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 howmuch you have made."
The bag was soon strapped on his shoulders and the marionette was shownthe door. "Remember," said his master, "a cent a glass!"
Pinocchio set out down the narrow street. He walked on, little caringwhere he went. His wooden brains were far away. He was grieved. Had themaster known just how the marionette felt he would have run after himand at least regained his leather bag.
Pinocchio walked on. He was soon among a hurrying crowd of people. "Canthis be Egypt in Africa? I have read about it often."
A man, wrapped in a white cloak, touched him on the shoulder. Pinocchiodid not understand, and started to go on about his business, but theman took him roughly by the nose. Pinocchio shrieked. The crowdstopped. At last, he discovered that the man wanted water. Pinocchioplaced the bag on the ground. Then he poured the water into a glass.The man drank, paid, and went his way.
"What a thirst for water Africans have!" thought the marionette, as heremembered his companions of the circus. "I like ices better, and I amgoing to try to get one with this penny." At once he started off,leaving the leather bag behind.
CHAPTER XVIA RIDE ON A DOG'S BACK
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 annoyone 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 andpunches, and the boys scattered. Away flew Pinocchio. The people wereastonished to see those tiny legs fly like the wind. They shouted andran after him. Pinocchio resolved not to be caught. He turned into aside street that led into the open country. A large dog, stretched outupon the ground, was in his way. Pinocchio measured the distance andleaped.
At that very moment the dog sprang up, and hardly knowing how ithappened, Pinocchio found himself astride his back. Barking furiously,the animal shot along like a cannon ball. The poor boy felt sure thathe 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 allhis life but carry marionettes on his back.
"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 tomy father. My companions will die of envy when they see me riding toschool like a gentleman. I shall make him a saddle like those I saw onthe circus horses, and a pair of silver stirrups. A saddle is reallynecessary, because it is very uncomfortable to ride in this way."
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 insafety, I will surely return home and go to school."
There was a leap, and a plunge into the black, empty air. When heopened his eyes, he found himself lying at the bottom of a precipice intotal darkness. How long had he been in the air? The marionette did notknow. He remembered only that while flying down he had heard a familiarvoice call, "Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Pinocchio!"
"Farewell to the world and to Africa," said the marionette. "Woodenmarionettes will never learn. Here I shall stay forever. It serves meright."
CHAPTER XVIITHE CAVE
"If I get out of this prison alive, it will be the greatest wonder Ihave ever known." Pinocchio sat in the spot where he had fallen. He nowbegan 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 ofthe water he had so carelessly left in the middle of the street only alittle while before.
"I don't want to die here," he said. "I must get up and walk."
So saying, he moved slowly about, groping with his hands and feet as ifhe were playing blindman's buff. The ground was soft, and the airseemed fresh. In fact, it was not so bad as he had at first thought.Only four things worried him,--darkness, hunger, thirst, and fear. Asidefrom these he was safe and sound.
He had gone but a short distance through the darkness when suddenly hethought he heard a faint murmur. He saw a gleam of light. The bloodrushed through his veins. He walked on. The sound became clearer, andthe light grew brighter. At length Pinocchio found himself in a cavelighted by soft rays. The murmuring sound was caused by a small streamof 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.
"I shall not die of thirst," said the marionette. "Unfortunately, I amstill 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 poorpeople to live without food as I do. How happy they will be!" Meanwhilehe looked about for a means of escape. Soon he discovered the hole thatlighted the cave, and walked out once more under the open sky.
CHAPTER XVIIITHE CARAVAN
He saw nothing but rocks and sand; rocks that shone like mirrors, andsand that burned like fire. He walked on very sadly, without knowingwhere. Presently he found himself upon a hill, from which he could seea vast plain crossed by a wide highway. A long line of people andcamels were on the march, but how strange they looked! They were goingalong with heads down and feet up. At first the marionette was filledwith a strong desire to laugh; then he became frightened and rubbed hiseyes, doubting what they told him.
"Am I dreaming?" he said to himself.
The line continued its march, and he distinctly heard the people laughand joke as they all sat upside down on the backs of the invertedcamels.
"I was not prepared for this! What a strange way of traveling they havein Africa! Maybe I too am walking on my head!" and he touched himselfto make sure that his head was in its proper place.
Meanwhile the caravan passed on, and Pinocchio stood still, his eyesfixed upon the camels as they disappeared at the turning of the road.The only thing left for him to do was to follow them.
"Either on my head or on my feet I shall surely arrive somewhere! I donot believe that all those people will walk on air forever. Sometime orother they will stop to eat. I shall be there to help them."
As he spoke the marionette started forward, walking rapidly in the hotsun.
CHAPTER XIXTHE BABY PULLS HIS NOSE
In half an hour he had caught up with the topsy-turvy caravan. It hadstopped at a large well, which was filled with clear, cool water. Thepeople were laughing and talking as if they were at home. They were allas happy as they could be.
Pinocchio could not understand it. Had these people really stood ontheir heads? What had happened to them? There was something wrong. Hehad certainly seen them traveling in that strange fashion. However, amarionette who is hungry and thirsty does not worry long about thingshe cannot explain. He was there, and the people were eating anddrinking.
"What a fool I am! If their heads were upside down, they could neithereat nor drink. Surely they will not refuse me a little water, andperhaps as they are familiar with Africa, I may discover in talkingwith them where the mines of gold and precious stones are to be found."
So saying, Pinocchio moved toward an old man who was sitting with apipe 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 isit?"
The old man's answer came in a volume of smoke.
"Ask the sun, my boy. He will tell you."
"Thank you!" said Pinocchio, a little taken aback by this reception,and he moved on toward a woman with a baby on her shoulders.
"Madam, will you please tell me if I am on the right road to--"
"The world is wide," broke in the woman.
"And long too," thought the marionette. "How polite these Africansare!"
Of course, the marionette was a stupid fellow. He was a little ashamedto beg for food, and had only asked these questions so that the peoplemight notice him and perhaps offer him food and water. An ordinary boywould have asked for what he wanted, but the blockhead was too proud.
He wa
s about to go on when the baby began to wave its arms, and toshout, "I want it! I want it!"
Can you guess what it wanted? Pinocchio's nose! The child reached outits hands, and cried and kicked in trying to get hold of it.
The whole caravan looked toward the spot. A group of children gatheredabout them. Even the camels lifted their heads to see what was thematter.
The mother was distressed because the child's screams and kickscontinued. She asked Pinocchio to let it touch his nose. His pride washurt, but thinking it best to humor the child, he went closer andallowed his nose to be touched and squeezed and pulled until the babywas perfectly happy and satisfied. The good woman laughed, and thankedPinocchio by offering him some bread and milk.
Pinocchio buried his face in the milk and ate the bread. There was nodoubt of his hunger. The others offered him
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