"Beautiful little Snail," cried Pinocchio from the street, "I have beenwaiting for two hours! And two hours on such a bad night seem longerthan two years. Be quick, for pity's sake."
"My boy," answered the calm little animal--"my boy, I am a snail, andsnails are never in a hurry."
And the window was shut again.
Shortly afterwards midnight struck; then one o'clock, then two o'clock,and the door remained still closed.
Pinocchio at last, losing all patience, seized the knocker in a rage,intending to give a blow that would resound through the house. But theknocker, which was iron, turned suddenly into an eel and, slipping outof his hands, disappeared in the stream of water that ran down themiddle of the street.
"Ah! is that it?" shouted Pinocchio, blind with rage. "Since the knockerhas disappeared, I will kick instead with all my might."
And, drawing a little back, he gave a tremendous kick against the housedoor. The blow was indeed so violent that his foot went through the woodand stuck; and when he tried to draw it back again it was trouble thrownaway, for it remained fixed like a nail that has been hammered down.
Think of poor Pinocchio! He was obliged to spend the remainder of thenight with one foot on the ground and the other in the air.
The following morning at daybreak the door was at last opened. Theclever little Snail had taken only nine hours to come down from thefourth story to the house-door. It is evident that her exertions musthave been great.
"What are you doing with your foot stuck in the door?" she asked thepuppet.
"It was an accident. Do try, beautiful little Snail, if you cannotrelease me from this torture."
"My boy, that is the work of a carpenter, and I have never been acarpenter."
"Beg the Fairy from me!"
"The Fairy is asleep and must not be awakened."
"But what do you suppose that I can do all day nailed to this door?"
"Amuse yourself by counting the ants that pass down the street."
"Bring me at least something to eat, for I am quite exhausted."
"At once," said the Snail.
In fact, after three hours and a half she returned to Pinocchio carryinga silver tray on her head. The tray contained a loaf of bread, a roastchicken, and four ripe apricots.
"Here is the breakfast that the Fairy has sent you," said the Snail.
The puppet felt very much comforted at the sight of these good things.But when he began to eat them, what was his disgust at making thediscovery that the bread was plaster, the chicken cardboard, and thefour apricots painted alabaster.
He wanted to cry. In his desperation he tried to throw away the tray andall that was on it; but instead, either from grief or exhaustion, hefainted away.
When he came to himself he found that he was lying on a sofa, and theFairy was beside him.
"I will pardon you once more," the Fairy said, "but woe to you if youbehave badly a third time!"
Pinocchio promised and swore that he would study, and that for thefuture he would always conduct himself well.
And he kept his word for the remainder of the year. Indeed, at theexaminations before the holidays, he had the honor of being the first inthe school, and his behavior in general was so satisfactory andpraiseworthy that the Fairy was very much pleased, and said to him:
"Tomorrow your wish shall be gratified."
"And that is?"
"Tomorrow you shall cease to be a wooden puppet and you shall become aboy."
No one who had not witnessed it could ever imagine Pinocchio's joy atthis long-sighed-for good fortune. All his school-fellows were to beinvited for the following day to a grand breakfast at the Fairy's house,that they might celebrate together the great event. The Fairy hadprepared two hundred cups of coffee and milk, and four hundred rolls cutand buttered on each side. The day promised to be most happy anddelightful, but--
Unfortunately in the lives of puppets there is always a "but" thatspoils everything.
CHAPTER XXX
THE "LAND OF BOOBIES"
Pinocchio, as was natural, asked the Fairy's permission to go round thetown to give out the invitations, and the Fairy said to him:
"Go, if you like, and invite your companions for the breakfast tomorrow,but remember to return home before dark. Have you understood?"
"I promise to be back in an hour," answered the puppet.
"Take care, Pinocchio! Boys are always very ready to promise, butgenerally they are little given to keep their word."
"But I am not like other boys. When I say a thing, I do it."
"We shall see. If you are disobedient, so much the worse for you."
"Why?"
"Because boys who do not listen to the advice of those who know morethan they do always meet with some misfortune or other."
"I have experienced that," said Pinocchio, "but I shall never make thatmistake again."
"We shall see if that is true."
Without saying more the puppet took leave of his good Fairy, who waslike a mamma to him, and went out of the house singing and dancing.
In less than an hour all his friends were invited. Some accepted at onceheartily; others at first required pressing; but when they heard thatthe rolls to be eaten with the coffee were to be buttered on both sidesthey ended by saying:
"We will come also, to do you a pleasure."
Now I must tell you that amongst Pinocchio's friends and school-fellowsthere was one that he greatly preferred and was very fond of. This boy'sname was Romeo, but he always went by the nickname of Candlewick,because he was so thin, straight and bright, like the new wick of alittle nightlight.
Candlewick was the laziest and the naughtiest boy in the school, butPinocchio was devoted to him. He had indeed gone at once to his house toinvite him to the breakfast, but he had not found him. He returned asecond time, but Candlewick was not there. He went a third time, but itwas in vain. Where could he search for him? He looked here, there, andeverywhere, and at last he saw him hiding on the porch of a peasant'scottage.
"What are you doing there?" asked Pinocchio, coming up to him.
"I am waiting for midnight, to start away."
"And where are you going?"
"I am going to live in a country--the most delightful country in theworld: a real land of sweetmeats!"
"And what is it called?"
"It is called the 'Land of Boobies.' Why do you not come, too?"
"I? No, never!"
"You are wrong, Pinocchio. If you do not come you will repent it. Wherecould you find a better country for us boys? There are no schools there;there are no masters; there are no books. In that delightful land nobodyever studies. On Saturday there is never school, and every week consistsof six Saturdays and one Sunday. Only think, the autumn holidays beginon the first of January and finish on the last day of December. That isthe country for me! That is what all civilized countries should belike!"
"But how are the days spent in the 'Land of Boobies'?"
They are spent in play and amusement from morning till night. When nightcomes you go to bed, and recommence the same life in the morning. Whatdo you think of it?"
"Hum!" said Pinocchio, and he shook his head slightly, as much as tosay, "That is a life that I also would willingly lead."
"Well, will you go with me? Yes or no? Resolve quickly."
"No, no, no, and again no. I promised my good Fairy to become a wellconducted boy, and I will keep my word. And as I see that the sun issetting I must leave you at once and run away. Good-bye, and a pleasantjourney to you."
"Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"
"Home. My good Fairy wishes me to be back before dark."
"Wait another two minutes."
"It will make me too late."
"Only two minutes."
"And if the Fairy scolds me?"
"Let her scold. When she has scolded well she will hold her tongue,"said that rascal Candlewick.
"And what are you going to do? Are you going alone or
with companions?"
"Alone? Indeed not, there will be more than a hundred boys."
"And do you make the journey on foot?"
"A coach will pass by shortly which is to take me to that happycountry."
"What would I not give for the coach to pass by now!"
"Why?"
"That I might see you all start together."
"Stay here a little longer and you will see us."
"No, no, I must go home."
"Wait another two minutes."
"I have already delayed too long. The Fairy will be anxious about me."
"Poor Fairy! Is she afraid that the bats will eat you?"
"But now," continued Pinocchio, "are you really certain that there areno schools in that country?"
"Not even the shadow of one."
"And no masters either?"
"Not one."
"And no one is ever made to study?"
"Never, never, never!"
"What a delightful country!" said Pinocchio, his mouth watering. "What adelightful country! I have never been there, but I can quite imagineit."
"Why will you not come also?"
"It is useless to tempt me. I promised my good Fairy to become asensible boy, and I will not break my word."
"Good-bye, then, and give my compliments to all the boys at school, ifyou meet them in the street."
"Good-bye, Candlewick; a pleasant journey to you; amuse yourself, andthink sometimes of your friends."
Thus saying, the puppet made two steps to go, but then stopped, and,turning to his friend, he inquired:
"But are you quite certain that in that country all the weeks consist ofsix Saturdays and one Sunday?"
"Most certainly."
"But do you know for certain that the holidays begin on the first ofJanuary and finish on the last day of December?"
"Assuredly."
"What a delightful country!" repeated Pinocchio, looking enchanted.Then, with a resolute air, he added in a great hurry:
"This time really good-bye, and a pleasant journey to you."
"Good-bye."
"When do you start?"
"Shortly."
"What a pity! If really it wanted only an hour to the time of yourstart, I should almost be tempted to wait."
"And the Fairy?"
"It is already late. If I return home an hour sooner or later it willbe all the same."
"Poor Pinocchio! And if the Fairy scolds you?"
"I must have patience! I will let her scold. When she has scolded wellshe will hold her tongue."
In the meantime night had come on and it was quite dark. Suddenly theysaw in the distance a small light moving and they heard a noise oftalking, and the sound of a trumpet, but so small and feeble that itresembled the hum of a mosquito.
"Here it is!" shouted Candlewick, jumping to his feet.
"What is it?" asked Pinocchio in a whisper.
"It is the coach coming to take me. Now will you come, yes or no?"
"But is it really true," asked the puppet, "that in that country boysare never obliged to study?"
"Never, never, never!"
"What a delightful country! What a delightful country! What a delightfulcountry!"
THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE TO GET ON THETUNNY'S BACK]
CHAPTER XXXI
PINOCCHIO ENJOYS FIVE MONTHS OF HAPPINESS
At last the coach arrived, and it arrived without making the slightestnoise, for its wheels were bound round with flax and rags.
It was drawn by twelve pairs of donkeys, all the same size but ofdifferent colors.
Some were gray, some white, some brindled like pepper and salt, andothers had large stripes of yellow and blue.
But the most extraordinary thing was this: the twelve pairs, that is,the twenty-four donkeys, instead of being shod like other beasts ofburden, had on their feet men's boots made of white kid.
And the coachman?
Picture to yourself a little man broader than he was long, flabby andgreasy like a lump of butter, with a small round face like an orange, alittle mouth that was always laughing, and a soft, caressing voice likea cat when she is trying to insinuate herself into the good graces ofthe mistress of the house.
All the boys vied with each other in taking places in his coach, to beconducted to the "Land of Boobies."
The coach was, in fact, quite full of boys between eight and fourteenyears old, heaped one upon another like herrings in a barrel. They wereuncomfortable, packed closely together and could hardly breathe; butnobody said "Oh!"--nobody grumbled. The consolation of knowing that in afew hours they would reach a country where there were no books, noschools, and no masters, made them so happy and resigned that they feltneither fatigue nor inconvenience, neither hunger, nor thirst, nor wantof sleep.
As soon as the coach had drawn up the little man turned to Candlewickand with a thousand smirks and grimaces said to him, smiling:
"Tell me, my fine boy, would you also like to go to that fortunatecountry?"
"I certainly wish to go."
"But I must warn you, my dear child, that there is not a place left inthe coach. You can see for yourself that it is quite full."
"No matter," replied Candlewick, "if there is no place inside, I willmanage to sit on the springs."
And, giving a leap, he seated himself astride on the springs.
"And you, my love!" said the little man, turning in a flattering mannerto Pinocchio, "what do you intend to do? Are you coming with us or areyou going to remain behind?"
"I remain behind," answered Pinocchio. "I am going home. I intend tostudy, as all well conducted boys do."
"Much good may it do you!"
"Pinocchio!" called out Candlewick, "listen to me: come with us and weshall have such fun."
"No, no, no!"
"Come with us and we shall have such fun," shouted in chorus a hundredvoices from the inside of the coach.
"But if I come with you, what will my good Fairy say?" said the puppet,who was beginning to yield.
"Do not trouble your head with melancholy thoughts. Consider only thatwe are going to a country where we shall be at liberty to run riot frommorning till night."
Pinocchio did not answer, but he sighed; he sighed again; he sighed forthe third time, and he said finally:
"Make a little room for me, for I am coming, too."
"The places are all full," replied the little man; "but, to show you howwelcome you are, you shall have my seat on the box."
"And you?"
"Oh, I will go on foot."
"No, indeed, I could not allow that. I would rather mount one of thesedonkeys," cried Pinocchio.
Approaching the right-hand donkey of the first pair, he attempted tomount him, but the animal turned on him and, giving him a great blow inthe stomach, rolled him over with his legs in the air.
You can imagine the impertinent and immoderate laughter of all the boyswho witnessed this scene.
But the little man did not laugh. He approached the rebellious donkeyand, pretending to give him a kiss, bit off half of his ear.
Pinocchio in the meantime had gotten up from the ground in a fury and,with a spring, he seated himself on the poor animal's back. And hesprang so well that the boys stopped laughing and began to shout:"Hurrah, Pinocchio!" and they clapped their hands and applauded him asif they would never finish.
Now that Pinocchio was mounted, the coach started. Whilst the donkeyswere galloping and the coach was rattling over the stones of the highroad, the puppet thought that he heard a low voice that was scarcelyaudible saying to him:
"Poor fool! you would follow your own way, but you will repent it!"
Pinocchio, feeling almost frightened, looked from side to side to tryand discover where these words could come from, but he saw nobody. Thedonkeys galloped, the coach rattled, the boys inside slept, Candlewicksnored like a dormouse, and the little man seated on the box sangbetween his teeth:
"During the night all sleep, Bu
t I sleep never."
After they had gone another mile, Pinocchio heard the same little lowvoice saying to him:
"Bear it in mind, simpleton! Boys who refuse to study and turn theirbacks upon books, schools and masters, to pass their time in play andamusement, sooner or later come to a bad end. I know it by experience,and I can tell you. A day will come when you will weep as I am weepingnow, but then it will be too late!"
On hearing these words whispered very softly, the puppet, morefrightened than ever, sprang down from the back of his donkey and wentand took hold of his mouth.
Imagine his surprise when he found that the donkey was crying--cryinglike a boy!
"Eh! Sir Coachman," cried Pinocchio to the little man, "here is anextraordinary thing! This donkey is crying."
"Let him cry; he will laugh when he is a bridegroom."
"But have you by chance taught him to talk?"
"No; but he spent three years in a company of learned dogs, and helearned to mutter a few words."
"Poor beast!"
"Come, come," said the little man, "don't let us waste time in seeing adonkey cry. Mount him and let us go on: the night is cold and the roadis long."
Pinocchio obeyed without another word. In the morning about daybreakthey arrived safely in the "Land of Boobies."
It was a country unlike any other country in the world. The populationwas composed entirely of boys. The oldest were fourteen, and theyoungest scarcely eight years old. In the streets there was suchmerriment, noise and shouting that it was enough to turn anybody's head.There were troops of boys everywhere. Some were playing with nuts, somewith battledores, some with balls. Some rode velocipedes, others woodenhorses. A party were playing at hide and seek, a few were chasing eachother. Some were reciting, some singing, some leaping. Some were amusingthemselves with walking on their hands with their feet in the air;others were trundling hoops or strutting about dressed as generals,wearing leaf helmets and commanding a squadron of cardboard soldiers.Some were laughing, some shouting, some were calling out; others clappedtheir hands, or whistled, or clucked like a hen who has just laid anegg.
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