the adventures of pinocchio-第21章

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CHAPTER　32

Pinocchio's　ears　become　like　those　of　a　Donkey。　In　a　little　while　he　changes　into　a　real　Donkey　and　begins　to　bray



Everyone；　at　one　time　or　another；　has　found　some　surprise　awaiting　him。　　Of　the　kind　which　Pinocchio　had　on　that　eventful　morning　of　his　life；　there　are　but　few。

What　was　it？　　I　will　tell　you；　my　dear　little　readers。　On　awakening；　Pinocchio　put　his　hand　up　to　his　head　and　there　he　found

Guess！

He　found　that；　during　the　night；　his　ears　had　grown　at　least　ten　full　inches！

You　must　know　that　the　Marionette；　even　from　his　birth；　had　very　small　ears；　so　small　indeed　that　to　the　naked　eye　they　could　hardly　be　seen。　　Fancy　how　he　felt　when　he　noticed　that　overnight　those　two　dainty　organs　had　become　as　long　as　shoe　brushes！

He　went　in　search　of　a　mirror；　but　not　finding　any；　he　just　filled　a　basin　with　water　and　looked　at　himself。　There　he　saw　what　he　never　could　have　wished　to　see。　His　manly　figure　was　adorned　and　enriched　by　a　beautiful　pair　of　donkey's　ears。

I　leave　you　to　think　of　the　terrible　grief；　the　shame；　the　despair　of　the　poor　Marionette。

He　began　to　cry；　to　scream；　to　knock　his　head　against　the　wall；　but　the　more　he　shrieked；　the　longer　and　the　more　hairy　grew　his　ears。

At　those　piercing　shrieks；　a　Dormouse　came　into　the　room；　a　fat　little　Dormouse；　who　lived　upstairs。　　Seeing　Pinocchio　so　grief…stricken；　she　asked　him　anxiously：

〃What　is　the　matter；　dear　little　neighbor？〃

〃I　am　sick；　my　little　Dormouse；　very；　very　sickand　from　an　illness　which　frightens　me！　　Do　you　understand　how　to　feel　the　pulse？〃

〃A　little。〃

〃Feel　mine　then　and　tell　me　if　I　have　a　fever。〃

The　Dormouse　took　Pinocchio's　wrist　between　her　paws　and；　after　a　few　minutes；　looked　up　at　him　sorrowfully　and　said：　〃My　friend；　I　am　sorry；　but　I　must　give　you　some　very　sad　news。〃

〃What　is　it？〃

〃You　have　a　very　bad　fever。〃

〃But　what　fever　is　it？〃

〃The　donkey　fever。〃

〃I　don't　know　anything　about　that　fever；〃　answered　the　Marionette；　beginning　to　understand　even　too　well　what　was　happening　to　him。

〃Then　I　will　tell　you　all　about　it；〃　said　the　Dormouse。　〃Know　then　that；　within　two　or　three　hours；　you　will　no　longer　be　a　Marionette；　nor　a　boy。〃

〃What　shall　I　be？〃

〃Within　two　or　three　hours　you　will　become　a　real　donkey；　just　like　the　ones　that　pull　the　fruit　carts　to　market。〃

〃Oh；　what　have　I　done？　　What　have　I　done？〃　cried　Pinocchio；　grasping　his　two　long　ears　in　his　hands　and　pulling　and　tugging　at　them　angrily；　just　as　if　they　belonged　to　another。

〃My　dear　boy；〃　answered　the　Dormouse　to　cheer　him　up　a　bit；　〃why　worry　now？　　What　is　done　cannot　be　undone；　you　know。　Fate　has　decreed　that　all　lazy　boys　who　come　to　hate　books　and　schools　and　teachers　and　spend　all　their　days　with　toys　and　games　must　sooner　or　later　turn　into　donkeys。〃

〃But　is　it　really　so？〃　asked　the　Marionette；　sobbing　bitterly。

〃I　am　sorry　to　say　it　is。　　And　tears　now　are　useless。　You　should　have　thought　of　all　this　before。〃

〃But　the　fault　is　not　mine。　　Believe　me；　little　Dormouse；　the　fault　is　all　Lamp…Wick's。〃

〃And　who　is　this　Lamp…Wick？〃

〃A　classmate　of　mine。　　I　wanted　to　return　home。　　I　wanted　to　be　obedient。　　I　wanted　to　study　and　to　succeed　in　school；　but　Lamp…Wick　said　to　me；　‘Why　do　you　want　to　waste　your　time　studying？　　Why　do　you　want　to　go　to　school？　　Come　with　me　to　the　Land　of　Toys。　There　we'll　never　study　again。　　There　we　can　enjoy　ourselves　and　be　happy　from　morn　till　night。'〃

〃And　why　did　you　follow　the　advice　of　that　false　friend？〃

〃Why？　　Because；　my　dear　little　Dormouse；　I　am　a　heedless　Marionetteheedless　and　heartless。　　Oh！　　If　I　had　only　had　a　bit　of　heart；　I　should　never　have　abandoned　that　good　Fairy；　who　loved　me　so　well　and　who　has　been　so　kind　to　me！　　And　by　this　time；　I　should　no　longer　be　a　Marionette。　　I　should　have　become　a　real　boy；　like　all　these　friends　of　mine！　　Oh；　if　I　meet　Lamp…Wick　I　am　going　to　tell　him　what　I　think　of　himand　more；　too！〃

After　this　long　speech；　Pinocchio　walked　to　the　door　of　the　room。　　But　when　he　reached　it；　remembering　his　donkey　ears；　he　felt　ashamed　to　show　them　to　the　public　and　turned　back。　　He　took　a　large　cotton　bag　from　a　shelf；　put　it　on　his　head；　and　pulled　it　far　down　to　his　very　nose。

Thus　adorned；　he　went　out。　　He　looked　for　Lamp…Wick　everywhere；　along　the　streets；　in　the　squares；　inside　the　theatres；　everywhere；　but　he　was　not　to　be　found。　　He　asked　everyone　whom　he　met　about　him；　but　no　one　had　seen　him。　　In　desperation；　he　returned　home　and　knocked　at　the　door。

〃Who　is　it？〃　asked　Lamp…Wick　from　within。

〃It　is　I！〃　answered　the　Marionette。

〃Wait　a　minute。〃

After　a　full　half　hour　the　door　opened。　　Another　surprise　awaited　Pinocchio！　　There　in　the　room　stood　his　friend；　with　a　large　cotton　bag　on　his　head；　pulled　far　down　to　his　very　nose。

At　the　sight　of　that　bag；　Pinocchio　felt　slightly　happier　and　thought　to　himself：

〃My　friend　must　be　suffering　from　the　same　sickness　that　I　am！　　I　wonder　if　he；　too；　has　donkey　fever？〃

But　pretending　he　had　seen　nothing；　he　asked　with　a　smile：

〃How　are　you；　my　dear　Lamp…Wick？〃

〃Very　well。　　Like　a　mouse　in　a　Parmesan　cheese。〃

〃Is　that　really　true？〃

〃Why　should　I　lie　to　you？〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　friend；　but　why　then　are　you　wearing　that　cotton　bag　over　your　ears？〃

〃The　doctor　has　ordered　it　because　one　of　my　knees　hurts。　And　you；　dear　Marionette；　why　are　you　wearing　that　cotton　bag　down　to　your　nose？〃

〃The　doctor　has　ordered　it　because　I　have　bruised　my　foot。〃

〃Oh；　my　poor　Pinocchio！〃

〃Oh；　my　poor　Lamp…Wick！〃

An　embarrassingly　long　silence　followed　these　words；　during　which　time　the　two　friends　looked　at　each　other　in　a　mocking　way。

Finally　the　Marionette；　in　a　voice　sweet　as　honey　and　soft　as　a　flute；　said　to　his　companion：

〃Tell　me；　Lamp…Wick；　dear　friend；　have　you　ever　suffered　from　an　earache？〃

〃Never！　　And　you？〃

〃Never！　　Still；　since　this　morning　my　ear　has　been　torturing　me。〃

〃So　has　mine。〃

〃Yours；　too？　　And　which　ear　is　it？〃

〃Both　of　them。　　And　yours？〃

〃Both　of　them；　too。　　I　wonder　if　it　could　be　the　same　sickness。〃

〃I'm　afraid　it　is。〃

〃Will　you　do　me　a　favor；　Lamp…Wick？〃

〃Gladly！　　With　my　whole　heart。〃

〃Will　you　let　me　see　your　ears？〃

〃Why　not？　　But　before　I　show　you　mine；　I　want　to　see　yours；　dear　Pinocchio。〃

〃No。　　You　must　show　yours　first。〃

〃No；　my　dear！　　Yours　first；　then　mine。〃

〃Well；　then；〃　said　the　Marionette；　〃let　us　make　a　contract。〃

〃Let's　hear　the　contract！〃

〃Let　us　take　off　our　caps　together。　　All　right？〃

〃All　right。〃

〃Ready　then！〃

Pinocchio　began　to　count；　〃One！　　Two！　　Three！〃

At　the　word　〃Three！〃　the　two　boys　pulled　off　their　caps　and　threw　them　high　in　air。

And　then　a　scene　took　place　which　is　hard　to　believe；　but　it　is　all　too　true。　　The　Marionette　and　his　friend；　Lamp…Wick；　when　they　saw　each　other　both　stricken　by　the　same　misfortune；　instead　of　feeling　sorrowful　and　ashamed；　began　to　poke　fun　at　each　other；　and　after　much　nonsense；　they　ended　by　bursting　out　into　hearty　laughter。

They　laughed　and　laughed；　and　laughed　againlaughed　till　they　achedlaughed　till　they　cried。

But　all　of　a　sudden　Lamp…Wick　stopped　laughing。　　He　tottered　and　almost　fell。　　Pale　as　a　ghost；　he　turned　to　Pinocchio　and　said：

〃Help；　help；　Pinocchio！〃

〃What　is　the　matter？〃

〃Oh；　help　me！　　I　can　no　longer　stand　up。〃

〃I　can't　either；〃　cried　Pinocchio；　and　his　laughter　turned　to　tears　as　he　stumbled　about　helplessly。

They　had　hardly　finished　speaking；　when　both　of　them　fell　on　all　fours　and　began　running　and　jumping　around　the　room。　As　they　ran；　their　arms　turned　into　legs；　their　faces　lengthened　into　snouts　and　their　backs　became　covered　with　long　gray　hairs。

This　was　humiliation　enough；　but　the　most　horrible　moment　was　the　one　in　which　the　two　poor　creatures　felt　their　tails　appear。　　Overcome　with　shame　and　grief；　they　tried　to　cry　and　bemoan　their　fate。

But　what　is　done　can't　be　undone！　　Instead　of　moans　and　cries；　they　burst　forth　into　loud　donkey　brays；　which　sounded　very　much　like；　〃Haw！　　Haw！　　Haw！〃

At　that　moment；　a　loud　knocking　was　heard　at　the　door　and　a　voice　called　to　them：

〃Open！　　I　am　the　Little　Man；　the　driver　of