Pinocchio: The Tale of a Puppet

by Carlo Collodi

  He then took him by the collar and as he was leading him away he said tohim, shaking his head threateningly:

  "We will go home at once, and as soon as we arrive we will settle ouraccounts, never doubt it."

  At this information Pinocchio threw himself on the ground and would nottake another step. In the meanwhile a crowd of idlers and inquisitivepeople began to assemble and to make a ring around them.

  Some of them said one thing, some another.

  "Poor puppet!" said several, "he is right not to wish to return home!Who knows how Geppetto, that bad old man, will beat him!"

  And the others added maliciously:

  "Geppetto seems a good man! but with boys he is a regular tyrant! Ifthat poor puppet is left in his hands he is quite capable of tearing himin pieces!"

  It ended in so much being said and done that the soldier at last setPinocchio at liberty and led Geppetto to prison. The poor man, not beingready with words to defend himself, cried like a calf and as he wasbeing led away to prison sobbed out:

  "Wretched boy! And to think how I labored to make him a well-conductedpuppet! But it serves me right! I should have thought of it sooner!"

  CHAPTER IV

  THE TALKING-CRICKET SCOLDS PINOCCHIO

  While poor Geppetto was being taken to prison for no fault of his, thatimp Pinocchio, finding himself free from the clutches of the soldier,ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. That he might reach homethe quicker he rushed across the fields, and in his mad hurry he jumpedhigh banks, thorn hedges and ditches full of water.

  Arriving at the house he found the street door ajar. He pushed it open,went in, and having fastened the latch, threw himself on the floor andgave a great sigh of satisfaction.

  But soon he heard some one in the room who was saying:

  "Cri-cri-cri!"

  "Who calls me?" said Pinocchio in a fright.

  "It is I!"

  Pinocchio turned round and saw a big cricket crawling slowly up thewall.

  "Tell me, Cricket, who may you be?"

  "I am the Talking-Cricket, and I have lived in this room a hundred yearsor more."

  "Now, however, this room is mine," said the puppet, "and if you would dome a pleasure go away at once, without even turning round."

  "I will not go," answered the Cricket, "until I have told you a greattruth."

  "Tell it me, then, and be quick about it."

  "Woe to those boys who rebel against their parents and run away fromhome. They will never come to any good in the world, and sooner or laterthey will repent bitterly."

  "Sing away, Cricket, as you please, and as long as you please. For me, Ihave made up my mind to run away tomorrow at daybreak, because if Iremain I shall not escape the fate of all other boys; I shall be sent toschool and shall be made to study either by love or by force. To tellyou in confidence, I have no wish to learn; it is much more amusing torun after butterflies, or to climb trees and to take the young birds outof their nests."

  "Poor little goose! But do you not know that in that way you will growup a perfect donkey, and that every one will make fun of you?"

  "Hold your tongue, you wicked, ill-omened croaker!" shouted Pinocchio.

  But the Cricket, who was patient and philosophical, instead of becomingangry at this impertinence, continued in the same tone:

  "But if you do not wish to go to school why not at least learn a trade,if only to enable you to earn honestly a piece of bread!"

  "Do you want me to tell you?" replied Pinocchio, who was beginning tolose patience. "Amongst all the trades in the world there is only onethat really takes my fancy."

  "And that trade--what is it?"

  "It is to eat, drink, sleep and amuse myself, and to lead a vagabondlife from morning to night."

  "As a rule," said the Talking-Cricket, "all those who follow that tradeend almost always either in a hospital or in prison."

  "Take care, you wicked, ill-omened croaker! Woe to you if I fly into apassion!"

  "Poor Pinocchio! I really pity you!"

  "Why do you pity me?"

  "Because you are a puppet and, what is worse, because you have a woodenhead."

  At these last words Pinocchio jumped up in a rage and, snatching awooden hammer from the bench, he threw it at the Talking-Cricket.

  Perhaps he never meant to hit him, but unfortunately it struck himexactly on the head, so that the poor Cricket had scarcely breath to cry"Cri-cri-cri!" and then he remained dried up and flattened against thewall.

  CHAPTER V

  THE FLYING EGG

  Night was coming on and Pinocchio, remembering that he had eaten nothingall day, began to feel a gnawing in his stomach that very much resembledappetite.

  After a few minutes his appetite had become hunger and in no time hishunger became ravenous.

  Poor Pinocchio ran quickly to the fireplace, where a saucepan wasboiling, and was going to take off the lid to see what was in it, butthe saucepan was only painted on the wall. You can imagine his feelings.His nose, which was already long, became longer by at least threeinches.

  He then began to run about the room, searching in the drawers and inevery imaginable place, in hopes of finding a bit of bread. If it wasonly a bit of dry bread, a crust, a bone left by a dog, a little moldypudding of Indian corn, a fish bone, a cherry stone--in fact, anythingthat he could gnaw. But he could find nothing, nothing at all,absolutely nothing.

  And in the meanwhile his hunger grew and grew. Poor Pinocchio had noother relief than yawning, and his yawns were so tremendous thatsometimes his mouth almost reached his ears. And after he had yawned hespluttered and felt as if he were going to faint.

  Then he began to cry desperately, and he said:

  "The Talking-Cricket was right. I did wrong to rebel against my papa andto run away from home. If my papa were here I should not now be dying ofyawning! Oh! what a dreadful illness hunger is!"

  Just then he thought he saw something in the dust-heap--something roundand white that looked like a hen's egg. To give a spring and seize holdof it was the affair of a moment. It was indeed an egg.

  Pinocchio's joy was beyond description. Almost believing it must be adream he kept turning the egg over in his hands, feeling it and kissingit. And as he kissed it he said:

  "And now, how shall I cook it? Shall I make an omelet? No, it would bebetter to cook it in a saucer! Or would it not be more savory to fry itin the frying-pan? Or shall I simply boil it? No, the quickest way ofall is to cook it in a saucer: I am in such a hurry to eat it!"

  Without loss of time he placed an earthenware saucer on a brazier fullof red-hot embers. Into the saucer instead of oil or butter he poured alittle water; and when the water began to smoke, tac! he broke theegg-shell over it and let the contents drop in. But, instead of thewhite and the yolk a little chicken popped out very gay and polite.Making a beautiful courtesy it said to him:

  "A thousand thanks, Master Pinocchio, for saving me the trouble ofbreaking the shell. Adieu until we meet again. Keep well, and my bestcompliments to all at home!"

  Thus saying, it spread its wings, darted through the open window and,flying away, was lost to sight.

  The poor puppet stood as if he had been bewitched, with his eyes fixed,his mouth open, and the egg-shell in his hand. Recovering, however, fromhis first stupefaction, he began to cry and scream, and to stamp hisfeet on the floor in desperation, and amidst his sobs he said:

  "Ah, indeed, the Talking-Cricket was right. If I had not run away fromhome, and if my papa were here, I should not now be dying of hunger! Oh!what a dreadful illness hunger is!"

  And, as his stomach cried out more than ever and he did not know how toquiet it, he thought he would leave the house and make an excursion inthe neighborhood in hopes of finding some charitable person who wouldgive him a piece of bread.

  CHAPTER VI

  PINOCCHIO'S FEET BURN TO CINDERS

  It was a wild and stormy night. The thunder was tremendous and thelightning so vivid that the sky seemed on fire.<
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  Pinocchio had a great fear of thunder, but hunger was stronger thanfear. He therefore closed the house door and made a rush for thevillage, which he reached in a hundred bounds, with his tongue hangingout and panting for breath like a dog after game.

  But he found it all dark and deserted. The shops were closed, thewindows shut, and there was not so much as a dog in the street. Itseemed the land of the dead.

  Pinocchio, urged by desperation and hunger, took hold of the bell of ahouse and began to ring it with all his might, saying to himself:

  "That will bring somebody."

  And so it did. A little old man appeared at a window with a night-cap onhis head and called to him angrily:

  "What do you want at such an hour?"

  "Would you be kind enough to give me a little bread?"

  "Wait there, I will be back directly," said the little old man, thinkingit was one of those rascally boys who amuse themselves at night byringing the house-bells to rouse respectable people who are sleepingquietly.

  After half a minute the window was again opened and the voice of thesame little old man shouted to Pinocchio:

  "Come underneath and hold out your cap."

  Pinocchio pulled off his cap; but, just as he held it out, an enormousbasin of water was poured down on him, soaking him from head to foot asif he had been a pot of dried-up geraniums.

  He returned home like a wet chicken, quite exhausted with fatigue andhunger; and, having no longer strength to stand, he sat down and restedhis damp and muddy feet on a brazier full of burning embers.

  And then he fell asleep, and whilst he slept his feet, which werewooden, took fire, and little by little they burnt away and becamecinders.

  Pinocchio continued to sleep and to snore as if his feet belonged tosome one else. At last about daybreak he awoke because some one wasknocking at the door.

  "Who is there?" he asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

  "It is I!" answered a voice.

  And Pinocchio recognized Geppetto's voice.

  CHAPTER VII

  GEPPETTO GIVES HIS OWN BREAKFAST TO PINOCCHIO

  Poor Pinocchio, whose eyes were still half shut from sleep, had not asyet discovered that his feet were burnt off. The moment, therefore, thathe heard his father's voice he slipped off his stool to run and open thedoor; but, after stumbling two or three times, he fell his whole lengthon the floor.

  And the noise he made in falling was as if a sack of wooden ladles hadbeen thrown from a fifth story.

  "Open the door!" shouted Geppetto from the street.

  "Dear papa, I cannot," answered the puppet, crying and rolling about onthe ground.

  "Why can't you?"

  "Because my feet have been eaten."

  "And who has eaten your feet?"

  "The cat," said Pinocchio, seeing the cat, who was amusing herself bymaking some shavings dance with her forepaws.

  "Open the door, I tell you!" repeated Geppetto. "If you don't, when Iget into the house you shall have the cat from me!"

  "I cannot stand up, believe me. Oh, poor me! poor me! I shall have towalk on my knees for the rest of my life!"

  Geppetto, believing that all this lamentation was only another of thepuppet's tricks, thought of a means of putting an end to it, and,climbing up the wall, he got in at the window.

  He was very angry and at first he did nothing but scold; but when he sawhis Pinocchio lying on the ground and really without feet he was quiteovercome. He took him in his arms and began to kiss and caress him, andto say a thousand endearing things to him, and as the big tears ran downhis cheeks he said, sobbing:

  "My little Pinocchio! how did you manage to burn your feet?"

  "I don't know, papa, but it has been such a dreadful night that I shallremember it as long as I live. It thundered and lightened, and I wasvery hungry, and then the Talking-Cricket said to me: 'It serves youright; you have been wicked and you deserve it,' and I said to him:'Take care, Cricket!' and he said: 'You are a puppet and you have awooden head,' and I threw the handle of a hammer at him, and he died,but the fault was his, for I didn't wish to kill him, and the proof ofit is that I put an earthenware saucer on a brazier of burning embers,but a chicken flew out and said: 'Adieu until we meet again, and manycompliments to all at home': and I got still more hungry, for whichreason that little old man in a night-cap, opening the window, said tome: 'Come underneath and hold out your hat,' and poured a basinful ofwater on my head, because asking for a little bread isn't a disgrace, isit? and I returned home at once, and because I was always very hungry Iput my feet on the brazier to dry them, and then you returned, and Ifound they were burnt off, and I am always hungry, but I have no longerany feet! Oh! oh! oh! oh!" And poor Pinocchio began to cry and to roarso loudly that he was heard five miles off.

  Geppetto, who from all this jumbled account had only understood onething, which was that the puppet was dying of hunger, drew from hispocket three pears and, giving them to him, said:

  "These three pears were intended for my breakfast, but I will give themto you willingly. Eat them, and I hope they will do you good."

  "If you wish me to eat them, be kind enough to peel them for me."

  "Peel them?" said Geppetto, astonished. "I should never have thought, myboy, that you were so dainty and fastidious. That is bad! In this worldwe should accustom ourselves from childhood to like and to eateverything, for there is no saying to what we may be brought. There areso many chances!"

  "You are no doubt right," interrupted Pinocchio, "but I will never eatfruit that has not been peeled. I cannot bear rind."

  So good Geppetto peeled the three pears and put the rind on a corner ofthe table.

  Having eaten the first pear in two mouthfuls, Pinocchio was about tothrow away the core, but Geppetto caught hold of his arm and said tohim:

  "Do not throw it away; in this world everything may be of use."

  "But core I am determined I will not eat," shouted the puppet, turningupon him like a viper.

  "Who knows! there are so many chances!" repeated Geppetto, withoutlosing his temper.

  And so the three cores, instead of being thrown out of the window, wereplaced on the corner of the table, together with the three rinds.

  Having eaten, or rather having devoured the three pears, Pinocchioyawned tremendously, and then said in a fretful tone:

  "I am as hungry as ever!"

  "But, my boy, I have nothing more to give you!"

  "Nothing, really nothing?"

  "I have only the rind and the cores of the three pears."

  "One must have patience!" said Pinocchio; "if there is nothing else Iwill eat a rind."

  And he began to chew it. At first he made a wry face, but then one afteranother he quickly disposed of the rinds: and after the rinds even thecores, and when he had eaten up everything he clapped his hands on hissides in his satisfaction and said joyfully:

  "Ah! now I feel comfortable."

  "You see, now," observed Geppetto, "that I was right when I said to youthat it did not do to accustom ourselves to be too particular or toodainty in our tastes. We can never know, my dear boy, what may happen tous. There are so many chances!"

  CHAPTER VIII

  GEPPETTO MAKES PINOCCHIO NEW FEET

  No sooner had the puppet satisfied his hunger than he began to cry andto grumble because he wanted a pair of new feet.

  But Geppetto, to punish him for his naughtiness, allowed him to cry andto despair for half the day. He then said to him:

  "Why should I make you new feet? To enable you, perhaps, to escape againfrom home?"

  "I promise you," said the puppet, sobbing, "that for the future I willbe good."

  "All boys," replied Geppetto, "when they are bent upon obtainingsomething, say the same thing."

  "I promise you that I will go to school and that I will study and bringhome a good report."

  "All boys, when they are bent on obtaining something, repeat the samestory."

  "But I am not like other boys! I am be
tter than all of them and I alwaysspeak the truth. I promise you, papa, that I will learn a trade and thatI will be the consolation and the staff of your old age."

  Geppetto's eyes filled with tears and his heart was sad at seeing hispoor Pinocchio in such a pitiable state. He did not say another word,but, taking his tools and two small pieces of well-seasoned wood, he setto work with great diligence.

  In less than an hour the feet were finished: two little feet--swift,well-knit and nervous. They might have been modelled by an artist ofgenius.

  Geppetto then said to the puppet:

  "Shut your eyes and go to sleep!"

  And Pinocchio shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

  And whilst he pretended to sleep, Geppetto, with a little glue which hehad melted in an egg-shell, fastened his feet in their place, and it wasso well done that not even a trace could be seen of where they werejoined.

  No sooner had the puppet discovered that he had feet than he jumped downfrom the table on which he was lying and began to spring and to cut athousand capers about the room, as if he had gone mad with the greatnessof his delight.

  "To reward you for what you have done for me," said Pinocchio to hisfather, "I will go to school at once."

  "Good boy."

  "But to go to school I shall want some clothes."