the adventures of pinocchio-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



These　brave　words；　said　in　a　piercing　voice；　made　all　the　other　Marionettes　cry。　　Even　the　officers；　who　were　made　of　wood　also；　cried　like　two　babies。

Fire　Eater　at　first　remained　hard　and　cold　as　a　piece　of　ice；　but　then；　little　by　little；　he　softened　and　began　to　sneeze。　　And　after　four　or　five　sneezes；　he　opened　wide　his　arms　and　said　to　Pinocchio：

〃You　are　a　brave　boy！　　Come　to　my　arms　and　kiss　me！〃

Pinocchio　ran　to　him　and　scurrying　like　a　squirrel　up　the　long　black　beard；　he　gave　Fire　Eater　a　loving　kiss　on　the　tip　of　his　nose。

〃Has　pardon　been　granted　to　me？〃　asked　poor　Harlequin　with　a　voice　that　was　hardly　a　breath。

〃Pardon　is　yours！〃　answered　Fire　Eater；　and　sighing　and　wagging　his　head；　he　added：　　〃Well；　tonight　I　shall　have　to　eat　my　lamb　only　half　cooked；　but　beware　the　next　time；　Marionettes。〃

At　the　news　that　pardon　had　been　given；　the　Marionettes　ran　to　the　stage　and；　turning　on　all　the　lights；　they　danced　and　sang　till　dawn。



CHAPTER　12

Fire　Eater　gives　Pinocchio　five　gold　pieces　for　his　father；　Geppetto；　but　the　Marionette　meets　a　Fox　and　a　Cat　and　follows　them



The　next　day　Fire　Eater　called　Pinocchio　aside　and　asked　him：

〃What　is　your　father's　name？〃

〃Geppetto。〃

〃And　what　is　his　trade？〃

〃He's　a　wood　carver。〃

〃Does　he　earn　much？〃

〃He　earns　so　much　that　he　never　has　a　penny　in　his　pockets。　　Just　think　that；　in　order　to　buy　me　an　A…B…C　book　for　school；　he　had　to　sell　the　only　coat　he　owned；　a　coat　so　full　of　darns　and　patches　that　it　was　a　pity。〃

〃Poor　fellow！　　I　feel　sorry　for　him。　　Here；　take　these　five　gold　pieces。　　Go；　give　them　to　him　with　my　kindest　regards。〃

Pinocchio；　as　may　easily　be　imagined；　thanked　him　a　thousand　times。　　He　kissed　each　Marionette　in　turn；　even　the　officers；　and；　beside　himself　with　joy；　set　out　on　his　homeward　journey。

He　had　gone　barely　half　a　mile　when　he　met　a　lame　Fox　and　a　blind　Cat；　walking　together　like　two　good　friends。　　The　lame　Fox　leaned　on　the　Cat；　and　the　blind　Cat　let　the　Fox　lead　him　along。

〃Good　morning；　Pinocchio；〃　said　the　Fox；　greeting　him　courteously。

〃How　do　you　know　my　name？〃　asked　the　Marionette。

〃I　know　your　father　well。〃

〃Where　have　you　seen　him？〃

〃I　saw　him　yesterday　standing　at　the　door　of　his　house。〃

〃And　what　was　he　doing？〃

〃He　was　in　his　shirt　sleeves　trembling　with　cold。〃

〃Poor　Father！　　But；　after　today；　God　willing；　he　will　suffer　no　longer。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　I　have　become　a　rich　man。〃

〃You；　a　rich　man？〃　said　the　Fox；　and　he　began　to　laugh　out　loud。　　The　Cat　was　laughing　also；　but　tried　to　hide　it　by　stroking　his　long　whiskers。

〃There　is　nothing　to　laugh　at；〃　cried　Pinocchio　angrily。　〃I　am　very　sorry　to　make　your　mouth　water；　but　these；　as　you　know；　are　five　new　gold　pieces。〃

And　he　pulled　out　the　gold　pieces　which　Fire　Eater　had　given　him。

At　the　cheerful　tinkle　of　the　gold；　the　Fox　unconsciously　held　out　his　paw　that　was　supposed　to　be　lame；　and　the　Cat　opened　wide　his　two　eyes　till　they　looked　like　live　coals；　but　he　closed　them　again　so　quickly　that　Pinocchio　did　not　notice。

〃And　may　I　ask；〃　inquired　the　Fox；　〃what　you　are　going　to　do　with　all　that　money？〃

〃First　of　all；〃　answered　the　Marionette；　〃I　want　to　buy　a　fine　new　coat　for　my　father；　a　coat　of　gold　and　silver　with　diamond　buttons；　after　that；　I'll　buy　an　A…B…C　book　for　myself。〃

〃For　yourself？〃

〃For　myself。　　I　want　to　go　to　school　and　study　hard。〃

〃Look　at　me；〃　said　the　Fox。　　〃For　the　silly　reason　of　wanting　to　study；　I　have　lost　a　paw。〃

〃Look　at　me；〃　said　the　Cat。　　〃For　the　same　foolish　reason；　I　have　lost　the　sight　of　both　eyes。〃

At　that　moment；　a　Blackbird；　perched　on　the　fence　along　the　road；　called　out　sharp　and　clear：

〃Pinocchio；　do　not　listen　to　bad　advice。　　If　you　do；　you'll　be　sorry！〃

Poor　little　Blackbird！　　If　he　had　only　kept　his　words　to　himself！　　In　the　twinkling　of　an　eyelid；　the　Cat　leaped　on　him；　and　ate　him；　feathers　and　all。

After　eating　the　bird；　he　cleaned　his　whiskers；　closed　his　eyes；　and　became　blind　once　more。

〃Poor　Blackbird！〃　said　Pinocchio　to　the　Cat。　〃Why　did　you　kill　him？〃

〃I　killed　him　to　teach　him　a　lesson。　　He　talks　too　much。　Next　time　he　will　keep　his　words　to　himself。〃

By　this　time　the　three　companions　had　walked　a　long　distance。　　Suddenly；　the　Fox　stopped　in　his　tracks　and；　turning　to　the　Marionette；　said　to　him：

〃Do　you　want　to　double　your　gold　pieces？〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃Do　you　want　one　hundred；　a　thousand；　two　thousand　gold　pieces　for　your　miserable　five？〃

〃Yes；　but　how？〃

〃The　way　is　very　easy。　　Instead　of　returning　home；　come　with　us。〃

〃And　where　will　you　take　me？〃

〃To　the　City　of　Simple　Simons。〃

Pinocchio　thought　a　while　and　then　said　firmly：

〃No；　I　don't　want　to　go。　　Home　is　near；　and　I'm　going　where　Father　is　waiting　for　me。　　How　unhappy　he　must　be　that　I　have　not　yet　returned！　　I　have　been　a　bad　son；　and　the　Talking　Cricket　was　right　when　he　said　that　a　disobedient　boy　cannot　be　happy　in　this　world。　　I　have　learned　this　at　my　own　expense。　　Even　last　night　in　the　theater；　when　Fire　Eater。　。　。　Brrrr！！！！！　。　。　。　The　shivers　run　up　and　down　my　back　at　the　mere　thought　of　it。〃

〃Well；　then；〃　said　the　Fox；　〃if　you　really　want　to　go　home；　go　ahead；　but　you'll　be　sorry。〃

〃You'll　be　sorry；〃　repeated　the　Cat。

〃Think　well；　Pinocchio；　you　are　turning　your　back　on　Dame　Fortune。〃

〃On　Dame　Fortune；〃　repeated　the　Cat。

〃Tomorrow　your　five　gold　pieces　will　be　two　thousand！〃

〃Two　thousand！〃　repeated　the　Cat。

〃But　how　can　they　possibly　become　so　many？〃　asked　Pinocchio　wonderingly。

〃I'll　explain；〃　said　the　Fox。　　〃You　must　know　that；　just　outside　the　City　of　Simple　Simons；　there　is　a　blessed　field　called　the　Field　of　Wonders。　　In　this　field　you　dig　a　hole　and　in　the　hole　you　bury　a　gold　piece。　　After　covering　up　the　hole　with　earth　you　water　it　well；　sprinkle　a　bit　of　salt　on　it；　and　go　to　bed。　　During　the　night；　the　gold　piece　sprouts；　grows；　blossoms；　and　next　morning　you　find　a　beautiful　tree；　that　is　loaded　with　gold　pieces。〃

〃So　that　if　I　were　to　bury　my　five　gold　pieces；〃　cried　Pinocchio　with　growing　wonder；　〃next　morning　I　should　findhow　many？〃

〃It　is　very　simple　to　figure　out；〃　answered　the　Fox。　〃Why；　you　can　figure　it　on　your　fingers！　　Granted　that　each　piece　gives　you　five　hundred；　multiply　five　hundred　by　five。　　Next　morning　you　will　find　twenty…five　hundred　new；　sparkling　gold　pieces。〃

〃Fine！　　Fine！〃　cried　Pinocchio；　dancing　about　with　joy。　〃And　as　soon　as　I　have　them；　I　shall　keep　two　thousand　for　myself　and　the　other　five　hundred　I'll　give　to　you　two。〃

〃A　gift　for　us？〃　cried　the　Fox；　pretending　to　be　insulted。　〃Why；　of　course　not！〃

〃Of　course　not！〃　repeated　the　Cat。

〃We　do　not　work　for　gain；〃　answered　the　Fox。　〃We　work　only　to　enrich　others。〃

〃To　enrich　others！〃　repeated　the　Cat。

〃What　good　people；〃　thought　Pinocchio　to　himself。　And　forgetting　his　father；　the　new　coat；　the　A…B…C　book；　and　all　his　good　resolutions；　he　said　to　the　Fox　and　to　the　Cat：

〃Let　us　go。　　I　am　with　you。〃



CHAPTER　13

The　Inn　of　the　Red　Lobster



Cat　and　Fox　and　Marionette　walked　and　walked　and　walked。　At　last；　toward　evening；　dead　tired；　they　came　to　the　Inn　of　the　Red　Lobster。

〃Let　us　stop　here　a　while；〃　said　the　Fox；　〃to　eat　a　bite　and　rest　for　a　few　hours。　　At　midnight　we'll　start　out　again；　for　at　dawn　tomorrow　we　must　be　at　the　Field　of　Wonders。〃

They　went　into　the　Inn　and　all　three　sat　down　at　the　same　table。　　However；　not　one　of　them　was　very　hungry。

The　poor　Cat　felt　very　weak；　and　he　was　able　to　eat　only　thirty…five　mullets　with　tomato　sauce　and　four　portions　of　tripe　with　cheese。　　Moreover；　as　he　was　so　in　need　of　strength；　he　had　to　have　four　more　helpings　of　butter　and　cheese。

The　Fox；　after　a　great　deal　of　coaxing；　tried　his　best　to　eat　a　little。　　The　doctor　had　put　him　on　a　diet；　and　he　had　to　be　satisfied　with　a　small　hare　dressed　with　a　dozen　young　and　tender　spring　chickens。　　After　the　hare；　he　ordered　some　partridges；　a　few　pheasants；　a　couple　of　rabbits；　and　a　dozen　frogs　and　lizards。　　That　was　all。　He　felt　ill；　he　said；　and　could　not　eat　another　bite。

Pinocchio　ate　least　of　all。　　He　asked　for　a　bite　of　bread　and　a　few　nuts　and