the adventures of pinocchio-第24章

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〃I　laugh　at　your　story！〃　cried　the　man　angrily。　　〃I　know　that　I　spent　four　cents　to　get　you　and　I　want　my　money　back。　Do　you　know　what　I　can　do；　I　am　going　to　take　you　to　the　market　once　more　and　sell　you　as　dry　firewood。〃

〃Very　well；　sell　me。　　I　am　satisfied；〃　said　Pinocchio。　But　as　he　spoke；　he　gave　a　quick　leap　and　dived　into　the　sea。　　Swimming　away　as　fast　as　he　could；　he　cried　out；　laughing：

〃Good…by；　Master。　　If　you　ever　need　a　skin　for　your　drum；　remember　me。〃

He　swam　on　and　on。　　After　a　while；　he　turned　around　again　and　called　louder　than　before：

〃Good…by；　Master。　　If　you　ever　need　a　piece　of　good　dry　firewood；　remember　me。〃

In　a　few　seconds　he　had　gone　so　far　he　could　hardly　be　seen。　All　that　could　be　seen　of　him　was　a　very　small　black　dot　moving　swiftly　on　the　blue　surface　of　the　water；　a　little　black　dot　which　now　and　then　lifted　a　leg　or　an　arm　in　the　air。　One　would　have　thought　that　Pinocchio　had　turned　into　a　porpoise　playing　in　the　sun。

After　swimming　for　a　long　time；　Pinocchio　saw　a　large　rock　in　the　middle　of　the　sea；　a　rock　as　white　as　marble。　High　on　the　rock　stood　a　little　Goat　bleating　and　calling　and　beckoning　to　the　Marionette　to　come　to　her。

There　was　something　very　strange　about　that　little　Goat。　　Her　coat　was　not　white　or　black　or　brown　as　that　of　any　other　goat；　but　azure；　a　deep　brilliant　color　that　reminded　one　of　the　hair　of　the　lovely　maiden。

Pinocchio's　heart　beat　fast；　and　then　faster　and　faster。　He　redoubled　his　efforts　and　swam　as　hard　as　he　could　toward　the　white　rock。　　He　was　almost　halfway　over；　when　suddenly　a　horrible　sea　monster　stuck　its　head　out　of　the　water；　an　enormous　head　with　a　huge　mouth；　wide　open；　showing　three　rows　of　gleaming　teeth；　the　mere　sight　of　which　would　have　filled　you　with　fear。

Do　you　know　what　it　was？

That　sea　monster　was　no　other　than　the　enormous　Shark；　which　has　often　been　mentioned　in　this　story　and　which；　on　account　of　its　cruelty；　had　been　nicknamed　〃The　Attila　of　the　Sea〃　by　both　fish　and　fishermen。

Poor　Pinocchio！　　The　sight　of　that　monster　frightened　him　almost　to　death！　　He　tried　to　swim　away　from　him；　to　change　his　path；　to　escape；　but　that　immense　mouth　kept　coming　nearer　and　nearer。

〃Hasten；　Pinocchio；　I　beg　you！〃　bleated　the　little　Goat　on　the　high　rock。

And　Pinocchio　swam　desperately　with　his　arms；　his　body；　his　legs；　his　feet。

〃Quick；　Pinocchio；　the　monster　is　coming　nearer！〃

Pinocchio　swam　faster　and　faster；　and　harder　and　harder。

〃Faster；　Pinocchio！　　The　monster　will　get　you！　　There　he　is！　There　he　is！　　Quick；　quick；　or　you　are　lost！〃

Pinocchio　went　through　the　water　like　a　shotswifter　and　swifter。　He　came　close　to　the　rock。　　The　Goat　leaned　over　and　gave　him　one　of　her　hoofs　to　help　him　up　out　of　the　water。

Alas！　　It　was　too　late。　　The　monster　overtook　him　and　the　Marionette　found　himself　in　between　the　rows　of　gleaming　white　teeth。　　Only　for　a　moment；　however；　for　the　Shark　took　a　deep　breath　and；　as　he　breathed；　he　drank　in　the　Marionette　as　easily　as　he　would　have　sucked　an　egg。　　Then　he　swallowed　him　so　fast　that　Pinocchio；　falling　down　into　the　body　of　the　fish；　lay　stunned　for　a　half　hour。

When　he　recovered　his　senses　the　Marionette　could　not　remember　where　he　was。　　Around　him　all　was　darkness；　a　darkness　so　deep　and　so　black　that　for　a　moment　he　thought　he　had　put　his　head　into　an　inkwell。　　He　listened　for　a　few　moments　and　heard　nothing。　　Once　in　a　while　a　cold　wind　blew　on　his　face。　　At　first　he　could　not　understand　where　that　wind　was　coming　from；　but　after　a　while　he　understood　that　it　came　from　the　lungs　of　the　monster。　I　forgot　to　tell　you　that　the　Shark　was　suffering　from　asthma；　so　that　whenever　he　breathed　a　storm　seemed　to　blow。

Pinocchio　at　first　tried　to　be　brave；　but　as　soon　as　he　became　convinced　that　he　was　really　and　truly　in　the　Shark's　stomach；　he　burst　into　sobs　and　tears。　　〃Help！　Help！〃　he　cried。　　〃Oh；　poor　me！　　Won't　someone　come　to　save　me？〃

〃Who　is　there　to　help　you；　unhappy　boy？〃　said　a　rough　voice；　like　a　guitar　out　of　tune。

〃Who　is　talking？〃　asked　Pinocchio；　frozen　with　terror。

〃It　is　I；　a　poor　Tunny　swallowed　by　the　Shark　at　the　same　time　as　you。　　And　what　kind　of　a　fish　are　you？〃

〃I　have　nothing　to　do　with　fishes。　　I　am　a　Marionette。〃

〃If　you　are　not　a　fish；　why　did　you　let　this　monster　swallow　you？〃

〃I　didn't　let　him。　　He　chased　me　and　swallowed　me　without　even　a　‘by　your　leave'！　　And　now　what　are　we　to　do　here　in　the　dark？〃

〃Wait　until　the　Shark　has　digested　us　both；　I　suppose。〃

〃But　I　don't　want　to　be　digested；〃　shouted　Pinocchio；　starting　to　sob。

〃Neither　do　I；〃　said　the　Tunny；　〃but　I　am　wise　enough　to　think　that　if　one　is　born　a　fish；　it　is　more　dignified　to　die　under　the　water　than　in　the　frying　pan。〃

〃What　nonsense！〃　cried　Pinocchio。

〃Mine　is　an　opinion；〃　replied　the　Tunny；　〃and　opinions　should　be　respected。〃

〃But　I　want　to　get　out　of　this　place。　　I　want　to　escape。〃

〃Go；　if　you　can！〃

〃Is　this　Shark　that　has　swallowed　us　very　long？〃　asked　the　Marionette。

〃His　body；　not　counting　the　tail；　is　almost　a　mile　long。〃

While　talking　in　the　darkness；　Pinocchio　thought　he　saw　a　faint　light　in　the　distance。

〃What　can　that　be？〃　he　said　to　the　Tunny。

〃Some　other　poor　fish；　waiting　as　patiently　as　we　to　be　digested　by　the　Shark。〃

〃I　want　to　see　him。　　He　may　be　an　old　fish　and　may　know　some　way　of　escape。〃

〃I　wish　you　all　good　luck；　dear　Marionette。〃

〃Good…by；　Tunny。〃

〃Good…by；　Marionette；　and　good　luck。〃

〃When　shall　I　see　you　again？〃

〃Who　knows？　　It　is　better　not　to　think　about　it。〃



CHAPTER　35

In　the　Shark's　body　Pinocchio　finds　whom？　Read　this　chapter；　my　children；　and　you　will　know



Pinocchio；　as　soon　as　he　had　said　good…by　to　his　good　friend；　the　Tunny；　tottered　away　in　the　darkness　and　began　to　walk　as　well　as　he　could　toward　the　faint　light　which　glowed　in　the　distance。

As　he　walked　his　feet　splashed　in　a　pool　of　greasy　and　slippery　water；　which　had　such　a　heavy　smell　of　fish　fried　in　oil　that　Pinocchio　thought　it　was　Lent。

The　farther　on　he　went；　the　brighter　and　clearer　grew　the　tiny　light。　　On　and　on　he　walked　till　finally　he　found　I　give　you　a　thousand　guesses；　my　dear　children！　　He　found　a　little　table　set　for　dinner　and　lighted　by　a　candle　stuck　in　a　glass　bottle；　and　near　the　table　sat　a　little　old　man；　white　as　the　snow；　eating　live　fish。　　They　wriggled　so　that；　now　and　again；　one　of　them　slipped　out　of　the　old　man's　mouth　and　escaped　into　the　darkness　under　the　table。

At　this　sight；　the　poor　Marionette　was　filled　with　such　great　and　sudden　happiness　that　he　almost　dropped　in　a　faint。　　He　wanted　to　laugh；　he　wanted　to　cry；　he　wanted　to　say　a　thousand　and　one　things；　but　all　he　could　do　was　to　stand　still；　stuttering　and　stammering　brokenly。　　At　last；　with　a　great　effort；　he　was　able　to　let　out　a　scream　of　joy　and；　opening　wide　his　arms　he　threw　them　around　the　old　man's　neck。

〃Oh；　Father；　dear　Father！　　Have　I　found　you　at　last？　Now　I　shall　never；　never　leave　you　again！〃

〃Are　my　eyes　really　telling　me　the　truth？〃　answered　the　old　man；　rubbing　his　eyes。　　〃Are　you　really　my　own　dear　Pinocchio？〃

〃Yes；　yes；　yes！　　It　is　I！　　Look　at　me！　　And　you　have　forgiven　me；　haven't　you？　　Oh；　my　dear　Father；　how　good　you　are！　　And　to　think　that　IOh；　but　if　you　only　knew　how　many　misfortunes　have　fallen　on　my　head　and　how　many　troubles　I　have　had！　　Just　think　that　on　the　day　you　sold　your　old　coat　to　buy　me　my　A…B…C　book　so　that　I　could　go　to　school；　I　ran　away　to　the　Marionette　Theater　and　the　proprietor　caught　me　and　wanted　to　burn　me　to　cook　his　roast　lamb！　　He　was　the　one　who　gave　me　the　five　gold　pieces　for　you；　but　I　met　the　Fox　and　the　Cat；　who　took　me　to　the　Inn　of　the　Red　Lobster。　　There　they　ate　like　wolves　and　I　left　the　Inn　alone　and　I　met　the　Assassins　in　the　wood。　　I　ran　and　they　ran　after　me；　always　after　me；　till　they　hanged　me　to　the　branch　of　a　giant　oak　tree。　　Then　the　Fairy　of　the　Azure　Hair　sent　the　coach　to　rescue　me　and　the　doctors；　after　looking　at　me；　said；　‘If　he　is　not　dead；　then　he　is　surely　alive；'　and　then　I　told　a　lie　and　my　nose　began　to　grow。　It　grew　and　it　grew；　till　I　couldn't　get　it　through　the　door　of　the　room。　　And　then　I　went　wit