The Adventures of Pinocchio
by
C. Collodi [Pseudonym of Carlo Lorenzini]
Part 2 out of 4
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."
CHAPTER 17
Pinocchio eats sugar, but refuses to take medicine.
When the undertakers come for him, he drinks the medicine and feels better.
Afterwards he tells a lie and, in punishment, his nose grows longer and longer
As soon as the three doctors had left the room, the Fairy
went to Pinocchio's bed and, touching him on the forehead,
noticed that he was burning with fever.
She took a glass of water, put a white powder into
it, and, handing it to the Marionette, said lovingly to him:
"Drink this, and in a few days you'll be up and well."
Pinocchio looked at the glass, made a wry face, and
asked in a whining voice: "Is it sweet or bitter?"
"It is bitter, but it is good for you."
"If it is bitter, I don't want it."
"Drink it!"
"I don't like anything bitter."
"Drink it and I'll give you a lump of sugar to take the
bitter taste from your mouth."
"Where's the sugar?"
"Here it is," said the Fairy, taking a lump from a golden
sugar bowl.
"I want the sugar first, then I'll drink the bitter water."
"Do you promise?"
"Yes."
The Fairy gave him the sugar and Pinocchio, after chewing
and swallowing it in a twinkling, said, smacking his lips:
"If only sugar were medicine! I should take it every day."
"Now keep your promise and drink these few drops
of water. They'll be good for you."
Pinocchio took the glass in both hands and stuck his
nose into it. He lifted it to his mouth and once more
stuck his nose into it.
"It is too bitter, much too bitter! I can't drink it."
"How do you know, when you haven't even tasted it?"
"I can imagine it. I smell it. I want another lump of
sugar, then I'll drink it."
The Fairy, with all the patience of a good mother, gave
him more sugar and again handed him the glass.
"I can't drink it like that," the Marionette said, making
more wry faces.
"Why?"
"Because that feather pillow on my feet bothers me."
The Fairy took away the pillow.
"It's no use. I can't drink it even now."
"What's the matter now?"
"I don't like the way that door looks. It's half open."
The Fairy closed the door.
"I won't drink it," cried Pinocchio, bursting out crying.
"I won't drink this awful water. I won't. I won't!
No, no, no, no!"
"My boy, you'll be sorry."
"I don't care."
"You are very sick."
"I don't care."
"In a few hours the fever will take you far away to another world."
"I don't care."
"Aren't you afraid of death?"
"Not a bit. I'd rather die than drink that awful medicine."
At that moment, the door of the room flew open and in
came four Rabbits as black as ink, carrying a small black
coffin on their shoulders.
"What do you want from me?" asked Pinocchio.
"We have come for you," said the largest Rabbit.
"For me? But I'm not dead yet!"
"No, not dead yet; but you will be in a few moments
since you have refused to take the medicine which would
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
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.
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--"
"The Assassins? Oh, my poor friend! And what did they want?"
"They wanted my gold pieces."
"Rascals!" said the Fox.
"The worst sort of rascals!" added the Cat.
"But I began to run," continued the Marionette, "and
they after me, until they overtook me and hanged me to
the limb of that oak."
Pinocchio pointed to the giant oak near by.
"Could anything be worse?" said the Fox.
"What an awful world to live in! Where shall we
find a safe place for gentlemen like ourselves?"
As the Fox talked thus, Pinocchio noticed that the Cat
carried his right paw in a sling.
"What happened to your paw?" he asked.
The Cat tried to answer, but he became so terribly
twisted in his speech that the Fox had to help him out.
"My friend is too modest to answer. I'll answer for
him. About an hour ago, we met an old wolf on the road.
He was half starved and begged for help. Having nothing
to give him, what do you think my friend did out of the
kindness of his heart? With his teeth, he bit off the paw
of his front foot and threw it at that poor beast, so that
he might have something to eat."
As he spoke, the Fox wiped off a tear.
Pinocchio, almost in tears himself, whispered in the Cat's ear:
"If all the cats were like you, how lucky the mice would be!"
"And what are you doing here?" the Fox asked the Marionette.
"I am waiting for my father, who will be here at any moment now."
"And your gold pieces?"
"I still have them in my pocket, except one which I
spent at the Inn of the Red Lobster."
"To think that those four gold pieces might become
two thousand tomorrow. Why don't you listen to me?
Why don't you sow them in the Field of Wonders?"
"Today it is impossible. I'll go with you some other time."
"Another day will be too late," said the Fox.
"Why?"
"Because that field has been bought by a very rich man,
and today is the last day that it will be open to the public."
"How far is this Field of Wonders?"
"Only two miles away. Will you come with us? We'll
be there in half an hour. You can sow the money, and,
after a few minutes, you will gather your two thousand
coins and return home rich. Are you coming?"
Pinocchio hesitated a moment before answering, for he
remembered the good Fairy, old Geppetto, and the advice
of the Talking Cricket. Then he ended by doing what
all boys do, when they have no heart and little brain.
He shrugged his shoulders and said to the Fox and the Cat:
"Let us go! I am with you."
And they went.
They walked and walked for a half a day at least and
at last they came to the town called the City of Simple
Simons. As soon as they entered the town, Pinocchio
noticed that all the streets were filled with hairless dogs,
yawning from hunger; with sheared sheep, trembling with
cold; with combless chickens, begging for a grain of
wheat; with large butterflies, unable to use their wings
because they had sold all their lovely colors; with tailless
peacocks, ashamed to show themselves; and with bedraggled
pheasants, scuttling away hurriedly, grieving for their
bright feathers of gold and silver, lost to them forever.
Through this crowd of paupers and beggars, a beautiful
coach passed now and again. Within it sat either a Fox,
a Hawk, or a Vulture.
"Where is the Field of Wonders?" asked Pinocchio,
growing tired of waiting.
"Be patient. It is only a few more steps away."
They passed through the city and, just outside the walls,
they stepped into a lonely field, which looked more
or less like any other field.
"Here we are," said the Fox to the Marionette.
"Dig a hole here and put the gold pieces into it."
The Marionette obeyed. He dug the hole, put the
four gold pieces into it, and covered them up very carefully.
"Now," said the Fox, "go to that near-by brook, bring
back a pail full of water, and sprinkle it over the spot."
Pinocchio followed the directions closely, but, as he
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.
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."
"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.
And if it had not been for a very lucky chance, he probably
would have had to stay there longer. For, my dear
children, you must know that it happened just then that
the young emperor who ruled over the City of Simple
Simons had gained a great victory over his enemy, and in
celebration thereof, he had ordered illuminations, fireworks,
shows of all kinds, and, best of all, the opening of all prison doors.
"If the others go, I go, too," said Pinocchio to the Jailer.
"Not you," answered the Jailer. "You are one of those--"
"I beg your pardon," interrupted Pinocchio, "I, too, am a thief."
"In that case you also are free," said the Jailer. Taking
off his cap, he bowed low and opened the door of the prison,
and Pinocchio ran out and away, with never a look backward.
CHAPTER 20
Freed from prison, Pinocchio sets out to return to the Fairy;
but on the way he meets a Serpent and later is caught in a trap
Fancy the happiness of Pinocchio on finding himself free!
Without saying yes or no, he fled from the city and set
out on the road that was to take him back to the house of
the lovely Fairy.
It had rained for many days, and the road was so muddy
that, at times, Pinocchio sank down almost to his knees.
But he kept on bravely.
Tormented by the wish to see his father and his fairy
sister with azure hair, he raced like a greyhound. As he
ran, he was splashed with mud even up to his cap.
"How unhappy I have been," he said to himself. "And
yet I deserve everything, for I am certainly very stubborn
and stupid! I will always have my own way. I won't
listen to those who love me and who have more brains
than I. But from now on, I'll be different and I'll try to
become a most obedient boy. I have found out, beyond
any doubt whatever, that disobedient boys are certainly
far from happy, and that, in the long run, they always
lose out. I wonder if Father is waiting for me. Will I
find him at the Fairy's house? It is so long, poor man,
since I have seen him, and I do so want his love and his
kisses. And will the Fairy ever forgive me for all I have
done? She who has been so good to me and to whom I
owe my life! Can there be a worse or more heartless
boy than I am anywhere?"
As he spoke, he stopped suddenly, frozen with terror.
What was the matter? An immense Serpent lay stretched
across the road--a Serpent with a bright green skin,
fiery eyes which glowed and burned, and a pointed tail
that smoked like a chimney.
How frightened was poor Pinocchio! He ran back
wildly for half a mile, and at last settled himself atop a
heap of stones to wait for the Serpent to go on his way
and leave the road clear for him.
He waited an hour; two hours; three hours; but the
Serpent was always there, and even from afar one could
see the flash of his red eyes and the column of smoke
which rose from his long, pointed tail.
Pinocchio, trying to feel very brave, walked straight up
to him and said in a sweet, soothing voice:
"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.
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
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.
CHAPTER 22
Pinocchio discovers the thieves and,
as a reward for faithfulness, he regains his liberty
Even though a boy may be very unhappy, he very seldom
loses sleep over his worries. The Marionette, being no
exception to this rule, slept on peacefully for a few hours
till well along toward midnight, when he was awakened
by strange whisperings and stealthy sounds coming from
the yard. He stuck his nose out of the doghouse and saw
four slender, hairy animals. They were Weasels, small
animals very fond of both eggs and chickens. One of
them left her companions and, going to the door of the
doghouse, said in a sweet voice:
"Good evening, Melampo."
"My name is not Melampo," answered Pinocchio.
"Who are you, then?"
"I am Pinocchio."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm the watchdog."
"But where is Melampo? Where is the old dog
who used to live in this house?"
"He died this morning."
"Died? Poor beast! He was so good! Still, judging
by your face, I think you, too, are a good-natured dog."
"I beg your pardon, I am not a dog!"
"What are you, then?"
"I am a Marionette."
"Are you taking the place of the watchdog?"
"I'm sorry to say that I am. I'm being punished."
"Well, I shall make the same terms with you that we had with
the dead Melampo. I am sure you will be glad to hear them."
"And what are the terms?"
"This is our plan: We'll come once in a while, as in
the past, to pay a visit to this henhouse, and we'll take
away eight chickens. Of these, seven are for us, and one
for you, provided, of course, that you will make believe
you are sleeping and will not bark for the Farmer."
"Did Melampo really do that?" asked Pinocchio.
"Indeed he did, and because of that we were the best of
friends. Sleep away peacefully, and remember that before
we go we shall leave you a nice fat chicken all ready
for your breakfast in the morning. Is that understood?"
"Even too well," answered Pinocchio. And shaking
his head in a threatening manner, he seemed to say, "We'll
talk this over in a few minutes, my friends."
As soon as the four Weasels had talked things over,
they went straight to the chicken coop which stood close
to the doghouse. Digging busily with teeth and claws,
they opened the little door and slipped in. But they were
no sooner in than they heard the door close with a sharp bang.
The one who had done the trick was Pinocchio, who,
not satisfied with that, dragged a heavy stone in front
of it. That done, he started to bark. And he barked as
if he were a real watchdog: "Bow, wow, wow! Bow, wow!"
The Farmer heard the loud barks and jumped out of bed.
Taking his gun, he leaped to the window and shouted:
"What's the matter?"
"The thieves are here," answered Pinocchio.
"Where are they?"
"In the chicken coop."
"I'll come down in a second."
And, in fact, he was down in the yard in a twinkling
and running toward the chicken coop.
He opened the door, pulled out the Weasels one by one, and,
after tying them in a bag, said to them in a happy voice:
"You're in my hands at last! I could punish you now,
but I'll wait! In the morning you may come with me
to the inn and there you'll make a fine dinner for some
hungry mortal. It is really too great an honor for you,
one you do not deserve; but, as you see, I am really a
very kind and generous man and I am going to do this
for you!"
Then he went up to Pinocchio and began to pet and caress him.
"How did you ever find them out so quickly? And to think
that Melampo, my faithful Melampo, never saw them
in all these years!"
The Marionette could have told, then and there, all he
knew about the shameful contract between the dog and
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.
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.
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
was below them. His head swam and he was so frightened
that he clutched wildly at the Pigeon's neck to keep
himself from falling.
They flew all day. Toward evening the Pigeon said:
"I'm very thirsty!"
"And I'm very hungry!" said Pinocchio.
"Let us stop a few minutes at that pigeon coop down there.
Then we can go on and be at the seashore in the morning."
They went into the empty coop and there they found nothing but
a bowl of water and a small basket filled with chick-peas.
The Marionette had always hated chick-peas. According
to him, they had always made him sick; but that night
he ate them with a relish. As he finished them, he turned
to the Pigeon and said:
"I never should have thought that chick-peas could be so good!"
"You must remember, my boy," answered the Pigeon,
"that hunger is the best sauce!"
After resting a few minutes longer, they set out again.
The next morning they were at the seashore.
Pinocchio jumped off the Pigeon's back, and the Pigeon,
not wanting any thanks for a kind deed, flew away swiftly
and disappeared.
The shore was full of people, shrieking and tearing their
hair as they looked toward the sea.
"What has happened?" asked Pinocchio of a little old woman.
"A poor old father lost his only son some time ago and
today he built a tiny boat for himself in order to go in
search of him across the ocean. The water is very rough
and we're afraid he will be drowned."
"Where is the little boat?"
"There. Straight down there," answered the little old woman,
pointing to a tiny shadow, no bigger than a nutshell,
floating on the sea.
Pinocchio looked closely for a few minutes and then gave a sharp cry:
"It's my father! It's my father!"
Meanwhile, the little boat, tossed about by the angry
waters, appeared and disappeared in the waves. And Pinocchio,
standing on a high rock, tired out with searching,
waved to him with hand and cap and even with his nose.
It looked as if Geppetto, though far away from the
shore, recognized his son, for he took off his cap and
waved also. He seemed to be trying to make everyone
understand that he would come back if he were able, but
the sea was so heavy that he could do nothing with his oars.
Suddenly a huge wave came and the boat disappeared.
They waited and waited for it, but it was gone.
"Poor man!" said the fisher folk on the shore, whispering
a prayer as they turned to go home.
Just then a desperate cry was heard. Turning around,
the fisher folk saw Pinocchio dive into the sea and heard
him cry out:
"I'll save him! I'll save my father!"
The Marionette, being made of wood, floated easily
along and swam like a fish in the rough water. Now and
again he disappeared only to reappear once more. In a
twinkling, he was far away from land. At last he was
completely lost to view.
"Poor boy!" cried the fisher folk on the shore, and again
they mumbled a few prayers, as they returned home.
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."
"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.
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.
"Good woman, will you allow me to have a drink from
one of your jugs?" asked Pinocchio, who was burning up
with thirst.
"With pleasure, my boy!" she answered, setting the
two jugs on the ground before him.
When Pinocchio had had his fill, he grumbled,
as he wiped his mouth:
"My thirst is gone. If I could only as easily get rid of my hunger!"
On hearing these words, the good little woman immediately said:
"If you help me to carry these jugs home, I'll give you a
slice of bread."
Pinocchio looked at the jug and said neither yes nor no.
"And with the bread, I'll give you a nice dish of
cauliflower with white sauce on it."
Pinocchio gave the jug another look and said neither yes nor no.
"And after the cauliflower, some cake and jam."
At this last bribery, Pinocchio could no longer resist and said firmly:
"Very well. I'll take the jug home for you."
The jug was very heavy, and the Marionette, not being
strong enough to carry it with his hands, had to put it
on his head.
When they arrived home, the little woman made Pinocchio
sit down at a small table and placed before him the
bread, the cauliflower, and the cake. Pinocchio did not eat;
he devoured. His stomach seemed a bottomless pit.
His hunger finally appeased, he raised his head to thank
his kind benefactress. But he had not looked at her long
when he gave a cry of surprise and sat there with his eyes
wide open, his fork in the air, and his mouth filled with
bread and cauliflower.
"Why all this surprise?" asked the good woman, laughing.
"Because--" answered Pinocchio, stammering and stuttering,
"because--you look like--you remind me of--yes, yes,
the same voice, the same eyes, the same hair--yes, yes,
yes, you also have the same azure hair she had--Oh, my
little Fairy, my little Fairy! Tell me that it is you!
Don't make me cry any longer! If you only knew! I have
cried so much, I have suffered so!"
And Pinocchio threw himself on the floor and clasped
the knees of the mysterious little woman.
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."
"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."
"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."
CHAPTER 26
Pinocchio goes to the seashore with his friends
to see the Terrible Shark
In the morning, bright and early, Pinocchio started for school.
Imagine what the boys said when they saw a Marionette
enter the classroom! They laughed until they cried. Everyone
played tricks on him. One pulled his hat off, another
tugged at his coat, a third tried to paint a mustache under
his nose. One even attempted to tie strings to his feet and
his hands to make him dance.
For a while Pinocchio was very calm and quiet. Finally,
however, he lost all patience and turning to his tormentors,
he said to them threateningly:
"Careful, boys, I haven't come here to be made fun of.
I'll respect you and I want you to respect me."
"Hurrah for Dr. Know-all! You have spoken like a
printed book!" howled the boys, bursting with laughter.
One of them, more impudent than the rest, put out his
hand to pull the Marionette's nose.
But he was not quick enough, for Pinocchio stretched
his leg under the table and kicked him hard on the shin.
"Oh, what hard feet!" cried the boy, rubbing the spot
where the Marionette had kicked him.
"And what elbows! They are even harder than the feet!"
shouted another one, who, because of some other trick,
had received a blow in the stomach.
With that kick and that blow Pinocchio gained everybody's favor.
Everyone admired him, danced attendance upon him, petted and caressed him.
As the days passed into weeks, even the teacher praised him,
for he saw him attentive, hard working, and wide awake,
always the first to come in the morning, and the last
to leave when school was over.
Pinocchio's only fault was that he had too many friends.
Among these were many well-known rascals, who cared
not a jot for study or for success.
The teacher warned him each day, and even the good
Fairy repeated to him many times:
"Take care, Pinocchio! Those bad companions will
sooner or later make you lose your love for study.
Some day they will lead you astray."
"There's no such danger," answered the Marionette,
shrugging his shoulders and pointing to his forehead as if
to say, "I'm too wise."
So it happened that one day, as he was walking to school,
he met some boys who ran up to him and said:
"Have you heard the news?"
"No!"
"A Shark as big as a mountain has been seen near the shore."
"Really? I wonder if it could be the same one I heard
of when my father was drowned?"
"We are going to see it. Are you coming?"
"No, not I. I must go to school."
"What do you care about school? You can go there tomorrow.
With a lesson more or less, we are always the same donkeys."
"And what will the teacher say?"
"Let him talk. He is paid to grumble all day long."
"And my mother?"
"Mothers don't know anything," answered those scamps.
"Do you know what I'll do?" said Pinocchio.
"For certain reasons of mine, I, too, want to see that Shark;
but I'll go after school. I can see him then as well as now."
"Poor simpleton!" cried one of the boys. "Do you think
that a fish of that size will stand there waiting for you?
He turns and off he goes, and no one will ever be the wiser."
"How long does it take from here to the shore?" asked the Marionette.
"One hour there and back."
"Very well, then. Let's see who gets there first!" cried Pinocchio.
At the signal, the little troop, with books under their arms,
dashed across the fields. Pinocchio led the way, running
as if on wings, the others following as fast as they could.
Now and again, he looked back and, seeing his followers
hot and tired, and with tongues hanging out, he laughed
out heartily. Unhappy boy! If he had only known then
the dreadful things that were to happen to him on account
of his disobedience!
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,
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:
"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.
He looked up and saw two tall Carabineers near him.
"What are you doing stretched out on the ground?"
they asked Pinocchio.
"I'm helping this schoolfellow of mine."
"Has he fainted?"
"I should say so," said one of the Carabineers, bending
to look at Eugene. "This boy has been wounded on the
temple. Who has hurt him?"
"Not I," stammered the Marionette, who had hardly
a breath left in his whole body.
"If it wasn't you, who was it, then?"
"Not I," repeated Pinocchio.
"And with what was he wounded?"
"With this book," and the Marionette picked up the
arithmetic text to show it to the officer.
"And whose book is this?"
"Mine."
"Enough."
"Not another word! Get up as quickly as you can and come along with us."
"But I--"
"Come with us!"
"But I am innocent."
"Come with us!"
Before starting out, the officers called out to several
fishermen passing by in a boat and said to them:
"Take care of this little fellow who has been hurt.
Take him home and bind his wounds. Tomorrow we'll come after him."
They then took hold of Pinocchio and, putting him
between them, said to him in a rough voice: "March!
And go quickly, or it will be the worse for you!"
They did not have to repeat their words. The Marionette
walked swiftly along the road to the village. But the
poor fellow hardly knew what he was about. He thought
he had a nightmare. He felt ill. His eyes saw everything
double, his legs trembled, his tongue was dry, and, try as
he might, he could not utter a single word. Yet, in spite
of this numbness of feeling, he suffered keenly at the
thought of passing under the windows of his good little
Fairy's house. What would she say on seeing him between
two Carabineers?
They had just reached the village, when a sudden gust
of wind blew off Pinocchio's cap and made it go sailing far
down the street.
"Would you allow me," the Marionette asked the
Carabineers, "to run after my cap?"
"Very well, go; but hurry."
The Marionette went, picked up his cap--but instead
of putting it on his head, he stuck it between his teeth
and then raced toward the sea.
He went like a bullet out of a gun.
The Carabineers, judging that it would be very difficult
to catch him, sent a large Mastiff after him, one that had
won first prize in all the dog races. Pinocchio ran fast and
the Dog ran faster. At so much noise, the people hung out
of the windows or gathered in the street, anxious to see
the end of the contest. But they were disappointed,
for the Dog and Pinocchio raised so much dust on the road that,
after a few moments, it was impossible to see them.
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.
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!"
"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
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