"And who threw it?"
"A schoolmate of his, a certain Pinocchio."
"And who is this Pinocchio?" asked the Marionette, feigning ignorance.
"They say he is a mischief-maker, a tramp, a street urchin--"
"Calumnies! All calumnies!"
"Do you know this Pinocchio?"
"By sight!" answered the Marionette.
"And what do you think of him?" asked the old man.
"I think he's a very good boy, fond of study, obedient, kind to hisFather, and to his whole family--"
As he was telling all these enormous lies about himself, Pinocchiotouched his nose and found it twice as long as it should be. Scared outof his wits, he cried out:
"Don't listen to me, good man! All the wonderful things I have said arenot true at all. I know Pinocchio well and he is indeed a very wickedfellow, lazy and disobedient, who instead of going to school, runs awaywith his playmates to have a good time."
At this speech, his nose returned to its natural size.
"Why are you so pale?" the old man asked suddenly.
"Let me tell you. Without knowing it, I rubbed myself against a newlypainted wall," he lied, ashamed to say that he had been made ready forthe frying pan.
"What have you done with your coat and your hat and your breeches?"
"I met thieves and they robbed me. Tell me, my good man, have you not,perhaps, a little suit to give me, so that I may go home?"
"My boy, as for clothes, I have only a bag in which I keep hops. If youwant it, take it. There it is."
Pinocchio did not wait for him to repeat his words. He took the bag,which happened to be empty, and after cutting a big hole at the top andtwo at the sides, he slipped into it as if it were a shirt. Lightly cladas he was, he started out toward the village.
Along the way he felt very uneasy. In fact he was so unhappy that hewent along taking two steps forward and one back, and as he went he saidto himself:
"How shall I ever face my good little Fairy? What will she say when shesees me? Will she forgive this last trick of mine? I am sure she won't.Oh, no, she won't. And I deserve it, as usual! For I am a rascal, fineon promises which I never keep!"
He came to the village late at night. It was so dark he could seenothing and it was raining pitchforks.
Pinocchio went straight to the Fairy's house, firmly resolved to knockat the door.
When he found himself there, he lost courage and ran back a few steps.A second time he came to the door and again he ran back. A third timehe repeated his performance. The fourth time, before he had time to losehis courage, he grasped the knocker and made a faint sound with it.
He waited and waited and waited. Finally, after a full half hour, atop-floor window (the house had four stories) opened and Pinocchio sawa large Snail look out. A tiny light glowed on top of her head. "Whoknocks at this late hour?" she called.
"Is the Fairy home?" asked the Marionette.
"The Fairy is asleep and does not wish to be disturbed. Who are you?"
"It is I."
"Who's I?"
"Pinocchio."
"Who is Pinocchio?"
"The Marionette; the one who lives in the Fairy's house."
"Oh, I understand," said the Snail. "Wait for me there. I'll come downto open the door for you."
"Hurry, I beg of you, for I am dying of cold."
"My boy, I am a snail and snails are never in a hurry."
An hour passed, two hours; and the door was still closed. Pinocchio, whowas trembling with fear and shivering from the cold rain on his back,knocked a second time, this time louder than before.
At that second knock, a window on the third floor opened and the sameSnail looked out.
"Dear little Snail," cried Pinocchio from the street. "I have beenwaiting two hours for you! And two hours on a dreadful night like thisare as long as two years. Hurry, please!"
"My boy," answered the Snail in a calm, peaceful voice, "my dear boy, Iam a snail and snails are never in a hurry." And the window closed.
A few minutes later midnight struck; then one o'clock--two o'clock. Andthe door still remained closed!
Then Pinocchio, losing all patience, grabbed the knocker with bothhands, fully determined to awaken the whole house and street with it.As soon as he touched the knocker, however, it became an eel and wiggledaway into the darkness.
"Really?" cried Pinocchio, blind with rage. "If the knocker is gone, Ican still use my feet."
He stepped back and gave the door a most solemn kick. He kicked so hardthat his foot went straight through the door and his leg followed almostto the knee. No matter how he pulled and tugged, he could not pull itout. There he stayed as if nailed to the door.
Poor Pinocchio! The rest of the night he had to spend with one footthrough the door and the other one in the air.
As dawn was breaking, the door finally opened. That brave little animal,the Snail, had taken exactly nine hours to go from the fourth floor tothe street. How she must have raced!
"What are you doing with your foot through the door?" she asked theMarionette, laughing.
"It was a misfortune. Won't you try, pretty little Snail, to free mefrom this terrible torture?"
"My boy, we need a carpenter here and I have never been one."
"Ask the Fairy to help me!"
"The Fairy is asleep and does not want to be disturbed."
"But what do you want me to do, nailed to the door like this?"
"Enjoy yourself counting the ants which are passing by."
"Bring me something to eat, at least, for I am faint with hunger."
"Immediately!"
In fact, after three hours and a half, Pinocchio saw her return witha silver tray on her head. On the tray there was bread, roast chicken,fruit.
"Here is the breakfast the Fairy sends to you," said the Snail.
At the sight of all these good things, the Marionette felt much better.
What was his disgust, however, when on tasting the food, he found thebread to be made of chalk, the chicken of cardboard, and the brilliantfruit of colored alabaster!
He wanted to cry, he wanted to give himself up to despair, he wanted tothrow away the tray and all that was on it. Instead, either from pain orweakness, he fell to the floor in a dead faint.
When he regained his senses, he found himself stretched out on a sofaand the Fairy was seated near him.
"This time also I forgive you," said the Fairy to him. "But be carefulnot to get into mischief again."
Pinocchio promised to study and to behave himself. And he kept his wordfor the remainder of the year. At the end of it, he passed first in allhis examinations, and his report was so good that the Fairy said to himhappily:
"Tomorrow your wish will come true."
"And what is it?"
"Tomorrow you will cease to be a Marionette and will become a real boy."
Pinocchio was beside himself with joy. All his friends and schoolmatesmust be invited to celebrate the great event! The Fairy promised toprepare two hundred cups of coffee-and-milk and four hundred slices oftoast buttered on both sides.
The day promised to be a very gay and happy one, but--
Unluckily, in a Marionette's life there's always a BUT which is apt tospoil everything.
CHAPTER 30
Pinocchio, instead of becoming a boy, runs away to the Land of Toys withhis friend, Lamp-Wick.
Coming at last out of the surprise into which the Fairy's words hadthrown him, Pinocchio asked for permission to give out the invitations.
"Indeed, you may invite your friends to tomorrow's party. Only rememberto return home before dark. Do you understand?"
"I'll be back in one hour without fail," answered the Marionette.
"Take care, Pinocchio! Boys give promises very easily, but they aseasily forget them."
"But I am not like those others. When I give my word I keep it."
"We shall see. In case you do disobey, you will be the one to suffer,not anyone else."
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"Why?"
"Because boys who do not listen to their elders always come to grief."
"I certainly have," said Pinocchio, "but from now on, I obey."
"We shall see if you are telling the truth."
Without adding another word, the Marionette bade the good Fairy good-by,and singing and dancing, he left the house.
In a little more than an hour, all his friends were invited. Someaccepted quickly and gladly. Others had to be coaxed, but when theyheard that the toast was to be buttered on both sides, they all ended byaccepting the invitation with the words, "We'll come to please you."
Now it must be known that, among all his friends, Pinocchio had one whomhe loved most of all. The boy's real name was Romeo, but everyone calledhim Lamp-Wick, for he was long and thin and had a woebegone look abouthim.
Lamp-Wick was the laziest boy in the school and the biggestmischief-maker, but Pinocchio loved him dearly.
That day, he went straight to his friend's house to invite him to theparty, but Lamp-Wick was not at home. He went a second time, and again athird, but still without success.
Where could he be? Pinocchio searched here and there and everywhere, andfinally discovered him hiding near a farmer's wagon.
"What are you doing there?" asked Pinocchio, running up to him.
"I am waiting for midnight to strike to go--"
"Where?"
"Far, far away!"
"And I have gone to your house three times to look for you!"
"What did you want from me?"
"Haven't you heard the news? Don't you know what good luck is mine?"
"What is it?"
"Tomorrow I end my days as a Marionette and become a boy, like you andall my other friends."
"May it bring you luck!"
"Shall I see you at my party tomorrow?"
"But I'm telling you that I go tonight."
"At what time?"
"At midnight."
"And where are you going?"
"To a real country--the best in the world--a wonderful place!"
"What is it called?"
"It is called the Land of Toys. Why don't you come, too?"
"I? Oh, no!"
"You are making a big mistake, Pinocchio. Believe me, if you don't come,you'll be sorry. Where can you find a place that will agree better withyou and me? No schools, no teachers, no books! In that blessed placethere is no such thing as study. Here, it is only on Saturdays thatwe have no school. In the Land of Toys, every day, except Sunday, is aSaturday. Vacation begins on the first of January and ends on the lastday of December. That is the place for me! All countries should be likeit! How happy we should all be!"
"But how does one spend the day in the Land of Toys?"
"Days are spent in play and enjoyment from morn till night. At night onegoes to bed, and next morning, the good times begin all over again. Whatdo you think of it?"
"H'm--!" said Pinocchio, nodding his wooden head, as if to say, "It'sthe kind of life which would agree with me perfectly."
"Do you want to go with me, then? Yes or no? You must make up yourmind."
"No, no, and again no! I have promised my kind Fairy to become a goodboy, and I want to keep my word. Just see: The sun is setting and I mustleave you and run. Good-by and good luck to you!"
"Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"Home. My good Fairy wants me to return home before night."
"Wait two minutes more."
"It's too late!"
"Only two minutes."
"And if the Fairy scolds me?"
"Let her scold. After she gets tired, she will stop," said Lamp-Wick.
"Are you going alone or with others?"
"Alone? There will be more than a hundred of us!"
"Will you walk?"
"At midnight the wagon passes here that is to take us within theboundaries of that marvelous country."
"How I wish midnight would strike!"
"Why?"
"To see you all set out together."
"Stay here a while longer and you will see us!"
"No, no. I want to return home."
"Wait two more minutes."
"I have waited too long as it is. The Fairy will be worried."
"Poor Fairy! Is she afraid the bats will eat you up?"
"Listen, Lamp-Wick," said the Marionette, "are you really sure thatthere are no schools in the Land of Toys?" "Not even the shadow of one."
"Not even one teacher?"
"Not one."
"And one does not have to study?"
"Never, never, never!"
"What a great land!" said Pinocchio, feeling his mouth water. "What abeautiful land! I have never been there, but I can well imagine it."
"Why don't you come, too?"
"It is useless for you to tempt me! I told you I promised my good Fairyto behave myself, and I am going to keep my word."
"Good-by, then, and remember me to the grammar schools, to the highschools, and even to the colleges if you meet them on the way."
"Good-by, Lamp-Wick. Have a pleasant trip, enjoy yourself, and rememberyour friends once in a while."
With these words, the Marionette started on his way home. Turning oncemore to his friend, he asked him:
"But are you sure that, in that country, each week is composed of sixSaturdays and one Sunday?"
"Very sure!"
"And that vacation begins on the first of January and ends on thethirty-first of December?"
"Very, very sure!"
"What a great country!" repeated Pinocchio, puzzled as to what to do.
Then, in sudden determination, he said hurriedly:
"Good-by for the last time, and good luck."
"Good-by."
"How soon will you go?"
"Within two hours."
"What a pity! If it were only one hour, I might wait for you."
"And the Fairy?"
"By this time I'm late, and one hour more or less makes very littledifference."
"Poor Pinocchio! And if the Fairy scolds you?"
"Oh, I'll let her scold. After she gets tired, she will stop."
In the meantime, the night became darker and darker. All at once in thedistance a small light flickered. A queer sound could be heard, softas a little bell, and faint and muffled like the buzz of a far-awaymosquito.
"There it is!" cried Lamp-Wick, jumping to his feet.
"What?" whispered Pinocchio.
"The wagon which is coming to get me. For the last time, are you comingor not?"
"But is it really true that in that country boys never have to study?"
"Never, never, never!"
"What a wonderful, beautiful, marvelous country! Oh--h--h!!"
CHAPTER 31
After five months of play, Pinocchio wakes up one fine morning and findsa great surprise awaiting him.
Finally the wagon arrived. It made no noise, for its wheels were boundwith straw and rags.
It was drawn by twelve pair of donkeys, all of the same size, but allof different color. Some were gray, others white, and still others amixture of brown and black. Here and there were a few with large yellowand blue stripes.
The strangest thing of all was that those twenty-four donkeys, insteadof being iron-shod like any other beast of burden, had on their feetlaced shoes made of leather, just like the ones boys wear.
And the driver of the wagon?
Imagine to yourselves a little, fat man, much wider than he was long,round and shiny as a ball of butter, with a face beaming like an apple,a little mouth that always smiled, and a voice small and wheedling likethat of a cat begging for food.
No sooner did any boy see him than he fell in love with him, and nothingsatisfied him but to be allowed to ride in his wagon to that lovelyplace called the Land of Toys.
In fact the wagon was so closely packed with boys of all ages that itlooked like a box of sardines. They were uncomfortable, they were piledone on top of the other, they could hardly breathe;
yet not one word ofcomplaint was heard. The thought that in a few hours they would reach acountry where there were no schools, no books, no teachers, made theseboys so happy that they felt neither hunger, nor thirst, nor sleep, nordiscomfort.
No sooner had the wagon stopped than the little fat man turned toLamp-Wick. With bows and smiles, he asked in a wheedling tone:
"Tell me, my fine boy, do you also want to come to my wonderfulcountry?"
"Indeed I do."
"But I warn you, my little dear, there's no more room in the wagon. Itis full."
"Never mind," answered Lamp-Wick. "If there's no room inside, I can siton the top of the coach."
And with one leap, he perched himself there.
"What about you, my love?" asked the Little Man, turning politely toPinocchio. "What are you going to do? Will you come with us, or do youstay here?"
"I stay here," answered Pinocchio. "I want to return home, as I preferto study and to succeed in life."
"May that bring you luck!"
"Pinocchio!" Lamp-Wick called out. "Listen to me. Come with us and we'llalways be happy."
"No, no, no!"
"Come with us and we'll always be happy," cried four other voices fromthe wagon.
"Come with us and we'll always be happy," shouted the one hundred andmore boys in the wagon, all together. "And if I go with you, what willmy good Fairy say?" asked the Marionette, who was beginning to waver andweaken in his good resolutions.