, do you keep that cotton cap on your headwhich covers up your ears?"

"The doctor ordered me to wear it because I have hurt this knee. Andyou, dear puppet, why have you got on that cotton cap pulled down overyour nose?"

"The doctor prescribed it because I have grazed my foot. "

"Oh, poor Pinocchio!"

"Oh, poor Candlewick!"

After these words a long silence followed, during which the two friendsdid nothing but look mockingly at each other. 

At last the puppet said in a soft voice to his companion:

"Satisfy my curiosity, my dear Candlewick: have you ever suffered fromdisease of the ears?"

"Never! And you?"

"Never. Only since this morning one of my ears aches. "

"Mine is also paining me. "

"You also? And which of your ears hurts you?"

"Both of them. And you?"

"Both of them. Can we have got the same illness?"

"I fear so. "

"Will you do me a kindness, Candlewick?"

"Willingly! With all my heart. "

"Will you let me see your ears?"

"Why not? But first, my dear Pinocchio, I should like to see yours. "

"No: you must be first. "

"No, dear. First you and then I!"

"Well, " said the puppet, "let us come to an agreement like goodfriends. "

"Let us hear it. "

"We will both take off our caps at the same moment. Do you agree?"

"I agree. "

"Then, attention!"

And Pinocchio began to count in a loud voice:

"One, two, three!"

At the word "Three!" the two boys took off their caps and threw theminto the air. 

And then a scene followed that would seem incredible if it were nottrue. That is, that when Pinocchio and Candlewick discovered that theywere both struck with the same misfortune, instead of feeling full ofmortification and grief, they began to prick their ungainly ears and tomake a thousand antics, and they ended by going into bursts of laughter. 

And they laughed, and laughed, and laughed, until they had to holdthemselves together. But in the midst of their merriment Candlewicksuddenly stopped, staggered, and, changing color, said to his friend:

"Help, help, Pinocchio!"

"What is the matter with you?"

"Alas, I cannot any longer stand upright. "

"Neither can I, " exclaimed Pinocchio, tottering and beginning to cry. 

And whilst they were talking, they both doubled up and began to runround the room on their hands and feet. And as they ran, their handsbecame hoofs, their faces lengthened into muzzles, and their backsbecame covered with a light gray hairy coat sprinkled with black. 

But do you know what was the worst moment for these two wretched boys?The worst and the most humiliating moment was when their tails grew. Vanquished by shame and sorrow, they wept and lamented their fate. 

Oh, if they had but been wiser! But instead of sighs and lamentationsthey could only bray like asses; and they brayed loudly and said inchorus: "Hee-haw!"

Whilst this was going on some one knocked at the door and a voice on theoutside said:

"Open the door! I am the little man, I am the coachman who brought youto this country. Open at once, or it will be the worse for you!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXXIII

PINOCCHIO IS TRAINED FOR THE CIRCUS

Finding that the door remained shut the little man burst it open with aviolent kick and, coming into the room, he said to Pinocchio andCandlewick with his usual little laugh:

"Well done, boys! You brayed well, and I recognized you by your voices. That is why I am here. "

At these words the two little donkeys were quite stupefied and stoodwith their heads down, their ears lowered, and their tails between theirlegs. 

At first the little man stroked and caressed them; then, taking out acurrycomb, he currycombed them well. And when by this process he hadpolished them till they shone like two mirrors, he put a halter roundtheir necks and led them to the market-place, in hopes of selling themand making a good profit. 

And indeed buyers were not wanting. Candlewick was bought by a peasantwhose donkey had died the previous day. Pinocchio was sold to thedirector of a company of buffoons and tight-rope dancers, who bought himthat he might teach him to leap and to dance with the other animalsbelonging to the company. 

And now, my little readers, you will have understood the fine trade thatlittle man pursued. The wicked little monster, who had a face all milkand honey, made frequent journeys round the world with his coach. As hewent along he collected, with promises and flattery, all the idle boyswho had taken a dislike to books and school. As soon as his coach wasfull he conducted them to the "Land of Boobies, " that they might passtheir time in games, in uproar, and in amusement. When these poor, deluded boys, from continual play and no study, had become so manylittle donkeys, he took possession of them with great delight andsatisfaction, and carried them off to the fairs and markets to be sold. And in this way he had in a few years made heaps of money and had becomea millionaire. 

What became of Candlewick I do not know, but I do know that Pinocchiofrom the very first day had to endure a very hard, laborious life. 

When he was put into his stall his master filled the manger with straw;but Pinocchio, having tried a mouthful, spat it out again. 

Then his master, grumbling, filled the manger with hay; but neither didthe hay please him. 

"Ah!" exclaimed his master in a passion. "Does not hay please youeither? Leave it to me, my fine donkey; if you are so full of caprices Iwill find a way to cure you!"

And by way of correcting him he struck his legs with his whip. 

Pinocchio began to cry and to bray with pain, and he said, braying:

"Hee-haw! I cannot digest straw!"

"Then eat hay!" said his master, who understood perfectly the asininedialect. 

"Hee-haw! hay gives me a pain in my stomach. "

"Do you mean to pretend that a little donkey like you must be kept onbreasts of chickens, and capons in jelly?" asked his master, gettingmore and more angry, and whipping him again. 

At this second whipping Pinocchio prudently held his tongue and saidnothing more. 

The stable was then shut and Pinocchio was left alone. He had not eatenfor many hours and he began to yawn from hunger. And when he yawned heopened a mouth that seemed as wide as an oven. 

At last, finding nothing else in the manger, he resigned himself andchewed a little hay; and after he had chewed it well, he shut his eyesand swallowed it. 

"This hay is not bad, " he said to himself; "but how much better it wouldhave been if I had gone on with my studies! Instead of hay I might nowbe eating a hunch of new bread and a fine slice of sausage. But I musthave patience!"

The next morning when he woke he looked in the manger for a little morehay; but he found none, for he had eaten it all during the night. 

Then he took a mouthful of chopped straw, but whilst he was chewing ithe had to acknowledge that the taste of chopped straw did not in theleast resemble a savory dish of macaroni or pie. 

"But I must have patience!" he repeated as he went on chewing. "May myexample serve at least as a warning to all disobedient boys who do notwant to study. Patience!"

"Patience indeed!" shouted his master, coming at that moment into thestable. "Do you think, my little donkey, that I bought you only to giveyou food and drink? I bought you to make you work, and that you mightearn money for me. Up, then, at once! you must come with me into thecircus, and there I will teach you to jump through hoops, to go throughframes of paper head foremost, to dance waltzes and polkas, and to standupright on your hind legs. "

Poor Pinocchio, either by love or by force, had to learn all these finethings. But it took him three months before he had learned them, and hegot many a whipping that nearly took off his skin. 

At last a day came when his master was able to announce that he wouldgive a really extraordinary representation. The many colored placardsstuck on the street corners were thus worded:

 GREAT FULL DRESS REPRESENTATION

 TONIGHT WILL TAKE PLACE THE USUAL FEATS AND SURPRISING PERFORMANCES EXECUTED BY ALL THE ARTISTS AND BY ALL THE HORSES OF THE COMPANY AND MOREOVER THE FAMOUS LITTLE DONKEY PINOCCHIO CALLED THE STAR OF THE DANCE WILL MAKE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE

 THE THEATER WILL BE BRILLIANTLY ILLUMINATED

[Illustration: In Less Than an Hour All His Friends Were Invited]

On that evening, as you may imagine, an hour before the play was tobegin the theater was crammed. 

There was not a place to be had either in the pit or the stalls, or inthe boxes even, by paying its weight in gold. 

The benches round the circus were crowded with children and with boys ofall ages, who were in a fever of impatience to see the famous littledonkey Pinocchio dance. 

When the first part of the performance was over, the director of thecompany, dressed in a black coat, white breeches, and big leather bootsthat came above his knees, presented himself to the public, and, aftermaking a profound bow, he began with much solemnity the followingridiculous speech:

"Respectable public, ladies and gentlemen! The humble undersigned beinga passer-by in this illustrious city, I have wished to procure formyself the honor, not to say the pleasure, of presenting to thisintelligent and distinguished audience a celebrated little donkey, whohas already had the honor of dancing in the presence of His Majesty theEmperor of all the principal courts of Europe. 

"And, thanking you, I beg of you to help us with your inspiring presenceand to be indulgent to us. "

This speech was received with much laughter and applause, but theapplause redoubled and became tumultuous when the little donkeyPinocchio made his appearance in the middle of the circus. He was deckedout for the occasion. He had a new bridle of polished leather with brassbuckles and studs, and two white camelias in his ears. His mane wasdivided and curled, and each curl was tied with bows of colored ribbon. He had a girth of gold and silver round his body, and his tail wasplaited with amaranth and blue velvet ribbons. He was, in fact, a littledonkey to fall in love with!

The director, in presenting him to the public, added these few words:

"My respectable auditors! I am not here to tell you falsehoods of thegreat difficulties that I have overcome in understanding and subjugatingthis mammifer, whilst he was grazing at liberty amongst the mountains inthe plains of the torrid zone. I beg you will observe the wild rollingof his eyes. Every means having been tried in vain to tame him, and toaccustom him to the life of domestic quadrupeds, I was often forced tohave recourse to the convincing argument of the whip. But all mygoodness to him, instead of gaining his affections, has, on thecontrary, increased his viciousness. However, following the system ofGall, I discovered in his cranium a bony cartilage that the Faculty ofMedicine of Paris has itself recognized as the regenerating bulb of thehair, and of dance. For this reason I have not only taught him to dance, but also to jump through hoops and through frames covered with paper. Admire him, and then pass your opinion on him! But before taking myleave of you, permit me, ladies and gentlemen, to invite you to thedaily performance that will take place tomorrow evening; but in case theweather should threaten rain, the performance will be postponed tilltomorrow morning at 11 ante-meridian of post-meridian. "

Here the director made another profound bow, and, then turning toPinocchio, he said:

"Courage, Pinocchio! before you begin your feats make your bow to thisdistinguished audience--ladies, gentlemen, and children. "

Pinocchio obeyed, and bent both his knees till they touched the ground, and remained kneeling until the director, cracking his whip, shouted tohim:

"At a foot's pace!"

Then the little donkey raised himself on his four legs and began to walkround the theater, keeping at a foot's pace. 

After a little the director cried:

"Trot!" and Pinocchio, obeying the order, changed to a trot. 

"Gallop!" and Pinocchio broke into a gallop. 

"Full gallop!" and Pinocchio went full gallop. But whilst he was goingfull speed like a race horse the director, raising his arm in the air, fired off a pistol. 

At the shot the little donkey, pretending to be wounded, fell his wholelength in the circus, as if he were really dying. 

As he got up from the ground amidst an outburst of applause, shouts andclapping of hands, he naturally raised his head and looked up, and hesaw in one of the boxes a beautiful lady who wore round her neck a thickgold chain from which hung a medallion. On the medallion was painted theportrait of a puppet. 

"That is my portrait! That lady is the Fairy!" said Pinocchio tohimself, recognizing her immediately; and, overcome with delight, hetried to cry:

"Oh, my little Fairy! Oh, my little Fairy!"

But instead of these words a bray came from his throat, so sonorous andso prolonged that all the spectators laughed, and more especially allthe children who were in the theater. 

Then the director, to give him a lesson, and to make him understand thatit is not good manners to bray before the public, gave him a blow on hisnose with the handle of his whip. 

The poor little donkey put his tongue out an inch and licked his nosefor at least five minutes, thinking perhaps that it would ease the painhe felt. 

But what was his despair when, looking up a second time, he saw that thebox was empty and that the Fairy had disappeared!

He thought he was going to die; his eyes filled with tears and he beganto weep. Nobody, however, noticed it, and least of all the director who, cracking his whip, shouted:

"Courage, Pinocchio! Now let the audience see how gracefully you canjump through the hoops. "

Pinocchio tried two or three times, but each time that he came in frontof the hoop, instead of going through it, he found it easier to go underit. At last he made a leap and went through it, but his right legunfortunately caught in the hoop, and that caused him to fall to theground doubled up in a heap on the other side. 

When he got up he was lame and it was only with great difficulty that hemanaged to return to the stable. 

"Bring out Pinocchio! We want the little donkey! Bring out the littledonkey!" shouted all the boys in the theater, touched and sorry for thesad accident. 

But the little donkey was seen no more that evening. 

The following morning the veterinary, that is, the doctor of animals, paid him a visit, and declared that he would remain lame for life. 

The director then said to the stable-boy:

"What do you suppose I can do with a lame donkey? He would eat foodwithout earning it. Take him to the market and sell him. "

When they reached the market a purchaser was found at once. He asked thestable-boy:

"How much do you want for that lame donkey?"

"Twenty dollars. "

"I will give you two dollars. Don't suppose that I am buying him to makeuse of; I am buying him solely for his skin. I see that his skin is veryhard and I intend to make a drum with it for the band of my village. "

Imagine poor Pinocchio's feelings when he heard that he was destined tobecome a drum!

As soon as the purchaser had paid his two dollars he conducted thelittle donkey to the seashore. He then put a stone round his neck and, tying a rope, the end of which he held in his hand, round his leg, hegave him a sudden push and threw him into the water. 

Pinocchio, weighted down by the stone, went at once to the bottom, andhis owner, keeping tight hold of the cord, sat down quietly on a pieceof rock to wait until the little donkey was drowned, intending then toskin him. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXXIV

PINOCCHIO IS SWALLOWED BY THE DOG-FISH

After Pinocchio had been fifty minutes under the water, his purchasersaid aloud to himself:

"My poor little lame donkey must by this time be quite drowned. I willtherefore pull him out of the water, and I will make a fine drum of hisskin. "

And he began to haul in the rope that he had tied to the donkey's leg, and he hauled, and hauled, and hauled, until at last--what do you thinkappeared above the water? Instead of a little dead donkey he saw a livepuppet, who was wriggling like an eel. 

Seeing this wooden puppet, the poor man thought he was dreaming, and, struck dumb with astonishment, he remained with his mouth open and hiseyes starting out of his head. 

Having somewhat recovered from his first stupefaction, he asked in aquavering voice:

"And the little donkey that I threw into the sea? What has become ofhim?"

"I am the little donkey!" said Pinocchio, laughing. 

"You?"

"I. "

"Ah, you young scamp!! Do you dare to make game of me?"

"To make game of you? Quite the contrary, my dear master? I am speakingseriously. "

"But how can you, who but a short time ago were a little donkey, havebecome a wooden puppet, only from having been left in the water?"

"It must have been the effect of sea water. The sea makes extraordinarychanges. "

"Beware, puppet, beware! Don't imagine that you can amuse yourself at myexpense. Woe to you if I lose patience!"

"Well, master, do you wish to know the true story? If you will set myleg free I will tell it you. "

The good man, who was curious to hear the true story, immediately untiedthe knot that kept him bound; and Pinocchio, finding himself free as abird in the air, commenced as follows:

"You must know that I was once a puppet as I am now, and I was on thepoint of becoming a boy like the many who are in the world. But instead, induced by my dislike for study and the advice of bad companions, I ranaway from home. One fine day when I awoke I found myself changed into adonkey with long ears, and a long tail. What a disgrace it was tome!--a disgrace, dear master, that even your worst enemy would notinflict upon you! Taken to the market to be sold I was bought by thedirector of an equestrian company, who took it into his head to make afamous dancer of me, and a famous leaper through hoops. But one nightduring a performance I had a bad fall in the circus and lamed both mylegs. Then the director, not knowing what to do with a lame donkey, sentme to be sold, and you were the purchaser!"

"Only too true. And I paid two dollars for you. And now, who will giveme back my good money?"

"And why did you buy me? You bought me to make a drum of my skin!"

"Only too true! And now, where shall I find another skin?"

"Don't despair, master. There are such a number of little donkeys in theworld!"

"Tell me, you impertinent rascal, does your story end here?"

"No, " answered the puppet; "I have another two words to say and then Ishall have finished. After you had bought me you brought me to thisplace to kill me; but then, yielding to a feeling of compassion, youpreferred to tie a stone round my neck and to throw me into the sea. This humane feeling does you great honor and I shall always be gratefulto you for it. But, nevertheless, dear master, this time you made yourcalculations without considering the Fairy!"

"And who is the Fairy?"

"She is my mamma and she resembles all other good mammas who care fortheir children, and who never lose sight of them, but help themlovingly, even when, on account of their foolishness and evil conduct, they deserve to be abandoned and left to themselves. Well, then, thegood Fairy, as soon as she saw that I was in danger of drowning, sentimmediately an immense shoal of fish, who, believing me really to be alittle dead donkey, began to eat me. And what mouthfuls they took; Ishould never have thought that fish were greedier than boys! Some ate myears, some my muzzle, others my neck and mane, some the skin of my legs, some my coat. Amongst them there was a little fish so polite that heeven condescended to eat my tail. "

"From this time forth, " said his purchaser, horrified, "I swear that Iwill never touch fish. It would be too dreadful to open a mullet, or afried whiting, and to find inside a donkey's tail!"

"I agree with you, " said the puppet, laughing. "However, I must tell youthat when the fish had finished eating the donkey's hide that covered mefrom head to foot, they naturally reached the bone, or rather the wood, for, as you see, I am made of the hardest wood. But after giving a fewbites they soon discovered that I was not a morsel for their teeth, and, disgusted with such indigestible food, they went off, some in onedirection and some in another, without so much as saying 'Thank you' tome. And now, at last, I have told you how it was that when you pulled upthe rope you found a live puppet instead of a dead donkey. "

"I laugh at your story, " cried the man in a rage. "I know only that Ispent two dollars to buy you, and I will have my money back. Shall Itell you what I will do? I will take you back to the market and I willsell you by weight as seasoned wood for lighting fires. "

"Sell me if you like; I am content, " said Pinocchio. 

But as he said it he made a spring and plunged into the water. Swimminggaily away from the shore, he called to his poor owner:

"Good-bye, master; if you should be in want of a skin to make a drum, remember me. "

And he laughed and went on swimming, and after a while he turned againand shouted louder:

"Good-bye, master; if you should be in want of a little well seasonedwood for lighting the fire, remember me. "

In the twinkling of an eye he had swum so far off that he was scarcelyvisible. All that could be seen of him was a little black speck on thesurface of the sea that from time to time lifted its legs out of thewater and leaped and capered like a dolphin enjoying himself. 

Whilst Pinocchio was swimming, he knew not whither, he saw in the midstof the sea a rock that seemed to be made of white marble, and on thesummit there stood a beautiful little goat who bleated lovingly and madesigns to him to approach. 

But the most singular thing was this. The little goat's hair, instead ofbeing white or black, or a mixture of two colors as is usual with othergoats, was blue, and a very vivid blue, greatly resembling the hair ofthe beautiful Child. 

I leave you to imagine how rapidly poor Pinocchio's heart began to beat. He swam with redoubled strength and energy towards the white rock; andhe was already half-way there when he saw, rising up out of the waterand coming to meet him, the horrible head of a sea-monster. Hiswide-open, cavernous mouth and his three rows of enormous teeth wouldhave been terrifying to look at even in a picture. 

And do you know what this sea-monster was?

This sea-monster was neither more nor less than that gigantic Dog-Fish, who has been mentioned many times in this story, and who, for hisslaughter and for his insatiable voracity, had been named the "Attila ofFish and Fishermen. "

Only to think of poor Pinocchio's terror at the sight of the monster. Hetried to avoid it, to change his direction; he tried to escape, but thatimmense, wide-open mouth came towards him with the velocity of an arrow. 

"Be quick, Pinocchio, for pity's sake!" cried the beautiful little goat, bleating. 

And Pinocchio swam desperately with his arms, his chest, his legs, andhis feet. 

"Quick, Pinocchio, the monster is close upon you!"

And Pinocchio swam quicker than ever, and flew on with the rapidity of aball from a gun. He had nearly reached the rock, and the little goat, leaning over towards the sea, had stretched out her fore-legs to helphim out of the water!

But it was too late! The monster had overtaken him and, drawing in hisbreath, he sucked in the poor puppet as he would have sucked a hen'segg; and he swallowed him with such violence and avidity that Pinocchio, in falling into the Dog-Fish's stomach, received such a blow that heremained unconscious for a quarter of an hour afterwards. 

When he came to himself again after the shock he could not in the leastimagine in what world he was. All around him it was quite dark, and thedarkness was so black and so profound that it seemed to him that he hadfallen head downwards into an inkstand full of ink. He listened, but hecould hear no noise; only from time to time great gusts of wind blew inhis face. At first he could not understand where the wind came from, butat last he discovered that it came out of the monster's lungs. For youmust know that the Dog-Fish suffered very much from asthma, and when hebreathed it was exactly as if a north wind was blowing. 

Pinocchio at first tried to keep up his courage, but when he had oneproof after another that he was really shut up in the body of thissea-monster he began to cry and scream, and to sob out:

"Help! help! Oh, how unfortunate I am! Will nobody come to save me?"

"Who do you think could save you, unhappy wretch?" said a voice in thedark that sounded like a guitar out of tune. 

"Who is speaking?" asked Pinocchio, frozen with terror. 

"It is I! I am a poor Tunny who was swallowed by the Dog-Fish at thesame time that you were. And what fish are you?"

"I have nothing in common with fish. I am a puppet. "

"Then, if you are not a fish, why did you let yourself be swallowed bythe monster?"

"I didn't let myself be swallowed; it was the monster swallowed me! Andnow, what are we to do here in the dark?"

"Resign ourselves and wait until the Dog-Fish has digested us both. "

"But I do not want to be digested!" howled Pinocchio, beginning to cryagain. 

"Neither do I want to be digested, " added the Tunny; "but I am enough ofa philosopher to console myself by thinking that when one is born aTunny it is more dignified to die in the water than in oil. "

"That is all nonsense!" cried Pinocchio. 

"It is my opinion, " replied the Tunny, "and opinions, so say thepolitical Tunnies, ought to be respected. "

"To sum it all up, I want to get away from here. I want to escape. "

"Escape, if you are able!"

"Is this Dog-Fish who has swallowed us very big?" asked the puppet. 

"Big! Why, only imagine, his body is two miles long without counting histail. "

Whilst they were holding this conversation in the dark, Pinocchiothought that he saw a light a long way off. 

"What is that little light I see in the distance?" he asked. 

"It is most likely some companion in misfortune who is waiting, like us, to be digested. "

"I will go and find him. Do you not think that it may by chance be someold fish who perhaps could show us how to escape?"

"I hope it may be so, with all my heart, dear puppet. "

"Good-bye, Tunny. "

"Good-bye, puppet, and good fortune attend you. "

"Where shall we meet again?"

"Who can say? It is better not even to think of it!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXXV

A HAPPY SURPRISE FOR PINOCCHIO

Pinocchio, having taken leave of his friend the Tunny, began to gropehis way in the dark through the body of the Dog-Fish, taking a step at atime in the direction of the light that he saw shining dimly at a greatdistance. 

The farther he advanced the brighter became the light; and he walked andwalked until at last he reached it; and when he reached it--what did hefind? I will give you a thousand guesses. He found a little table spreadout and on it a lighted candle stuck into a green glass bottle, and, seated at the table, was a little old man. He was eating some live fish, and they were so very much alive that whilst he was eating them theysometimes even jumped out of his mouth. 

At this sight Pinocchio was filled with such great and unexpected joythat he became almost delirious. He wanted to laugh, he wanted to cry, he wanted to say a thousand things, and instead he could only stammerout a few confused and broken words. At last he succeeded in uttering acry of joy, and, opening his arms, he threw them around the little oldman's neck, and began to shout:

"Oh, my dear papa! I have found you at last! I will never leave youmore, never more, never more!"

"Then my eyes tell me true?" said the little old man, rubbing his eyes;"then you are really my dear Pinocchio?"

"Yes, yes, I am Pinocchio, really Pinocchio! And you have quite forgivenme, have you not? Oh, my dear papa, how good you are! And to think thatI, on the contrary--Oh! but if you only knew what misfortunes have beenpoured on my head, and all that has befallen me! Only imagine, the daythat you, poor, dear papa, sold your coat to buy me a spelling-book, that I might go to school, I escaped to see the puppet show, and theshowman wanted to put me on the fire, that I might roast his mutton, andhe was the same that afterwards gave me five gold pieces to take them toyou, but I met the Fox and the Cat, who took me to the inn of The RedCraw-Fish, where they ate like wolves, and I left by myself in themiddle of the night, and I encountered assassins who ran after me, and Iran away, and they followed, and I ran, and they always followed me, andI ran, until they hung me to a branch of a Big Oak, and the beautifulChild with blue hair sent a little carriage to fetch me, and the doctorswhen they saw me said immediately, 'If he is not dead, it is a proofthat he is still alive'--and then by chance I told a lie, and my nosebegan to grow until I could no longer get through the door of the room, for which reason I went with the Fox and the Cat to bury the four goldpieces, for one I had spent at the inn, and the Parrot began to laugh, and instead of two thousand gold pieces I found none left, for whichreason the judge when he heard that I had been robbed had me immediatelyput in prison to content the robbers, and then when I was coming away Isaw a beautiful bunch of grapes in a field, and I was caught in a trap, and the peasant, who was quite right, put a dog-collar round my neckthat I might guard the poultry-yard, and acknowledging my innocence letme go, and the Serpent with the smoking tail began to laugh and broke ablood-vessel in his chest, and so I returned to the house of thebeautiful Child, who was dead, and the Pigeon, seeing that I was crying, said to me, 'I have seen your father who was building a little boat togo in search of you, ' and I said to him, 'Oh! if I also had wings, ' andhe said to me, 'Do you want to go to your father?' and I said, 'Withoutdoubt! but who will take me to him?' and he said to me, 'I will takeyou, ' and I said to him, 'How?' and he said to me, 'Get on my back, ' andso we flew all night, and then in the morning all the fishermen who werelooking out to sea said to me, 'There is a poor man in a boat who is onthe point of being drowned, ' and I recognized you at once, even at thatdistance, for my heart told me, and I made signs to you to return toland. "

"I also recognized you, " said Geppetto, "and I would willingly havereturned to the shore, but what was I to do! The sea was tremendous anda great wave upset my boat. Then a horrible Dog-Fish, who was near, assoon as he saw me in the water, came towards me, and, putting out histongue, took hold of me and swallowed me as if I had been a little appletart. "

"And how long have you been shut up here?" asked Pinocchio. 

[Illustration: They Thought It Would Be More Comfortable to Get on theTunny's Back]

"Since that day--it must be nearly two years ago; two years, my dearPinocchio, that have seemed like two centuries!"

"And how have you managed to live? And where did you get the candle? Andthe matches to light it? Who gave them to you?"

"Stop, and I will tell you everything. You must know, then, that in thesame storm in which my boat was upset a merchant vessel foundered. Thesailors were all saved, but the vessel went to the bottom, and theDog-Fish, who had that day an excellent appetite, after he had swallowedme, swallowed also the vessel. "

"How?"

"He swallowed it in one mouthful, and the only thing that he spat outwas the mainmast, that had stuck between his teeth like a fish-bone. Fortunately for me, the vessel was laden with preserved meat in tins, biscuit, bottles of wine, dried raisins, cheese, coffee, sugar, candles, and boxes of wax matches. With this providential supply I have been ableto live for two years. But I have arrived at the end of my resources;there is nothing left in the larder, and this candle that you seeburning is the last that remains. "

"And after that?"

"After that, dear boy, we shall both remain in the dark. "

"Then, dear little papa, " said Pinocchio, "there is no time to lose. Wemust think of escaping. "

"Of escaping? How?"

"We must escape through the mouth of the Dog-Fish, throw ourselves intothe sea and swim away. "

"You talk well; but, dear Pinocchio, I don't know how to swim. "

"What does that matter? I am a good swimmer, and you can get on myshoulders and I will carry you safely to shore. "

"All illusions, my boy!" replied Geppetto, shaking his head, with amelancholy smile. "Do you suppose it possible that a puppet like you, scarcely a yard high, could have the strength to swim with me on hisshoulders!"

"Try it and you will see!"

Without another word Pinocchio took the candle in his hand, and, goingin front to light the way, he said to his father:

"Follow me, and don't be afraid. "

And they walked for some time and traversed the body and the stomach ofthe Dog-Fish. But when they had arrived at the point where the monster'sbig throat began, they thought it better to stop to give a good lookaround and to choose the best moment for escaping. 

Now, I must tell you that the Dog-Fish, being very old, and sufferingfrom asthma and palpitation of the heart, was obliged to sleep with hismouth open. Pinocchio, therefore, having approached the entrance to histhroat, and, looking up, could see beyond the enormous gaping mouth alarge piece of starry sky and beautiful moonlight. 

"This is the moment to escape, " he whispered, turning to his father;"the Dog-Fish is sleeping like a dormouse, the sea is calm, and it is aslight as day. Follow me, dear papa, and in a short time we shall be insafety. "

They immediately climbed up the throat of the sea-monster, and, havingreached his immense mouth, they began to walk on tiptoe down his tongue. 

Before taking the final leap the puppet said to his father:

"Get on my shoulders and put your arms tightly around my neck. I willtake care of the rest. "

As soon as Geppetto was firmly settled on his son's shoulders, Pinocchio, feeling sure of himself, threw himself into the water andbegan to swim. The sea was as smooth as oil, the moon shone brilliantly, and the Dog-Fish was sleeping so profoundly that even a cannonade wouldhave failed to wake him. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXXVI

PINOCCHIO AT LAST CEASES TO BE A PUPPET AND BECOMES A BOY

Whilst Pinocchio was swimming quickly towards the shore he discoveredthat his father, who was on his shoulders with his legs in the water, was trembling as violently as if the poor man had an attack of aguefever. 

Was he trembling from cold or from fear. Perhaps a little from both theone and the other. But Pinocchio, thinking it was from fear, said, tocomfort him:

"Courage, papa! In a few minutes we shall be safely on shore. "

"But where is this blessed shore?" asked the little old man, becomingstill more frightened, and screwing up his eyes as tailors do when theywish to thread a needle. "I have been looking in every direction and Isee nothing but the sky and the sea. "

"But I see the shore as well, " said the puppet. "You must know that I amlike a cat: I see better by night than by day. "

Poor Pinocchio was making a pretense of being in good spirits, but inreality he was beginning to feel discouraged; his strength was failing, he was gasping and panting for breath. He could do no more, and theshore was still far off. 

He swam until he had no breath left; then he turned his head to Geppettoand said in broken words?

"Papa, help me, I am dying!"

The father and son were on the point of drowning when they heard a voicelike a guitar out of tune saying:

"Who is it that is dying?"

"It is I, and my poor father!"

"I know that voice! You are Pinocchio!"

"Precisely; and you?"

"I am the Tunny, your prison companion in the body of the Dog-Fish. "

"And how did you manage to escape?"

"I followed your example. You showed me the road, and I escaped afteryou. "

"Tunny, you have arrived at the right moment! I implore you to help usor we are lost. "

"Willingly and with all my heart. You must, both of you, take hold of mytail and leave it to me to guide you. I will take you on shore in fourminutes. "

Geppetto and Pinocchio, as I need not tell you, accepted the offer atonce; but, instead of holding on by his tail, they thought it would bemore comfortable to get on the Tunny's back. 

Having reached the shore, Pinocchio sprang first on land that he mighthelp his father to do the same. He then turned to the Tunny and said tohim in a voice full of emotion:

"My friend, you have saved my papa's life. I can find no words withwhich to thank you properly. Permit me at least to give you a kiss as asign of my eternal gratitude!"

The Tunny put his head out of the water and Pinocchio, kneeling on theground, kissed him tenderly on the mouth. At this spontaneous proof ofwarm affection, the poor Tunny, who was not accustomed to it, feltextremely touched, and, ashamed to let himself be seen crying like achild, he plunged under the water and disappeared. 

By this time the day had dawned. Pinocchio, then offering his arm toGeppetto, who had scarcely breath to stand, said to him:

"Lean on my arm, dear papa, and let us go. We will walk very slowly, like the ants, and when we are tired we can rest by the wayside. "

"And where shall we go?" asked Geppetto. 

"In search of some house or cottage, where they will give us for charitya mouthful of bread, and a little straw to serve as a bed. "

They had not gone a hundred yards when they saw by the roadside twovillainous-looking individuals begging. 

They were the Cat and the Fox, but they were scarcely recognizable. Fancy! the Cat had so long feigned blindness that she had become blindin reality; and the Fox, old, mangy, and with one side paralyzed, hadnot even his tail left. That sneaking thief, having fallen into the mostsqualid misery, one fine day had found himself obliged to sell hisbeautiful tail to a traveling peddler, who bought it to drive awayflies. 

"Oh, Pinocchio!" cried the Fox, "give a little in charity to two poor, infirm people. "

"Infirm people, " repeated the Cat. 

"Begone, impostors!" answered the puppet. "You took me in once, but youwill never catch me again. "

"Believe me, Pinocchio, we are now poor and unfortunate indeed!"

"If you are poor, you deserve it. Recollect the proverb: 'Stolen moneynever fructifies. ' Begone, impostors!"

And, thus saying, Pinocchio and Geppetto went their way in peace. Whenthey had gone another hundred yards they saw, at the end of a path inthe middle of the fields, a nice little straw hut with a roof of tilesand bricks. 

"That hut must be inhabited by some one, " said Pinocchio. "Let us go andknock at the door. "

They went and knocked. 

"We are a poor father and son without bread and without a roof, "answered the puppet. 

"Turn the key and the door will open, " said the same little voice. 

Pinocchio turned the key and the door opened. They went in and lookedhere, there, and everywhere, but could see no one. 

"Oh! where is the master of the house?" said Pinocchio, much surprised. 

"Here I am, up here!"

The father and son looked immediately up to the ceiling, and there on abeam they saw the Talking-Cricket. 

"Oh, my dear little Cricket!" said Pinocchio, bowing politely to him. 

"Ah! now you call me 'Your dear little Cricket. ' But do you remember thetime when you threw the handle of a hammer at me, to drive me from yourhouse?"

"You are right, Cricket! Drive me away also! Throw the handle of ahammer at me, but have pity on my poor papa. "

"I will have pity on both father and son, but I wished to remind you ofthe ill treatment I received from you, to teach you that in this world, when it is possible, we should show courtesy to everybody, if we wish itto be extended to us in our hour of need. "

"You are right. Cricket, you are right, and I will bear in mind thelesson you have given me. But tell me how you managed to buy thisbeautiful hut. "

"This hut was given to me yesterday by a goat whose wool was of abeautiful blue color. "

"And where has the goat gone?" asked Pinocchio, with lively curiosity. 

"I do not know. "

"And when will it come back?"

"It will never come back. It went away yesterday in great grief and, bleating, it seemed to say: 'Poor Pinocchio! I shall never see him more, for by this time the Dog-Fish must have devoured him!'"

"Did it really say that? Then it was she! It was my dear little Fairy, "exclaimed Pinocchio, crying and sobbing. 

When he had cried for some time he dried his eyes and prepared acomfortable bed of straw for Geppetto to lie down upon. Then he askedthe Cricket:

"Tell me, little Cricket, where can I find a tumbler of milk for my poorpapa?"

"Three fields off from here there lives a gardener called Giangio, whokeeps cows. Go to him and you will get the milk you are in want of. "

Pinocchio ran all the way to Giangio's house, and the gardener askedhim:

"How much milk do you want?"

"I want a tumblerful. "

"A tumbler of milk costs five cents. Begin by giving me the five cents. "

"I have not even one cent, " replied Pinocchio, grieved and mortified. 

"That is bad, puppet, " answered the gardener. "If you have not even onecent, I have not even a drop of milk. "

"I must have patience!" said Pinocchio, and he turned to go. 

"Wait a little, " said Giangio. "We can come to an arrangement together. Will you undertake to turn the pumping machine?"

"What is the pumping machine?"

"It is a wooden pole which serves to draw up the water from the cisternto water the vegetables. "

"You can try me. "

"Well, then, if you will draw a hundred buckets of water, I will giveyou in compensation a tumbler of milk. "

"It is a bargain. "

Giangio then led Pinocchio to the kitchen garden and taught him how toturn the pumping machine. Pinocchio immediately began to work; butbefore he had drawn up the hundred buckets of water the perspiration waspouring from his head to his feet. Never before had he undergone suchfatigue. 

"Up till now, " said the gardener, "the labor of turning the pumpingmachine was performed by my little donkey, but the poor animal isdying. "

"Will you take me to see him?" said Pinocchio. 

"Willingly. "

When Pinocchio went into the stable he saw a beautiful little donkeystretched on the straw, worn out from hunger and overwork. After lookingat him earnestly, he said to himself, much troubled:

"I am sure I know this little donkey! His face is not new to me. "

And, bending over him, he asked him in asinine language:

"Who are you?"

At this question the little donkey opened his dying eyes, and answeredin broken words in the same language:

"I am--Can--dle--wick. "

And, having again closed his eyes, he expired. 

"Oh, poor Candlewick!" said Pinocchio in a low voice; and, taking ahandful of straw, he dried a tear that was rolling down his face. 

"Do you grieve for a donkey that cost you nothing?" said the gardener. "What must it be to me, who bought him for ready money?"

"I must tell you--he was my friend!"

"Your friend?"

"One of my school-fellows!"

"How?" shouted Giangio, laughing loudly. "How? had you donkeys forschool-fellows? I can imagine what wonderful studies you must havemade!"

The puppet, who felt much mortified at these words, did not answer; but, taking his tumbler of milk, still quite warm, he returned to the hut. 

And from that day for more than five months he continued to get up atdaybreak every morning to go and turn the pumping machine, to earn thetumbler of milk that was of such benefit to his father in his bad stateof health. Nor was he satisfied with this; for, during the time that hehad over, he learned to make hampers and baskets of rushes, and with themoney he obtained by selling them he was able with great economy toprovide for all the daily expenses. Amongst other things he constructedan elegant little wheel-chair, in which he could take his father out onfine days to breathe a mouthful of fresh air. 

By his industry, ingenuity and his anxiety to work and to overcomedifficulties, he not only succeeded in maintaining his father, whocontinued infirm, in comfort, but he also contrived to put aside fivedollars to buy himself a new coat. 

One morning he said to his father:

"I am going to the neighboring market to buy myself a jacket, a cap, anda pair of shoes. When I return, " he added, laughing, "I shall be so welldressed that you will take me for a fine gentleman. "

And, leaving the house, he began to run merrily and happily along. Allat once he heard himself called by name and, turning around, he saw abig Snail crawling out from the hedge. 

"Do you not know me?" asked the Snail. 

"It seems to me--and yet I am not sure--"

"Do you not remember the Snail who was lady's-maid to the Fairy withblue hair? Do you not remember the time when I came downstairs to letyou in, and you were caught by your foot, which you had stuck throughthe house-door?"

"I remember it all" shouted Pinocchio. "Tell me quickly, my beautifullittle Snail, where have you left my good Fairy? What is she doing? Hasshe forgiven me? Does she still remember me? Does she still wish mewell? Is she far from here? Can I go and see her?"

To all these rapid, breathless questions the Snail replied in her usualphlegmatic manner:

"My dear Pinocchio, the poor Fairy is lying in bed at the hospital!"

"At the hospital?"

"It is only too true. Overtaken by a thousand misfortunes, she hasfallen seriously ill, and she has not even enough to buy herself amouthful of bread. "

"Is it really so? Oh, what sorrow you have given me! Oh, poor Fairy!Poor Fairy! Poor Fairy! If I had a million I would run and carry it toher, but I have only five dollars. Here they are--I was going to buy anew coat. Take them, Snail, and carry them at once to my good Fairy. "

"And your new coat?"

"What matters my new coat? I would sell even these rags that I have onto be able to help her. Go, Snail, and be quick; and in two days returnto this place, for I hope I shall then be able to give you some moremoney. Up to this time I have worked to maintain my papa; from today Iwill work five hours more that I may also maintain my good mamma. Good-bye, Snail, I shall expect you in two days. "

The Snail, contrary to her usual habits, began to run like a lizard in ahot August sun. 

That evening Pinocchio, instead of going to bed at ten o'clock, sat uptill midnight had struck; and instead of making eight baskets of rusheshe made sixteen. 

Then he went to bed and fell asleep. And whilst he slept he thought thathe saw the Fairy, smiling and beautiful, who, after having kissed him, said to him:

"Well done, Pinocchio! To reward you for your good heart I will forgiveyou for all that is past. Boys who minister tenderly to their parentsand assist them in their misery and infirmities, are deserving of greatpraise and affection, even if they cannot be cited as examples ofobedience and good behavior. Try and do better in the future and youwill be happy. "

At this moment his dream ended and Pinocchio opened his eyes and awoke. 

But imagine his astonishment when upon awakening he discovered that hewas no longer a wooden puppet, but that he had become instead a boy, like all other boys. He gave a glance round and saw that the straw wallsof the hut had disappeared, and that he was in a pretty little roomfurnished and arranged with a simplicity that was almost elegance. Jumping out of bed he found a new suit of clothes ready for him, a newcap, and a pair of new boots, that fitted him beautifully. 

He was hardly dressed when he naturally put his hands in his pocketsand pulled out a little ivory purse on which these words were written:"The Fairy with blue hair returns the five dollars to her dearPinocchio, and thanks him for his good heart. " He opened the purse andinstead of five dollars he saw fifty shining gold pieces fresh from themint. 

He then went and looked at himself in the glass, and he thought he wassome one else. For he no longer saw the usual reflection of a woodenpuppet; he was greeted instead by the image of a bright, intelligent boywith chestnut hair, blue eyes, and looking as happy and joyful as if itwere the Easter holidays. 

In the midst of all these wonders succeeding each other, Pinocchio feltquite bewildered, and he could not tell if he was really awake or if hewas dreaming with his eyes open. 

"Where can my papa be?" he exclaimed suddenly, and, going into the nextroom, he found old Geppetto quite well, lively, and in good humor, justas he had been formerly. He had already resumed his trade ofwood-carving, and he was designing a rich and beautiful frame of leaves, flowers and the heads of animals. 

"Satisfy my curiosity, dear papa, " said Pinocchio, throwing his armsaround his neck and covering him with kisses; "how can this suddenchange be accounted for?"

"This sudden change in our home is all your doing, " answered Geppetto. 

"How my doing?"

"Because when boys who have behaved badly turn over a new leaf andbecome good, they have the power of bringing contentment and happinessto their families. "

"And where has the old wooden Pinocchio hidden himself?"

"There he is, " answered Geppetto, and he pointed to a big puppetleaning against a chair, with its head on one side, its arms dangling, and its legs so crossed and bent that it was really a miracle that itremained standing. 

Pinocchio turned and looked at it; and, after he had looked at it for ashort time, he said to himself with great complacency:

"How ridiculous I was when I was a puppet! And how glad I am that I havebecome a well-behaved little boy!"