The Adventures of Pinocchio: A Classic Tale of Disobedience and Transformation, Esquemas y mapas conceptuales de Inglés

¡Descarga The Adventures of Pinocchio: A Classic Tale of Disobedience and Transformation y más Esquemas y mapas conceptuales en PDF de Inglés solo en Docsity! Pinocchio…1 The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi Pinocchio…2 CHAPTER 1 How it happened that Mastro Cherry, carpenter, found a piece of wood that wept and laughed like a child Centuries ago there lived-- "A king!" my little readers will say immediately. No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood. It was not an expensive piece of wood. Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm. I do not know how this really happened, yet the fact remains that one fine day this piece of wood found itself in the shop of an old carpenter. His real name was Mastro Antonio, but everyone called him Mastro Cherry, for the tip of his nose was so round and red and shiny that it looked like a ripe cherry. As soon as he saw that piece of wood, Mastro Cherry was filled with joy. Rubbing his hands together happily, he mumbled half to himself: "This has come in the nick of time. I shall use it to make the leg of a table." He grasped the hatchet quickly to peel off the bark and shape the wood. But as he was about to give it the first blow, he stood still with arm uplifted, for he had heard a wee, little voice say in a beseeching tone: "Please be careful! Do not hit me so hard!" What a look of surprise shone on Mastro Cherry's face! His funny face became still funnier. He turned frightened eyes about the room to find out where that wee, little voice had come from and he saw no one! He looked under the bench--no one! He peeped inside the closet--no one! He searched among the shavings--no one! He opened the door to look up and down the street--and still no one! "Oh, I see!" he then said, laughing and scratching his Wig. "It can easily be seen that I only thought I heard the tiny voice say the words! Well, well--to work once more." He struck a most solemn blow upon the piece of wood. "Oh, oh! You hurt!" cried the same far-away little voice. Pinocchio…5 "Who is insulting you?" "You called me Polendina." "I did not." "I suppose you think _I_ did! Yet I KNOW it was you." "No!" "Yes!" "No!" "Yes!" And growing angrier each moment, they went from words to blows, and finally began to scratch and bite and slap each other. When the fight was over, Mastro Antonio had Geppetto's yellow wig in his hands and Geppetto found the carpenter's curly wig in his mouth. "Give me back my wig!" shouted Mastro Antonio in a surly voice. "You return mine and we'll be friends." The two little old men, each with his own wig back on his own head, shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives. "Well then, Mastro Geppetto," said the carpenter, to show he bore him no ill will, "what is it you want?" "I want a piece of wood to make a Marionette. Will you give it to me?" Mastro Antonio, very glad indeed, went immediately to his bench to get the piece of wood which had frightened him so much. But as he was about to give it to his friend, with a violent jerk it slipped out of his hands and hit against poor Geppetto's thin legs. "Ah! Is this the gentle way, Mastro Antonio, in which you make your gifts? You have made me almost lame!" "I swear to you I did not do it!" "It was I, of course!" "It's the fault of this piece of wood." "You're right; but remember you were the one to throw it at my legs." Pinocchio…6 "I did not throw it!" "Liar!" "Geppetto, do not insult me or I shall call you Polendina." "Idiot." "Polendina!" "Donkey!" "Polendina!" "Ugly monkey!" "Polendina!" On hearing himself called Polendina for the third time, Geppetto lost his head with rage and threw himself upon the carpenter. Then and there they gave each other a sound thrashing. After this fight, Mastro Antonio had two more scratches on his nose, and Geppetto had two buttons missing from his coat. Thus having settled their accounts, they shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives. Then Geppetto took the fine piece of wood, thanked Mastro Antonio, and limped away toward home. Pinocchio…7 CHAPTER 3 As soon as he gets home, Geppetto fashions the Marionette and calls it Pinocchio. The first pranks of the Marionette Little as Geppetto's house was, it was neat and comfortable. It was a small room on the ground floor, with a tiny window under the stairway. The furniture could not have been much simpler: a very old chair, a rickety old bed, and a tumble-down table. A fireplace full of burning logs was painted on the wall opposite the door. Over the fire, there was painted a pot full of something which kept boiling happily away and sending up clouds of what looked like real steam. As soon as he reached home, Geppetto took his tools and began to cut and shape the wood into a Marionette. "What shall I call him?" he said to himself. "I think I'll call him PINOCCHIO. This name will make his fortune. I knew a whole family of Pinocchi once--Pinocchio the father, Pinocchia the mother, and Pinocchi the children--and they were all lucky. The richest of them begged for his living." After choosing the name for his Marionette, Geppetto set seriously to work to make the hair, the forehead, the eyes. Fancy his surprise when he noticed that these eyes moved and then stared fixedly at him. Geppetto, seeing this, felt insulted and said in a grieved tone: "Ugly wooden eyes, why do you stare so?" There was no answer. After the eyes, Geppetto made the nose, which began to stretch as soon as finished. It stretched and stretched and stretched till it became so long, it seemed endless. Poor Geppetto kept cutting it and cutting it, but the more he cut, the longer grew that impertinent nose. In despair he let it alone. Next he made the mouth. No sooner was it finished than it began to laugh and poke fun at him. "Stop laughing!" said Geppetto angrily; but he might as well have spoken to the wall. "Stop laughing, I say!" he roared in a voice of thunder. The mouth stopped laughing, but it stuck out a long tongue. Pinocchio…10 CHAPTER 4 The story of Pinocchio and the Talking Cricket, in which one sees that bad children do not like to be corrected by those who know more than they do Very little time did it take to get poor old Geppetto to prison. In the meantime that rascal, Pinocchio, free now from the clutches of the Carabineer, was running wildly across fields and meadows, taking one short cut after another toward home. In his wild flight, he leaped over brambles and bushes, and across brooks and ponds, as if he were a goat or a hare chased by hounds. On reaching home, he found the house door half open. He slipped into the room, locked the door, and threw himself on the floor, happy at his escape. But his happiness lasted only a short time, for just then he heard someone saying: "Cri-cri-cri!" "Who is calling me?" asked Pinocchio, greatly frightened. "I am!" Pinocchio turned and saw a large cricket crawling slowly up the wall. "Tell me, Cricket, who are you?" "I am the Talking Cricket and I have been living in this room for more than one hundred years." "Today, however, this room is mine," said the Marionette, "and if you wish to do me a favor, get out now, and don't turn around even once." "I refuse to leave this spot," answered the Cricket, "until I have told you a great truth." "Tell it, then, and hurry." "Woe to boys who refuse to obey their parents and run away from home! They will never be happy in this world, and when they are older they will be very sorry for it." "Sing on, Cricket mine, as you please. What I know is, that tomorrow, at dawn, I leave this place forever. If I stay here the same thing will happen to me which happens to all other boys and girls. They are sent to school, and whether they want to or not, they must study. As for me, let me tell you, I hate to study! It's much more fun, I think, to Pinocchio…11 chase after butterflies, climb trees, and steal birds' nests." "Poor little silly! Don't you know that if you go on like that, you will grow into a perfect donkey and that you'll be the laughingstock of everyone?" "Keep still, you ugly Cricket!" cried Pinocchio. But the Cricket, who was a wise old philosopher, instead of being offended at Pinocchio's impudence, continued in the same tone: "If you do not like going to school, why don't you at least learn a trade, so that you can earn an honest living?" "Shall I tell you something?" asked Pinocchio, who was beginning to lose patience. "Of all the trades in the world, there is only one that really suits me." "And what can that be?" "That of eating, drinking, sleeping, playing, and wandering around from morning till night." "Let me tell you, for your own good, Pinocchio," said the Talking Cricket in his calm voice, "that those who follow that trade always end up in the hospital or in prison." "Careful, ugly Cricket! If you make me angry, you'll be sorry!" "Poor Pinocchio, I am sorry for you." "Why?" "Because you are a Marionette and, what is much worse, you have a wooden head." At these last words, Pinocchio jumped up in a fury, took a hammer from the bench, and threw it with all his strength at the Talking Cricket. Perhaps he did not think he would strike it. But, sad to relate, my dear children, he did hit the Cricket, straight on its head. With a last weak "cri-cri-cri" the poor Cricket fell from the wall, dead! Pinocchio…12 CHAPTER 5 Pinocchio is hungry and looks for an egg to cook himself an omelet; but, to his surprise, the omelet flies out of the window If the Cricket's death scared Pinocchio at all, it was only for a very few moments. For, as night came on, a queer, empty feeling at the pit of his stomach reminded the Marionette that he had eaten nothing as yet. A boy's appetite grows very fast, and in a few moments the queer, empty feeling had become hunger, and the hunger grew bigger and bigger, until soon he was as ravenous as a bear. Poor Pinocchio ran to the fireplace where the pot was boiling and stretched out his hand to take the cover off, but to his amazement the pot was only painted! Think how he felt! His long nose became at least two inches longer. He ran about the room, dug in all the boxes and drawers, and even looked under the bed in search of a piece of bread, hard though it might be, or a cookie, or perhaps a bit of fish. A bone left by a dog would have tasted good to him! But he found nothing. And meanwhile his hunger grew and grew. The only relief poor Pinocchio had was to yawn; and he certainly did yawn, such a big yawn that his mouth stretched out to the tips of his ears. Soon he became dizzy and faint. He wept and wailed to himself: "The Talking Cricket was right. It was wrong of me to disobey Father and to run away from home. If he were here now, I wouldn't be so hungry! Oh, how horrible it is to be hungry!" Suddenly, he saw, among the sweepings in a corner, something round and white that looked very much like a hen's egg. In a jiffy he pounced upon it. It was an egg. The Marionette's joy knew no bounds. It is impossible to describe it, you must picture it to yourself. Certain that he was dreaming, he turned the egg over and over in his hands, fondled it, kissed it, and talked to it: "And now, how shall I cook you? Shall I make an omelet? No, it is better to fry you in a pan! Or shall I drink you? No, the best way is to fry you in the pan. You will taste better." No sooner said than done. He placed a little pan over a foot warmer full of hot coals. In the pan, instead of oil or butter, he poured a little water. As soon as the water started to boil--tac!--he broke the eggshell. But in place of the white and the yolk of the egg, a little yellow Chick, fluffy and gay and smiling, escaped from it. Bowing politely to Pinocchio, he said to him: Pinocchio…15 There he fell asleep, and while he slept, his wooden feet began to burn. Slowly, very slowly, they blackened and turned to ashes. Pinocchio snored away happily as if his feet were not his own. At dawn he opened his eyes just as a loud knocking sounded at the door. "Who is it?" he called, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "It is I," answered a voice. It was the voice of Geppetto. Pinocchio…16 CHAPTER 7 Geppetto returns home and gives his own breakfast to the Marionette The poor Marionette, who was still half asleep, had not yet found out that his two feet were burned and gone. As soon as he heard his Father's voice, he jumped up from his seat to open the door, but, as he did so, he staggered and fell headlong to the floor. In falling, he made as much noise as a sack of wood falling from the fifth story of a house. "Open the door for me!" Geppetto shouted from the street. "Father, dear Father, I can't," answered the Marionette in despair, crying and rolling on the floor. "Why can't you?" "Because someone has eaten my feet." "And who has eaten them?" "The cat," answered Pinocchio, seeing that little animal busily playing with some shavings in the corner of the room. "Open! I say," repeated Geppetto, "or I'll give you a sound whipping when I get in." "Father, believe me, I can't stand up. Oh, dear! Oh, dear! I shall have to walk on my knees all my life." Geppetto, thinking that all these tears and cries were only other pranks of the Marionette, climbed up the side of the house and went in through the window. At first he was very angry, but on seeing Pinocchio stretched out on the floor and really without feet, he felt very sad and sorrowful. Picking him up from the floor, he fondled and caressed him, talking to him while the tears ran down his cheeks: "My little Pinocchio, my dear little Pinocchio! How did you burn your feet?" "I don't know, Father, but believe me, the night has been a terrible one and I shall remember it as long as I live. The thunder was so noisy and the lightning so bright--and I was hungry. And then the Talking Cricket said to me, `You deserve it; you were bad;' and I said to him, `Careful, Cricket;' and he said to me, `You are a Marionette and you have a wooden head;' and I threw the Pinocchio…17 hammer at him and killed him. It was his own fault, for I didn't want to kill him. And I put the pan on the coals, but the Chick flew away and said, `I'll see you again! Remember me to the family.' And my hunger grew, and I went out, and the old man with a nightcap looked out of the window and threw water on me, and I came home and put my feet on the stove to dry them because I was still hungry, and I fell asleep and now my feet are gone but my hunger isn't! Oh!--Oh!--Oh!" And poor Pinocchio began to scream and cry so loudly that he could be heard for miles around. Geppetto, who had understood nothing of all that jumbled talk, except that the Marionette was hungry, felt sorry for him, and pulling three pears out of his pocket, offered them to him, saying: "These three pears were for my breakfast, but I give them to you gladly. Eat them and stop weeping." "If you want me to eat them, please peel them for me." "Peel them?" asked Geppetto, very much surprised. "I should never have thought, dear boy of mine, that you were so dainty and fussy about your food. Bad, very bad! In this world, even as children, we must accustom ourselves to eat of everything, for we never know what life may hold in store for us!" "You may be right," answered Pinocchio, "but I will not eat the pears if they are not peeled. I don't like them." And good old Geppetto took out a knife, peeled the three pears, and put the skins in a row on the table. Pinocchio ate one pear in a twinkling and started to throw the core away, but Geppetto held his arm. "Oh, no, don't throw it away! Everything in this world may be of some use!" "But the core I will not eat!" cried Pinocchio in an angry tone. "Who knows?" repeated Geppetto calmly. And later the three cores were placed on the table next to the skins. Pinocchio had eaten the three pears, or rather devoured them. Then he yawned deeply, and wailed: "I'm still hungry." "But I have no more to give you." "Really, nothing--nothing?" Pinocchio…20 Geppetto did not have a penny in his pocket, so he made his son a little suit of flowered paper, a pair of shoes from the bark of a tree, and a tiny cap from a bit of dough. Pinocchio ran to look at himself in a bowl of water, and he felt so happy that he said proudly: "Now I look like a gentleman." "Truly," answered Geppetto. "But remember that fine clothes do not make the man unless they be neat and clean." "Very true," answered Pinocchio, "but, in order to go to school, I still need something very important." "What is it?" "An A-B-C book." "To be sure! But how shall we get it?" "That's easy. We'll go to a bookstore and buy it." "And the money?" "I have none." "Neither have I," said the old man sadly. Pinocchio, although a happy boy always, became sad and downcast at these words. When poverty shows itself, even mischievous boys understand what it means. "What does it matter, after all?" cried Geppetto all at once, as he jumped up from his chair. Putting on his old coat, full of darns and patches, he ran out of the house without another word. After a while he returned. In his hands he had the A-B-C book for his son, but the old coat was gone. The poor fellow was in his shirt sleeves and the day was cold. "Where's your coat, Father?" "I have sold it." "Why did you sell your coat?" "It was too warm." Pinocchio understood the answer in a twinkling, and, unable to restrain his tears, he jumped on his father's neck and kissed him over and over. Pinocchio…21 CHAPTER 9 Pinocchio sells his A-B-C book to pay his way into the Marionette Theater See Pinocchio hurrying off to school with his new A-B-C book under his arm! As he walked along, his brain was busy planning hundreds of wonderful things, building hundreds of castles in the air. Talking to himself, he said: "In school today, I'll learn to read, tomorrow to write, and the day after tomorrow I'll do arithmetic. Then, clever as I am, I can earn a lot of money. With the very first pennies I make, I'll buy Father a new cloth coat. Cloth, did I say? No, it shall be of gold and silver with diamond buttons. That poor man certainly deserves it; for, after all, isn't he in his shirt sleeves because he was good enough to buy a book for me? On this cold day, too! Fathers are indeed good to their children!" As he talked to himself, he thought he heard sounds of pipes and drums coming from a distance: pi-pi-pi, pi-pi-pi. . .zum, zum, zum, zum. He stopped to listen. Those sounds came from a little street that led to a small village along the shore. "What can that noise be? What a nuisance that I have to go to school! Otherwise. . ." There he stopped, very much puzzled. He felt he had to make up his mind for either one thing or another. Should he go to school, or should he follow the pipes? "Today I'll follow the pipes, and tomorrow I'll go to school. There's always plenty of time to go to school," decided the little rascal at last, shrugging his shoulders. No sooner said than done. He started down the street, going like the wind. On he ran, and louder grew the sounds of pipe and drum: pi-pi-pi, pi-pi-pi, pi-pi-pi. . .zum, zum, zum, zum. Suddenly, he found himself in a large square, full of people standing in front of a little wooden building painted in brilliant colors. "What is that house?" Pinocchio asked a little boy near him. "Read the sign and you'll know." "I'd like to read, but somehow I can't today." Pinocchio…22 "Oh, really? Then I'll read it to you. Know, then, that written in letters of fire I see the words: GREAT MARIONETTE THEATER. "When did the show start?" "It is starting now." "And how much does one pay to get in?" "Four pennies." Pinocchio, who was wild with curiosity to know what was going on inside, lost all his pride and said to the boy shamelessly: "Will you give me four pennies until tomorrow?" "I'd give them to you gladly," answered the other, poking fun at him, "but just now I can't give them to you." "For the price of four pennies, I'll sell you my coat." "If it rains, what shall I do with a coat of flowered paper? I could not take it off again." "Do you want to buy my shoes?" "They are only good enough to light a fire with." "What about my hat?" "Fine bargain, indeed! A cap of dough! The mice might come and eat it from my head!" Pinocchio was almost in tears. He was just about to make one last offer, but he lacked the courage to do so. He hesitated, he wondered, he could not make up his mind. At last he said: "Will you give me four pennies for the book?" "I am a boy and I buy nothing from boys," said the little fellow with far more common sense than the Marionette. "I'll give you four pennies for your A-B-C book," said a ragpicker who stood by. Then and there, the book changed hands. And to think that poor old Geppetto sat at home in his shirt sleeves, shivering with cold, having sold his coat to buy that little book for his son! Pinocchio…25 CHAPTER 11 Fire Eater sneezes and forgives Pinocchio, who saves his friend, Harlequin, from death In the theater, great excitement reigned. Fire Eater (this was really his name) was very ugly, but he was far from being as bad as he looked. Proof of this is that, when he saw the poor Marionette being brought in to him, struggling with fear and crying, "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" he felt sorry for him and began first to waver and then to weaken. Finally, he could control himself no longer and gave a loud sneeze. At that sneeze, Harlequin, who until then had been as sad as a weeping willow, smiled happily and leaning toward the Marionette, whispered to him: "Good news, brother mine! Fire Eater has sneezed and this is a sign that he feels sorry for you. You are saved!" For be it known, that, while other people, when sad and sorrowful, weep and wipe their eyes, Fire Eater, on the other hand, had the strange habit of sneezing each time he felt unhappy. The way was just as good as any other to show the kindness of his heart. After sneezing, Fire Eater, ugly as ever, cried to Pinocchio: "Stop crying! Your wails give me a funny feeling down here in my stomach and--E--tchee!--E--tchee!" Two loud sneezes finished his speech. "God bless you!" said Pinocchio. "Thanks! Are your father and mother still living?" demanded Fire Eater. "My father, yes. My mother I have never known." "Your poor father would suffer terribly if I were to use you as firewood. Poor old man! I feel sorry for him! E-- tchee! E--tchee! E--tchee!" Three more sneezes sounded, louder than ever. "God bless you!" said Pinocchio. "Thanks! However, I ought to be sorry for myself, too, just now. My good dinner is spoiled. I have no more wood for the fire, and the lamb is only half cooked. Never mind! In your place I'll burn some other Marionette. Hey there! Officers!" Pinocchio…26 At the call, two wooden officers appeared, long and thin as a yard of rope, with queer hats on their heads and swords in their hands. Fire Eater yelled at them in a hoarse voice: "Take Harlequin, tie him, and throw him on the fire. I want my lamb well done!" Think how poor Harlequin felt! He was so scared that his legs doubled up under him and he fell to the floor. Pinocchio, at that heartbreaking sight, threw himself at the feet of Fire Eater and, weeping bitterly, asked in a pitiful voice which could scarcely be heard: "Have pity, I beg of you, signore!" "There are no signori here!" "Have pity, kind sir!" "There are no sirs here!" "Have pity, your Excellency!" On hearing himself addressed as your Excellency, the Director of the Marionette Theater sat up very straight in his chair, stroked his long beard, and becoming suddenly kind and compassionate, smiled proudly as he said to Pinocchio: "Well, what do you want from me now, Marionette?" "I beg for mercy for my poor friend, Harlequin, who has never done the least harm in his life." "There is no mercy here, Pinocchio. I have spared you. Harlequin must burn in your place. I am hungry and my dinner must be cooked." "In that case," said Pinocchio proudly, as he stood up and flung away his cap of dough, "in that case, my duty is clear. Come, officers! Tie me up and throw me on those flames. No, it is not fair for poor Harlequin, the best friend that I have in the world, to die in my place!" These brave words, said in a piercing voice, made all the other Marionettes cry. Even the officers, who were made of wood also, cried like two babies. Fire Eater at first remained hard and cold as a piece of ice; but then, little by little, he softened and began to sneeze. And after four or five sneezes, he opened wide his arms and said to Pinocchio: "You are a brave boy! Come to my arms and kiss me!" Pinocchio…27 Pinocchio ran to him and scurrying like a squirrel up the long black beard, he gave Fire Eater a loving kiss on the tip of his nose. "Has pardon been granted to me?" asked poor Harlequin with a voice that was hardly a breath. "Pardon is yours!" answered Fire Eater; and sighing and wagging his head, he added: "Well, tonight I shall have to eat my lamb only half cooked, but beware the next time, Marionettes." At the news that pardon had been given, the Marionettes ran to the stage and, turning on all the lights, they danced and sang till dawn. Pinocchio…30 By this time the three companions had walked a long distance. Suddenly, the Fox stopped in his tracks and, turning to the Marionette, said to him: "Do you want to double your gold pieces?" "What do you mean?" "Do you want one hundred, a thousand, two thousand gold pieces for your miserable five?" "Yes, but how?" "The way is very easy. Instead of returning home, come with us." "And where will you take me?" "To the City of Simple Simons." Pinocchio thought a while and then said firmly: "No, I don't want to go. Home is near, and I'm going where Father is waiting for me. How unhappy he must be that I have not yet returned! I have been a bad son, and the Talking Cricket was right when he said that a disobedient boy cannot be happy in this world. I have learned this at my own expense. Even last night in the theater, when Fire Eater. . . Brrrr!!!!! . . . The shivers run up and down my back at the mere thought of it." "Well, then," said the Fox, "if you really want to go home, go ahead, but you'll be sorry." "You'll be sorry," repeated the Cat. "Think well, Pinocchio, you are turning your back on Dame Fortune." "On Dame Fortune," repeated the Cat. "Tomorrow your five gold pieces will be two thousand!" "Two thousand!" repeated the Cat. "But how can they possibly become so many?" asked Pinocchio wonderingly. "I'll explain," said the Fox. "You must know that, just outside the City of Simple Simons, there is a blessed field called the Field of Wonders. In this field you dig a hole and in the hole you bury a gold piece. After covering up the hole with earth you water it well, sprinkle a bit of salt on it, and go to bed. During the night, the gold piece sprouts, grows, blossoms, and next morning you find a beautiful tree, that is loaded with gold pieces." Pinocchio…31 "So that if I were to bury my five gold pieces," cried Pinocchio with growing wonder, "next morning I should find- -how many?" "It is very simple to figure out," answered the Fox. "Why, you can figure it on your fingers! Granted that each piece gives you five hundred, multiply five hundred by five. Next morning you will find twenty-five hundred new, sparkling gold pieces." "Fine! Fine!" cried Pinocchio, dancing about with joy. "And as soon as I have them, I shall keep two thousand for myself and the other five hundred I'll give to you two." "A gift for us?" cried the Fox, pretending to be insulted. "Why, of course not!" "Of course not!" repeated the Cat. "We do not work for gain," answered the Fox. "We work only to enrich others." "To enrich others!" repeated the Cat. "What good people," thought Pinocchio to himself. And forgetting his father, the new coat, the A-B-C book, and all his good resolutions, he said to the Fox and to the Cat: "Let us go. I am with you." Pinocchio…32 CHAPTER 13 The Inn of the Red Lobster Cat and Fox and Marionette walked and walked and walked. At last, toward evening, dead tired, they came to the Inn of the Red Lobster. "Let us stop here a while," said the Fox, "to eat a bite and rest for a few hours. At midnight we'll start out again, for at dawn tomorrow we must be at the Field of Wonders." They went into the Inn and all three sat down at the same table. However, not one of them was very hungry. The poor Cat felt very weak, and he was able to eat only thirty-five mullets with tomato sauce and four portions of tripe with cheese. Moreover, as he was so in need of strength, he had to have four more helpings of butter and cheese. The Fox, after a great deal of coaxing, tried his best to eat a little. The doctor had put him on a diet, and he had to be satisfied with a small hare dressed with a dozen young and tender spring chickens. After the hare, he ordered some partridges, a few pheasants, a couple of rabbits, and a dozen frogs and lizards. That was all. He felt ill, he said, and could not eat another bite. Pinocchio ate least of all. He asked for a bite of bread and a few nuts and then hardly touched them. The poor fellow, with his mind on the Field of Wonders, was suffering from a gold-piece indigestion. Supper over, the Fox said to the Innkeeper: "Give us two good rooms, one for Mr. Pinocchio and the other for me and my friend. Before starting out, we'll take a little nap. Remember to call us at midnight sharp, for we must continue on our journey." "Yes, sir," answered the Innkeeper, winking in a knowing way at the Fox and the Cat, as if to say, "I understand." As soon as Pinocchio was in bed, he fell fast asleep and began to dream. He dreamed he was in the middle of a field. The field was full of vines heavy with grapes. The grapes were no other than gold coins which tinkled merrily as they swayed in the wind. They seemed to say, "Let him who wants us take us!" Just as Pinocchio stretched out his hand to take a handful of them, he was awakened by three loud knocks at the door. It was the Innkeeper who had come to tell him that midnight had struck. Pinocchio…35 CHAPTER 14 Pinocchio, not having listened to the good advice of the Talking Cricket, falls into the hands of the Assassins "Dear, oh, dear! When I come to think of it," said the Marionette to himself, as he once more set out on his journey, "we boys are really very unlucky. Everybody scolds us, everybody gives us advice, everybody warns us. If we were to allow it, everyone would try to be father and mother to us; everyone, even the Talking Cricket. Take me, for example. Just because I would not listen to that bothersome Cricket, who knows how many misfortunes may be awaiting me! Assassins indeed! At least I have never believed in them, nor ever will. To speak sensibly, I think assassins have been invented by fathers and mothers to frighten children who want to run away at night. And then, even if I were to meet them on the road, what matter? I'll just run up to them, and say, `Well, signori, what do you want? Remember that you can't fool with me! Run along and mind your business.' At such a speech, I can almost see those poor fellows running like the wind. But in case they don't run away, I can always run myself. . ." Pinocchio was not given time to argue any longer, for he thought he heard a slight rustle among the leaves behind him. He turned to look and behold, there in the darkness stood two big black shadows, wrapped from head to foot in black sacks. The two figures leaped toward him as softly as if they were ghosts. "Here they come!" Pinocchio said to himself, and, not knowing where to hide the gold pieces, he stuck all four of them under his tongue. He tried to run away, but hardly had he taken a step, when he felt his arms grasped and heard two horrible, deep voices say to him: "Your money or your life!" On account of the gold pieces in his mouth, Pinocchio could not say a word, so he tried with head and hands and body to show, as best he could, that he was only a poor Marionette without a penny in his pocket. "Come, come, less nonsense, and out with your money!" cried the two thieves in threatening voices. Once more, Pinocchio's head and hands said, "I haven't a penny." "Out with that money or you're a dead man," said the taller of the two Assassins. Pinocchio…36 "Dead man," repeated the other. "And after having killed you, we will kill your father also." "Your father also!" "No, no, no, not my Father!" cried Pinocchio, wild with terror; but as he screamed, the gold pieces tinkled together in his mouth. "Ah, you rascal! So that's the game! You have the money hidden under your tongue. Out with it!" But Pinocchio was as stubborn as ever. "Are you deaf? Wait, young man, we'll get it from you in a twinkling!" One of them grabbed the Marionette by the nose and the other by the chin, and they pulled him unmercifully from side to side in order to make him open his mouth. All was of no use. The Marionette's lips might have been nailed together. They would not open. In desperation the smaller of the two Assassins pulled out a long knife from his pocket, and tried to pry Pinocchio's mouth open with it. Quick as a flash, the Marionette sank his teeth deep into the Assassin's hand, bit it off and spat it out. Fancy his surprise when he saw that it was not a hand, but a cat's paw. Encouraged by this first victory, he freed himself from the claws of his assailers and, leaping over the bushes along the road, ran swiftly across the fields. His pursuers were after him at once, like two dogs chasing a hare. After running seven miles or so, Pinocchio was well- nigh exhausted. Seeing himself lost, he climbed up a giant pine tree and sat there to see what he could see. The Assassins tried to climb also, but they slipped and fell. Far from giving up the chase, this only spurred them on. They gathered a bundle of wood, piled it up at the foot of the pine, and set fire to it. In a twinkling the tree began to sputter and burn like a candle blown by the wind. Pinocchio saw the flames climb higher and higher. Not wishing to end his days as a roasted Marionette, he jumped quickly to the ground and off he went, the Assassins close to him, as before. Dawn was breaking when, without any warning whatsoever, Pinocchio found his path barred by a deep pool full of water the color of muddy coffee. What was there to do? With a "One, two, three!" Pinocchio…37 he jumped clear across it. The Assassins jumped also, but not having measured their distance well--splash!!!-- they fell right into the middle of the pool. Pinocchio who heard the splash and felt it, too, cried out, laughing, but never stopping in his race: "A pleasant bath to you, signori!" He thought they must surely be drowned and turned his head to see. But there were the two somber figures still following him, though their black sacks were drenched and dripping with water. Pinocchio…40 CHAPTER 16 The Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair sends for the poor Marionette, puts him to bed, and calls three Doctors to tell her if Pinocchio is dead or alive If the poor Marionette had dangled there much longer, all hope would have been lost. Luckily for him, the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair once again looked out of her window. Filled with pity at the sight of the poor little fellow being knocked helplessly about by the wind, she clapped her hands sharply together three times. At the signal, a loud whirr of wings in quick flight was heard and a large Falcon came and settled itself on the window ledge. "What do you command, my charming Fairy?" asked the Falcon, bending his beak in deep reverence (for it must be known that, after all, the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair was none other than a very kind Fairy who had lived, for more than a thousand years, in the vicinity of the forest). "Do you see that Marionette hanging from the limb of that giant oak tree?" "I see him." "Very well. Fly immediately to him. With your strong beak, break the knot which holds him tied, take him down, and lay him softly on the grass at the foot of the oak." The Falcon flew away and after two minutes returned, saying, "I have done what you have commanded." "How did you find him? Alive or dead?" "At first glance, I thought he was dead. But I found I was wrong, for as soon as I loosened the knot around his neck, he gave a long sigh and mumbled with a faint voice, `Now I feel better!'" The Fairy clapped her hands twice. A magnificent Poodle appeared, walking on his hind legs just like a man. He was dressed in court livery. A tricorn trimmed with gold lace was set at a rakish angle over a wig of white curls that dropped down to his waist. He wore a jaunty coat of chocolate-colored velvet, with diamond buttons, and with two huge pockets which were always filled with bones, dropped there at dinner by his loving mistress. Breeches of crimson velvet, silk stockings, and low, silver-buckled slippers completed his costume. His tail was encased in a blue silk covering, which was to protect it from the rain. Pinocchio…41 "Come, Medoro," said the Fairy to him. "Get my best coach ready and set out toward the forest. On reaching the oak tree, you will find a poor, half-dead Marionette stretched out on the grass. Lift him up tenderly, place him on the silken cushions of the coach, and bring him here to me." The Poodle, to show that he understood, wagged his silk-covered tail two or three times and set off at a quick pace. In a few minutes, a lovely little coach, made of glass, with lining as soft as whipped cream and chocolate pudding, and stuffed with canary feathers, pulled out of the stable. It was drawn by one hundred pairs of white mice, and the Poodle sat on the coachman's seat and snapped his whip gayly in the air, as if he were a real coachman in a hurry to get to his destination. In a quarter of an hour the coach was back. The Fairy, who was waiting at the door of the house, lifted the poor little Marionette in her arms, took him to a dainty room with mother-of-pearl walls, put him to bed, and sent immediately for the most famous doctors of the neighborhood to come to her. One after another the doctors came, a Crow, and Owl, and a Talking Cricket. "I should like to know, signori," said the Fairy, turning to the three doctors gathered about Pinocchio's bed, "I should like to know if this poor Marionette is dead or alive." At this invitation, the Crow stepped out and felt Pinocchio's pulse, his nose, his little toe. Then he solemnly pronounced the following words: "To my mind this Marionette is dead and gone; but if, by any evil chance, he were not, then that would be a sure sign that he is still alive!" "I am sorry," said the Owl, "to have to contradict the Crow, my famous friend and colleague. To my mind this Marionette is alive; but if, by any evil chance, he were not, then that would be a sure sign that he is wholly dead!" "And do you hold any opinion?" the Fairy asked the Talking Cricket. "I say that a wise doctor, when he does not know what he is talking about, should know enough to keep his mouth shut. However, that Marionette is not a stranger to me. I have known him a long time!" Pinocchio, who until then had been very quiet, shuddered so hard that the bed shook. "That Marionette," continued the Talking Cricket, Pinocchio…42 "is a rascal of the worst kind." Pinocchio opened his eyes and closed them again. "He is rude, lazy, a runaway." Pinocchio hid his face under the sheets. "That Marionette is a disobedient son who is breaking his father's heart!" Long shuddering sobs were heard, cries, and deep sighs. Think how surprised everyone was when, on raising the sheets, they discovered Pinocchio half melted in tears! "When the dead weep, they are beginning to recover," said the Crow solemnly. "I am sorry to contradict my famous friend and colleague," said the Owl, "but as far as I'm concerned, I think that when the dead weep, it means they do not want to die." Pinocchio…45 have made you well." "Oh, Fairy, my Fairy," the Marionette cried out, "give me that glass! Quick, please! I don't want to die! No, no, not yet--not yet!" And holding the glass with his two hands, he swallowed the medicine at one gulp. "Well," said the four Rabbits, "this time we have made the trip for nothing." And turning on their heels, they marched solemnly out of the room, carrying their little black coffin and muttering and grumbling between their teeth. In a twinkling, Pinocchio felt fine. With one leap he was out of bed and into his clothes. The Fairy, seeing him run and jump around the room gay as a bird on wing, said to him: "My medicine was good for you, after all, wasn't it?" "Good indeed! It has given me new life." "Why, then, did I have to beg you so hard to make you drink it?" "I'm a boy, you see, and all boys hate medicine more than they do sickness." "What a shame! Boys ought to know, after all, that medicine, taken in time, can save them from much pain and even from death." "Next time I won't have to be begged so hard. I'll remember those black Rabbits with the black coffin on their shoulders and I'll take the glass and pouf!--down it will go!" "Come here now and tell me how it came about that you found yourself in the hands of the Assassins." "It happened that Fire Eater gave me five gold pieces to give to my Father, but on the way, I met a Fox and a Cat, who asked me, `Do you want the five pieces to become two thousand?' And I said, `Yes.' And they said, `Come with us to the Field of Wonders.' And I said, `Let's go.' Then they said, `Let us stop at the Inn of the Red Lobster for dinner and after midnight we'll set out again.' We ate and went to sleep. When I awoke they were gone and I started out in the darkness all alone. On the road I met two Assassins dressed in black coal sacks, who said to me, `Your money or your life!' and I said, `I haven't any money'; for, you see, I had put the money under my tongue. One of them tried to put his hand in Pinocchio…46 my mouth and I bit it off and spat it out; but it wasn't a hand, it was a cat's paw. And they ran after me and I ran and ran, till at last they caught me and tied my neck with a rope and hanged me to a tree, saying, `Tomorrow we'll come back for you and you'll be dead and your mouth will be open, and then we'll take the gold pieces that you have hidden under your tongue.'" "Where are the gold pieces now?" the Fairy asked. "I lost them," answered Pinocchio, but he told a lie, for he had them in his pocket. As he spoke, his nose, long though it was, became at least two inches longer. "And where did you lose them?" "In the wood near by." At this second lie, his nose grew a few more inches. "If you lost them in the near-by wood," said the Fairy, "we'll look for them and find them, for everything that is lost there is always found." "Ah, now I remember," replied the Marionette, becoming more and more confused. "I did not lose the gold pieces, but I swallowed them when I drank the medicine." At this third lie, his nose became longer than ever, so long that he could not even turn around. If he turned to the right, he knocked it against the bed or into the windowpanes; if he turned to the left, he struck the walls or the door; if he raised it a bit, he almost put the Fairy's eyes out. The Fairy sat looking at him and laughing. "Why do you laugh?" the Marionette asked her, worried now at the sight of his growing nose. "I am laughing at your lies." "How do you know I am lying?" "Lies, my boy, are known in a moment. There are two kinds of lies, lies with short legs and lies with long noses. Yours, just now, happen to have long noses." Pinocchio, not knowing where to hide his shame, tried to escape from the room, but his nose had become so long that he could not get it out of the door. Pinocchio…47 CHAPTER 18 Pinocchio finds the Fox and the Cat again, and goes with them to sow the gold pieces in the Field of Wonders Crying as if his heart would break, the Marionette mourned for hours over the length of his nose. No matter how he tried, it would not go through the door. The Fairy showed no pity toward him, as she was trying to teach him a good lesson, so that he would stop telling lies, the worst habit any boy may acquire. But when she saw him, pale with fright and with his eyes half out of his head from terror, she began to feel sorry for him and clapped her hands together. A thousand woodpeckers flew in through the window and settled themselves on Pinocchio's nose. They pecked and pecked so hard at that enormous nose that in a few moments, it was the same size as before. "How good you are, my Fairy," said Pinocchio, drying his eyes, "and how much I love you!" "I love you, too," answered the Fairy, "and if you wish to stay with me, you may be my little brother and I'll be your good little sister." "I should like to stay--but what about my poor father?" "I have thought of everything. Your father has been sent for and before night he will be here." "Really?" cried Pinocchio joyfully. "Then, my good Fairy, if you are willing, I should like to go to meet him. I cannot wait to kiss that dear old man, who has suffered so much for my sake." "Surely; go ahead, but be careful not to lose your way. Take the wood path and you'll surely meet him." Pinocchio set out, and as soon as he found himself in the wood, he ran like a hare. When he reached the giant oak tree he stopped, for he thought he heard a rustle in the brush. He was right. There stood the Fox and the Cat, the two traveling companions with whom he had eaten at the Inn of the Red Lobster. "Here comes our dear Pinocchio!" cried the Fox, hugging and kissing him. "How did you happen here?" "How did you happen here?" repeated the Cat. "It is a long story," said the Marionette. "Let me tell it to you. The other night, when you left me alone at the Inn, I met the Assassins on the road--" Pinocchio…50 had no pail, he pulled off his shoe, filled it with water, and sprinkled the earth which covered the gold. Then he asked: "Anything else?" "Nothing else," answered the Fox. "Now we can go. Return here within twenty minutes and you will find the vine grown and the branches filled with gold pieces." Pinocchio, beside himself with joy, thanked the Fox and the Cat many times and promised them each a beautiful gift. "We don't want any of your gifts," answered the two rogues. "It is enough for us that we have helped you to become rich with little or no trouble. For this we are as happy as kings." They said good-by to Pinocchio and, wishing him good luck, went on their way. Pinocchio…51 CHAPTER 19 Pinocchio is robbed of his gold pieces and, in punishment, is sentenced to four months in prison If the Marionette had been told to wait a day instead of twenty minutes, the time could not have seemed longer to him. He walked impatiently to and fro and finally turned his nose toward the Field of Wonders. And as he walked with hurried steps, his heart beat with an excited tic, tac, tic, tac, just as if it were a wall clock, and his busy brain kept thinking: "What if, instead of a thousand, I should find two thousand? Or if, instead of two thousand, I should find five thousand--or one hundred thousand? I'll build myself a beautiful palace, with a thousand stables filled with a thousand wooden horses to play with, a cellar overflowing with lemonade and ice cream soda, and a library of candies and fruits, cakes and cookies." Thus amusing himself with fancies, he came to the field. There he stopped to see if, by any chance, a vine filled with gold coins was in sight. But he saw nothing! He took a few steps forward, and still nothing! He stepped into the field. He went up to the place where he had dug the hole and buried the gold pieces. Again nothing! Pinocchio became very thoughtful and, forgetting his good manners altogether, he pulled a hand out of his pocket and gave his head a thorough scratching. As he did so, he heard a hearty burst of laughter close to his head. He turned sharply, and there, just above him on the branch of a tree, sat a large Parrot, busily preening his feathers. "What are you laughing at?" Pinocchio asked peevishly. "I am laughing because, in preening my feathers, I tickled myself under the wings." The Marionette did not answer. He walked to the brook, filled his shoe with water, and once more sprinkled the ground which covered the gold pieces. Another burst of laughter, even more impertinent than the first, was heard in the quiet field. "Well," cried the Marionette, angrily this time, "may I know, Mr. Parrot, what amuses you so?" "I am laughing at those simpletons who believe everything they hear and who allow themselves to be caught so easily in the traps set for them." Pinocchio…52 "Do you, perhaps, mean me?" "I certainly do mean you, poor Pinocchio--you who are such a little silly as to believe that gold can be sown in a field just like beans or squash. I, too, believed that once and today I am very sorry for it. Today (but too late!) I have reached the conclusion that, in order to come by money honestly, one must work and know how to earn it with hand or brain." "I don't know what you are talking about," said the Marionette, who was beginning to tremble with fear. "Too bad! I'll explain myself better," said the Parrot. "While you were away in the city the Fox and the Cat returned here in a great hurry. They took the four gold pieces which you have buried and ran away as fast as the wind. If you can catch them, you're a brave one!" Pinocchio's mouth opened wide. He would not believe the Parrot's words and began to dig away furiously at the earth. He dug and he dug till the hole was as big as himself, but no money was there. Every penny was gone. In desperation, he ran to the city and went straight to the courthouse to report the robbery to the magistrate. The Judge was a Monkey, a large Gorilla venerable with age. A flowing white beard covered his chest and he wore gold-rimmed spectacles from which the glasses had dropped out. The reason for wearing these, he said, was that his eyes had been weakened by the work of many years. Pinocchio, standing before him, told his pitiful tale, word by word. He gave the names and the descriptions of the robbers and begged for justice. The Judge listened to him with great patience. A kind look shone in his eyes. He became very much interested in the story; he felt moved; he almost wept. When the Marionette had no more to say, the Judge put out his hand and rang a bell. At the sound, two large Mastiffs appeared, dressed in Carabineers' uniforms. Then the magistrate, pointing to Pinocchio, said in a very solemn voice: "This poor simpleton has been robbed of four gold pieces. Take him, therefore, and throw him into prison." The Marionette, on hearing this sentence passed upon him, was thoroughly stunned. He tried to protest, but the two officers clapped their paws on his mouth and hustled him away to jail. There he had to remain for four long, weary months. Pinocchio…55 "I beg your pardon, Mr. Serpent, would you be so kind as to step aside to let me pass?" He might as well have talked to a wall. The Serpent never moved. Once more, in the same sweet voice, he spoke: "You must know, Mr. Serpent, that I am going home where my father is waiting for me. It is so long since I have seen him! Would you mind very much if I passed?" He waited for some sign of an answer to his questions, but the answer did not come. On the contrary, the green Serpent, who had seemed, until then, wide awake and full of life, became suddenly very quiet and still. His eyes closed and his tail stopped smoking. "Is he dead, I wonder?" said Pinocchio, rubbing his hands together happily. Without a moment's hesitation, he started to step over him, but he had just raised one leg when the Serpent shot up like a spring and the Marionette fell head over heels backward. He fell so awkwardly that his head stuck in the mud, and there he stood with his legs straight up in the air. At the sight of the Marionette kicking and squirming like a young whirlwind, the Serpent laughed so heartily and so long that at last he burst an artery and died on the spot. Pinocchio freed himself from his awkward position and once more began to run in order to reach the Fairy's house before dark. As he went, the pangs of hunger grew so strong that, unable to withstand them, he jumped into a field to pick a few grapes that tempted him. Woe to him! No sooner had he reached the grapevine than--crack! went his legs. The poor Marionette was caught in a trap set there by a Farmer for some Weasels which came every night to steal his chickens. Pinocchio…56 CHAPTER 21 Pinocchio is caught by a Farmer, who uses him as a watchdog for his chicken coop Pinocchio, as you may well imagine, began to scream and weep and beg; but all was of no use, for no houses were to be seen and not a soul passed by on the road. Night came on. A little because of the sharp pain in his legs, a little because of fright at finding himself alone in the darkness of the field, the Marionette was about to faint, when he saw a tiny Glowworm flickering by. He called to her and said: "Dear little Glowworm, will you set me free?" "Poor little fellow!" replied the Glowworm, stopping to look at him with pity. "How came you to be caught in this trap?" "I stepped into this lonely field to take a few grapes and--" "Are the grapes yours?" "No." "Who has taught you to take things that do not belong to you?" "I was hungry." "Hunger, my boy, is no reason for taking something which belongs to another." "It's true, it's true!" cried Pinocchio in tears. "I won't do it again." Just then, the conversation was interrupted by approaching footsteps. It was the owner of the field, who was coming on tiptoes to see if, by chance, he had caught the Weasels which had been eating his chickens. Great was his surprise when, on holding up his lantern, he saw that, instead of a Weasel, he had caught a boy! "Ah, you little thief!" said the Farmer in an angry voice. "So you are the one who steals my chickens!" "Not I! No, no!" cried Pinocchio, sobbing bitterly. "I came here only to take a very few grapes." "He who steals grapes may very easily steal chickens also. Take my word for it, I'll give you a lesson that you'll remember Pinocchio…57 for a long while." He opened the trap, grabbed the Marionette by the collar, and carried him to the house as if he were a puppy. When he reached the yard in front of the house, he flung him to the ground, put a foot on his neck, and said to him roughly: "It is late now and it's time for bed. Tomorrow we'll settle matters. In the meantime, since my watchdog died today, you may take his place and guard my henhouse." No sooner said than done. He slipped a dog collar around Pinocchio's neck and tightened it so that it would not come off. A long iron chain was tied to the collar. The other end of the chain was nailed to the wall. "If tonight it should happen to rain," said the Farmer, "you can sleep in that little doghouse near-by, where you will find plenty of straw for a soft bed. It has been Melampo's bed for three years, and it will be good enough for you. And if, by any chance, any thieves should come, be sure to bark!" After this last warning, the Farmer went into the house and closed the door and barred it. Poor Pinocchio huddled close to the doghouse more dead than alive from cold, hunger, and fright. Now and again he pulled and tugged at the collar which nearly choked him and cried out in a weak voice: "I deserve it! Yes, I deserve it! I have been nothing but a truant and a vagabond. I have never obeyed anyone and I have always done as I pleased. If I were only like so many others and had studied and worked and stayed with my poor old father, I should not find myself here now, in this field and in the darkness, taking the place of a farmer's watchdog. Oh, if I could start all over again! But what is done can't be undone, and I must be patient!" After this little sermon to himself, which came from the very depths of his heart, Pinocchio went into the doghouse and fell asleep. Pinocchio…60 the Weasels, but thinking of the dead dog, he said to himself: "Melampo is dead. What is the use of accusing him? The dead are gone and they cannot defend themselves. The best thing to do is to leave them in peace!" "Were you awake or asleep when they came?" continued the Farmer. "I was asleep," answered Pinocchio, "but they awakened me with their whisperings. One of them even came to the door of the doghouse and said to me, `If you promise not to bark, we will make you a present of one of the chickens for your breakfast.' Did you hear that? They had the audacity to make such a proposition as that to me! For you must know that, though I am a very wicked Marionette full of faults, still I never have been, nor ever shall be, bribed." "Fine boy!" cried the Farmer, slapping him on the shoulder in a friendly way. "You ought to be proud of yourself. And to show you what I think of you, you are free from this instant!" And he slipped the dog collar from his neck. Pinocchio…61 CHAPTER 23 Pinocchio weeps upon learning that the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair is dead. He meets a Pigeon, who carries him to the seashore. He throws himself into the sea to go to the aid of his father As soon as Pinocchio no longer felt the shameful weight of the dog collar around his neck, he started to run across the fields and meadows, and never stopped till he came to the main road that was to take him to the Fairy's house. When he reached it, he looked into the valley far below him and there he saw the wood where unluckily he had met the Fox and the Cat, and the tall oak tree where he had been hanged; but though he searched far and near, he could not see the house where the Fairy with the Azure Hair lived. He became terribly frightened and, running as fast as he could, he finally came to the spot where it had once stood. The little house was no longer there. In its place lay a small marble slab, which bore this sad inscription: HERE LIES THE LOVELY FAIRY WITH AZURE HAIR WHO DIED OF GRIEF WHEN ABANDONED BY HER LITTLE BROTHER PINOCCHIO The poor Marionette was heartbroken at reading these words. He fell to the ground and, covering the cold marble with kisses, burst into bitter tears. He cried all night, and dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried and only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But these were so loud that they could be heard by the faraway hills. As he sobbed he said to himself: "Oh, my Fairy, my dear, dear Fairy, why did you die? Why did I not die, who am so bad, instead of you, who are so good? And my father--where can he be? Please dear Fairy, tell me where he is and I shall never, never leave him again! You are not really dead, are you? If you love me, you will come back, alive as before. Don't you feel sorry for me? I'm so lonely. If the two Assassins come, they'll hang me again from the giant oak tree and I will really die, this time. What shall I do alone in the world? Now that you are dead and my father is lost, where shall I eat? Where shall I sleep? Who will make my new clothes? Oh, I want to die! Yes, I want to die! Oh, oh, oh!" Poor Pinocchio! He even tried to tear his hair, but as it was only painted on his wooden head, he could not even pull it. Pinocchio…62 Just then a large Pigeon flew far above him. Seeing the Marionette, he cried to him: "Tell me, little boy, what are you doing there?" "Can't you see? I'm crying," cried Pinocchio, lifting his head toward the voice and rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. "Tell me," asked the Pigeon, "do you by chance know of a Marionette, Pinocchio by name?" "Pinocchio! Did you say Pinocchio?" replied the Marionette, jumping to his feet. "Why, I am Pinocchio!" At this answer, the Pigeon flew swiftly down to the earth. He was much larger than a turkey. "Then you know Geppetto also?" "Do I know him? He's my father, my poor, dear father! Has he, perhaps, spoken to you of me? Will you take me to him? Is he still alive? Answer me, please! Is he still alive?" "I left him three days ago on the shore of a large sea." "What was he doing?" "He was building a little boat with which to cross the ocean. For the last four months, that poor man has been wandering around Europe, looking for you. Not having found you yet, he has made up his mind to look for you in the New World, far across the ocean." "How far is it from here to the shore?" asked Pinocchio anxiously. "More than fifty miles." "Fifty miles? Oh, dear Pigeon, how I wish I had your wings!" "If you want to come, I'll take you with me." "How?" "Astride my back. Are you very heavy?" "Heavy? Not at all. I'm only a feather." "Very well." Saying nothing more, Pinocchio jumped on the Pigeon's back and, as he settled himself, he cried out gayly: "Gallop on, gallop on, my pretty steed! I'm in a great hurry." The Pigeon flew away, and in a few minutes he had reached the clouds. The Marionette looked to see what Pinocchio…65 CHAPTER 24 Pinocchio reaches the Island of the Busy Bees and finds the Fairy once more Pinocchio, spurred on by the hope of finding his father and of being in time to save him, swam all night long. And what a horrible night it was! It poured rain, it hailed, it thundered, and the lightning was so bright that it turned the night into day. At dawn, he saw, not far away from him, a long stretch of sand. It was an island in the middle of the sea. Pinocchio tried his best to get there, but he couldn't. The waves played with him and tossed him about as if he were a twig or a bit of straw. At last, and luckily for him, a tremendous wave tossed him to the very spot where he wanted to be. The blow from the wave was so strong that, as he fell to the ground, his joints cracked and almost broke. But, nothing daunted, he jumped to his feet and cried: "Once more I have escaped with my life!" Little by little the sky cleared. The sun came out in full splendor and the sea became as calm as a lake. Then the Marionette took off his clothes and laid them on the sand to dry. He looked over the waters to see whether he might catch sight of a boat with a little man in it. He searched and he searched, but he saw nothing except sea and sky and far away a few sails, so small that they might have been birds. "If only I knew the name of this island!" he said to himself. "If I even knew what kind of people I would find here! But whom shall I ask? There is no one here." The idea of finding himself in so lonesome a spot made him so sad that he was about to cry, but just then he saw a big Fish swimming near-by, with his head far out of the water. Not knowing what to call him, the Marionette said to him: "Hey there, Mr. Fish, may I have a word with you?" "Even two, if you want," answered the fish, who happened to be a very polite Dolphin. "Will you please tell me if, on this island, there are places where one may eat without necessarily being eaten?" "Surely, there are," answered the Dolphin. "In fact you'll find one not far from this spot." Pinocchio…66 "And how shall I get there?" "Take that path on your left and follow your nose. You can't go wrong." "Tell me another thing. You who travel day and night through the sea, did you not perhaps meet a little boat with my father in it?" "And who is you father?" "He is the best father in the world, even as I am the worst son that can be found." "In the storm of last night," answered the Dolphin, "the little boat must have been swamped." "And my father?" "By this time, he must have been swallowed by the Terrible Shark, which, for the last few days, has been bringing terror to these waters." "Is this Shark very big?" asked Pinocchio, who was beginning to tremble with fright. "Is he big?" replied the Dolphin. "Just to give you an idea of his size, let me tell you that he is larger than a five story building and that he has a mouth so big and so deep, that a whole train and engine could easily get into it." "Mother mine!" cried the Marionette, scared to death; and dressing himself as fast as he could, he turned to the Dolphin and said: "Farewell, Mr. Fish. Pardon the bother, and many thanks for your kindness." This said, he took the path at so swift a gait that he seemed to fly, and at every small sound he heard, he turned in fear to see whether the Terrible Shark, five stories high and with a train in his mouth, was following him. After walking a half hour, he came to a small country called the Land of the Busy Bees. The streets were filled with people running to and fro about their tasks. Everyone worked, everyone had something to do. Even if one were to search with a lantern, not one idle man or one tramp could have been found. "I understand," said Pinocchio at once wearily, "this is no place for me! I was not born for work." But in the meantime, he began to feel hungry, for it was twenty-four hours since he had eaten. Pinocchio…67 What was to be done? There were only two means left to him in order to get a bite to eat. He had either to work or to beg. He was ashamed to beg, because his father had always preached to him that begging should be done only by the sick or the old. He had said that the real poor in this world, deserving of our pity and help, were only those who, either through age or sickness, had lost the means of earning their bread with their own hands. All others should work, and if they didn't, and went hungry, so much the worse for them. Just then a man passed by, worn out and wet with perspiration, pulling, with difficulty, two heavy carts filled with coal. Pinocchio looked at him and, judging him by his looks to be a kind man, said to him with eyes downcast in shame: "Will you be so good as to give me a penny, for I am faint with hunger?" "Not only one penny," answered the Coal Man. "I'll give you four if you will help me pull these two wagons." "I am surprised!" answered the Marionette, very much offended. "I wish you to know that I never have been a donkey, nor have I ever pulled a wagon." "So much the better for you!" answered the Coal Man. "Then, my boy, if you are really faint with hunger, eat two slices of your pride; and I hope they don't give you indigestion." A few minutes after, a Bricklayer passed by, carrying a pail full of plaster on his shoulder. "Good man, will you be kind enough to give a penny to a poor boy who is yawning from hunger?" "Gladly," answered the Bricklayer. "Come with me and carry some plaster, and instead of one penny, I'll give you five." "But the plaster is heavy," answered Pinocchio, "and the work too hard for me." "If the work is too hard for you, my boy, enjoy your yawns and may they bring you luck!" In less than a half hour, at least twenty people passed and Pinocchio begged of each one, but they all answered: "Aren't you ashamed? Instead of being a beggar in the streets, why don't you look for work and earn your own bread?" Finally a little woman went by carrying two water jugs. Pinocchio…70 CHAPTER 25 Pinocchio promises the Fairy to be good and to study, as he is growing tired of being a Marionette, and wishes to become a real boy If Pinocchio cried much longer, the little woman thought he would melt away, so she finally admitted that she was the little Fairy with Azure Hair. "You rascal of a Marionette! How did you know it was I?" she asked, laughing. "My love for you told me who you were." "Do you remember? You left me when I was a little girl and now you find me a grown woman. I am so old, I could almost be your mother!" "I am very glad of that, for then I can call you mother instead of sister. For a long time I have wanted a mother, just like other boys. But how did you grow so quickly?" "That's a secret!" "Tell it to me. I also want to grow a little. Look at me! I have never grown higher than a penny's worth of cheese." "But you can't grow," answered the Fairy. "Why not?" "Because Marionettes never grow. They are born Marionettes, they live Marionettes, and they die Marionettes." "Oh, I'm tired of always being a Marionette!" cried Pinocchio disgustedly. "It's about time for me to grow into a man as everyone else does." "And you will if you deserve it--" "Really? What can I do to deserve it?" "It's a very simple matter. Try to act like a well-behaved child." "Don't you think I do?" "Far from it! Good boys are obedient, and you, on the contrary--" "And I never obey." "Good boys love study and work, but you--" "And I, on the contrary, am a lazy fellow and a tramp all year round." "Good boys always tell the truth." Pinocchio…71 "And I always tell lies." "Good boys go gladly to school." "And I get sick if I go to school. From now on I'll be different." "Do you promise?" "I promise. I want to become a good boy and be a comfort to my father. Where is my poor father now?" "I do not know." "Will I ever be lucky enough to find him and embrace him once more?" "I think so. Indeed, I am sure of it." At this answer, Pinocchio's happiness was very great. He grasped the Fairy's hands and kissed them so hard that it looked as if he had lost his head. Then lifting his face, he looked at her lovingly and asked: "Tell me, little Mother, it isn't true that you are dead, is it?" "It doesn't seem so," answered the Fairy, smiling. "If you only knew how I suffered and how I wept when I read `Here lies- -'" "I know it, and for that I have forgiven you. The depth of your sorrow made me see that you have a kind heart. There is always hope for boys with hearts such as yours, though they may often be very mischievous. This is the reason why I have come so far to look for you. From now on, I'll be your own little mother." "Oh! How lovely!" cried Pinocchio, jumping with joy. "You will obey me always and do as I wish?" "Gladly, very gladly, more than gladly!" "Beginning tomorrow," said the Fairy, "you'll go to school every day." Pinocchio's face fell a little. "Then you will choose the trade you like best." Pinocchio became more serious. "What are you mumbling to yourself?" asked the Fairy. "I was just saying," whined the Marionette in a whisper, "that it seems too late for me to go to school now." "No, indeed. Remember it is never too late to learn." Pinocchio…72 "But I don't want either trade or profession." "Why?" "Because work wearies me!" "My dear boy," said the Fairy, "people who speak as you do usually end their days either in a prison or in a hospital. A man, remember, whether rich or poor, should do something in this world. No one can find happiness without work. Woe betide the lazy fellow! Laziness is a serious illness and one must cure it immediately; yes, even from early childhood. If not, it will kill you in the end." These words touched Pinocchio's heart. He lifted his eyes to his Fairy and said seriously: "I'll work; I'll study; I'll do all you tell me. After all, the life of a Marionette has grown very tiresome to me and I want to become a boy, no matter how hard it is. You promise that, do you not?" "Yes, I promise, and now it is up to you." Pinocchio…75 CHAPTER 27 The great battle between Pinocchio and his playmates. One is wounded. Pinocchio is arrested Going like the wind, Pinocchio took but a very short time to reach the shore. He glanced all about him, but there was no sign of a Shark. The sea was as smooth as glass. "Hey there, boys! Where's that Shark?" he asked, turning to his playmates. "He may have gone for his breakfast," said one of them, laughing. "Or, perhaps, he went to bed for a little nap," said another, laughing also. From the answers and the laughter which followed them, Pinocchio understood that the boys had played a trick on him. "What now?" he said angrily to them. "What's the joke?" "Oh, the joke's on you!" cried his tormentors, laughing more heartily than ever, and dancing gayly around the Marionette. "And that is--?" "That we have made you stay out of school to come with us. Aren't you ashamed of being such a goody-goody, and of studying so hard? You never have a bit of enjoyment." "And what is it to you, if I do study?" "What does the teacher think of us, you mean?" "Why?" "Don't you see? If you study and we don't, we pay for it. After all, it's only fair to look out for ourselves." "What do you want me to do?" "Hate school and books and teachers, as we all do. They are your worst enemies, you know, and they like to make you as unhappy as they can." "And if I go on studying, what will you do to me?" "You'll pay for it!" "Really, you amuse me," answered the Marionette, nodding his head. "Hey, Pinocchio," cried the tallest of them all, "that will do. We are tired of hearing you bragging about yourself, Pinocchio…76 you little turkey cock! You may not be afraid of us, but remember we are not afraid of you, either! You are alone, you know, and we are seven." "Like the seven sins," said Pinocchio, still laughing. "Did you hear that? He has insulted us all. He has called us sins." "Pinocchio, apologize for that, or look out!" "Cuck--oo!" said the Marionette, mocking them with his thumb to his nose. "You'll be sorry!" "Cuck--oo!" "We'll whip you soundly!" "Cuck--oo!" "You'll go home with a broken nose!" "Cuck--oo!" "Very well, then! Take that, and keep it for your supper," called out the boldest of his tormentors. And with the words, he gave Pinocchio a terrible blow on the head. Pinocchio answered with another blow, and that was the signal for the beginning of the fray. In a few moments, the fight raged hot and heavy on both sides. Pinocchio, although alone, defended himself bravely. With those two wooden feet of his, he worked so fast that his opponents kept at a respectful distance. Wherever they landed, they left their painful mark and the boys could only run away and howl. Enraged at not being able to fight the Marionette at close quarters, they started to throw all kinds of books at him. Readers, geographies, histories, grammars flew in all directions. But Pinocchio was keen of eye and swift of movement, and the books only passed over his head, landed in the sea, and disappeared. The fish, thinking they might be good to eat, came to the top of the water in great numbers. Some took a nibble, some took a bite, but no sooner had they tasted a page or two, than they spat them out with a wry face, as if to say: "What a horrid taste! Our own food is so much better!" Meanwhile, the battle waxed more and more furious. At the noise, a large Crab crawled slowly out of the water and, with a voice that sounded like a trombone suffering from a cold, he cried out: Pinocchio…77 "Stop fighting, you rascals! These battles between boys rarely end well. Trouble is sure to come to you!" Poor Crab! He might as well have spoken to the wind. Instead of listening to his good advice, Pinocchio turned to him and said as roughly as he knew how: "Keep quiet, ugly Gab! It would be better for you to chew a few cough drops to get rid of that cold you have. Go to bed and sleep! You will feel better in the morning." In the meantime, the boys, having used all their books, looked around for new ammunition. Seeing Pinocchio's bundle lying idle near-by, they somehow managed to get hold of it. One of the books was a very large volume, an arithmetic text, heavily bound in leather. It was Pinocchio's pride. Among all his books, he liked that one the best. Thinking it would make a fine missile, one of the boys took hold of it and threw it with all his strength at Pinocchio's head. But instead of hitting the Marionette, the book struck one of the other boys, who, as pale as a ghost, cried out faintly: "Oh, Mother, help! I'm dying!" and fell senseless to the ground. At the sight of that pale little corpse, the boys were so frightened that they turned tail and ran. In a few moments, all had disappeared. All except Pinocchio. Although scared to death by the horror of what had been done, he ran to the sea and soaked his handkerchief in the cool water and with it bathed the head of his poor little schoolmate. Sobbing bitterly, he called to him, saying: "Eugene! My poor Eugene! Open your eyes and look at me! Why don't you answer? I was not the one who hit you, you know. Believe me, I didn't do it. Open your eyes, Eugene? If you keep them shut, I'll die, too. Oh, dear me, how shall I ever go home now? How shall I ever look at my little mother again? What will happen to me? Where shall I go? Where shall I hide? Oh, how much better it would have been, a thousand times better, if only I had gone to school! Why did I listen to those boys? They always were a bad influence! And to think that the teacher had told me--and my mother, too!--`Beware of bad company!' That's what she said. But I'm stubborn and proud. I listen, but always I do as I wish. And then I pay. I've never had a moment's peace since I've been born! Oh, dear! What will become of me? What will become of me?" Pinocchio went on crying and moaning and beating his head. Again and again he called to his little friend, when suddenly he heard heavy steps approaching. Pinocchio…80 CHAPTER 28 Pinocchio runs the danger of being fried in a pan like a fish During that wild chase, Pinocchio lived through a terrible moment when he almost gave himself up as lost. This was when Alidoro (that was the Mastiff's name), in a frenzy of running, came so near that he was on the very point of reaching him. The Marionette heard, close behind him, the labored breathing of the beast who was fast on his trail, and now and again even felt his hot breath blow over him. Luckily, by this time, he was very near the shore, and the sea was in sight; in fact, only a few short steps away. As soon as he set foot on the beach, Pinocchio gave a leap and fell into the water. Alidoro tried to stop, but as he was running very fast, he couldn't, and he, too, landed far out in the sea. Strange though it may seem, the Dog could not swim. He beat the water with his paws to hold himself up, but the harder he tried, the deeper he sank. As he stuck his head out once more, the poor fellow's eyes were bulging and he barked out wildly, "I drown! I drown!" "Drown!" answered Pinocchio from afar, happy at his escape. "Help, Pinocchio, dear little Pinocchio! Save me from death!" At those cries of suffering, the Marionette, who after all had a very kind heart, was moved to compassion. He turned toward the poor animal and said to him: "But if I help you, will you promise not to bother me again by running after me?" "I promise! I promise! Only hurry, for if you wait another second, I'll be dead and gone!" Pinocchio hesitated still another minute. Then, remembering how his father had often told him that a kind deed is never lost, he swam to Alidoro and, catching hold of his tail, dragged him to the shore. The poor Dog was so weak he could not stand. He had swallowed so much salt water that he was swollen like a balloon. However, Pinocchio, not wishing to trust him too much, threw himself once again into the sea. As he swam away, he called out: "Good-by, Alidoro, good luck and remember me to the family!" "Good-by, little Pinocchio," answered the Dog. "A thousand thanks for having saved me from death. Pinocchio…81 You did me a good turn, and, in this world, what is given is always returned. If the chance comes, I shall be there." Pinocchio went on swimming close to shore. At last he thought he had reached a safe place. Glancing up and down the beach, he saw the opening of a cave out of which rose a spiral of smoke. "In that cave," he said to himself, "there must be a fire. So much the better. I'll dry my clothes and warm myself, and then--well--" His mind made up, Pinocchio swam to the rocks, but as he started to climb, he felt something under him lifting him up higher and higher. He tried to escape, but he was too late. To his great surprise, he found himself in a huge net, amid a crowd of fish of all kinds and sizes, who were fighting and struggling desperately to free themselves. At the same time, he saw a Fisherman come out of the cave, a Fisherman so ugly that Pinocchio thought he was a sea monster. In place of hair, his head was covered by a thick bush of green grass. Green was the skin of his body, green were his eyes, green was the long, long beard that reached down to his feet. He looked like a giant lizard with legs and arms. When the Fisherman pulled the net out of the sea, he cried out joyfully: "Blessed Providence! Once more I'll have a fine meal of fish!" "Thank Heaven, I'm not a fish!" said Pinocchio to himself, trying with these words to find a little courage. The Fisherman took the net and the fish to the cave, a dark, gloomy, smoky place. In the middle of it, a pan full of oil sizzled over a smoky fire, sending out a repelling odor of tallow that took away one's breath. "Now, let's see what kind of fish we have caught today," said the Green Fisherman. He put a hand as big as a spade into the net and pulled out a handful of mullets. "Fine mullets, these!" he said, after looking at them and smelling them with pleasure. After that, he threw them into a large, empty tub. Many times he repeated this performance. As he pulled each fish out of the net, his mouth watered with the thought of the good dinner coming, and he said: "Fine fish, these bass!" "Very tasty, these whitefish!" "Delicious flounders, these!" Pinocchio…82 "What splendid crabs!" "And these dear little anchovies, with their heads still on!" As you can well imagine, the bass, the flounders, the whitefish, and even the little anchovies all went together into the tub to keep the mullets company. The last to come out of the net was Pinocchio. As soon as the Fisherman pulled him out, his green eyes opened wide with surprise, and he cried out in fear: "What kind of fish is this? I don't remember ever eating anything like it." He looked at him closely and after turning him over and over, he said at last: "I understand. He must be a crab!" Pinocchio, mortified at being taken for a crab, said resentfully: "What nonsense! A crab indeed! I am no such thing. Beware how you deal with me! I am a Marionette, I want you to know." "A Marionette?" asked the Fisherman. "I must admit that a Marionette fish is, for me, an entirely new kind of fish. So much the better. I'll eat you with greater relish." "Eat me? But can't you understand that I'm not a fish? Can't you hear that I speak and think as you do?" "It's true," answered the Fisherman; "but since I see that you are a fish, well able to talk and think as I do, I'll treat you with all due respect." "And that is--" "That, as a sign of my particular esteem, I'll leave to you the choice of the manner in which you are to be cooked. Do you wish to be fried in a pan, or do you prefer to be cooked with tomato sauce?" "To tell you the truth," answered Pinocchio, "if I must choose, I should much rather go free so I may return home!" "Are you fooling? Do you think that I want to lose the opportunity to taste such a rare fish? A Marionette fish does not come very often to these seas. Leave it to me. I'll fry you in the pan with the others. I know you'll like it. It's always a comfort to find oneself in good company." The unlucky Marionette, hearing this, began to cry and wail and beg. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he said: Pinocchio…85 "I was lying here on the sand more dead than alive, when an appetizing odor of fried fish came to me. That odor tickled my hunger and I followed it. Oh, if I had come a moment later!" "Don't speak about it," wailed Pinocchio, still trembling with fright. "Don't say a word. If you had come a moment later, I would be fried, eaten, and digested by this time. Brrrrrr! I shiver at the mere thought of it." Alidoro laughingly held out his paw to the Marionette, who shook it heartily, feeling that now he and the Dog were good friends. Then they bid each other good-by and the Dog went home. Pinocchio, left alone, walked toward a little hut near by, where an old man sat at the door sunning himself, and asked: "Tell me, good man, have you heard anything of a poor boy with a wounded head, whose name was Eugene?" "The boy was brought to this hut and now--" "Now he is dead?" Pinocchio interrupted sorrowfully. "No, he is now alive and he has already returned home." "Really? Really?" cried the Marionette, jumping around with joy. "Then the wound was not serious?" "But it might have been--and even mortal," answered the old man, "for a heavy book was thrown at his head." "And who threw it?" "A schoolmate of his, a certain Pinocchio." "And who is this Pinocchio?" asked the Marionette, feigning ignorance. "They say he is a mischief-maker, a tramp, a street urchin--" "Calumnies! All calumnies!" "Do you know this Pinocchio?" "By sight!" answered the Marionette. "And what do you think of him?" asked the old man. "I think he's a very good boy, fond of study, obedient, kind to his Father, and to his whole family--" As he was telling all these enormous lies about himself, Pinocchio touched his nose and found it twice as long Pinocchio…86 as it should be. Scared out of his wits, he cried out: "Don't listen to me, good man! All the wonderful things I have said are not true at all. I know Pinocchio well and he is indeed a very wicked fellow, lazy and disobedient, who instead of going to school, runs away with his playmates to have a good time." At this speech, his nose returned to its natural size. "Why are you so pale?" the old man asked suddenly. "Let me tell you. Without knowing it, I rubbed myself against a newly painted wall," he lied, ashamed to say that he had been made ready for the frying pan. "What have you done with your coat and your hat and your breeches?" "I met thieves and they robbed me. Tell me, my good man, have you not, perhaps, a little suit to give me, so that I may go home?" "My boy, as for clothes, I have only a bag in which I keep hops. If you want it, take it. There it is." Pinocchio did not wait for him to repeat his words. He took the bag, which happened to be empty, and after cutting a big hole at the top and two at the sides, he slipped into it as if it were a shirt. Lightly clad as he was, he started out toward the village. Along the way he felt very uneasy. In fact he was so unhappy that he went along taking two steps forward and one back, and as he went he said to himself: "How shall I ever face my good little Fairy? What will she say when she sees me? Will she forgive this last trick of mine? I am sure she won't. Oh, no, she won't. And I deserve it, as usual! For I am a rascal, fine on promises which I never keep!" He came to the village late at night. It was so dark he could see nothing and it was raining pitchforks. Pinocchio went straight to the Fairy's house, firmly resolved to knock at the door. When he found himself there, he lost courage and ran back a few steps. A second time he came to the door and again he ran back. A third time he repeated his performance. The fourth time, before he had time to lose his courage, he grasped the knocker and made a faint sound with it. He waited and waited and waited. Finally, after a full half hour, a top-floor window (the house had four stories) Pinocchio…87 opened and Pinocchio saw a large Snail look out. A tiny light glowed on top of her head. "Who knocks at this late hour?" she called. "Is the Fairy home?" asked the Marionette. "The Fairy is asleep and does not wish to be disturbed. Who are you?" "It is I." "Who's I?" "Pinocchio." "Who is Pinocchio?" "The Marionette; the one who lives in the Fairy's house." "Oh, I understand," said the Snail. "Wait for me there. I'll come down to open the door for you." "Hurry, I beg of you, for I am dying of cold." "My boy, I am a snail and snails are never in a hurry." An hour passed, two hours; and the door was still closed. Pinocchio, who was trembling with fear and shivering from the cold rain on his back, knocked a second time, this time louder than before. At that second knock, a window on the third floor opened and the same Snail looked out. "Dear little Snail," cried Pinocchio from the street. "I have been waiting two hours for you! And two hours on a dreadful night like this are as long as two years. Hurry, please!" "My boy," answered the Snail in a calm, peaceful voice, "my dear boy, I am a snail and snails are never in a hurry." And the window closed. A few minutes later midnight struck; then one o'clock --two o'clock. And the door still remained closed! Then Pinocchio, losing all patience, grabbed the knocker with both hands, fully determined to awaken the whole house and street with it. As soon as he touched the knocker, however, it became an eel and wiggled away into the darkness. "Really?" cried Pinocchio, blind with rage. "If the knocker is gone, I can still use my feet." He stepped back and gave the door a most solemn kick. He kicked so hard that his foot went straight through the Pinocchio…90 CHAPTER 30 Pinocchio, instead of becoming a boy, runs away to the Land of Toys with his friend, Lamp-Wick Coming at last out of the surprise into which the Fairy's words had thrown him, Pinocchio asked for permission to give out the invitations. "Indeed, you may invite your friends to tomorrow's party. Only remember to return home before dark. Do you understand?" "I'll be back in one hour without fail," answered the Marionette. "Take care, Pinocchio! Boys give promises very easily, but they as easily forget them." "But I am not like those others. When I give my word I keep it." "We shall see. In case you do disobey, you will be the one to suffer, not anyone else." "Why?" "Because boys who do not listen to their elders always come to grief." "I certainly have," said Pinocchio, "but from now on, I obey." "We shall see if you are telling the truth." Without adding another word, the Marionette bade the good Fairy good-by, and singing and dancing, he left the house. In a little more than an hour, all his friends were invited. Some accepted quickly and gladly. Others had to be coaxed, but when they heard that the toast was to be buttered on both sides, they all ended by accepting the invitation with the words, "We'll come to please you." Now it must be known that, among all his friends, Pinocchio had one whom he loved most of all. The boy's real name was Romeo, but everyone called him Lamp-Wick, for he was long and thin and had a woebegone look about him. Lamp-Wick was the laziest boy in the school and the biggest mischief-maker, but Pinocchio loved him dearly. That day, he went straight to his friend's house to invite him to the party, but Lamp-Wick was not at home. He went a second time, and again a third, but still without success. Where could he be? Pinocchio searched here and there and everywhere, and finally discovered him hiding near a farmer's wagon. Pinocchio…91 "What are you doing there?" asked Pinocchio, running up to him. "I am waiting for midnight to strike to go--" "Where?" "Far, far away!" "And I have gone to your house three times to look for you!" "What did you want from me?" "Haven't you heard the news? Don't you know what good luck is mine?" "What is it?" "Tomorrow I end my days as a Marionette and become a boy, like you and all my other friends." "May it bring you luck!" "Shall I see you at my party tomorrow?" "But I'm telling you that I go tonight." "At what time?" "At midnight." "And where are you going?" "To a real country--the best in the world--a wonderful place!" "What is it called?" "It is called the Land of Toys. Why don't you come, too?" "I? Oh, no!" "You are making a big mistake, Pinocchio. Believe me, if you don't come, you'll be sorry. Where can you find a place that will agree better with you and me? No schools, no teachers, no books! In that blessed place there is no such thing as study. Here, it is only on Saturdays that we have no school. In the Land of Toys, every day, except Sunday, is a Saturday. Vacation begins on the first of January and ends on the last day of December. That is the place for me! All countries should be like it! How happy we should all be!" "But how does one spend the day in the Land of Toys?" "Days are spent in play and enjoyment from morn till night. At night one goes to bed, and next morning, the good times begin all over again. What do you think of it?" "H'm--!" said Pinocchio, nodding his wooden head, as if to say, Pinocchio…92 "It's the kind of life which would agree with me perfectly." "Do you want to go with me, then? Yes or no? You must make up your mind." "No, no, and again no! I have promised my kind Fairy to become a good boy, and I want to keep my word. Just see: The sun is setting and I must leave you and run. Good-by and good luck to you!" "Where are you going in such a hurry?" "Home. My good Fairy wants me to return home before night." "Wait two minutes more." "It's too late!" "Only two minutes." "And if the Fairy scolds me?" "Let her scold. After she gets tired, she will stop," said Lamp-Wick. "Are you going alone or with others?" "Alone? There will be more than a hundred of us!" "Will you walk?" "At midnight the wagon passes here that is to take us within the boundaries of that marvelous country." "How I wish midnight would strike!" "Why?" "To see you all set out together." "Stay here a while longer and you will see us!" "No, no. I want to return home." "Wait two more minutes." "I have waited too long as it is. The Fairy will be worried." "Poor Fairy! Is she afraid the bats will eat you up?" "Listen, Lamp-Wick," said the Marionette, "are you really sure that there are no schools in the Land of Toys?" "Not even the shadow of one." "Not even one teacher?" "Not one." Pinocchio…95 CHAPTER 31 After five months of play, Pinocchio wakes up one fine morning and finds a great surprise awaiting him Finally the wagon arrived. It made no noise, for its wheels were bound with straw and rags. It was drawn by twelve pair of donkeys, all of the same size, but all of different color. Some were gray, others white, and still others a mixture of brown and black. Here and there were a few with large yellow and blue stripes. The strangest thing of all was that those twenty-four donkeys, instead of being iron-shod like any other beast of burden, had on their feet laced shoes made of leather, just like the ones boys wear. And the driver of the wagon? Imagine to yourselves a little, fat man, much wider than he was long, round and shiny as a ball of butter, with a face beaming like an apple, a little mouth that always smiled, and a voice small and wheedling like that of a cat begging for food. No sooner did any boy see him than he fell in love with him, and nothing satisfied him but to be allowed to ride in his wagon to that lovely place called the Land of Toys. In fact the wagon was so closely packed with boys of all ages that it looked like a box of sardines. They were uncomfortable, they were piled one on top of the other, they could hardly breathe; yet not one word of complaint was heard. The thought that in a few hours they would reach a country where there were no schools, no books, no teachers, made these boys so happy that they felt neither hunger, nor thirst, nor sleep, nor discomfort. No sooner had the wagon stopped than the little fat man turned to Lamp-Wick. With bows and smiles, he asked in a wheedling tone: "Tell me, my fine boy, do you also want to come to my wonderful country?" "Indeed I do." "But I warn you, my little dear, there's no more room in the wagon. It is full." "Never mind," answered Lamp-Wick. "If there's no room inside, I can sit on the top of the coach." And with one leap, he perched himself there. Pinocchio…96 "What about you, my love?" asked the Little Man, turning politely to Pinocchio. "What are you going to do? Will you come with us, or do you stay here?" "I stay here," answered Pinocchio. "I want to return home, as I prefer to study and to succeed in life." "May that bring you luck!" "Pinocchio!" Lamp-Wick called out. "Listen to me. Come with us and we'll always be happy." "No, no, no!" "Come with us and we'll always be happy," cried four other voices from the wagon. "Come with us and we'll always be happy," shouted the one hundred and more boys in the wagon, all together. "And if I go with you, what will my good Fairy say?" asked the Marionette, who was beginning to waver and weaken in his good resolutions. "Don't worry so much. Only think that we are going to a land where we shall be allowed to make all the racket we like from morning till night." Pinocchio did not answer, but sighed deeply once-- twice--a third time. Finally, he said: "Make room for me. I want to go, too!" "The seats are all filled," answered the Little Man, "but to show you how much I think of you, take my place as coachman." "And you?" "I'll walk." "No, indeed. I could not permit such a thing. I much prefer riding one of these donkeys," cried Pinocchio. No sooner said than done. He approached the first donkey and tried to mount it. But the little animal turned suddenly and gave him such a terrible kick in the stomach that Pinocchio was thrown to the ground and fell with his legs in the air. At this unlooked-for entertainment, the whole company of runaways laughed uproariously. The little fat man did not laugh. He went up to the rebellious animal, and, still smiling, bent over him lovingly and bit off half of his right ear. Pinocchio…97 In the meantime, Pinocchio lifted himself up from the ground, and with one leap landed on the donkey's back. The leap was so well taken that all the boys shouted, "Hurrah for Pinocchio!" and clapped their hands in hearty applause. Suddenly the little donkey gave a kick with his two hind feet and, at this unexpected move, the poor Marionette found himself once again sprawling right in the middle of the road. Again the boys shouted with laughter. But the Little Man, instead of laughing, became so loving toward the little animal that, with another kiss, he bit off half of his left ear. "You can mount now, my boy," he then said to Pinocchio. "Have no fear. That donkey was worried about something, but I have spoken to him and now he seems quiet and reasonable." Pinocchio mounted and the wagon started on its way. While the donkeys galloped along the stony road, the Marionette fancied he heard a very quiet voice whispering to him: "Poor silly! You have done as you wished. But you are going to be a sorry boy before very long." Pinocchio, greatly frightened, looked about him to see whence the words had come, but he saw no one. The donkeys galloped, the wagon rolled on smoothly, the boys slept (Lamp-Wick snored like a dormouse) and the little, fat driver sang sleepily between his teeth. After a mile or so, Pinocchio again heard the same faint voice whispering: "Remember, little simpleton! Boys who stop studying and turn their backs upon books and schools and teachers in order to give all their time to nonsense and pleasure, sooner or later come to grief. Oh, how well I know this! How well I can prove it to you! A day will come when you will weep bitterly, even as I am weeping now--but it will be too late!" At these whispered words, the Marionette grew more and more frightened. He jumped to the ground, ran up to the donkey on whose back he had been riding, and taking his nose in his hands, looked at him. Think how great was his surprise when he saw that the donkey was weeping--weeping just like a boy! "Hey, Mr. Driver!" cried the Marionette. "Do you know what strange thing is happening here! This donkey weeps." "Let him weep. When he gets married, he will have time to laugh." "Have you perhaps taught him to speak?" "No, he learned to mumble a few words when he lived