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diff --git a/old/pnoca10h.htm b/old/pnoca10h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..162de35 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/pnoca10h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2821 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> +<TITLE>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Pinocchio in Africa, by Cherubini</TITLE> +<META HTTP-EQUIV="content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> +<STYLE type=text/css>BODY { + MARGIN: 10%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify +} +BLOCKQUOTE { + FONT-SIZE: 14pt +} +P { + FONT-SIZE: 14pt +} +</STYLE> + +<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> +<BODY> +<H1>The Project Gutenberg EBook of Pinocchio in Africa, by Cherubini</H1><PRE>Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Pinocchio in Africa + +Author: Cherubini + +Release Date: March, 2004 [EBook #5327] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on July 1, 2002] +[Most recently updated: June 4, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, PINOCCHIO IN AFRICA *** + + + + +This eBook was produced by Walter Moore and formatted by James Linden and +James Nugen. + + + + +</PRE> +<CENTER> +<H2>Pinochio In Africa</H2><BR><I>Written by</I> +<H3>Cherubini</H3><BR><I>Translated by</I> +<H3>Angelo Patri</H3></CENTER> +<HR> + +<H3>Table of Contents</H3> +<OL> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter001">Preface</A> + + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter002">Why + Pinocchio Did Not Go To School</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter003">Pinocchio + Assists In Welcoming The Circus</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter004">Pinocchio + Among The Wild Animals</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter005">Pinocchio + Makes Friends With The Wild Animals</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter006">Pinocchio + Determines To Go To Africa</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter007">Pinocchio + In Doubt</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter008">He + Bids Good-by To The Animals</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter009">Pinocchio + Does Not Sleep</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter010">Pinocchio + Eats Dates</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter011">Pinocchio + Lands On A Rock</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter012">The + First Night In Africa</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter013">Pinocchio + Is Well Received</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter014">Pinocchio + Is Arrested</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter015">Pinocchio's + Father</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter016">Pinocchio + Sells Drinking Water</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter017">A + Ride On A Dog's Back</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter018">The + Cave</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter019">The + Caravan</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter020">The + Baby Pulls His Nose</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter021">Pinocchio + Travels With The Caravan</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter022">He + Is Offered For Sale</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter023">The + Bird In The Forest</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter024">His + Adventure With A Lion</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter025">Pinocchio + Is Brought Before The King</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter026">The + Monkeys Stone The Marionette</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter027">Pinocchio + Dreams Again</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter028">Pinocchio + Is Carried Away In An Eggshell</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter029">Pinocchio + Escapes Again</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter030">Pinocchio + Is Swallowed By A Crocodile</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter031">Pinocchio + Is Made Emperor</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter032">His + First Night As Emperor</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter033">He + Sends For The Royal Doctor</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter034">An + Old Story</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter035">His + Duties As Emperor</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter036">Pinocchio + Makes His First Address</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter037">The + Emperor Becomes As Black As A Crow</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter038">The + Hippopotamus Hunt</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter039">The + Emperor Surprises His Subjects By His Wisdom</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter040">Pinocchio + Travels Through The Empire</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter041">Pinocchio + Is Placed In A Cage</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter042">Pinocchio + Performs For The Public</A> + <LI><A + href="ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/pnoca10h.htm#chapter043">Pinocchio + Breaks The Cage And Makes His Escape</A> </LI></OL> +<HR> +<A name=chapter001></A> +<H3>Preface</H3> +<P> Collodi's "Pinocchio" tells the story of a wooden +marionette and of his efforts to become a real boy. Although he was kindly +treated by the old woodcutter, Geppetto, who had fashioned him out of a piece of +kindling wood, he was continually getting into trouble and disgrace. Even +Fatina, the Fairy with the Blue Hair, could not at once change an idle, selfish +marionette into a studious and reliable boy. His adventures, including his brief +transformation into a donkey, give the author an opportunity to teach a needed +and wholesome lesson without disagreeable moralizing.</P> +<P> Pinocchio immediately leaped into favor as the hero of +Italian juvenile romance. The wooden marionette became a popular subject for the +artist's pencil and the storyteller's invention. Brought across the seas, he was +welcomed by American children and now appears in a new volume which sets forth +his travels in Africa. The lessons underlying his fantastic experiences are +clear to the youngest readers but are never allowed to become obtrusive. The +amusing illustrations of the original are fully equaled in the present edition, +while the whimsical nonsense which delights Italian children has been reproduced +as closely as a translation permits.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter002></A> +<H3>Why Pinocchio Did Not Go To School</H3> +<P> ONE morning Pinocchio slipped out of bed before daybreak. +He got up with a great desire to study, a feeling, it must be confessed, which +did not often take hold of him. He dipped his wooden head into the cool, +refreshing water, puffed very hard, dried himself, jumped up and down to stretch +his legs, and in a few moments was seated at his small worktable.</P> +<P> There was his home work for the day, twelve sums, four +pages of penmanship, and the fable of "The Dog and the Rabbit" to learn by +heart. He began with the fable, reciting it in a loud voice, like the hero in +the play: "'A dog was roaming about the fields, when from behind a little hill +jumped a rabbit, which had been nibbling the tender grass.'</P> +<P> "Roaming, nibbling. - The teacher says this is beautiful +language. Maybe it is; I have nothing to say about that. Well, one more.</P> +<P> "'A dog was roaming about the fields - when he saw - run +out - a rabbit which - which - ' I don't know it; let's begin again. 'A dog was +running about eating, eating - ' But eating what? Surely he did not eat +grass!</P> +<P> "This fable is very hard; I cannot learn it. Well, I never +did have much luck with dogs and rabbits! Let me try the sums. Eight and seven, +seventeen; and three, nineteen; and six, twenty-three, put don two and carry +three. Nine and three, eleven; and four, fourteen; put down the whole number - +one, four; total, four hundred thirteen.</P> +<P> "Ah! good! very good! I do not wish to boast, but I have +always had a great liking for arithmetic. Now to prove the answer: eight and +sever, sixteen; and three, twenty-one; and six, twenty-four; put down four - +why! it's wrong! Eight and seven, fourteen; and three, nineteen; and six - wrong +again!</P> +<P> "I know what the trouble is; the wind is not in the right +quarter to-day for sums. Perhaps it would be better to take a walk in the +open."</P> +<P> No sooner said than done. Pinocchio went out into the +street and filled his lungs with the fresh morning air."Ah! here, at least, one +can breathe. It is a pity that I am beginning to feel hungry! Strange how things +go wrong sometimes! Take the lessons - " he went on.</P> +<P> Listen! A noise of creaking wheels, of bells ringing, the +voices of people, the cries of animals! Pinocchio stopped short. What could it +all mean?</P> +<P> Down the street came a huge wagon drawn by three big mules. +Behind it was a long train of men and women dressed in the strangest fashion. +Some were on foot, some on horseback, some sat or lay on other wagons larger and +heavier than the first. Two Moors, their scarlet turbans blazing in the sun, +brought up the rear. With spears at rest and with shields held before them, they +rode along, mounted on two snow-white horses.</P> +<P> Pinocchio stood with his mouth open. Only after the two +Moors had passed did he discover the fact that he had legs, and that these were +following on behind the procession. And he walked, walked, walked, until the +carriages and all the people stopped in the big town square. A man with a deep +voice began to give orders. In a short time there arose an immense tent, which +hid from Pinocchio and the many others who had gathered in the square all those +wonderful wagons, horses, mules, and strange people.</P> +<P> It may seem odd, but it is a fact that the school bell +began to ring and Pinocchio never heard it!</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter003></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Assists In Welcoming The Circus</H3> +<P> THAT day the school bell rang longer and louder perhaps +than it was wont to ring on other days. What of that? From the tent came the +loud clanging of hammers, the sounds of instruments, the neighing of horses, the +roaring of lions and tigers and panthers, the howling of wolves, the bleating of +camels, the screeching of monkeys! Wonderful noises! Who cared for the school +bell? Pinocchio? No, not he.</P> +<P> Suddenly there was a loud command. All was still.</P> +<P> The two Moors raised the tent folds with their spears. Out +came a crowd of men dressed in all sorts of fine clothes, and women in coats of +mail and beautiful cloaks of silk, with splendid diadems on their heads. They +were all mounted upon horses covered with rich trappings of red and white.</P> +<P> Out they marched, and behind them came a golden carriage +drawn by four white ponies. In it was the big man with the deep voice. There he +sat in the beautiful carriage with his dazzling high hat and his tall white +collar. He wore a black suit with a pair of high boots. As he rode on he waved +his white gloves and bowed right and left. The band with its trumpets and drums +and cymbals struck up a stirring march, and a parade such as the townsfolk had +never seen before passed out among the crowds that now filled the square.</P> +<P> The marionette could not believe his eyes. He rubbed them +to see if he was really awake. He forgot all about his hunger. What did he care +for that? The wonders of the whole world were before him.</P> +<P> The parade soon reentered the tent. The two Moors, mounted +upon their snow-white horses, again stood at the entrance. Then the director, +the man with the loud voice, came out, hat in hand, and began to address the +people.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter004></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Among The Wild Animals</H3> +<P> "LADIES and gentlemen! kind and gentle people! citizens of +a great town! officers and soldiers! I wish you all peace, health, and +plenty.</P> +<P> "Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, let me make a brief +explanation. I am not here for gain. Far be it from me to think of such a thing +as money. I travel the world over with my menagerie, which is made up of rare +animals brought by me from the heart of Africa. I perform only in large cities. +But to-day one of the monkeys in the troupe is fallen seriously ill. It is +therefore necessary to make a short stop in order that we may consult with some +well-known doctor in this town.</P> +<P> "Profit, therefore, by this chance, ladies and gentlemen, +to see wonders which you have never seen before, and which you may never see +again. I labor to spread learning, and I work to teach the masses, for I love +the common people. Come forward, and I shall be glad to open my menagerie to +you. Forward, forward, ladies and gentlemen! two small francs will admit you. +Children one franc, yes, only one franc."</P> +<P> Pinocchio, who stood in the front row, and who was ready to +take advantage of the kind invitation, felt a sudden shock on hearing these last +words. He looked at the director in a dazed fashion, as if to say to him, "What +are you talking about? Did you not say that you traveled around the world for - +"</P> +<P> Then, as he saw one of the spectators put down a two-franc +piece and walk inside, he hung his head and suffered in silence.</P> +<P> Having passed two or three minutes in painful thinking, the +forlorn marionette put his hands into his pockets, hoping to find in them a +forgotten coin. He found nothing but a few buttons.</P> +<P> He racked his brains to think of some plan whereby he could +get the money that was needed. He glanced at his clothes, which he would +cheerfully have sold could he have found a buyer. Not knowing what else to do, +he walked around the tent like a wolf prowling about the sheepfold.</P> +<P> Around and around he went till he found himself near an old +wall which hid him from view. He come nearer the tent and to his joy discovered +a tiny hole in the canvas. Here was his chance! He thrust in his thin wooden +finger, but seized with a sudden fear lest some hungry lion should see it and +bite it off, he hastily tried to pull it out again. In doing this, somehow +"r-r-rip" went the canvas, and there was a tear a yard wide. Pinocchio shook +with fear. But fear or no fear, there was the hole and beyond - were the wonders +of Africa!First an arm, then his head, and then his whole body went into the +cage of wild animals! He could not see them, but he heard them, and he was +filled with awe. The beasts had seen him. He felt himself grasped at once by the +shoulders and by the end of his nose. Two or three voices shouted in his ears, +"Who goes there?"</P> +<P> "For pity's sake, Mr. Elephant!" said poor Pinocchio.</P> +<P> "There are no elephants here."</P> +<P> "Pardon, Sir Lion."</P> +<P> "There are no lions here."</P> +<P> "Excuse me, Mr. Tiger."</P> +<P> "There are no tigers."</P> +<P> "Mr. Monkey?"</P> +<P> "No Monkeys.</P> +<P> "Men?"</P> +<P> "There are neither men nor women here; there are only +Africans from Africa, who imitate wild beasts for two francs and a half a +day."</P> +<P> "But the elephants, where are they?"</P> +<P> "In Africa."</P> +<P> "And the lions?"</P> +<P> "In Africa."</P> +<P> "And the tigers and the monkeys?"</P> +<P> "In Africa. And you, where do you come from? What are you +doing in the cage of the wild beasts? Didn't you see what is written over the +door? NO ONE ALLOWED TO ENTER."</P> +<P> "I cannot read in the dark," replied Pinocchio, trembling +from head to foot; "I am no cat."</P> +<P> At these words everybody began to laugh. Pinocchio felt a +little encouraged and murmured to himself, "They seem to be kind people, these +wild beasts."</P> +<P> He wanted to say something pleasant to them, but just then +the director of the company began to shout at the top of his voice.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter005></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Makes Friends With The Wild Animals</H3> +<P> COME forward, come forward, ladies and gentlemen! The cost +is small and the pleasure is great. The show will last an hour, only one hour. +Come forward! See the battle between the terrible lion Zumbo and his wife, the +ferocious lioness Zumba. Behold the tiger that wrestles with the polar bear, and +the elephant that lifts the whole weight of the tent with his powerful trunk. +See the animals feed. Ladies and gentlemen, come forward! Only two francs!"</P> +<P> At these words the men in the cages of the wild animals put +horns, sea shells, and whistles to their mouths, and the next moment there came +wild roarings and howls and shrieks. It was enough to make one shudder with +fear.</P> +<P> Again the director raised his voice: "Come forward, come +forward, ladies and gentlemen! two francs; children only one franc."</P> +<P> The music started: Boom! Boom! Boom! Par-ap'-ap'-pa! Boom! +Boom! Boom! Par-ap'ap'ap'pa!parap'ap'ap'pa!</P> +<P> One surprise seemed to follow another. Pinocchio longed to +enjoy the sights, but how was he to get out of the cage? At length, taking his +courage in both hands, he said politely, "Excuse me, gentlemen, but if you have +no commands to give me - "</P> +<P> "Not a command!" roughly answered the bearded man who +played the lion. "If you do not go away quickly, I will have you eaten up by +that large ape behind you."</P> +<P> "But I should be hard to digest," said the marionette.</P> +<P> "Boy, be careful how you talk," exclaimed the same +voice.</P> +<P> "I said that your ape would have indigestion if he ate me," +replied Pinocchio. "Do you think that I am joking? No, I am in earnest. He +really would. I came in here by chance while returning from a walk, and if you +will permit me, I will go home to my father who is waiting for me. As you have +no orders to give me, many thanks, good-by, and good luck to you."</P> +<P> "Listen, boy," said the large man who took the part of the +elephant; "I am very thirsty, and I will give you a fine new penny if you will +fill this bucket at the fountain and bring it to me."</P> +<P> "What!" replied Pinocchio, greatly offended; "I am no +servant! However this time, merely to please you, I will go." And crawling +through the hole by which he had entered, he went out to the fountain and +returned in a very short time with the bucket full of water.</P> +<P> "Good boy, good marionette!" said the men as they passed +the bucket from one to another.</P> +<P> Pinocchio was happy. Never had he felt so happy as at that +moment. "What good people!" he said to himself. "I would gladly stay with them." +In the meantime the bucket was emptied, and there were still some who had not +had a drink. "I will go and refill it," said the marionette promptly. And +without waiting to be asked, he took the bucket and flew to the fountain.</P> +<P> When he returned they flattered him so cleverly with praise +and thanks that a strong friendship sprang up between Pinocchio and the wild +beasts.</P> +<P> Being a woodenhead he forgot about his father and did not +go away as he had intended to do. In fact, he was curious to know something of +the history of these people, who were forced to play at being wild animals.</P> +<P> After a moment's silence he turned to the one who had asked +him to go for the water and said, "You are from Africa?"</P> +<P> "Yes, I am an African, and all my companions are +African."</P> +<P> "How interesting! but pardon me, is Africa a beautiful +country?"</P> +<P> "I should say so! A country, my dear boy, full of plenty, +where everything is given away free! A country in which at any moment the +strangest things may happen. A servant may become a master; a plain citizen may +become a king. There are trees, taller than church steeples, with branches +touching the ground, so that one may gather sweet fruit without the least +trouble. My boy, Africa is a country full of enchanted forests, where the game +allows itself to be killed, quartered, and hung; where riches - "</P> +<P> No one knows how far this description would have gone, if +at that moment the voice of the director had not been heard. The music had +stopped, and the director was talking to the people, who did not seem very +willing to part with their money.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter006></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Determines To Go To Africa</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO had already resolved to go to Africa to eat of +the fruit and to gather riches. He was eager to learn more, and impatient of +interruption.</P> +<P> "And the director is an African also?"</P> +<P> "Certainly he is an African."</P> +<P> "And is he very rich?"</P> +<P> "Is he rich? Take my word for it that if he would, he could +buy up this whole country."</P> +<P> Pinocchio was struck dumb. Still he wanted to make the men +believe that what he had heard was not altogether new to him. "Oh, I know that +Africa is a very beautiful country, and I have often planned to go there, and - +if I were sure that it would not be too much trouble I would willingly go with +you."</P> +<P> "With us? We are not going to Africa."</P> +<P> "What a pity! I thought I could make the journey in your +company."</P> +<P> "Are you in earnest?" asked the bearded man. "Do you +believe that there is any Africa outside this tent?"</P> +<P> "Tent or no tent, I have decided to go to Africa, and I +shall go," boldly replied the marionette.</P> +<P> "I like that youngster," said the man who played the part +of a crocodile. "That boy will make his fortune someday."</P> +<P> "Of course I shall!" continued Pinocchio. "I ought to have +fifty thousand francs, because I must get a new jacket for my father, who sold +his old one to buy me a spelling book. If there is so much gold and silver in +Africa, I will fill up a thousand vessels. Is it true that there is a great deal +of gold and silver?"</P> +<P> "Did we not tell you so?" replied another voice. "Why, if I +had not lost all that I had put in my pockets before leaving Africa, by this +time I should have become a prince. And now were it not for the fact that I have +promised to stay with these people, to be a panther at two francs and a half a +day, I would gladly go along with you."</P> +<P> "Thank you; thank you for your good intentions," answered +the marionette. "In case you decide to go with me, I start to-morrow morning at +dawn."</P> +<P> "On what steamship?"</P> +<P> "What did you say?" asked Pinocchio.</P> +<P> "On what steamship do you sail?"</P> +<P> "Sail! I am going on foot."</P> +<P> At these words everybody laughed.</P> +<P> "There is little to laugh at, my dear people. If you knew +how many miles I have traveled on these legs by day and by night, over land and +sea, you would not laugh. What! do you think Fairyland, the country of the +Blockheads, and the Island of the Bees are reached in a single stride? I go to +Africa, and I go on foot."</P> +<P> "But it is necessary to cross the Mediterranean Sea."</P> +<P> "It will be crossed."</P> +<P> "On foot?"</P> +<P> "Either on foot or on horseback, it matters little. But +pardon me, after crossing the Mediterranean Sea, do you reach Africa?"</P> +<P> "Certainly, unless you wish to go by way of the Red +Sea."</P> +<P> "The Red Sea? No, truly!"</P> +<P> "Perhaps the route over the Red Sea would be better."</P> +<P> "I do not wish to go near the Red Sea."</P> +<P> "And why?" asked the wolf man, who up to this time had not +opened his mouth.</P> +<P> "Why? Why? Because I do not wish to get my clothes dyed; do +you understand?"</P> +<P> More laughter greeted these words. Pinocchio's wooden +cheeks got very red, and he sputtered: "This is no way to treat a gentleman. I +shall do as I please, and I do not please to enter the Red Sea. That is enough. +Now I shall leave you, and he started off.</P> +<P> "Farewell, farewell, marionette!"</P> +<P> "Farewell, you impolite beasts!" Pinocchio wanted to call +out, but he did not.</P> +<P> "Come back!" cried the bearded man; "here is the bucket; +please fill it once more, for I am still thirsty."</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter007></A> +<H3>Pinocchio In Doubt</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO went away very angry, vowing that he would avenge +himself on all who had laughed at him.</P> +<P> "To begin with," said he, "I intend to make them all die of +thirst. If they wait to drink of the water that I bring, they will certainly +die." With these thoughts in his mind the marionette started homeward, carrying +the bucket on his head.</P> +<P> "The bucket will repay me for all the work I have had put +upon me. How unlucky we children are! Wherever we go, there is always something +for us to do. To-day I thought I would simply enjoy myself; instead, I have had +to carry water for a company of strangers. How absurd! two trips, one after the +other, to give drink to people I do not know! And how they drink! they seem to +be sponges. For my part they can be thirsty as long as they like. I feel now as +if I would never again move a finger for them. I am not going to be laughed +at."</P> +<P> As he finished these remarks Pinocchio arrived at the +fountain. It was delightful to see the clear water rushing out, but he could not +help thinking of those poor creatures who were waiting for him. He had to +stop.</P> +<P> "Shall I or shall I not?" he asked himself. "After all, +they are good people, who are forced to imitate wild animals; and besides, they +have treated me with some kindness. I may as well carry some water to them; a +trip more or less makes no difference to me."</P> +<P> He approached the fountain, filled the bucket, and ran down +the road.</P> +<P> "Hello within there!" he said in a low voice. "Here is the +bucket of water; come and take it, for I am not going in."</P> +<P> "Good marionette," said the beasts, "thank you!"</P> +<P> "Don't mention it," replied Pinocchio, very happy.</P> +<P> "Why will you not come in?"</P> +<P> "It is impossible, thank you. I must go to school."</P> +<P> "Then you are not going to Africa?"</P> +<P> "Who told you that! I am returning to school to bid +farewell to my teacher, and to ask him to excuse me for a few days. Then I wish +to see my father and ask his permission to go, so that he will not be anxious +while I am away."</P> +<P> "Excellent marionette, you will become famous."</P> +<P> "What agreeable people!" thought Pinocchio. "I am sorry to +leave them."</P> +<P> "So you really will not come in?"</P> +<P> "No, I have said so before. I must go to school first, and +then - "</P> +<P> "But it seems to me rather late for school," said the +crocodile man.</P> +<P> "That is true; it is too late for school," replied +Pinocchio.</P> +<P> "Well, then, stay a little longer with us, and later you +can go home to your father."</P> +<P> Pinocchio thrust his head through the hole and leaped into +the tent. The naughty marionette had not the least desire to go to school, and +was only too glad of an excuse to watch these strange people.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter008></A> +<H3>He Bids Good-by To The Animals</H3> +<P> THE show had begun. The director was explaining to the +people the wonders of his menagerie.</P> +<P> "Ladies and gentlemen, observe the beauty and the wildness +of all these animals, which I have brought from Central Africa. Here they are, +inclosed in these many cages, but hidden from your view. Why are they hidden? +Because, ladies and gentlemen, you would be frightened at the sight of them, and +your peace and health greatly concern me. The first animal which I have the +pleasure to present to you is the elephant. Observe, ladies and gentlemen, that +small affair which hangs under his nose. With that he builds houses, tills the +soil, writes letters, carries trunks, and picks flowers. You can see that the +animal was painted from life and placed in this beautiful frame."</P> +<P> The people began to look at one another.</P> +<P> "Now, ladies and gentlemen, let us go on to the next +one."</P> +<P> A roar of laughter and jeers arose on all sides. The +director saw the unfortunate state of things and began to shout: "Have respect, +ladies, for the poor sick monkey I told you of. At this moment she is pressing +to her breast for the last time her friendless child."</P> +<P> But not even this was sufficient to calm the crowd, which +presently became an infuriated mob. Men and women rushed about the tent, making +fierce gestures and heaping abuse upon the director. What an uproar!</P> +<P> In the cage where Pinocchio was, there was no confusion, +and the conversation between the marionette and the wild beasts went on without +stopping.</P> +<P> "When do you leave for Africa?" Pinocchio was asked.</P> +<P> "Have I not told you? To-morrow morning at daybreak, even +if it rains."</P> +<P> "Excellent! But you must carry with you several things +which you may need."</P> +<P> "And those are - ?"</P> +<P> "First of all you will need plenty of money."</P> +<P> "That is not lacking," said Pinocchio in his usual airy +way.</P> +<P> "Good! Then you should get a rifle."</P> +<P> "What for?"</P> +<P> "To defend yourself against the wild animals."</P> +<P> "Come, come! You don't want me to believe that! I have seen +what the wild animals of Africa are!"</P> +<P> "Be careful, marionette. Take a good rifle with you, for +one never knows what will happen in Africa."</P> +<P> "But I do not know how to load one."</P> +<P> "Well, then, stay at home. It is folly for you to begin +such an undertaking without arms and without knowing how to use them."</P> +<P> "It is you who are foolish. Do not make me angry. When I +have decided upon a thing no one can stop me from carrying it out."</P> +<P> "Take care, marionette; you may be sorry."</P> +<P> "Nevertheless I shall go."</P> +<P> "You may find things very unpleasant."</P> +<P> "It is for that very reason that I am going."</P> +<P> "You may never return."</P> +<P> "The good Fairy will protect me."</P> +<P> "Who is the Fairy?"</P> +<P> "How may things you want to know! If you are in need of +nothing else, I will bid you all good-by!"</P> +<P> "Farewell, marionette."</P> +<P> "Till we meet again."</P> +<P> "Good-by, blockhead."</P> +<P> "Don't be rude! said Pinocchio, greatly vexed, and out he +went.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter009></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Does Not Sleep</H3> +<P> WHEN Pinocchio arrived at his home he found his father +already in bed. Old Geppetto did not earn enough to provide a supper for two. He +used to say that he was not hungry, and go to bed. But there was always plenty +for Pinocchio. An onion, some beans moistened in water, and a piece of bread +which had been left over from the morning, were never missing.</P> +<P> That night Pinocchio found a better meal than usual.</P> +<P> His good father, not having seen his son at the regular +dinner hour, knew that the boy would be very hungry. There would have to be +something out of the ordinary. He therefore added to the fare some dried fish +and a delicious morsel of orange peel. "He will even have fruit," the good man +had said to himself, smiling at the joy his dear Pinocchio would feel on seeing +himself treated like a man of the world.</P> +<P> The marionette ate his supper with relish, and having +finished his meal, went over to his sleeping father and kissed him as a reward +for the fish and the orange peel. Pinocchio, to say the least, had a good heart, +and would have done anything for his father except study and work.</P> +<P> That night he slept little. Lions, elephants, tigers, +panthers, beautiful women dressed in silk and mounted on butterflies as large as +eagles, men, in large boots, armed with knives and guns, palaces of silver and +gold! All these and a great many more strange sights floated before his dreaming +eyes, while he could hear animals roaring, howling, and whistling to the sound +of trumpets and drums.</P> +<P> At length the night needed and Pinocchio arose. First of +all he went to bid farewell to his friends in the circus, but they were no +longer to be found. During the night the director had quietly stolen away with +his company.</P> +<P> "A pleasant journey to you!" said Pinocchio, and he began +to search the ground for a forgotten piece of gold, or some precious stone which +might have fallen from a lady's diadem; but he found nothing.</P> +<P> "What shall I do now? Shall I go to Africa or to school? It +might be better to go to school, for the teacher says that I am a little behind +in reading, writing, composition, history, geography, and arithmetic. In other +subjects I am not so dull. Yes, yes; it will certainly do me more good to go to +school. Then I shall be a dunce no longer."</P> +<P> Having made this sensible decision, the marionette started +for home with the idea of studying his lessons and of going to school.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter010></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Eats Dates</H3> +<P> SOON he met a man in a paper hat and a white apron. He was +pushing a cart filled with a kind of fruit that Pinocchio had never seen +before.</P> +<P> "Dates! dates! fresh dates! sweet dates! real African +dates!" came the cry.</P> +<P> "Even he speaks of Africa!" thought Pinocchio. "Africa +seems to follow me. But what has Africa to do with dates, and what are these +dates? I have never heard of them." The man stopped; Pinocchio stopped also. A +lady bought some of the dates, and it happened that one of them fell on the +ground. The marionette picked it up and handed it to her.</P> +<P> "Thank you," she said with a smile. "Keep it yourself; you +have earned it."</P> +<P> The man with the cart went on, "Dates! dates! fresh dates! +sweet dates! real African dates!"</P> +<P> Pinocchio looked after him for a time and then put the date +into his mouth. Great Caesar! How delicious! Never before had he tasted anything +so sweet. The orange peel was nothing compared with this! What the circus people +had told him, then, was really true!</P> +<P> "To Africa I go," he said, "even if I break a leg. What do +I care about the Red Sea, the Yellow Sea, the Green, or any other sea? I will +go!"</P> +<P> And the rascal, forgetting his home and his father, who at +that very moment was waiting to give him his breakfast, set out toward the +sea.</P> +<P> As he neared the water he heard a voice call, "Pinocchio! +Pinocchio!"</P> +<P> The marionette stopped and looked around, but seeing no +one, he went on.</P> +<P> "Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Be careful! You know not what you +do!"</P> +<P> "Farewell and many thanks," answered the stubborn +marionette, and forthwith stepped into the sea.</P> +<P> "The water is like ice this morning. No wonder it makes me +feel cold; but I know how to get rid of a chill. A good swim, and I am as warm +as ever." Out shot his arms and he plunged into the water. The journey to Africa +had begun.</P> +<P> At noon he still swam on. It grew dark and on he swam. +Later the moon arose and grinned at him. He kept on swimming, without a sign of +fatigue, of hunger, or of sleepiness. A marionette can do things that would tire +a real boy, and to Pinocchio swimming was no task at all.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter011></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Lands On A Rock</H3> +<P> THE moon grinned again and disappeared behind a cloud. The +night grew dark. Pinocchio continued to swim through the black waters. He could +see nothing ahead. He swam, swam, swam into the dark. Suddenly he felt something +scrape his body, and he gave a start.</P> +<P> "Who goes there?" he cried. No one answered. "Perhaps it is +my old friend the shark, who has recognized me," thought he; and he rapidly swam +on to get away from the spot which reminded him of that terrible monster.</P> +<P> He had not gone more than fifty yards when his head ran +against something rough and hard. "Oh!" cried the marionette, and he raised his +hand to the injured part.</P> +<P> Then, as he noticed a large rock standing out of the water, +he cried joyously; "I have arrived! I am in Africa!"</P> +<P> He got up on his feet and began to feel of himself all +over, his ribs, his stomach, his legs. Everything was in order.</P> +<P> "Nothing broken!" he said. "The rocks on the way have been +very kind. However, I hope that day will break soon, for I have no matches, and +it seems to me that I am very hungry."</P> +<P> Then he began to move on carefully. First he put down one +foot and then the other, and thus crept along till he found a comfortable spot. +"I seem to be very tired and sleepy also," he said.</P> +<P> With that, he lay down and went off in to a deep +slumber.</P> +<P> When he awoke it was daylight. The sun shone red and hot. +There was nothing to be seen but rocks and water.</P> +<P> "Is this Africa?" said the marionette, greatly troubled. +"Even at dawn it seems to be very warm. When the sun gets a little higher I am +likely to be baked." And he wiped the sweat from his brow on his coat sleeve. +Presently clouds began to rise out of the water. They grew darker and darker, +and the day, instead of being bright, gradually became gloomy and overcast.</P> +<P> The sun disappeared.</P> +<P> "This is funny!" said Pinocchio. "What jokes the sun plays +in these parts! It shines for a while and then disappears."</P> +<P> Poor marionette! It did not occur to him at first that he +had slept the whole day, and that instead of the rising he saw the setting of +the sun.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter012></A> +<H3>The First Night In Africa</H3> +<P> "AND now I must pass another night here alone on these bare +rocks!" he thought.</P> +<P> The unhappy marionette began to tremble. He tried to walk, +but the night was so dark that it was impossible to see where to go. The tears +rolled down his wooden cheeks. He thought of his disobedience and of his +stubbornness. He remembered the warnings his father had given him, the advice of +his teacher, and the kindly words of the good Fairy. He remembered the promises +he had made to be good, obedient, and studious. How happy he had been! He +recalled the day when his father's face beamed with pleasure at his progress. He +saw the happy smile with which his protecting Fairy greeted him. His tears fell +fast, and sobs rent his heart.</P> +<P> "If I should die, here in this gloomy place! If I should +die of weariness, of hunger, of fear! To die a marionette without having had the +happiness of becoming a real boy!"</P> +<P> He wept bitterly, and yet his troubles had scarcely begun. +Even while his tears were flowing down his cheeks and into the dark water, he +heard prolonged howls. At the same time he saw lights moving to and fro, as if +driven by the wind.</P> +<P> "What in the world is this? Who is carrying those lanterns? +asked Pinocchio, continuing to sob.</P> +<P> As if in answer to his questions, two lights came down the +rocky coast and drew nearer to him.</P> +<P> Along with the lights came the howls, which sounded like +those he had heard at the circus, only more natural and terrible.</P> +<P> "I hope this will end well," the marionette said to +himself, "but I have some doubt about it."</P> +<P> He threw himself on the ground and tried to hide between +the rocks. A minute later and he felt a warm breath on his face. There stood the +shadowy form of a hyena, its open mouth ready to devour the marionette at one +gulp.</P> +<P> "I am done for!" and Pinocchio shut his eyes and gave a +last thought to his dear father and his beloved Fatina. But the beast, after +sniffing at him once or twice from head to foot, burst into aloud, howling laugh +and walked away. He had no appetite for wooden boys.</P> +<P> "May you never return! said Pinocchio, raising his head a +little and straining his eyes to pierce the darkness about him. "Oh, if there +were only a tree, or a wall, or anything to climb up on!"The marionette was +right in wishing for something to keep him far above the ground. During the +whole night these visitors were coming and going. They came around him howling, +sniffing, laughing, mocking. As each one ran off, Pinocchio would say, "May you +never return!" He lay there shivering in the agony of his terror. If the night +had continued much longer, the poor fellow would have died of fright. But the +dawn came at last. All these strange night visitors disappeared. Pinocchio tried +to get up. He could not move. His legs and arms were stiff. A terrible weakness +had seized him, and the world swam around him. Hunger overpowered him. The poor +marionette felt that he should surely die. "How terrible," he though, "to die of +hunger! What would I not eat! Dry beans and cherry stems would be delicious." He +looked eagerly around, but there was not even a cricket or a snail in sight. +There was nothing, nothing but rocks.</P> +<P> Suddenly, however, a faint cry came from his parched +throat. Was it possible? A few feet from him there was something between the +rocks which looked like food. The marionette did not know what it was. He +dragged himself along on hands and knees, and commenced to eat it. His nose +wished to have nothing to do with it, and would even have drawn back, but the +marionette said; "It is necessary to accustom yourself to all things, my +friends. One must have patience. Don't be afraid; if I find any roses, I promise +to gather them for you."</P> +<P> The nose became quiet, the mouth ate, the hunger was +satisfied, and when the meal was finished Pinocchio jumped to his feet and +shouted joyously; "I have had my first meal in Africa. Now I must begin my +search for wealth." He forgot the night, his father, and Fatina. His only +thought was to get farther away from home.</P> +<P> What an easy thing life is to a wooden marionette!</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter013></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Is Well Received</H3> +<P> "FIRST of all," he said, "I must go to the nearest castle I +can find. The master will not refuse me shelter and food. Some soup, a leg of +roast chicken, and a glass of milk will put me in fine spirits."</P> +<P> The journey across the rocks was full of difficulties, but +the marionette overcame them readily, leaping from rock to rock like a goat. He +walked, walked, walked! The rocks seemed to have no ending, and the castle, +which he imagined he saw in the distance, appeared to be always farther and +farther away. As the marionette drew nearer, the towers began to disappear and +the walls to crumble. He walked on broken-hearted. Finally he sat down I despair +and put his head in his hands. "Farewell, castle! good-by, roast chicken and +soup!" He was about to weep again when he saw in the distance a village of great +beauty lying at the foot of a gentle slope.</P> +<P> At the sight he gave a cry of joy and without a moment's +delay set out in that direction. He leaped over the rocks and bushes, putting to +flight several flocks of birds in his haste. Of course only a marionette could +go as fast as he did. "How beautiful Africa is! said he. "If I had known this I +would have come here long ago."</P> +<P> In a short time he reached the main square of the town. +Men, women, and children were lounging about, gossiping, buying, and selling. +When they saw the marionette they gathered around him, and many began to shout: +"It is Pinocchio! Look, here is Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Pinocchio!"</P> +<P> "Well, this is strange!" said the marionette to himself. "I +am known even in Africa. Surely I am a great person."</P> +<P> Like most great men, Pinocchio was annoyed at his noisy +reception. In some anger he made his way through the crowd, pushing people right +and left with his elbows. He ran down a side street and finally stopped before a +restaurant, over which was the sign printed in huge letters:MARIONETTES SERVED +HERE."This is what I have been looking for," said Pinocchio, and he went in.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter014></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Is Arrested</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO found himself facing a man of about fifty years +of age. He was stout and good-natured, and like all good hosts, asked what the +gentleman would have to eat. Pinocchio, hearing himself called "gentleman," +swelled with pride, and very gravely gave his order. He was served promptly, and +devoured everything before him in a way known only to hungry marionettes.</P> +<P> In the meantime the innkeeper eyed his customer from head +to foot. He addressed Pinocchio in a very respectful manner, but the marionette +gave only short answers. Persons of rank ate here, and to appear like one of +them he could not allow himself to waste words on common folk.</P> +<P> Having finished his meal, the marionette asked for +something to drink.</P> +<P> "What is this drink called?" he asked, as he put down the +glass and thrust his thumb into his vest pocket after the manner of a +gentleman.</P> +<P> "Nectar, your excellency."</P> +<P> Upon hearing himself called "excellency" Pinocchio fairly +lost his head. He felt a strange lightness in his feet; indeed, he found it hard +work to resist the temptation to get up and dance. "I knew that in Africa I +should make my fortune," he thought, and called for a box of cigarettes.</P> +<P> Having smoked one of these, the brave Pinocchio arose to go +out, when the host handed him a sheet of paper on which was written a row of +figures.</P> +<P> "What is this?" asked the marionette.</P> +<P> "The bill, your excellency; the amount of your debt for the +dinner."</P> +<P> Pinocchio stroked his wooden chin and looked at the +innkeeper in surprise.</P> +<P> "Is there anything astonishing about that, your excellence? +Is it not usual in your country to pay for what you eat?"</P> +<P> "It is amazing! I do not know what you mean! What strange +custom is this that you speak of?"</P> +<P> "In these parts, your excellency," remarked the innkeeper, +"when one eats, one must pay. However, if your lordship has no money, and +intends to live at the expense of others, I have a very good remedy. One +minute!"</P> +<P> So saying, the man stepped out of the door, uttered a +curious sound, and then returned.</P> +<P> Pinocchio lost his courage. He broke down and began to +weep. He begged the man to have patience. The first piece of gold he found would +pay for the meal. The innkeeper smiled as he said, "I am sorry, but the thing is +done."</P> +<P> "What is done?" asked the marionette.</P> +<P> "I have sent for the police."</P> +<P> "The police!" cried the marionette, shaking with fear. "The +police! Even in Africa there are policemen? Please, sir, send them back! I do +not want to go to prison."All this was useless talk. Two black policemen were +already there. Straight toward the marionette they went and asked his name.</P> +<P> "Pinocchio," he answered in a faint voice.</P> +<P> "What is your business?"</P> +<P> "I am a marionette."</P> +<P> "Why have you come to Africa?"</P> +<P> "I will tell you," replied Pinocchio, "You gentlemen must +know that my poor father sold his coat to buy me a spelling book, and as I have +heard that there is plenty of gold and silver in Africa, I have come here."</P> +<P> "What kind of talk is this?" asked the elder of the two +policemen. "No nonsense! Show us your papers."</P> +<P> "What papers! I left all I had at school."</P> +<P> The policemen cut short the marionette's words by taking +out their handcuffs and preparing to lead him away to prison. But the innkeeper +was a good-hearted man, and he was sorry for the poor blockhead. He begged them +to leave Pinocchio in his charge.</P> +<P> "So long as you are satisfied, we are satisfied," said the +policemen. "If you wish to give away your food, that is your own affair;" and +they went off without saying another word.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter015></A> +<H3>Pinocchio's Father</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO blushed with shame.</P> +<P> "Then you are the marionette Pinocchio?"</P> +<P> Upon hearing himself addressed in this familiar way, +Pinocchio felt a little annoyed, but recalling the unsettled account, he thought +it best to answer politely that he was Pinocchio.</P> +<P> "I am pleased," continued the man; "I am very much pleased, +because I knew your father."</P> +<P> "You knew my father?" exclaimed the marionette.</P> +<P> "Certainly I knew him! I was a servant in his house before +you were born."</P> +<P> "In my house as a servant? When has father Geppetto had +servants?" asked the marionette, his eyes wide with surprise.</P> +<P> "But who said Geppetto? Geppetto is not your father's +name."</P> +<P> "Oh, indeed! Well, then, what is his name?"</P> +<P> "Your father's name is not Geppetto, but Collodi. A +wonderful man, my boy."</P> +<P> Pinocchio understood less and less. It was strange, he +thought, to have come to Africa to learn the story of his family. He listened +with astonishment to all that the innkeeper said.</P> +<P> "Remember, however, that even if you are not really the son +of the good Geppetto, it does not follow that you should forget the care he has +given you. What gratitude have you shown him? You ran away from home without +even telling him. Who knows how unhappy the poor old man may be! You never will +understand what suffering you cause your parents. Such blockheads as you are not +fit to have parents. They work from morning till night so that you may want for +nothing, and may grow up to be good and wise men, useful to yourselves, to your +family, and to your country. What do you do? Nothing! You are worthless!"</P> +<P> Pinocchio listened very thoughtfully. He had never expected +that in Africa he was to hear so many disagreeable truths, and he was on the +verge of weeping.</P> +<P> "For your father's sake you have been let off easily. From +now on you may regard this as your home. I am not very rich, and I need a boy to +help me. You will do. You may as well begin to work at once." And he handed the +marionette a large broom.</P> +<P> Pinocchio was vexed at this, but the thought of the black +policemen and the unsettled bill cooled his anger, and he swept as well as he +knew how. "From a gentleman to a sweeper! What fine progress I have made!" he +thought, as the tears rolled down his cheeks.</P> +<P> "If my father were to see me now, or my good Fairy, or my +companions at school! What a fine picture I should make!" And he continued to +sweep and dust.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter016></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Sells Drinking Water</H3> +<P> THE time passed quickly. At the dinner hour Pinocchio had a +great appetite and ate with much enjoyment. The master praised him highly for +the tidy appearance of the store and urged him to keep up his good work.</P> +<P> "At the end of twenty years," he said, "You will have put +aside enough to return home, and a little extra money to spend on poor old +Geppetto. Now that you have eaten, take this leather bag and fill it with water, +which you are to sell about the city. When you return we shall know how much you +have made."</P> +<P> The bag was soon strapped on his shoulders and the +marionette was shown the door. "Remember," said his master, "a cent a +glass!"</P> +<P> Pinocchio set out down the narrow street. He walked on, +little caring where he went. His wooden brains were far away. He was grieved. +Had the master known just how the marionette felt he would have run after him +and at least regained his leather bag.</P> +<P> Pinocchio walked on. He was soon among a hurrying crowd of +people. "Can this be Egypt in Africa? I have read about it often."</P> +<P> A Man, wrapped in a white cloak, touched him on the +shoulder. Pinocchio did not understand, and started to go on about his business, +but the man took him roughly by the nose. Pinocchio shrieked. The crowd stopped. +At last, he discovered that the man wanted water. Pinocchio placed the bag on +the ground. Then he poured the water into a glass. The man drank, paid, and went +his way.</P> +<P> "What a thirst for water Africans have!" thought the +marionette, as he remembered his companions of the circus. "I like ices better, +and I am going to try to get one with this penny." At once he started off, +leaving the leather bag behind.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter017></A> +<H3>A Ride On A Dog's Back</H3> +<P> A CROWD of boys had by this time gathered in the street. +They began, after the manner of boys in nearly every part of the world, to annoy +one who was clearly a stranger. They did not know Pinocchio, however, nor the +force of his feet and elbows. There came a shower of kicks and punches, and the +boys scattered. Away flew Pinocchio. The people were astonished to see those +tiny legs fly like the wind. They shouted and ran after him. Pinocchio resolved +not to be caught. He turned into a side street that led into the open country. A +large dog, stretched out upon the ground, was in his way. Pinocchio measured the +distance and leaped.</P> +<P> At that very moment the dog sprang up, and hardly knowing +how it happened, Pinocchio found himself astride his back. Barking furiously, +the animal shot along like a cannon ball. The poor boy felt sure that he was +going to break his neck and prayed for safety. On they rushed. The dog jumped +over rocks and ditches as if he had done nothing in all his life but carry +marionettes on his back.</P> +<P> "Is it possible that he is a horse-dog?" thought Pinocchio. +"If he is, I shall ride him always, and when I return home, I shall present him +to my father. My companions will die of envy when they see me riding to school +like a gentleman. I shall make him a saddle like those I saw on the circus +horses, and a pair of silver stirrups. A saddle is really necessary, because it +is very uncomfortable to ride in this way."</P> +<P> The came to a deep gully and the dog prepared to make the +leap. Pinocchio muttered to himself: "This is the end. If I cross this in +safety, I will surely return home and go to school."</P> +<P> There was a leap, and a plunge into the black, empty air. +When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying at the bottom of a precipice in +total darkness. How long had he been in the air? The marionette did not know. He +remembered only that while flying down he had heard a familiar voice call, +"Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Pinocchio!"</P> +<P> "Farewell to the world and to Africa," said the marionette. +"Wooden marionettes will never learn. Here I shall stay forever. It serves me +right."</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter018></A> +<H3>The Cave</H3> +<P> IF I get out of this prison alive, it will be the greatest +wonder I have ever known." Pinocchio sat in the spot where he had fallen. He now +began to suffer from thirst. There had been a great deal of excitement, and his +throat was parched. He would have given anything for a sip of the water he had +so carelessly left in the middle of the street only a little while before.</P> +<P> "I don't want to die here," he said. "I must get up and +walk."</P> +<P> So saying, he moved slowly about, groping with his hands +and feet as if he were playing blindman's buff. The ground was soft, and the air +seemed fresh. In fact, it was not so bad as he had at first thought. Only four +things worried him, darkness, hunger, thirst, and fear. Aside from these he was +safe and sound.</P> +<P> He had gone but a short distance through the darkness when +suddenly he thought he heard a faint murmur. He saw a gleam of light. The blood +rushed through his veins. He walked on. The sound became clearer, and the light +grew brighter. At length Pinocchio found himself in a cave lighted by soft rays. +The murmuring sound was caused by a small stream of water coming out from a high +rock and forming a little waterfall. Pinocchio rushed toward the rocks, opened +his mouth wide like a funnel, and drank his fill.</P> +<P> "I shall not die of thirst," said the marionette. +"Unfortunately, I am still hungry. What a fate is mine! Why can we not live +without eating? Some day I am going to find a way. If I succeed, I shall teach +the poor people to live without food as I do. How happy they will be!" Meanwhile +he looked about for a means of escape. Soon he discovered the hole that lighted +the cave, and walked out once more under the open sky.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter019></A> +<H3>The Caravan</H3> +<P> HE saw nothing but rocks and sand; rocks that shone like +mirrors, and sand that burned like fire. He walked on very sadly, without +knowing where. Presently he found himself upon a hill, from which he could see a +vast plain crossed by a wide highway. A long line of people and camels were on +the march, but how strange they looked! They were going along with heads down +and feet up. At first the marionette was filled with a strong desire to laugh; +then he became frightened and rubbed his eyes, doubting what they told him.</P> +<P> "Am I dreaming?" he said to himself.</P> +<P> The line continued its march, and he distinctly heard the +people laugh and joke as they all sat upside down on the backs of the inverted +camels.</P> +<P> "I was not prepared for this! What a strange way of +traveling they have in Africa! Maybe I too am walking on my head!" and he +touched himself to make sure that his head was in its proper place.</P> +<P> Meanwhile the caravan passed on, and Pinocchio stood still, +his eyes fixed upon the camels as they disappeared at the turning of the road. +The only thing left for him to do was to follow them.</P> +<P> "Either on my head or on my feet I shall surely arrive +somewhere! I do not believe that all those people will walk on air forever. +Sometime or other they will stop to eat. I shall be there to help them."</P> +<P> As he spoke the marionette started forward, walking rapidly +in the hot sun.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter020></A> +<H3>The Baby Pulls His Nose</H3> +<P> IN half an hour he had caught up with the topsy-turvy +caravan. It had stopped at a large well, which was filled with clear, cool +water. The people were laughing and talking as if they were at home. They were +all as happy as they could be.</P> +<P> Pinocchio could not understand it. Had these people really +stood on their heads? What had happened to them? There was something wrong. He +had certainly seen them traveling in that strange fashion. However, a marionette +who is hungry and thirsty does not worry long about things he cannot explain. He +was there, and the people were eating and drinking.</P> +<P> "What a fool I am! If their heads were upside down, they +could neither eat nor drink. Surely they will not refuse me a little water, and +perhaps as they are familiar with Africa, I may discover in talking with them +where the mines of gold and precious stones are to be found."</P> +<P> So saying, Pinocchio moved toward an old man who was +sitting with a pipe in his mouth. He had finished his meal and was enjoying a +smoke. The marionette took off his hat and said, "Pardon me, sir; what time is +it?"</P> +<P> The old man's answer came in a volume of smoke.</P> +<P> "Ask the sun, my boy. He will tell you."</P> +<P> "Thank you!" said Pinocchio, a little taken aback by this +reception, and he moved on toward a woman with a baby on her shoulders.</P> +<P> "Madam, will you please tell me if I am on the right road +to - "</P> +<P> "The world is wide," broke in the woman.</P> +<P> "And long too," thought the marionette. "How polite these +Africans are!"</P> +<P> Of course, the marionette was a stupid fellow. He was a +little ashamed to beg for food, and had only asked these questions so that the +people might notice him and perhaps offer him food and water. An ordinary boy +would have asked for what he wanted, but the blockhead was too proud.</P> +<P> He was about to go on when the baby began to wave its arms, +and to shout, "I want it! I want it!"</P> +<P> Can you guess what it wanted? Pinocchio's nose! The child +reached out its hands, and cried and kicked in trying to get hold of it.</P> +<P> The whole caravan looked toward the spot. A group of +children gathered about them. Even the camels lifted their heads to see what was +the matter. The mother was distressed because the child's screams and kicks +continued. She asked Pinocchio to let it touch his nose. His pride was hurt, but +thinking it best to humor the child, he went closer and allowed his nose to be +touched and squeezed and pulled until the baby was perfectly happy and +satisfied. The good woman laughed, and thanked Pinocchio by offering him some +bread and milk.</P> +<P> Pinocchio buried his face in the milk and ate the bread. +There was no doubt of his hunger. The others offered him fruit and cake. He was +pleased. Africa, after all, was a country where one could live. His hunger +satisfied, he did what marionettes usually do, talked about himself. In a short +time all the people knew who he was and why he had come to Africa. The old man +with the pipe asked him, "Who told you that here in Africa there is so much +gold?"</P> +<P> "Who told me? He who knows told me!"</P> +<P> "But are you sure that he did not wish to deceive you?"</P> +<P> "Deceive me?" replied the marionette, "My dear sire, to +deceive me one must have a good - " and he touched his forehead with his +forefinger as much as to say that within lay a great brain. "Before leaving home +I studied so much that the teacher feared I should ruin my health."</P> +<P> "Very well," replied the old man, "let us travel together, +for we also area in search of gold and precious stones."</P> +<P> Pinocchio's heart beat fast with hope. At last there was +some one to help him in his search. He could scarcely control himself enough to +say: "Willingly, most willingly! I have no objections. Suit yourselves."</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter021></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Travels With The Caravan</H3> +<P> THE camels, refreshed by the large amount of water they had +taken, stood up, proud of their loads. Even the donkey brayed. Yes, there was a +donkey! And this fact displeased Pinocchio. He had for a long time felt a great +dislike for these animals. In fact, he had once been a donkey, and his dislike +was a natural one.</P> +<P> The donkey did not carry any load, and for that reason the +marionette was asked to ride on its back. He hesitated. It was stupid to ride a +donkey, and he would have preferred to walk, but he did not like to seem rude to +the good people, and up he mounted.</P> +<P> They traveled all day along the narrow road which gradually +wound around the slope of a mountain. The old man rode by the side of Pinocchio, +asking him many questions about the studies he had taken up to prepare himself +for this trip to Africa.</P> +<P> The marionette talked a great deal, and as might have been +expected, made many blunders. He began to think that his companions were very +simple, and that in Africa one could tell any kind of lie without being +discovered. He even went so far as to assure the old man that he knew the very +spot where they could find gold and diamonds, and ended by saying that within a +week they should all be men of great wealth.</P> +<P> "You must walk straight ahead," the saucy marionette was +saying, "then to the right, and you will arrive at the bottom of a valley, +through which flows a beautiful brook of yellow water. By the side of this brook +is a tree, and beneath the tree there is gold in plenty."</P> +<P> The old man was amazed to hear the tales he told. Pinocchio +himself felt ashamed of all these lies. He was afraid his nose would grow as it +had done one day at home. But no, it was still its natural size!</P> +<P> "Well!" he thought, "if it has not grown longer this time, +it will never grow again, no matter how many lies I tell."</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter022></A> +<H3>He Is Offered For Sale</H3> +<P> THEY went on until they met a second caravan resting at a +well. Every one admired Pinocchio, and the old man who had him in charge treated +him as if he were his own son.</P> +<P> Pinocchio was greatly pleased. Yet to tell the truth he was +worried. Suppose they discovered that he had lied, and that he knew nothing +about Africa, or the gold, or the diamonds! What would happen then?</P> +<P> The old man was talking to three or four men of the new +caravan. Pinocchio did not like their faces. Now and then they looked toward the +marionette with open eyes of astonishment.</P> +<P> Pinocchio pricked up his ears to listen to the good things +the old man was saying about him. He felt highly flattered on hearing himself +praised for his character, his intelligence, and his ability to eat and +drink.</P> +<P> Then the men lowered their voices, and the marionette only +now and then caught some stray words.</P> +<P> "How much do you want?"</P> +<P> "Come!" replied the good old man, "between us there should +not be so much talk. I cannot give him to you unless you give me twenty yards of +English calico, thirty yards of iron wire, and four strings of glass beads."</P> +<P> "It is too much. It is too much," replied one.</P> +<P> "They are bargaining for the donkey," said Pinocchio, and +he felt sorry for the poor beast.</P> +<P> "I am sorry for you," he went on, addressing the donkey, +"because you have made me quite comfortable. Now I must give you up and +walk."</P> +<P> "It is too much. It is too much," the men were saying.</P> +<P> "Yes, yes, all you say is very true," spoke one in a high +voice, "but, after all, he is made of wood."</P> +<P> "Of wood? Who is made of wood? The donkey?" thought +Pinocchio, looking at the animal, which stood still, its ears erect as if it +also were listening.</P> +<P> "Here!" put in one of the men, "the bargain is made if you +will give him up for an elephant's tooth; if not, let us talk no more of +it."</P> +<P> The old man was silent. He looked at the marionette, and +then with a sigh which came from his heart he said: "You drive a hard bargain! +Add at least the horn of a rhinoceros and let us be done with it."</P> +<P> "Put in the horn!" replied the man, and they shook hands. +"You have done well, my friends," the old man said. "That fellow there," - and +this time pointed directly at Pinocchio, "that fellow there has some great ideas +in his head. He knows a thing or two! He says he knows the exact spot where one +may find gold and diamonds."</P> +<P> Pinocchio was thunderstruck! It was he and not the donkey +that had been sold.</P> +<P> "Dogs!" he cried, "farewell. I go from you forever." And +away he leaped as fast as the north wind. They did not even try to follow him. +Who could have caught him</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter023></A> +<H3>The Bird In The Forest</H3> +<P> AFTER two hours of hard running, Pinocchio, still angry at +the treatment he had received, came to a forest. "It's better to be a bird in +the bushes than a bird in a cage!" he thought.</P> +<P> Although the walk in the forest was refreshing, he began, +as usual, to be hungry. The place was very beautiful, but beauty could not +satisfy a marionette's appetite. He looked here and there in the hope that he +might see trees loaded with the fruit about which the elephant man had spoken. +He saw nothing but branches and leaves, leaves and branches. On he walked. Both +the forest and his hunger seemed without end.</P> +<P> Fortunately Pinocchio was very strong. Being made of wood, +he could endure a great many hardships. He was sure that his good Fairy would +come to help him, so he kept on bravely. He had walked a long way before he saw +a large tree, bearing fruit that resembled oranges.</P> +<P> "At last!" he cried aloud. The birds flew away at the +sound. Pinocchio climbed over the rocks and up the tree as fast as he could.</P> +<P> "I will eat enough to last for a week!" he said, as he +thought of the orange peel his father Geppetto had given him for supper.</P> +<P> He picked the largest of the fruit and put it into his +mouth. It was as hard as ivory. He pulled out his penknife, with which he used +to sharpen his pencil at school. With great difficulty he cut the fruit in two, +to find within only a soft, bitter pulp. Then he tried another and another. All +were like the first one, and he gave up trying because he was at length +convinced that none of the fruit was fit to eat.</P> +<P> Tired and unhappy, with bowed head and dangling arms, he +pushed on slowly, stumbling over rocks, and becoming entangled again and again +in the briers. He thought sadly of the disappointments he had met with in +Africa.</P> +<P> "It is settled. I am to die of hunger. Where are the +delicious fruits and the precious stones? Should I not do better to go home and +leave the gold and silver to those who want them?"</P> +<P> As he went along, thinking over these things, he noticed +ahead of him a bird about the size of a canary, which looked at him as if it +longed to console him in his misery.It went on before Pinocchio, flying from one +branch to another, stopping when the marionette stopped, and moving every time +the marionette moved. Pinocchio said to himself: "Does his dear little bird wish +to be eaten? I'll pluck its feathers, stick a twig through it, put it in the +sun, and in half an hour it will be cooked and ready to eat."</P> +<P> While the hungry marionette was giving himself up to this +thought, the bird began to sing,"Pinocchio, my dear,</P> +<P> If you would honey eat,</P> +<P> Come closer to me here,</P> +<P> And you will find a treat."Imagine Pinocchio's surprise! He +approached the little songster and looked up. Sure enough, there on a branch of +a great tree was a beehive.</P> +<P> One would think that Pinocchio would at least stop to thank +the bird, but not he! Up the tree he went like a squirrel, while the bees buzzed +about him angrily. The marionette laughed.</P> +<P> "Sting away! sting away, brave bees! I am a marionette and +made of wood. You may sting me as much as you please." He thrust his hand into +the hive and drew out a handful of sweet honey.</P> +<P> "This time at least I shall not die of hunger."</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter024></A> +<H3>His Adventure With A Lion</H3> +<P> THE marionette was on the point of filling his mouth a +second time, when he heard a frightful roar directly under his feet. The shock +almost tumbled him down headfirst. Had he fallen, how unfortunate it would have +been! He would have gone straight into the deep mouth of an African lion which +was ready to devour him at one gulp.</P> +<P> "Oh, mercy!" cried the marionette. And the lion gave +another dreadful roar which seemed to say: "Mercy indeed! I have you now, you +little thief."</P> +<P> "Dear lion," pleaded Pinocchio, "have pity on a poor orphan +lad who is nearly starving!"</P> +<P> The lion roared still louder. "Who has given you permission +to take what belongs to another without having earned it by useful and honest +work? In this world he who does not work must starve."</P> +<P> "You are right, my dear lion, you are right. I am ready to +pay to the last cent for all the honey I eat, but please don't seem so angry or +I shall die of fear."</P> +<P> Then the lion stopped roaring, and sitting down upon the +ground, he looked at the marionette as if to say: "Well, what are you going to +do about it? Are you coming down or not?"</P> +<P> "Listen, my dear lion," answered Pinocchio; "so long as you +stay there, I shall not come down. If you want me to go away and leave the +honey, remove yourself a hundred miles or so, and then I will obey you."</P> +<P> The lion did not move.</P> +<P> For almost an hour Pinocchio sat glued to the tree, not +daring to eat the honey or to come down to the waiting lion. The hot rays of the +sun beat upon him. He felt that he must die, for hunger, fear, and heat seemed +ready to destroy him.</P> +<P> "Surely there must be away out of this," he thought. "That +lion must have in him some spark of kindness. He has made up his mind to keep me +company, and perhaps it is my duty to thank him."</P> +<P> Then the marionette raised his hand to ask permission to +speak. It would have been better had he kept still.</P> +<P> At this gesture the lion uttered a roar so loud that it +shook the whole forest. He began to lash the ground with his tail, sending up a +cloud of dust that nearly choked the marionette, and repeating all the while in +lion language, "If you move hand or foot, you will die!"</P> +<P> Pinocchio sat still. Another hour passed in silence. +Pinocchio still suffered from the heat and from hunger. Both honey and shade +were within easy reach, and he could enjoy neither.</P> +<P> "What an obstinate beast!" he muttered. "How stupid he is +to wait there! There is enough room in the forest for us both."</P> +<P> But the lion did not move, and Pinocchio's suffering was +great. He was sure now that he was going to die, and he looked sadly at those +wooden legs which had carried him through so many adventures. There was the +shade, but he could not reach it. There was the honey that must not be +touched.</P> +<P> "Eat! eat!" said the honey. "Come! come!" said the +shade.</P> +<P> Fortunately a new character now arrived on the scene. A +magnificent giraffe came along through the bushes, eating the tender shoots as +it approached the spot.Pinocchio saw the giraffe and recognized it at once from +a picture of one he had seen in school. The lion saw it also. What should he do? +Continue to watch the marionette, or attack and carry off the giraffe? He +decided to take the giraffe. As the animal raised its head to bite off the +leaves from a tall acacia, the lion leaped at its throat and killed it. Seizing +the body in his powerful jaws, the lion disappeared through the forest, and +Pinocchio was left behind to have his fill of honey. He ate as he had never +eaten before.</P> +<P> When he could eat no longer he came down from the tree, but +how strange he felt! His eyes were dim, and his head began to swim, while his +legs went here and there in every direction. He could not even talk clearly.</P> +<P> "African honey plays jokes upon those who eat too much of +it!" he seemed to hear some one say. He turned to see who it was that had spoken +to him, but no one was there. The next moment he fell heavily to the ground as +if he had been knocked down with a club.</P> +<P> "That is what happens to greedy boys!" continued the voice +of the little bird who had shown him the honey, but Pinocchio lay fast +asleep.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter025></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Is Brought Before The King</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO had slept for hours when he was aroused by +strange sounds. Were these the voices of human beings.</P> +<P> "Yah! Yah! Hoi! Hoi! Uff! Uff!"</P> +<P> What could it possibly be? The marionette opened an eye, +but quickly shut it again when he saw a number of coal-black faces turned toward +him.</P> +<P> "What do these ugly people want of me?" he asked himself, +as he lay there perfectly still.</P> +<P> When Pinocchio next opened his eyes he saw to his great +surprise that the men had formed a circle about him. At their chief's command +they began to dance. It was all so funny that Pinocchio could hardly keep from +laughing. Then the chief made a sign, at which the savages advanced toward the +marionette, took him up by his arms and legs, and started away with him.</P> +<P> "This is not so bad," thought the marionette.</P> +<P> After a time his bearers laid him gently upon the ground +and commenced to examine him. Pinocchio decided to make believe he was dead.</P> +<P> For that reason he kept his eyes shut tightly and lay +still.</P> +<P> Suddenly there was a great noise. He was startled. Opening +one eye, he saw approaching a chief followed by a crowd of attendants. Judging +from the manner in which the new arrivals were received, they were persons of +high rank. At their approach the savages knelt down, raised their hands high in +the air, and bent their foreheads to the ground.</P> +<P> A man stepped out from the ranks and came toward Pinocchio. +He examined the marionette from head to foot, while all the others looked on in +silence.</P> +<P> When the examination was over the marionette hoped to be +left in peace, but another approached him and went through the same performance. +Then came a third, a fourth, a fifth, and so on.</P> +<P> Pinocchio was somewhat tired of this. As the last one came +up he muttered, "Now I shall see what they are going to do with me."</P> +<P> The man who had first examined Pinocchio now approached him +again, and calling the bearers, said, in a tongue which, curiously enough, the +marionette understood, "Turn the little animal over!"</P> +<P> Upon hearing himself called an animal, Pinocchio was seized +with a mad desire to give his tormentor a kick, but he thought better of it.</P> +<P> The bearers advanced, took the marionette by the shoulders, +and rolled him over.</P> +<P> "Easy! easy! this bed is not too soft," Pinocchio said to +himself.</P> +<P> A second examination followed, and then another command, +"Roll him over again!"</P> +<P> "What do you take me for, a top?" muttered the marionette +in a burst of rage. But he pricked up his ears when the man who had been rolling +him over turned to another and said, "Your majesty!"</P> +<P> Indeed!" thought Pinocchio, "we are not dealing with +ordinary persons! We are beginning to know great people. Let me hear what he has +to say about me to his black majesty," and the marionette listened with the +deepest attention.</P> +<P> "Your majesty, my knowledge of the noble art of cooking +assures me that this creature" - and he gave Pinocchio a kick - "is an animal of +an extinct race. It has been turned into wood, carried by the water to the +beach, and then brought here by the wind."</P> +<P> "Not so bad for a cook," thought Pinocchio. He felt half +inclined to strike out and hit the nose of the wise savage, who had again knelt +down to examine him.</P> +<P> "Your majesty," continued the cook, "this little animal is +dead, because if it were not dead - "</P> +<P> "It would be alive," Pinocchio muttered. "What a beast! How +stupid!"</P> +<P> "Because if it were not dead, it would not be so hard. To +conclude, had it not been made of wood, I could have cooked it for your +majesty's dinner."</P> +<P> Pinocchio said to himself: "Listen to this black rascal! +Eaten alive! What kind of country have I fallen into? What vulgar people! It's +lucky for me that I am made of wood!"</P> +<P> His majesty then commanded that as the animal was not good +to eat it should be buried.</P> +<P> Immediately three or four of the men began to dig a hole, +while the unfortunate marionette, half dead with fright, tried to form some plan +of escape. The time passed. The hole was dug, and the poor fellow could not +think of any plan. Run away! But how? And if they found out that he was alive +would he not be cooked and eaten? The marionette did not know what to do.</P> +<P> In the meantime two men had raised him from the ground and +stood ready to throw him into the hole. Then in spite of himself, the marionette +began to shout at the top of his lungs: "Stop! Stop! I will not be buried alive! +Help! Help! My good Fatina! - Fatina! - my Fatina! Help!"At the first shout the +two men who were holding him let him fall to the ground and started off in a +great fright. All the others followed their example.</P> +<P> "What funny people!" said Pinocchio. "If I had known that +they would all run away like this, I should not have been so uneasy. However, I +really do not know why I have come here. If I only knew where to find diamonds +and gold, it would not be so hard. I might return home to my father, for who +knows how much he is suffering because I am not there!"</P> +<P> At that moment he would have given up the whole trip, but +he was too stupid to keep an idea in his head for more than a few seconds. +Another thought flashed across his mind, and he forgot his poor father.</P> +<P> "If these people run away, it means that they are afraid, +and if they are afraid, it means that they have no courage. Now then, I, being +very brave, may in a short time come to rule over everything in Africa. Perhaps +- who knows! - I may become a king or an emperor!"</P> +<P> Pinocchio, you lazy dreamer, are you never going to learn +wisdom? Only a blockhead like you could be so foolish. A wooden emperor, +indeed!</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter026></A> +<H3>The Monkeys Stone The Marionette</H3> +<P> FILLED with these hopes and forgetting his fright, +Pinocchio set boldly forth without the least alarm at the difficulties of the +journey. He was going merrily along, dreaming of all the great things he would +do as emperor of Africa, when at a turn in the road there came flying after him +a volley of stones. Had any struck him he would have been killed. Astonished and +frightened at this strange turn of affairs, he glanced around, but saw no one. +He looked up at the trees, and then from right to left, but nobody was in +sight.</P> +<P> "This is pleasant!" exclaimed the marionette. "Have those +pebbles fallen from the sky?" And he started to go on his way.</P> +<P> He had taken only a few steps, when a second discharge +drove him to the shelter of a large tree. Thence he looked carefully in the +direction from which the stones continued to come. To his surprise he discovered +among the bushes and twigs a large number of monkeys.</P> +<P> "Well! What is this?" cried the marionette. "Those rogues +must not be allowed to play such mean tricks. I had better be on my guard."</P> +<P> He picked up a stout stick lying on the ground near by. To +his amazement, the monkeys threw away the stones and began to pick up sticks +likewise.</P> +<P> "I hope I shall get through this safely!" thought +Pinocchio. He raised his stick and threatened the whole army of monkeys.</P> +<P> The monkeys, as if obeying his command, raised their sticks +and held them erect, imitating exactly the action of the marionette. Then +Pinocchio lowered his stick, and the monkeys lowered theirs. Again Pinocchio +lifted his stick as high as he could, and the monkeys raised theirs, holding +them stiffly like soldiers on drill.</P> +<P> "Arms rest!" cried Pinocchio.</P> +<P> All the monkeys, imitating the marionette, lowered their +sticks in perfect order, just as soldiers do at the officer's command.</P> +<P> "That's a good idea," thought Pinocchio, "I might become +the leader of the monkeys, and within a month conquer all Africa." And he +laughed at the joke.</P> +<P> The monkeys looked straight at him, standing erect and in +line waiting for further orders.</P> +<P> "Ah! you wish to follow me!" said the marionette. "This +might suit your taste, but not mine, thank you! I will give you marching orders. +Then I shall be left in peace."</P> +<P> Accordingly Pinocchio, who was determined to get away from +these annoying beasts, moved two steps forward. The monkeys advanced two steps +also. Then he took three steps to the rear, and the monkeys went back three +steps.</P> +<P> "At - tention!" and facing about quickly, he started to +run. All the monkeys also turned, and began to run in the direction opposite to +that taken by the marionette. Pinocchio, laughing at his own cunning, went his +way, only now and then turning to watch the dark forms as they disappeared in +the distance.</P> +<P> "They all run away in this country," he said to himself, +and he too ran on, fearing that the worthy beasts would return for further +orders.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter027></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Dreams Again</H3> +<P> "IF these people are such cowards that they run at the +sound of my voice, in a few days I shall be master of all Africa. I shall be a +great man. However, this is a country of hunger and thirst and fatigue. I must +find a place where I can rest a little before I begin my career of +conquest."</P> +<P> Fortune now seemed to favor Pinocchio. Not far off he +thought he saw a group of huts at the foot of a hill. He felt that besides +getting rest and shelter, he might also find something to eat. Greedy +marionette!</P> +<P> As he approached he was struck by the strangeness of these +buildings. They looked like little towers topped with domes. He went along +wondering what race of people lived in houses built without windows or doors. He +saw no one, and he was filled with a sort of fear.</P> +<P> "Shall I go on or not?" he mused. "Perhaps it would be best +to call out, Some one will show me where to go for food and shelter."</P> +<P> "Hello there!" he said in a low voice. No one answered.</P> +<P> "Hello there!" repeated the marionette a little louder. But +there was no answer.</P> +<P> "They are deaf, or asleep, or dead!" concluded the +marionette, after calling out at the top of his voice again and again.</P> +<P> Then he thought it might be a deserted village, and he +entered bravely between the towers. There was no one to be seen. As he stretched +out his tired limbs on the ground he murmured. "Since it is useless to think of +eating, I may at least rest." And in a few minutes he was sound asleep.</P> +<P> He dreamed that he was being pulled along by an army of +small insects that resembled ants. It seemed to him that he was making every +effort to stop them, but he could not succeed. They dragged and rolled him down +a slope toward a frightful precipice, over which he must fall. I even seemed as +if they had entered his mouth by hundreds, busying themselves in tearing out his +tongue. It served him right, too, because his tongue had made many false +promises and caused everybody much suffering."You will never tell any more +lies!" the ants seemed to say.</P> +<P> Then the marionette awoke with a struggle and a cry of +fear. His dream was a reality. He was covered with ants. He brushed them off his +face, his arms, his legs, - in short, his whole body. They had tortured him for +four or five hours, and only the fact that he was made of very hard wood had +saved his life.</P> +<P> "Thanks to my strong constitution." thought the marionette, +"I am as good as new."</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter028></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Is Carried Away In An Eggshell</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO now found himself in a dense growth of shrubbery +which made his progress difficult. He pushed on among the thorny plants. They +would have stopped any one but a wooden marionette. His clothes were torn, to be +sure, but he did not mind that.</P> +<P> "Soon I shall have a suit that will make me look like a +price. Goods of the best quality, and tailoring that has never been equaled! The +gold, the silver, and the diamonds must be found." And he went on at a brisk +gait as if he had been on the highway.</P> +<P> Trees, shrubs, underbrush, nothing else! The scene would +have grown tiresome had it not been for a swarm of butterflies of the most +beautiful and brilliant colors. They flew here and there, now letting themselves +be carried by the wind, now hovering about in search of the flowers hidden in +the thick foliage.From time to time a hare would run between Pinocchio's feet, +and after a few bounds would turn sharply around to stare at him with curious +eyes, as much as to say that a marionette was a comical sight. Young monkeys +peeped through the leaves, laughed at him, and then scampered away.</P> +<P> Pinocchio walked along fearlessly, caring little for what +went on around him, and thinking only of the treasures for which he was +seeking.</P> +<P> On and on he walked until at length he found himself at the +edge of a vast plain. He gave a great sigh of relief. The long march through the +woods had tired him. However, he kept his eyes open, now and then looking down +at his feet to see if any precious stones were lying about. Presently his +attention was drawn to a great hole or nest, in which he saw some white objects +shaped like hen's eggs, but considerably larger than his head.</P> +<P> Curious to see whether or not he could lift one, Pinocchio +approached the nest. Just then he heard a frightful noise behind him.</P> +<P> Turning quickly, the marionette saw a huge bird running +toward him. The next moment a powerful push sent him head over heels upon one of +the eggs! As he fell he heard a loud crash, and at almost the same instant found +himself carried through the air. What had befallen him?</P> +<P> Of course, the hole was the nest of an ostrich. Enraged at +the sight of the broken egg, the fierce bird had seized in its powerful beak +that part of the shell into which the unfortunate marionette had fallen, and was +now rushing across the plain with the swiftness of an express train.</P> +<P> The marionette screamed in terror, and with the stick which +he still held in his hand rained blows upon the bird's long neck. But the blows +had no effect whatever. The furious creature ran and ran and ran. Pinocchio, +gasping for breath, was certain that his end was near.</P> +<P> The mad race lasted for hours. Suddenly the marionette was +thrown into a muddy pool, in which he sank up to his neck like a frog. Having no +desire to be suffocated in the mud, he raised his head a little, although he did +not try to climb out. What he saw surprised him beyond measure.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter029></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Escapes Again</H3> +<P> HIS ostrich was no longer alone. There stood another. The +new arrival, somewhat smaller, but uglier and even more ferocious than the +first, moved cautiously, ready for fight. Suddenly Pinocchio saw the gleam of a +knife, and an instant later the ostrich that had carried him thus far fell to +the ground, wounded to death. The marionette could not understand how it was +possible for a bird to carry a knife hidden beneath its wings and to make use of +it. Yet the thing had happened right before his eyes; there was no doubt about +it.</P> +<P> While seeking an explanation for his very strange incident, +he saw the victorious ostrich draw first one arm, then the other, from beneath +its feathers, and finally take off its beak and place it upon the ground. The +second ostrich was a man.</P> +<P> Pinocchio now began to understand what had happened, and to +hate the trickster who had put on the feathers of an ostrich, in order to attack +and kill the poor creature that lay there breathing its last.</P> +<P> The man approached the dying ostrich and tried to lift the +huge bird to his shoulders, but in spite of his great strength he failed. Then +looking about in search of help, he saw the marionette, whose head was out of +the water, and signaled to him to come ashore. Pinocchio would have refused, but +there was the knife lying on the ground, and there was the man. He decided to +obey.</P> +<P> He came out of the pond as best he could, and the ugly +black man began to laugh. He laughed and laughed until he was able to stand no +longer, and could only throw himself upon the ground, where he lay, breathless +and weak. The marionette, seeing this, said to himself: "If I do not escape now, +it will be my own fault. My dear legs, it is no dishonor to run when you must!" +and he went on at a gallop toward a hill which could be seen a short distance +away.</P> +<P> "May you die of laughing, you villain!" he cried as he +ran.</P> +<P> Presently he was somewhat alarmed to discover that the man +was running after him. Feeling sure, however, that he could easily outrun his +pursuer, he halted a moment, as if waiting for him. The man was hurrying on, +thinking that the boy could go no farther, when the saucy marionette, putting +his hand to his mouth, shouted "Cuckoo!" Then at a pace swifter than the wind he +set off once more, pausing now and again to call out, "Cuckoo! Cuckoo!"</P> +<P> Pinocchio had nearly reached the top of the hill, and the +man was halfway up, when a loud roar made them both stop. Turning around, they +saw that a lion was carrying off the dead ostrich. At that, the hunter thrust +his fingers into his curly hair, and without paying further attention to the +marionette, started off to regain the knife, which was still lying where it had +fallen.</P> +<P> "Tit for tat," Pinocchio shouted after him, and went on up +the hill.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter030></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Is Swallowed By A Crocodile</H3> +<P> WHEN Pinocchio reached the top of the hill he looked around +for a place where he could rest. He thought of the lion that had carried off the +ostrich, and he did not like the idea of meeting him. Fortunately there were no +signs of life, but neither was there any place where he could sit down in +comfort. Sand and rocks, rocks and sand were everywhere. In the distance he saw +water.</P> +<P> "At any rate," he said, "I shall at least be able to wash +myself;" and he turned his footsteps toward the water.</P> +<P> He arrived before long at the water's edge. How fresh and +clean it was! He was so dusty and tired that there was only one thing to do, +take a bath! When Pinocchio decided upon a course of action he did not hesitate. +In an instant he was undressed.</P> +<P> As he started toward the water a voice cried, "Pinocchio! +Pinocchio!"</P> +<P> "Oh, let Pinocchio alone!" the marionette said, and leaped +into the air.</P> +<P> Horrors! As he came flying down, a green mass rose to the +surface of the river. It was a crocodile! Pinocchio saw it and shuddered, but +there was no time to cry out. Down, down he went into that open mouth! But +wooden marionettes are always fortunate. The crocodile's throat was so wide that +Pinocchio slipped into the stomach of the creature with great ease. Not even a +scratch! As he was accustomed to being under water and inside the bodies of +animals, he was not at all frightened. In fact, when he noticed that he was +being carried down to the bottom of the river, where it was cool and refreshing, +he uttered no word of complaint, but rather enjoyed the experience.The crocodile +crawled in to a cave, and prepared to digest the marionette at its leisure. +Pinocchio was naturally annoyed at this and began to kick and squirm about.</P> +<P> At first this did not seem to cause any ill effects, but +Pinocchio kicked and struggled until the poor reptile could not help wondering +what the trouble was, and began to twist and shake its whole body. Pinocchio did +not stop. Presently the crocodile decided to return to the surface and deposit +the marionette upon the bank. Pinocchio desired nothing better. As soon as he +saw a ray of light he became very quiet. The crocodile, now that the trouble +seemed over, was about to return to its cave, but it had made this plan without +consulting our wooden marionette.</P> +<P> "Suppose I let the beast carry me a short distance! I can +make it throw me upon the bank later as well as now! It may carry me to some +place where - enough, I am going to try it! A green ship, without sails, without +engines, and without a crew, is not to be found every day. Boo! boo! boo!" +muttered the marionette.</P> +<P> The crocodile, frightened at the strange noises inside its +body, began to swim with all its strength. It swam and swam and swam! When it +slowed up the marionette continued, "Boo! boo! boo!" and the crocodile went on +faster than ever.</P> +<P> The poor creature became thoroughly exhausted, and fairly +wept with anger and fright, but the strange voice went on without ceasing.</P> +<P> At last, growing desperate, the crocodile stopped, opened +its huge jaws, and with a great effort sent the marionette flying through the +air to the bank of the river; then it disappeared in the deep water.</P> +<P> "Pleasant trip home! Remember me to everybody!" cried +Pinocchio as he leaped about joyously.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter031></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Is Made Emperor</H3> +<P> FINDING himself without any clothes, the marionette began +to think of his condition. To go back and search for his suit was out of the +question. To go about in that state did not seem proper, although he knew that +the Africans in general were dressed in the same fashion.</P> +<P> Finally he decided to make himself a suit of leaves. There +were some beautiful ones near by that were just suited to the purpose. He knew +how to go to work, for at home he had often made clothes out of shavings and +twigs. He set about his task at once and in a short time had made a garment that +reached from his waist down to his knees. He was busy selecting the leaves for a +coat when he happened to raise his eyes, and saw a crowd of men and women +rushing about as if either very happy or frantic with terror.</P> +<P> "Lunatics!" he murmured, and went on with his work, for he +disliked to be seen half-dressed. All at once the marionette heard a hissing, +humming sound. A cloud of arrows fell around him. He was amazed and terrified, +not by the arrows, for what harm could arrows do to him? - but by the idea that +this meant more trouble for Pinocchio.</P> +<P> "So long as they shoot, I fear nothing; but if they try to +capture me, I may have to jump into the river and take to my green ship."</P> +<P> The arrows continued to fall like hailstones on his +shoulders, on his breast, on his arms and legs; but of course they dropped to +the ground without doing any harm. The natives were astonished. They looked at +one another in blank surprise.</P> +<P> Pinocchio, weary of the game, turned in anger toward them +and shouted: "Give up shooting, stupid ones! Do you not see that you are wasting +your time?"They had already perceived that this was true, and they stopped +shooting. A group braver than the rest now approached the marionette and +surrounded him. One of them shouted, "Hoa! Hoi! Hoi!"</P> +<P> "Pinocchio!" answered the marionette.</P> +<P> "Yah! Yah! Yah!"</P> +<P> "Pinocchio!" the boy repeated. "Are you deaf?"</P> +<P> Then they began to shout in chorus: "Yah! Yah! Hoi! Hoi! +Uff! Uff! Uff!"</P> +<P> And Pinocchio replied: "Yah! Yah! Hoi! Hoi! Uff! Uff! +Uff!</P> +<P> This conversation soon began to be wearisome, and Pinocchio +tried to escape. It was too late. The Africans, quick as a flash, closed in +about him and, seizing him by the legs, raised him from the ground, shouting: +"Long live our emperor, Pinocchio the First! Long live our emperor, +Pinocchio!"</P> +<P> Pinocchio had never dreamed of such a welcome.</P> +<P> "Long live Pinocchio!"</P> +<P> "Ah! at last! I knew that in Africa my greatness would be +recognized. Now I shall be revenged on you, my dear restaurant-keeper, and on +you, dear policemen, who wanted to arrest me. Old man, you who wanted to sell me +for a rhinoceros horn, now it is my turn!" Thus thought Pinocchio.</P> +<P> This was his first triumph. Flocking like ravens, his +African subjects came to render homage to the new emperor, who was carried aloft +on willing shoulders. As he passed, all bowed to the ground and then followed in +his train. Such a multitude joined the procession that it looked, from a +distance, like a vast blot of ink. They went along singing the praises of +Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all the African kings, sent from heaven +to earth to replace the late emperor, who had died the preceding day.</P> +<P> As they marched a great chorus chanted: "He was to come +forth from the mouth of a crocodile! He was to remain unharmed by poisoned +arrows! He was to have a wooden head! Long live our emperor, Pinocchio the +First! Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!"</P> +<P> "They shot poisoned arrows at me!" thought the marionette. +"That is the way they treated their future king. Lucky for me that I am made of +wood, very hard wood too! How fortunate that I came to Africa as a marionette! +If I had been a real boy, there would be little to say about Pinocchio now."</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter032></A> +<H3>His First Night As Emperor</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO, his heart filled with joy, entered the capital +of his new empire amid the shouts of the people who crowded the streets. The +children, rolling on the ground in glee, raised such a dust that one could +hardly see.</P> +<P> Forward, forward, they marched through the streets until +the main square was reached. The city was not a large city. Pinocchio was a +little disappointed. The houses were only huts plastered with mud. The streets +and even the main square were dirty.</P> +<P> "I will change all that," Pinocchio gravely said to +himself. "I will build a new city." To the marionette such a task appeared to be +an easy matter.</P> +<P> In a corner of the square stood a hut somewhat larger than +the others. This was the royal palace. Pinocchio was not pleased. The king of +all Africa should have something far better than this. However, he thought it +would not do, just at this time, to utter any words of complaint.</P> +<P> In the huts about the palace lived the people of the court. +These were the advisers and the leaders, who stood ready to carry out the +commands of his majesty.</P> +<P> Like many another in such a situation, Pinocchio did +nothing but bow his head in agreement with everything that was said to him. This +greatly pleased the people of the court and gained for him their admiration and +applause. They called him Pinocchio the Wise!</P> +<P> Night came and all the people withdrew. The emperor was +left alone with his servant, a gigantic African, who invited his majesty to pass +into the royal bedchamber.</P> +<P> The furniture was as simple as the palace itself. A string, +stretched across the room, served as a clothes-hanger. The bed was a leopard's +skin that swung from four poles. Having displayed with pride these equipments, +the servant pointed to a frying pan, which was to be struck with a wooden mallet +in case his majesty desired to call the attendants. He then withdrew from the +chamber, bowing as he went out.</P> +<P> "Apparently they do not eat here," said the marionette. +"Maybe these people think that an emperor is never hungry! However, night passes +quickly." Then he undressed himself and lay down. He was quite tired out, and he +felt sure that in a few moments he should be fast asleep. But soon he began to +roll and toss about uneasily. The bed was hard and uncomfortable. He opened his +eyes. There was a spider crawling over him, and he shivered. Other spiders, as +large as crabs, were creeping quietly over the ground and the walls as if this +was their home and not the king's!</P> +<P> There was one spider twice as large as the others. Surely +he was the head of that large family. He fixed his fiery eyes upon the +marionette and spoke in the voice of the Talking Cricket: "Where have you come +from - fool that you are? What do you think you have gained by becoming the +emperor of these people? Return to your home, and be content to be a boy like +the rest, and to learn a trade by which you may help your father and be happy +yourself."</P> +<P> Upon hearing these familiar words the marionette wanted to +beat the pan and call for help, but, he reflected, this would show that he +lacked courage and might lower him in the eyes of his subjects. So he endured +his fate, thinking: "A night soon passes. To-morrow night I will have a sentinel +on guard." And he drew himself up, mallet in hand, ready to fight the spiders if +they came too near him. All was still, and Pinocchio tried a second time to +close his eyes to sleep.</P> +<P> "Buzz! buzz! buzz!"</P> +<P> The place swarmed with flies.</P> +<P> "Zz! zz! Zeeee, zeeee, smm, zmmm!"</P> +<P> Out in the night frogs croaked, birds cried, wild animals +howled.</P> +<P> "What a place to sleep in!" whined the poor emperor, +flinging himself about on his hard bed.</P> +<P> Then he thought of his own small cot, neat and clean, in +which he had so often peacefully slept and dreamed pleasant dreams. It will not +seem strange that Pinocchio wished that he were at home again, instead of being +a king in Africa.</P> +<P> Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all the African +kings, passed a very wretched night. He felt hot and feverish, and he was afraid +that he was going to die before morning came.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter033></A> +<H3>He Sends For The Royal Doctor</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO presently became very anxious about his health. +He was sure that the night's troubles had brought on a high fever, and this, of +course, would keep him from attending to affairs of state. At dawn, therefore, +Pinocchio the First rapped the pan and sent for the doctor of the court. He was +an old man, with a long white beard. Having listened to the emperor's lament, +the doctor drew out a string of beads from his breast, threw them on the floor, +and examined them closely, all the time murmuring strange words. Then he began +to count the beads. At the end of a quarter of an hour he said that his royal +majesty was in excellent health and need not worry.</P> +<P> The marionette's rage knew no bounds, but it would not do +to complain at the very beginning of his career. He thanked the worthy doctor +therefore, and dismissed him with a polite nod of the head. Then he again rapped +furiously on the pan. There promptly appeared eight or ten servants, who first +knelt down at the foot of the imperial bed, and then advancing with every sign +of respect, raised his majesty gently, and placed him upon a panther's skin that +was stretched upon the floor.Pinocchio allowed them to proceed, until they began +to cover his body with oil. At this, he asked why they anointed him in such a +manner.</P> +<P> "To make you clean, your majesty," answered the servants, +very respectfully.</P> +<P> "Fine cleaning!" thought the marionette. "How are my face +and hands to get washed this morning? Never mind. Let us see what comes +next."</P> +<P> This first operation ended, Pinocchio the First was made to +sit cross-legged to have his hair combed. His attendants covered his hair with a +purple cream and then sprinkled over it a golden powder.</P> +<P> Pinocchio's joy upon seeing that glittering substance knew +no bounds, but he overheard one of the servants say in a melancholy undertone: +"What a pity his majesty has not a black complexion such as we have! What a +pity! What a pity!"</P> +<P> The marionette was moved to the bottom of his heart, and he +was about to say, "You may be sure, my dear subjects, I shall do the best I can +to become black," when he heard footsteps approach.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter034></A> +<H3>An Old Story</H3> +<P> THE grand chamberlain was announced.</P> +<P> This grave person had come to inquire about his majesty's +health, and at the same time to notify him that the council had fixed the day +for the coronation.</P> +<P> Pinocchio the First listened and approved. The grand +chamberlain, very much pleased with his reception, made a deep bow, and was +apparently about to retire, when, as if he had forgotten something important, he +approached the emperor again and said with great respect, "Your majesty, in the +name of the council I must announce to you that to-morrow the lessons +begin."</P> +<P> "What lessons?" said the marionette, feeling a chill creep +down his back.</P> +<P> "Ah! I will explain," the chamberlain replied meekly. "The +things that your majesty must do to straighten out the affairs of state are very +simple. Only two words are needed, 'Yes' and 'No!' But to say 'Yes' or 'No' at +the proper time requires at least one month of instruction. To make sure that +you learn, there will be, twice each day, a punishment of ten lashes of the +whip, to be given your majesty on whatever part of the body you may desire. +However, in view of the present wisdom of your majesty, the council has agreed +that the lessons and the lashings may be delayed till the end of the month, if +your majesty so decides."</P> +<P> Pinocchio had listened gloomily until he heard the last +words, and then he came near laughing outright. He kept his face very serious, +however, and bowed his head as if in deep thought. After a long silence he said, +"I have decided to leave the lessons till the end of the month."</P> +<P> The grand chamberlain made a profound bow and went out.</P> +<P> The servants went away also, and Pinocchio, finding himself +alone, jumped about in great glee.</P> +<P> "Compulsory fiddlesticks! What blockheads they were to +think that I was going to start to-day! At the end of the month, perhaps! There +are still thirty days, and in thirty days what may not happen!" And he looked +about quite satisfied with himself. He was sure that everything would go well +during his stay in Africa.</P> +<P> "If they sprinkled my hair with gold, they will fill my +pockets with money," he thought. And then to his surprise he found that the suit +they had put on him had no pockets.</P> +<P> "I shall make pockets as soon as I have time," he said, and +striking the pan, ordered the servants to bring in his breakfast.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter035></A> +<H3>His Duties As Emperor</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO was served with a piece of elephant's nose, +cooked in a highly seasoned sauce. How he twisted his face and ground his teeth! +Evidently the meal was not to his liking. He would have preferred some fish, +some grapes, and a dozen figs, but he was ashamed to ask for these dainties. He +gulped down the food as best he could, and drank from a gourd a great deal of +water; then he felt more comfortable.</P> +<P> His ministers had been waiting some time, and Pinocchio did +not think it wise to prolong his first meal. With a truly stately stride he +entered the audience chamber.</P> +<P> Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all Africa, felt +it to be his first duty to express his gratitude for the magnificent reception +that had been given to him. The ministers made an equally polite response.</P> +<P> Persons of rank now came to pay homage to the new king. +Among them were great chiefs of tribes, princes, and kings of the neighboring +states. Pinocchio received them all with much pomp. This sort of thing was at +first very pleasing to him. But day after day the visitors and the feasts +continued. As Pinocchio was the host, he had to eat with all these newcomers. He +became very stout, and his jaws ached from so much chewing. Eating was becoming +a burden to him. He even longed for the days when he had gone hungry. However, +one must take things as they come and be ready to suffer for the good of one's +country.</P> +<P> One day there came to the court three kings, the most +powerful within a range of a thousand miles. The first was clad in a white +skirt, and a military coat which he had bought from an English captain. He came +with his head uncovered and a high hat in his hand. The second wore an old +helmet on the back of his head. The third carried a clumsy sword in one hand and +in the other a broken umbrella.</P> +<P> They bowed to the ground very respectfully, and then each +in turn slapped Pinocchio in the face.</P> +<P> The marionette, who did not expect this sort of greeting, +was about to express his anger, when the master of ceremonies whispered in his +ear that such a greeting was given only to great people.</P> +<P> "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," thought Pinocchio, and +he smiled at the visitors.</P> +<P> Dinner was then announced. Pinocchio felt sick at the +thought of eating again. It was the fifth time that day, and the sun was still +high in the sky, but of course it was not proper to dismiss three kings without +having feasted them.</P> +<P> They went out to the dining room, which was under a tree. +Beneath the branches were more than a thousand people. They all sat on the +ground, and were waited upon by tall young men, who carried around large plates +of meat.The three kings gave themselves up to the joys of eating. They took +their food in their hands and swallowed it without even stopping to chew it. +Each man ate enough to satisfy a score of ordinary people, for African kings are +great eaters. The poor marionette tried to eat as much as the others did. He +felt that his reputation depended upon it. How he suffered!</P> +<P> At sunset, when all had satisfied their hunger, there was +placed before them a strange-looking affair with a long tube fastened to it. A +disagreeable smoke came out of it.</P> +<P> "What new thing is this?" thought the marionette, but he +did not say a word, for by this time he had learned that an emperor must appear +to know everything.</P> +<P> The matter, however, was quickly made clear. The outfit was +a huge pipe, with a long mouthpiece. The master of ceremonies presented the +mouthpiece to the emperor and asked him to have the kindness to smoke.</P> +<P> "What blockheads!" the marionette muttered to himself. "I +never smoke anything but the finest cigars!"</P> +<P> Still, he considered it wise to make no objections. He +puffed twice on the pipe stem, and then passed it to the king that sat at his +right hand.</P> +<P> The king drew a mouthful and then passed the pipe to his +next neighbor. Thus the pipe moved along in regular order until it came back to +Pinocchio. Poor Pinocchio! he was already feeling a little queer after his first +attempt, and did not enjoy the idea of smoking again; but he knew that he must +live up to the reputation of a great emperor. Accordingly he bravely took the +pipe and puffed half a dozen times.</P> +<P> Alas! It would have been better for him had he not tried it +again! He was wretchedly sick. His head swam dizzily, and the sweat stood out on +his forehead. He tried to hide his feelings by talking, but what he said was +sheer nonsense.</P> +<P> "When I was king in my own country, the Talking Cricket +told me - because my feet burned - that the alphabet had been swallowed by the +cat - that was hung to a tree by a dog - that was owned by the director of the +circus."</P> +<P> He gazed around him, frightened at his own words, but he +saw the flushed faces of the people and heard them whisper: "The sea talks - " +"The sun is filled with stars - " "The tiger laughs - " "The summer is red - " +and similar phrases equally sensible.</P> +<P> "What is the matter with everybody?" thought the +marionette, as he looked about, and saw one of the kings asleep on the ground +beside him. Other forms were stretched out around them. Even as he looked, +Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all Africa, fell over on his wooden +nose, and he too was soon fast asleep.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter036></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Makes His First Address</H3> +<P> THE next day was a splendid one. The sky was a clear blue, +the earth was green and fresh. Thousands upon thousands shouted with joy. +Pinocchio was to be crowned king and emperor.</P> +<P> He had carefully prepared the royal address, and came +proudly forward mounted upon a large elephant, towering above his people. The +trumpets sounded, the drums beat, the children rolled on the ground. At a signal +from the master of ceremonies all was still. Even the birds ceased to sing. A +troop of monkeys, leaping about in the trees, paused to listen. The emperor +spoke as follows:</P> +<P> "Ministers of Africa, officers of the army, chiefs and +underchiefs, servants and slaves, men, women, and children, all, beloved +subjects, listen to the voice of your emperor!" - and Pinocchio looked around at +the multitude.</P> +<P> "We, Pinocchio the First, speak to you, and bring to you +the word of peace and of love. A new day is about to open to you. Rejoice, O +people! We have concluded to bring happiness to every heart and riches to every +home. We shall not reveal all the plans which, in time, we hope to see carried +out. We shall begin very modestly. Our first gift to you, O people, is Time. +Time is very valuable. We have a great deal of it in store. Our kingdom is rich +in Time; therefore we have decreed to give each of you as much Time as you want. +How can we be more generous!</P> +<P> "Behold the bright sun in the clear blue sky! There is not +its equal anywhere else in the world. Kings are proud of it. We, your emperor +and ruler, have decreed that every one of you, our faithful subjects, may enjoy +the sunlight free of any charge, without tax or duty. Can we be more +unselfish?</P> +<P> "You hear the song of the birds, the voices of the animals, +the rustling of the leaves in the wind! These also we give you to enjoy at your +leisure, and without expense.</P> +<P> "There is one thing, however, that needs our special +notice, and this we shall now bring to your attention. Remember, we shall +enforce with all our power this law we are about to propose."</P> +<P> Here Pinocchio placed his hand upon his breast and looked +toward the sky.</P> +<P> "We will never introduce into our kingdom that shameful +system which brings sorrow to many countries known to us. We speak of the +horrible scheme called Compulsory Education! What a disgrace it is, beloved +subjects, to see so many bright, intelligent children seated for hours and hours +before books which ruin their eyesight! The eye is a precious jewel, and it is +improved, not by books, but by looking here and there, above and below, +everywhere and anywhere, as the butterflies and the birds do. Let us teach our +children as nature teaches us. Let us burn our books and our schools. Do not +drive our dear little ones to silly words and cruel numbers. It makes our heart +bleed to see parents call their children from some pleasant game and shut them +up in ugly schoolrooms."</P> +<P> At this point Pinocchio was so moved that he had to stop. +He looked around at the many mothers, and saw them wipe the tears from their +eyes. Proud of the impression his words had made on these kind hearts, he went +on in a tone so pathetic that it touched even the elephant which carried +him."These are gentle tears, dear subjects, and they show how noble are your +hearts. You love your children. We ourselves will never see them suffer. No, a +thousand times no! We are not so cruel as to tear you away from your dear ones. +They may continue to roll upon the grass, free as the birds that fly. They are +free to hunt for crickets, to steal birds' nests, to bite and to kick each +other, to run and play in the fields and woods with the monkeys.</P> +<P> "We consider these exercises very necessary, and whenever +the grave affairs of the state will permit we will visit you and encourage these +sports. You perceive that in this matter you owe much to your emperor, who was +made to go to school, and who saw the evils of education. Alas! too many of his +young companions were completely ruined so far as their eyes and brains were +concerned.</P> +<P> "Officers and soldiers, ministers of the crown, beloved +subjects, we, Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King, ask you to shout with all +the breath in your lungs: 'Down with Compulsory Education! Down with the +school!'"</P> +<P> A deafening roar, louder than thunder, arose from the +people: "Down with Compulsory Education! Down with the school!"</P> +<P> This speech was followed by a review of the troops, which +lasted till night.</P> +<P> Emperor Pinocchio, tired but satisfied, then returned in +state to the royal palace.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter037></A> +<H3>The Emperor Becomes As Black As A Crow</H3> +<P> IT was no easy matter to be an emperor. There was a great +deal of work to be done, and work was always tiresome to Pinocchio. Each day he +must get out of bed at a fixed hour, and allow himself to be washed and oiled. +Then came breakfast, and after that the ministers with the affairs of state.</P> +<P> True, his work did not seem hard. He had only to say "Yes" +or "No." But in the task of deciding whether it should be "Yes" or "No" lay the +real difficulty.</P> +<P> Sometimes he would be left with only a few servants, among +them some boys to entertain him or to drive away the flies with big feather +dusters, which tickled his nose and made him sneeze. These were pleasant moments +in his life, but he was often bored, and being a cunning rogue he thought out a +plan by which once in a while he could be freed from care.</P> +<P> Among the boys at the court was one who resembled him in +all things except in the color of his skin. What had Pinocchio planned?</P> +<P> One day, while strolling through the woods near the +capital, he called the boy to him and taking his arm, said to him in a gentle +voice, "Do you love your emperor?"</P> +<P> "Is it necessary to ask, your majesty?" replied the boy, +moved to tears at such an honor.</P> +<P> "And should you like to do your emperor a favor?"</P> +<P> "Your majesty, to do you a service I would go at once, with +only my feather duster to protect me, and pinch a boa constrictor's tongue!"</P> +<P> "Good!" replied Pinocchio. "You are a fine lad, and you +will become a great man. But let us put aside boa constrictors for the time. I +have often been sad because I am not like my subjects. I should like to color my +skin so that it would be like a native's, dear Marameho, like yours. You know +how pleased the ministers would be."</P> +<P> "Your majesty, it would be the brightest day of our +lives!"</P> +<P> "Good boy!" exclaimed the marionette. "If you always answer +so well, I promise you the place of keeper of the king's treasures."</P> +<P> The boy's eyes shone.</P> +<P> "Well, can it be done?" asked the marionette.</P> +<P> "Nothing more simple, your majesty," replied Marameho. "I +know of a plant, the fruit of which will serve our purpose."</P> +<P> "When can we get this wonderful dye?"</P> +<P> "To-day, if your majesty will permit me to absent myself +for a short time," replied Marameho with great respect.</P> +<P> "Go, go at once," ordered the marionette, greatly +delighted. "But wait; there is something more. We are alone and may drop our +titles. Your majesty, your highness, weary me to death. Call me plain Pinocchio, +and I will call you my dear Marameho."</P> +<P> The poor boy was overcome with all this kindness, and +planting a kiss upon the point of his emperor's nose, he vanished through the +trees.</P> +<P> The next day a proclamation was made throughout the empire. +His royal and imperial highness had become as black as the blackest of his +subjects.The ministers were joyous, and they celebrated this happy event with a +great feast. That day they did nothing but eat and dance.</P> +<P> As a rule the emperor, of course, could not take part in +such amusements. It was his business to sit upon the throne while the ministers +and the people danced and played before him. This time, however, the ancient law +was broken. Pinocchio danced like a madman the entire night, while the faithful +Marameho, clothed in the emperor's garments, sat upon the throne. No one even +dreamed of the exchange.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter038></A> +<H3>The Hippopotamus Hunt</H3> +<P> THE next day was set aside for a hunt in honor of the young +emperor, Pinocchio the First. He would have been content to stay home, but this +would have been taken as a grave insult to the people.</P> +<P> A herd of hippopotamuses had been discovered a few miles +from the capital. His ministers agreed that the emperor must go. There was +nothing else for him to do.</P> +<P> Besides, the hunt was for scientific purposes. As Pinocchio +had made known his views on schools, he could do no less than encourage this +expedition, which was the only educational training allowed in the country.</P> +<P> The hunters, in fact, were persons of high rank, who spent +their time in searching for traces of wild animals. It seemed strange to +Pinocchio that these learned hunters did not study how to protect their animals, +instead of trying to kill them.</P> +<P> "I suppose it is the custom of the country," thought the +marionette.</P> +<P> Two hours before sunrise the leaders in the hunt, armed +with bows, arrows, and javelins, stood before the royal palace waiting for the +emperor. He was to ride on the back of a bull, which the prime minister held by +a rope.</P> +<P> They were not kept waiting long. Pinocchio the First came +forth with a pleasant smile upon his lips. Inwardly, he was very angry, but +little did his faithful subjects suspect how he felt.</P> +<P> "A fine time for a king to rise!" he thought. "Am I or am I +not emperor? If I am emperor, I should sleep as long as I wish, eat what I +please, and do anything I like. It seems to me that I am the slave of my people +rather than their ruler. Wait, my dear subjects; I will soon prove to you what +stuff I am made of."</P> +<P> The people waited. The ministers explained to the emperor +that he was to ride on the bull.</P> +<P> "My dear subjects, have you lost your senses?" thought the +marionette. "I certainly will not ride on a bull. How long have bulls been used +as horses? This beast will hurl me into the first ditch we come to. A fine +regard you have for your emperor! I almost begin to believe that you want to get +rid of me and have another king."</P> +<P> However, there was no way of escape, and he decided to do +as he was told. He leaped squarely upon the bull, and calmly sat there. The +bull, fortunately, did not move.</P> +<P> "Good beast!" said Pinocchio, somewhat encouraged, as he +gave the signal to depart.</P> +<P> The sun was already up when they reached the river where +the hunt was to take place.</P> +<P> Hippopotamus hunting is a very dangerous sport, but it was +one that the people dearly loved.</P> +<P> Scouts were sent on ahead while the hunters crawled like +snakes through the high, thick grass. As they neared the river, they became very +careful. With their eyes fixed, their ears wide open, their spears firmly +grasped, they were ready to attack at any moment.</P> +<P> Pinocchio pretended that he was suffering with a pain in +the left foot, and slowly dropped behind the others. He had never had any great +liking for the hunt. He felt annoyed that he should always have to do things +that he did not enjoy. He would have stayed where he was, but the prime minister +came along in search of him.</P> +<P> Tired of the insolence of this man, the marionette thrust +back his hat with a bold sweep of his hand, as if to say, "Now I shall show you +who I am, and who I was." Pinocchio then hastened toward the river, reaching the +bank at the very moment when the hunters had started a large hippopotamus out of +the weeds.</P> +<P> The huge animal tried to get away and made for the +river.</P> +<P> "Some one must jump into the water and kill it with the +javelin," said the prime minister. Nobody stirred.</P> +<P> Suddenly a loud voice rang through the stillness:</P> +<P> "I will go."</P> +<P> And Pinocchio, amid shouts of admiration and terror from +his subjects, dived into the river and swam toward the animal.</P> +<P> The hippopotamus scented the enemy and turned upon him, but +the nimble marionette, swimming around the great creature, grasped it by its +short, thick tail.</P> +<P> When the beast felt itself gently pulled in this manner it +began to turn round and round like a dog chasing a troublesome fly.</P> +<P> This performance, which was both funny and terrible, lasted +for fully five minutes. During all that time Pinocchio did nothing but laugh. He +did not seem to realize what would happen to him if he were clutched by those +terrible jaws.</P> +<P> At length the animal, blind with rage, plunged below the +surface of the water, leaving the marionette and the others dumbfounded.</P> +<P> This adventure increased tenfold the admiration of the +black hunters for their emperor, although it was not wholly satisfactory to the +chief cook of the royal household, who had already planned a great dinner. But +Pinocchio quickly consoled him, assuring him that when it came to eating the +tongue and feet of a hippopotamus, the emperor would cheerfully forego the +pleasure.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter039></A> +<H3>The Emperor Surprises His Subjects By His Wisdom</H3> +<P> PINOCCHIO'S power grew greater and greater. The courage +shown by him in the hand-to-hand fight with the hippopotamus had made a great +impression on the ministers.</P> +<P> The grand council, for instance, had assembled the high +court of justice, which was to try a large number of important cases. The very +next morning the wise and brave Pinocchio was urged to pass judgment upon the +cases to be presented that day.</P> +<P> Pinocchio thought of playing the usual trick upon his +ministers by placing Marameho in his seat; but this was an important affair, and +must be attended to in person.</P> +<P> "Dignitaries! chamberlains! ministers! royal judges! +guards! To the court!"</P> +<P> The persons called came forward and knelt down to kiss the +earth before his majesty; then, rising, they all moved on to the court of +justice.</P> +<P> Beneath a canopy of ostrich feathers, held aloft by a +stately African, walked Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all the African +kings. He was wrapped in a large green and red cloak covered with precious +stones, that is to say, with bits of broken glass of all colors, and shining +pebbles collected with great labor from the rich mines of the country.</P> +<P> The court was to sit in the open air. This greatly pleased +Pinocchio, for the day was very beautiful. When his majesty arrived all the +great crowd of people knelt and buried their heads in their hands. They did not +rise till the judges were comfortably seated on the bare ground.</P> +<P> At a signal from the emperor the first case was called. +There appeared two men, each with his head completely covered by a large bag +which had in it holes for eyes and mouth. The men bowed again and again to his +highness and to the court, scraping their noses along the ground. At last they +stood stiff and erect like posts.</P> +<P> The grand chamberlain made a sign to Pinocchio, and his +majesty, turning to one of the men, asked, "What brings you before the emperor's +court?"</P> +<P> The person addressed twisted his whole body and sprinkled +sand over his head. Finally he said, "There was once - "</P> +<P> "A king!" thought Pinocchio, "Is he going to tell a story? +I, for one, should be pleased. African stories must be amusing."</P> +<P> "There was once an old man - a kind old man - blacker than +I am, who had many sons, and I was one of them. For this reason, the old man, +being my father - "</P> +<P> "He was his son. He reasons well," thought the marionette, +but he did not move an eyelash, pretending to be all attention.</P> +<P> "For this reason, the old man, my father, sent me to tend +his flocks. One night I arrived at the brink of the river to water the flock. +There I discovered that a sheep was missing. I was heartbroken over this, and, +not wishing to return home without my little sheep, I searched everywhere, but +in vain. The sheep could not be found. I sat down and began to weep. Behind me +was a thick cane field. Upon a rock within the field was that man, with a sheep +between his knees. I rushed to the spot and shouted out to him, 'Why have you +stolen my sheep?' He appeared not to hear me. 'Why have you stolen my sheep?' It +was like talking to a stone. Blinded by anger, I drew nearer. When he saw me +approach he arose and ran away. I hastened to my sheep and raised it from the +ground, and then I saw - it horrifies me to tell it - that what I held in my +hand was only the sheep's coat. The robber had eaten the rest. My sheep! My poor +little sheep! I shall never see it again!"</P> +<P> Pinocchio was greatly touched by this pitiful tale. He had +just opened his mouth to pronounce a terrible sentence upon the thief, who was +standing motionless as a statue, when the minister whispered to him to listen to +the other side of the story. With an angry look Pinocchio ordered the accused +man to speak.</P> +<P> He started as if he had been roused from deep thought, +gazed around, and then said in a grave, slow voice, "The sun shines - "</P> +<P> "What kind of speech is he going to make?" thought +Pinocchio. "Is it necessary for him to say that the sun shines?"</P> +<P> And as the rogue went on to speak of starry skies, blue +waters, and things of that sort, the marionette lost his patience and shouted, +"But did you or did you not eat the sheep?"</P> +<P> "Your majesty," replied the man, "certainly I ate the +sheep! Ask, however, who, on the day before, ate three fingers from my left +hand!"</P> +<P> "Your majesty, I was hungry - " groaned the shepherd. "I +was very hungry."</P> +<P> Pinocchio shuddered. "What kind of people are these? What +sort of place have I fallen into? Fortunately for me I am made of wood."</P> +<P> Meanwhile the two had lowered their heads, waiting for +their sentence. Pinocchio was too much shocked to say a word.</P> +<P> The grand chamberlain came to his aid and whispered +something in his ear.</P> +<P> "Speak!" replied the marionette, "I bid you speak, for +whatever you do is well done."</P> +<P> The minister was pleased at the faith his majesty had in +him. He turned his dark face toward the two offenders and said, "One sheep and +three fingers! You shall both be hanged."</P> +<P> Pinocchio, half-dazed, watched the minister.</P> +<P> Case followed case, and at the end of each one Pinocchio +said to the minister, "Act. I bid you act. What you do is always well done."</P> +<P> The minister knew so well how to act that on this one day +there were sentences amounting to five hundred years of imprisonment, and two +hundred years at hard labor, while a thousand prisoners were to be lashed, and +one hundred were condemned to die.Justice had been done. The emperor Pinocchio +was led back to the royal palace amid the shouts of the people. He was declared +to be the mildest, the wisest, and the most just of all kings, past, present, +and future.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter040></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Travels Through The Empire</H3> +<P> IN order that his faithful subjects might behold their new +sovereign, Pinocchio the First resolved to make a tour of the villages of his +vast empire and see with his own eyes the needs of his people.</P> +<P> The arrangements were made by the ministers of state. +Messages were sent to all the governors to make preparations for the event, to +select committees to meet the emperor, to provide entertainment, in short, to +have everything in readiness.</P> +<P> It was a big task. The emperor, however, did not trouble +himself about it. He amused himself watching the crickets and the birds, +laughing at the antics of some little monkeys, and playing with his boy +pages.</P> +<P> Sometimes he spoke of his past. He told his pages about his +travels, his struggles, his suffering. He told them how he had struggles with +the waves of a stormy sea, and about the fish from whose stomach he had rescued +his father Geppetto. He recalled his dear Fatina, that gentle and beautiful lady +with the blue hair, and, placing his hand upon his breast, took an oath, as +emperor and king, that we would have her come to Africa. That thought made him +happy, and he went on to describe the feast they would have on her arrival. He +had resolved to make her queen of one of his states.</P> +<P> Marameho shared the joy of his emperor, but a cloud of +sadness came over his face when he heard him build these castles in the air, and +make such plans for the future. The poor boy had already seen too many changes +to believe that anything in the world would last long. He was aware that his +emperor was in grave danger, but he did not dare to warn him.</P> +<P> However, events quickly ran their course. The preparations +were completed, and on a bright, sunny day, Pinocchio the First, Emperor and +King of all the African kings, took his place upon a litter made of branches, +which was borne aloft by four robust men. Following these came all the +ministers, and the day's march was begun.</P> +<P> Wherever they went, there was loud applause for the +emperor. The mothers were pleased because their ruler had promised to stop +compulsory instruction. They expressed their thanks in flattering words, some of +which reached the emperor's ears.</P> +<P> "How fine is that wooden head!" said one. "It is easy to +see that he is a king of great endurance! They say he can jump wonderfully - +just like a marionette!"</P> +<P> Toward evening the tents were erected. In the largest of +these Pinocchio gave a supper to all the ministers, a splendid supper which +lasted till late that night. A blazing fire protected the court against the +attacks of wild animals and the cold of the night.</P> +<P> The ministers retired about midnight. Pinocchio, left +alone, began to walk up and down in his tent, with his hands behind him and his +head lowered. He had seen at school a picture of the great Napoleon in the same +attitude.</P> +<P> He thought of his stay in Africa, and of the strange things +which had befallen him. He thought of the treasures he had not yet found. While +pondering on all these things he approached the entrance of the tent, and in the +faint light of the dying fire, he saw a group of men huddled together. Drawing +nearer, he heard them talking.</P> +<P> "If things go well, as I hope they will, we shall gather +many presents," the prime minister was saying. "It cannot be denied that he is +attractive, and I am sure that all our people will vie with each other in making +gifts. Therefore, I entreat you to be patient. When the visit is ended we will +share what has been gathered."</P> +<P> After a long silence, interrupted only by the roar of a +lion prowling about, the prime minister continued: "As for him, we will dispatch +him in the quickest way. If he were not of wood," he added in a deep voice, "he +would be good roasted, but - "</P> +<P> Then some one threw an armful of branches on the fire. The +flames lit up the tent, but Pinocchio saw and heard no more, for he had vanished +out of sight.</P> +<P> At dawn, notices were sent throughout the whole country +that the emperor had disappeared, and that there was no trace of him to be +found!The confusion was terrible. The people everywhere were aroused, charges +were brought against the government. The matter became so serious that the +ministers were forced to flee.</P> +<P> Among those who escaped was the prime minister. He went +into the forests determined to find the emperor. Having strong legs and a keen +nose, he was well fitted to track any kind of animal, including a +marionette.</P> +<P> In fact, after many hours of hard work, he beheld the +emperor scampering away from a herd of wild beasts. They evidently wanted to +make a meal of him. The court gentleman knew that these animals would soon give +up the chase, and was content to follow at a distance. After a while daylight +drove the beasts away, and the poor, tired emperor threw himself flat upon the +ground to regain his breath. Scarcely had he done so when a roaring more +terrible than that of wild beasts caused him to spring to his feet in the vain +hope of making his escape.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter041></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Is Placed In A Cage</H3> +<P> ALAS! there was the prime minister. He had caught hold of +the marionette and tied a rope around his neck.</P> +<P> It would be impossible to describe the wrath of the poor +emperor. He wanted to say a few things and to do even more, but the cruel +minister struck him with a whip.</P> +<P> This kind of argument convinced the emperor that it was +best to remain quiet.</P> +<P> "That is how I like to see you," said the minister, pushing +Pinocchio forward, and holding him by the rope as the farmers do their donkeys +on returning from market.</P> +<P> Thus they walked a great distance, until they came to the +top of a hill from which could be seen a large tract of country covered with +huts. The minister turned toward Pinocchio and spoke as follows: "My dear +emperor, we must decide upon some plan of action, if we do not wish to starve. +You see to what a miserable state we are reduced. We have no money, nor have we +any food; in short, if we do not earn something before night, we shall not only +be compelled to sleep in the open, but we shall go to bed supperless. If you +were not made of wood, things would not be so hopeless, because I could eat you +up and you would last some time. But since this is impossible, I have resolved +to carry you around the village and place you on exhibition before the public. +You will make money, do you understand? Now be good enough to give me your aid. +Help me to put together a cage from the bark of these trees. We shall make +money, much money!" And the minister rubbed his hands gleefully.</P> +<P> The marionette did not share in his joy. In fact, he was on +the point of showering bitter reproaches upon this unfaithful servant, who was +now going to exhibit him in the public squares, but he decided to wait for a +better opportunity. Accordingly, he began to strip the bark from the trees +without making any objection.</P> +<P> When the cage was completed, the minister turned to the +marionette and said: "Enter. From now on, there shall be no more talk of +emperor. I am your master, and you are my faithful slave. Forward, march!"</P> +<P> The command had been given in a way which made its +repetition unnecessary, and Pinocchio knew that he must obey.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter042></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Performs For The Public</H3> +<P> WITH the cage on his head the ex-minister walked into the +village, whistling as he went to attract the attention of the people.</P> +<P> "P-r-r-p, p-r-r-p, p-r-r-p!"</P> +<P> It was a holiday, and the people flocked around him. +Everybody wanted to see, everybody wanted to admire the rare animal in the cage. +Shouts of wonder burst forth on all sides.</P> +<P> It is easy to fancy how Pinocchio felt! He longed to be a +cricket, or a mouse, so that he might hide in some hole. How he wished that he +were a butterfly or a bird and could fly to his home!</P> +<P> He stood there, huddled up in one corner of the cage, +trying to present as little of his body as possible to the eager eyes of the +crowd. He prayed for aid with all his heart. It was useless. The cruel master +saw that the square was filled with people, eager to look at the marionette. He +opened the cage, and when Pinocchio stepped out he made him run around in +circles like a monkey.</P> +<P> Then the minister addressed the people:</P> +<P> "Africans of Africa! What you see here is not, as you +believe, an animal; at least, it is not a wild animal. It is a boy. He is like +many other boys that are to be found in certain parts of the earth. How he +happened to fall into my hands would be too long a story. When I tell you about +his habits and his mode of living, you will be able to judge for yourselves how +strange a creature he is. Just think, on arising in the morning, he wants to +wash his face, neck, and hands, and with what? Water!"</P> +<P> At these words, a murmur of surprise arose from the +spectators, and some of the people laughed outright.</P> +<P> "That is not all," he continued. "When he has washed +himself, he passes through his hair an object, made of bone, that has long, +pointed teeth. Do you understand his purpose?"</P> +<P> The mothers looked at one another, and some of them touched +the woolly hair of their children, glad that their little ones did not have to +undergo such hardships.</P> +<P> "Nor is that all. You must know that when he wishes to blow +his nose, he takes from his pocket a piece of linen, called a handkerchief, and +blows his nose upon that."</P> +<P> An outburst of laughter greeted these words and completely +drowned the voice of the speaker.</P> +<P> "But there is more, my people! This individual possesses +the ability to eat raw butter, yet his meat must be cooked. He takes porridge +with a spoon and caries it to his mouth. He is even stupid enough to cut bread +with a weapon called a knife."</P> +<P> The astonishment was great! When it had subsided a little +there was a rush to the huts. The people came out carrying water, raw meat, and +butter. One brought a chicken, which the minister immediately killed and +cooked.</P> +<P> At the word of command, Pinocchio washed his hands, neck, +and face. This the marionette did willingly, for he felt the need of it. Then +the broiled chicken was given to him. Pinocchio, to the delight of all, cut off +one of the legs with his knife, and having spread it with pieces of butter, +proceeded to eat it with evident relish.</P> +<P> The women then wished to see him comb his hair. Pinocchio, +who had no comb, passed his fingers through his tangled locks, and finally +succeeded in parting them. Then he drew a handkerchief from his pocket and blew +his nose. The children shouted with glee, and even the parents could not help +laughing at the queer things the marionette did.</P> +<HR> +<A name=chapter043></A> +<H3>Pinocchio Breaks The Cage And Makes His Escape</H3> +<P> FOR the next few days the poor Emperor and King of all +African kings was compelled to exhibit himself, and to repeat his performances +before thousands of eyes eager to see his strange accomplishments. He was +compelled from morning till night to hear the insults of the boys and the +laughter of the men. All this made him very miserable.</P> +<P> What annoyed him most was the warning he received not to +refuse to eat whenever food was brought to him. "That is what the monkeys and +the elephants do," said the marionette sorrowfully, recalling what he and his +school companions had seen when they went to the circus.</P> +<P> It is unnecessary to say that he thought of his father, of +his dear Fatina, and of his home. They were constantly in his mind. Slowly, +slowly it dawned upon him that this way of living could no longer be endured, +and finally he was convinced that if he did not soon see his little home, if he +did not soon eat the hard, black crust given him by the loving hands of his +father, if he did not soon drink the water from his own well, he should die of a +broken heart.</P> +<P> "My home, my home!" he cried, the tears rolling down his +cheeks. "Home, my home!" he repeated, no longer thinking of the gold and silver +for which he had come to Africa.</P> +<P> "I want to see my father again." And then he stood erect in +his cage. His head went through the top of it and the side fell apart. Away he +leaped over the heads of the crowd, away like lightning! Out of the village, +across the plains, beyond the hills! Compared with him, the swift south wind +would have seemed no faster than a snail.</P> +<P> He ran and ran and ran. Nor did he make an end of running +until he reached the wide waters of the Mediterranean Sea.</P> +<P> There he stopped. He looked back at Africa, the land of all +his empty dreams; then flinging himself into the water, he said aloud, "I will +return when I have a little more sense."</P> +<P> At that moment a familiar voice shouted to him: "Good +Pinocchio! Hurrah for Pinocchio!"</P><PRE>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, PINOCCHIO IN AFRICA *** + +This file should be named pnoca10h.htm or pnoca10h.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, pnoca11h.htm +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, pnoca10ah.htm + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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