"Goodman，willyoubekindenoughtogiveapennytoapoorboywhoisyawningfromhunger？"
"Gladly，"answeredtheBricklayer。"Comewithmeandcarrysomeplaster，andinsteadofonepenny，I’llgiveyoufive。"
"Buttheplasterisheavy，"answeredPinocchio，"andtheworktoohardforme。"
"Iftheworkistoohardforyou，myboy，enjoyyouryawnsandmaytheybringyouluck！"
Inlessthanahalfhour，atleasttwentypeoplepassedandPinocchiobeggedofeachone，buttheyallanswered：
"Aren’tyouashamed？Insteadofbeingabeggarinthestreets，whydon’tyoulookforworkandearnyourownbread？"
Finallyalittlewomanwentbycarryingtwowaterjugs。
"Goodwoman，willyouallowmetohaveadrinkfromoneofyourjugs？"askedPinocchio，whowasburningupwiththirst。
"Withpleasure，myboy！"sheanswered，settingthetwojugsonthegroundbeforehim。
WhenPinocchiohadhadhisfill，hegrumbled，ashewipedhismouth：
"Mythirstisgone。IfIcouldonlyaseasilygetridofmyhunger！"
Onhearingthesewords，thegoodlittlewomanimmediatelysaid：
"Ifyouhelpmetocarrythesejugshome，I’llgiveyouasliceofbread。"
Pinocchiolookedatthejugandsaidneitheryesnorno。
"Andwiththebread，I’llgiveyouanicedishofcauliflowerwithwhitesauceonit。"
Pinocchiogavethejuganotherlookandsaidneitheryesnorno。
"Andafterthecauliflower，somecakeandjam。"
Atthislastbribery，Pinocchiocouldnolongerresistandsaidfirmly：
"Verywell。I’lltakethejughomeforyou。"
Thejugwasveryheavy，andtheMarionette，notbeingstrongenoughtocarryitwithhishands，hadtoputitonhishead。
Whentheyarrivedhome，thelittlewomanmadePinocchiositdownatasmalltableandplacedbeforehimthebread，thecauliflower，andthecake。Pinocchiodidnoteat;
hedevoured。Hisstomachseemedabottomlesspit。
Hishungerfinallyappeased，heraisedhisheadtothankhiskindbenefactress。Buthehadnotlookedatherlongwhenhegaveacryofsurpriseandsattherewithhiseyeswideopen，hisforkintheair，andhismouthfilledwithbreadandcauliflower。
"Whyallthissurprise？"askedthegoodwoman，laughing。
"Because——"answeredPinocchio，stammeringandstuttering，"because——youlooklike——youremindmeof——yes，yes，thesamevoice，thesameeyes，thesamehair——yes，yes，yes，youalsohavethesameazurehairshehad——Oh，mylittleFairy，mylittleFairy！Tellmethatitisyou！
Don’tmakemecryanylonger！Ifyouonlyknew！Ihavecriedsomuch，Ihavesufferedso！"
AndPinocchiothrewhimselfonthefloorandclaspedthekneesofthemysteriouslittlewoman。
CHAPTER25
PinocchiopromisestheFairytobegoodandtostudy，asheisgrowingtiredofbeingaMarionette，andwishestobecomearealboyIfPinocchiocriedmuchlonger，thelittlewomanthoughthewouldmeltaway，soshefinallyadmittedthatshewasthelittleFairywithAzureHair。
"YourascalofaMarionette！HowdidyouknowitwasI？"
sheasked，laughing。
"Myloveforyoutoldmewhoyouwere。"
"Doyouremember？YouleftmewhenIwasalittlegirlandnowyoufindmeagrownwoman。Iamsoold，Icouldalmostbeyourmother！"
"Iamverygladofthat，forthenIcancallyoumotherinsteadofsister。ForalongtimeIhavewantedamother，justlikeotherboys。Buthowdidyougrowsoquickly？"
"That’sasecret！"
"Tellittome。Ialsowanttogrowalittle。Lookatme！
Ihavenevergrownhigherthanapenny’sworthofcheese。"
"Butyoucan’tgrow，"answeredtheFairy。
"Whynot？"
"BecauseMarionettesnevergrow。TheyarebornMarionettes，theyliveMarionettes，andtheydieMarionettes。"
"Oh，I’mtiredofalwaysbeingaMarionette！"criedPinocchiodisgustedly。
"It’sabouttimeformetogrowintoamanaseveryoneelsedoes。"
"Andyouwillifyoudeserveit——"
"Really？WhatcanIdotodeserveit？"
"It’saverysimplematter。Trytoactlikeawell-behavedchild。"
"Don’tyouthinkIdo？"
"Farfromit！Goodboysareobedient，andyou，onthecontrary——"
"AndIneverobey。"
"Goodboyslovestudyandwork，butyou——"
"AndI，onthecontrary，amalazyfellowandatrampallyearround。"
"Goodboysalwaystellthetruth。"
"AndIalwaystelllies。"
"Goodboysgogladlytoschool。"
"AndIgetsickifIgotoschool。FromnowonI’llbedifferent。"
"Doyoupromise？"
"Ipromise。Iwanttobecomeagoodboyandbeacomforttomyfather。
Whereismypoorfathernow？"
"Idonotknow。"
"WillIeverbeluckyenoughtofindhimandembracehimoncemore？"
"Ithinkso。Indeed，Iamsureofit。"
Atthisanswer，Pinocchio’shappinesswasverygreat。
HegraspedtheFairy’shandsandkissedthemsohardthatitlookedasifhehadlosthishead。Thenliftinghisface，helookedatherlovinglyandasked："Tellme，littleMother，itisn’ttruethatyouaredead，isit？"
"Itdoesn’tseemso，"answeredtheFairy，smiling。
"IfyouonlyknewhowIsufferedandhowIweptwhenIread`Herelies——’"
"Iknowit，andforthatIhaveforgivenyou。Thedepthofyoursorrowmademeseethatyouhaveakindheart。
Thereisalwayshopeforboyswithheartssuchasyours，thoughtheymayoftenbeverymischievous。ThisisthereasonwhyIhavecomesofartolookforyou。Fromnowon，I’llbeyourownlittlemother。"
"Oh！Howlovely！"criedPinocchio，jumpingwithjoy。
"YouwillobeymealwaysanddoasIwish？"
"Gladly，verygladly，morethangladly！"
"Beginningtomorrow，"saidtheFairy，"you’llgotoschooleveryday。"
Pinocchio’sfacefellalittle。
"Thenyouwillchoosethetradeyoulikebest。"
Pinocchiobecamemoreserious。
"Whatareyoumumblingtoyourself？"askedtheFairy。
"Iwasjustsaying，"whinedtheMarionetteinawhisper，"thatitseemstoolateformetogotoschoolnow。"
"No，indeed。Rememberitisnevertoolatetolearn。"
"ButIdon’twanteithertradeorprofession。"
"Why？"
"Becauseworkweariesme！"
"Mydearboy，"saidtheFairy，"peoplewhospeakasyoudousuallyendtheirdayseitherinaprisonorinahospital。Aman，remember，whetherrichorpoor，shoulddosomethinginthisworld。Noonecanfindhappinesswithoutwork。Woebetidethelazyfellow！Lazinessisaseriousillnessandonemustcureitimmediately;yes，evenfromearlychildhood。Ifnot，itwillkillyouintheend。"
ThesewordstouchedPinocchio’sheart。HeliftedhiseyestohisFairyandsaidseriously：
"I’llwork;I’llstudy;I’lldoallyoutellme。
Afterall，thelifeofaMarionettehasgrownverytiresometomeandIwanttobecomeaboy，nomatterhowharditis。
Youpromisethat，doyounot？"
"Yes，Ipromise，andnowitisuptoyou。"
CHAPTER26
PinocchiogoestotheseashorewithhisfriendstoseetheTerribleSharkInthemorning，brightandearly，Pinocchiostartedforschool。
ImaginewhattheboyssaidwhentheysawaMarionetteentertheclassroom！Theylaugheduntiltheycried。Everyoneplayedtricksonhim。Onepulledhishatoff，anothertuggedathiscoat，athirdtriedtopaintamustacheunderhisnose。Oneevenattemptedtotiestringstohisfeetandhishandstomakehimdance。
ForawhilePinocchiowasverycalmandquiet。Finally，however，helostallpatienceandturningtohistormentors，hesaidtothemthreateningly：
"Careful，boys，Ihaven’tcomeheretobemadefunof。
I’llrespectyouandIwantyoutorespectme。"
"HurrahforDr。Know-all！Youhavespokenlikeaprintedbook！"howledtheboys，burstingwithlaughter。
Oneofthem，moreimpudentthantherest，putouthishandtopulltheMarionette’snose。
Buthewasnotquickenough，forPinocchiostretchedhislegunderthetableandkickedhimhardontheshin。
"Oh，whathardfeet！"criedtheboy，rubbingthespotwheretheMarionettehadkickedhim。
"Andwhatelbows！Theyareevenharderthanthefeet！"
shoutedanotherone，who，becauseofsomeothertrick，hadreceivedablowinthestomach。
WiththatkickandthatblowPinocchiogainedeverybody’sfavor。
Everyoneadmiredhim，dancedattendanceuponhim，pettedandcaressedhim。
Asthedayspassedintoweeks，eventheteacherpraisedhim，forhesawhimattentive，hardworking，andwideawake，alwaysthefirsttocomeinthemorning，andthelasttoleavewhenschoolwasover。
Pinocchio’sonlyfaultwasthathehadtoomanyfriends。
Amongtheseweremanywell-knownrascals，whocarednotajotforstudyorforsuccess。
Theteacherwarnedhimeachday，andeventhegoodFairyrepeatedtohimmanytimes：
"Takecare，Pinocchio！Thosebadcompanionswillsoonerorlatermakeyouloseyourloveforstudy。
Somedaytheywillleadyouastray。"
"There’snosuchdanger，"answeredtheMarionette，shrugginghisshouldersandpointingtohisforeheadasiftosay，"I’mtoowise。"
Soithappenedthatoneday，ashewaswalkingtoschool，hemetsomeboyswhoranuptohimandsaid：
"Haveyouheardthenews？"
"No！"
"ASharkasbigasamountainhasbeenseenneartheshore。"
"Really？IwonderifitcouldbethesameoneIheardofwhenmyfatherwasdrowned？"
"Wearegoingtoseeit。Areyoucoming？"
"No，notI。Imustgotoschool。"
"Whatdoyoucareaboutschool？Youcangotheretomorrow。
Withalessonmoreorless，wearealwaysthesamedonkeys。"
"Andwhatwilltheteachersay？"
"Lethimtalk。Heispaidtogrumblealldaylong。"
"Andmymother？"
"Mothersdon’tknowanything，"answeredthosescamps。
"DoyouknowwhatI’lldo？"saidPinocchio。
"Forcertainreasonsofmine，I，too，wanttoseethatShark;
butI’llgoafterschool。Icanseehimthenaswellasnow。"
"Poorsimpleton！"criedoneoftheboys。"Doyouthinkthatafishofthatsizewillstandtherewaitingforyou？
Heturnsandoffhegoes，andnoonewilleverbethewiser。"
"Howlongdoesittakefromheretotheshore？"askedtheMarionette。
"Onehourthereandback。"
"Verywell，then。Let’sseewhogetstherefirst！"criedPinocchio。
Atthesignal，thelittletroop，withbooksundertheirarms，dashedacrossthefields。Pinocchioledtheway，runningasifonwings，theothersfollowingasfastastheycould。
Nowandagain，helookedbackand，seeinghisfollowershotandtired，andwithtongueshangingout，helaughedoutheartily。Unhappyboy！Ifhehadonlyknownthenthedreadfulthingsthatweretohappentohimonaccountofhisdisobedience！
CHAPTER27
ThegreatbattlebetweenPinocchioandhisplaymates。
Oneiswounded。PinocchioisarrestedGoinglikethewind，Pinocchiotookbutaveryshorttimetoreachtheshore。Heglancedallabouthim，buttherewasnosignofaShark。Theseawasassmoothasglass。
"Heythere，boys！Where’sthatShark？"heasked，turningtohisplaymates。
"Hemayhavegoneforhisbreakfast，"saidoneofthem，laughing。
"Or，perhaps，hewenttobedforalittlenap，"
saidanother，laughingalso。
Fromtheanswersandthelaughterwhichfollowedthem，Pinocchiounderstoodthattheboyshadplayedatrickonhim。
"Whatnow？"hesaidangrilytothem。"What’sthejoke？"
"Oh，thejoke’sonyou！"criedhistormentors，laughingmoreheartilythanever，anddancinggaylyaroundtheMarionette。
"Andthatis——？"
"Thatwehavemadeyoustayoutofschooltocomewithus。Aren’tyouashamedofbeingsuchagoody-goody，andofstudyingsohard？Youneverhaveabitofenjoyment。"
"Andwhatisittoyou，ifIdostudy？"
"Whatdoestheteacherthinkofus，youmean？"
"Why？"
"Don’tyousee？Ifyoustudyandwedon’t，wepayforit。Afterall，it’sonlyfairtolookoutforourselves。"
"Whatdoyouwantmetodo？"
"Hateschoolandbooksandteachers，aswealldo。Theyareyourworstenemies，youknow，andtheyliketomakeyouasunhappyastheycan。"
"AndifIgoonstudying，whatwillyoudotome？"
"You’llpayforit！"
"Really，youamuseme，"answeredtheMarionette，noddinghishead。
"Hey，Pinocchio，"criedthetallestofthemall，"thatwilldo。
Wearetiredofhearingyoubraggingaboutyourself，youlittleturkeycock！Youmaynotbeafraidofus，butrememberwearenotafraidofyou，either！
Youarealone，youknow，andweareseven。"
"Likethesevensins，"saidPinocchio，stilllaughing。
"Didyouhearthat？Hehasinsultedusall。Hehascalledussins。"
"Pinocchio，apologizeforthat，orlookout！"
"Cuck——oo！"saidtheMarionette，mockingthemwithhisthumbtohisnose。
"You’llbesorry！"
"Cuck——oo！"
"We’llwhipyousoundly！"
"Cuck——oo！"
"You’llgohomewithabrokennose！"
"Cuck——oo！"
"Verywell，then！Takethat，andkeepitforyoursupper，"
calledouttheboldestofhistormentors。
Andwiththewords，hegavePinocchioaterribleblowonthehead。
Pinocchioansweredwithanotherblow，andthatwasthesignalforthebeginningofthefray。Inafewmoments，thefightragedhotandheavyonbothsides。
Pinocchio，althoughalone，defendedhimselfbravely。
Withthosetwowoodenfeetofhis，heworkedsofastthathisopponentskeptatarespectfuldistance。
Wherevertheylanded，theylefttheirpainfulmarkandtheboyscouldonlyrunawayandhowl。
EnragedatnotbeingabletofighttheMarionetteatclosequarters，theystartedtothrowallkindsofbooksathim。
Readers，geographies，histories，grammarsflewinalldirections。
ButPinocchiowaskeenofeyeandswiftofmovement，andthebooksonlypassedoverhishead，landedinthesea，anddisappeared。
Thefish，thinkingtheymightbegoodtoeat，cametothetopofthewateringreatnumbers。Sometookanibble，sometookabite，butnosoonerhadtheytastedapageortwo，thantheyspatthemoutwithawryface，asiftosay：
"Whatahorridtaste！Ourownfoodissomuchbetter！"
Meanwhile，thebattlewaxedmoreandmorefurious。
Atthenoise，alargeCrabcrawledslowlyoutofthewaterand，withavoicethatsoundedlikeatrombonesufferingfromacold，hecriedout：
"Stopfighting，yourascals！Thesebattlesbetweenboysrarelyendwell。Troubleissuretocometoyou！"
PoorCrab！Hemightaswellhavespokentothewind。
Insteadoflisteningtohisgoodadvice，Pinocchioturnedtohimandsaidasroughlyasheknewhow：
"Keepquiet，uglyGab！Itwouldbebetterforyoutochewafewcoughdropstogetridofthatcoldyouhave。
Gotobedandsleep！Youwillfeelbetterinthemorning。"
Inthemeantime，theboys，havingusedalltheirbooks，lookedaroundfornewammunition。SeeingPinocchio’sbundlelyingidlenear-by，theysomehowmanagedtogetholdofit。
Oneofthebookswasaverylargevolume，anarithmetictext，heavilyboundinleather。ItwasPinocchio’spride。
Amongallhisbooks，helikedthatonethebest。
Thinkingitwouldmakeafinemissile，oneoftheboystookholdofitandthrewitwithallhisstrengthatPinocchio’shead。
ButinsteadofhittingtheMarionette，thebookstruckoneoftheotherboys，who，aspaleasaghost，criedoutfaintly：
"Oh，Mother，help！I’mdying！"andfellsenselesstotheground。
Atthesightofthatpalelittlecorpse，theboysweresofrightenedthattheyturnedtailandran。Inafewmoments，allhaddisappeared。
AllexceptPinocchio。Althoughscaredtodeathbythehorrorofwhathadbeendone，herantotheseaandsoakedhishandkerchiefinthecoolwaterandwithitbathedtheheadofhispoorlittleschoolmate。Sobbingbitterly，hecalledtohim，saying：
"Eugene！MypoorEugene！Openyoureyesandlookatme！
Whydon’tyouanswer？Iwasnottheonewhohityou，youknow。Believeme，Ididn’tdoit。Openyoureyes，Eugene？Ifyoukeepthemshut，I’lldie，too。Oh，dearme，howshallIevergohomenow？HowshallIeverlookatmylittlemotheragain？Whatwillhappentome？WhereshallIgo？WhereshallIhide？Oh，howmuchbetteritwouldhavebeen，athousandtimesbetter，ifonlyIhadgonetoschool！WhydidIlistentothoseboys？Theyalwayswereabadinfluence！Andtothinkthattheteacherhadtoldme——andmymother，too！——`Bewareofbadcompany！’That’swhatshesaid。ButI’mstubbornandproud。Ilisten，butalwaysIdoasIwish。AndthenIpay。
I’veneverhadamoment’speacesinceI’vebeenborn！Oh，dear！Whatwillbecomeofme？Whatwillbecomeofme？"
Pinocchiowentoncryingandmoaningandbeatinghishead。Againandagainhecalledtohislittlefriend，whensuddenlyheheardheavystepsapproaching。
HelookedupandsawtwotallCarabineersnearhim。
"Whatareyoudoingstretchedoutontheground？"
theyaskedPinocchio。
"I’mhelpingthisschoolfellowofmine。"
"Hashefainted？"
"Ishouldsayso，"saidoneoftheCarabineers，bendingtolookatEugene。"Thisboyhasbeenwoundedonthetemple。Whohashurthim？"
"NotI，"stammeredtheMarionette，whohadhardlyabreathleftinhiswholebody。
"Ifitwasn’tyou，whowasit，then？"
"NotI，"repeatedPinocchio。
"Andwithwhatwashewounded？"
"Withthisbook，"andtheMarionettepickedupthearithmetictexttoshowittotheofficer。
"Andwhosebookisthis？"
"Mine。"
"Enough。"
"Notanotherword！Getupasquicklyasyoucanandcomealongwithus。"
"ButI——"
"Comewithus！"
"ButIaminnocent。"
"Comewithus！"
Beforestartingout，theofficerscalledouttoseveralfishermenpassingbyinaboatandsaidtothem：
"Takecareofthislittlefellowwhohasbeenhurt。
Takehimhomeandbindhiswounds。Tomorrowwe’llcomeafterhim。"
TheythentookholdofPinocchioand，puttinghimbetweenthem，saidtohiminaroughvoice："March！
Andgoquickly，oritwillbetheworseforyou！"
Theydidnothavetorepeattheirwords。TheMarionettewalkedswiftlyalongtheroadtothevillage。Butthepoorfellowhardlyknewwhathewasabout。Hethoughthehadanightmare。Hefeltill。Hiseyessaweverythingdouble，hislegstrembled，histonguewasdry，and，tryashemight，hecouldnotutterasingleword。Yet，inspiteofthisnumbnessoffeeling，hesufferedkeenlyatthethoughtofpassingunderthewindowsofhisgoodlittleFairy’shouse。WhatwouldshesayonseeinghimbetweentwoCarabineers？
Theyhadjustreachedthevillage，whenasuddengustofwindblewoffPinocchio’scapandmadeitgosailingfardownthestreet。
"Wouldyouallowme，"theMarionetteaskedtheCarabineers，"torunaftermycap？"
"Verywell，go;buthurry。"
TheMarionettewent，pickeduphiscap——butinsteadofputtingitonhishead，hestuckitbetweenhisteethandthenracedtowardthesea。
Hewentlikeabulletoutofagun。
TheCarabineers，judgingthatitwouldbeverydifficulttocatchhim，sentalargeMastiffafterhim，onethathadwonfirstprizeinallthedograces。PinocchioranfastandtheDogranfaster。Atsomuchnoise，thepeoplehungoutofthewindowsorgatheredinthestreet，anxioustoseetheendofthecontest。Buttheyweredisappointed，fortheDogandPinocchioraisedsomuchdustontheroadthat，afterafewmoments，itwasimpossibletoseethem。
CHAPTER28
PinocchiorunsthedangerofbeingfriedinapanlikeafishDuringthatwildchase，Pinocchiolivedthroughaterriblemomentwhenhealmostgavehimselfupaslost。
ThiswaswhenAlidoro（thatwastheMastiff’sname），inafrenzyofrunning，camesonearthathewasontheverypointofreachinghim。
TheMarionetteheard，closebehindhim，thelaboredbreathingofthebeastwhowasfastonhistrail，andnowandagainevenfelthishotbreathblowoverhim。
Luckily，bythistime，hewasveryneartheshore，andtheseawasinsight;infact，onlyafewshortstepsaway。
Assoonashesetfootonthebeach，Pinocchiogavealeapandfellintothewater。Alidorotriedtostop，butashewasrunningveryfast，hecouldn’t，andhe，too，landedfaroutinthesea。Strangethoughitmayseem，theDogcouldnotswim。Hebeatthewaterwithhispawstoholdhimselfup，buttheharderhetried，thedeeperhesank。
Ashestuckhisheadoutoncemore，thepoorfellow’seyeswerebulgingandhebarkedoutwildly，"Idrown！Idrown！"
"Drown！"answeredPinocchiofromafar，happyathisescape。
"Help，Pinocchio，dearlittlePinocchio！Savemefromdeath！"
Atthosecriesofsuffering，theMarionette，whoafterallhadaverykindheart，wasmovedtocompassion。
Heturnedtowardthepooranimalandsaidtohim：
"ButifIhelpyou，willyoupromisenottobothermeagainbyrunningafterme？"
"Ipromise！Ipromise！Onlyhurry，forifyouwaitanothersecond，I’llbedeadandgone！"
Pinocchiohesitatedstillanotherminute。Then，rememberinghowhisfatherhadoftentoldhimthatakinddeedisneverlost，heswamtoAlidoroand，catchingholdofhistail，draggedhimtotheshore。
ThepoorDogwassoweakhecouldnotstand。Hehadswallowedsomuchsaltwaterthathewasswollenlikeaballoon。However，Pinocchio，notwishingtotrusthimtoomuch，threwhimselfonceagainintothesea。Asheswamaway，hecalledout：
"Good-by，Alidoro，goodluckandremembermetothefamily！"
"Good-by，littlePinocchio，"answeredtheDog。
"Athousandthanksforhavingsavedmefromdeath。
Youdidmeagoodturn，and，inthisworld，whatisgivenisalwaysreturned。Ifthechancecomes，Ishallbethere。"
Pinocchiowentonswimmingclosetoshore。Atlasthethoughthehadreachedasafeplace。Glancingupanddownthebeach，hesawtheopeningofacaveoutofwhichroseaspiralofsmoke。
"Inthatcave，"hesaidtohimself，"theremustbeafire。
Somuchthebetter。I’lldrymyclothesandwarmmyself，andthen——well——"
Hismindmadeup，Pinocchioswamtotherocks，butashestartedtoclimb，hefeltsomethingunderhimliftinghimuphigherandhigher。Hetriedtoescape，buthewastoolate。Tohisgreatsurprise，hefoundhimselfinahugenet，amidacrowdoffishofallkindsandsizes，whowerefightingandstrugglingdesperatelytofreethemselves。
Atthesametime，hesawaFishermancomeoutofthecave，aFishermansouglythatPinocchiothoughthewasaseamonster。Inplaceofhair，hisheadwascoveredbyathickbushofgreengrass。Greenwastheskinofhisbody，greenwerehiseyes，greenwasthelong，longbeardthatreacheddowntohisfeet。Helookedlikeagiantlizardwithlegsandarms。
WhentheFishermanpulledthenetoutofthesea，hecriedoutjoyfully：
"BlessedProvidence！OncemoreI’llhaveafinemealoffish！"
"ThankHeaven，I’mnotafish！"saidPinocchiotohimself，tryingwiththesewordstofindalittlecourage。
TheFishermantookthenetandthefishtothecave，adark，gloomy，smokyplace。Inthemiddleofit，apanfullofoilsizzledoverasmokyfire，sendingoutarepellingodoroftallowthattookawayone’sbreath。
"Now，let’sseewhatkindoffishwehavecaughttoday，"saidtheGreenFisherman。Heputahandasbigasaspadeintothenetandpulledoutahandfulofmullets。
"Finemullets，these！"hesaid，afterlookingatthemandsmellingthemwithpleasure。Afterthat，hethrewthemintoalarge，emptytub。
Manytimesherepeatedthisperformance。Ashepulledeachfishoutofthenet，hismouthwateredwiththethoughtofthegooddinnercoming，andhesaid：
"Finefish，thesebass！"
"Verytasty，thesewhitefish！"
"Deliciousflounders，these！"
"Whatsplendidcrabs！"
"Andthesedearlittleanchovies，withtheirheadsstillon！"
Asyoucanwellimagine，thebass，theflounders，thewhitefish，andeventhelittleanchoviesallwenttogetherintothetubtokeepthemulletscompany。ThelasttocomeoutofthenetwasPinocchio。
AssoonastheFishermanpulledhimout，hisgreeneyesopenedwidewithsurprise，andhecriedoutinfear：
"Whatkindoffishisthis？Idon’trememberevereatinganythinglikeit。"
Helookedathimcloselyandafterturninghimoverandover，hesaidatlast：
"Iunderstand。Hemustbeacrab！"
Pinocchio，mortifiedatbeingtakenforacrab，saidresentfully：
"Whatnonsense！Acrabindeed！Iamnosuchthing。
Bewarehowyoudealwithme！IamaMarionette，Iwantyoutoknow。"
"AMarionette？"askedtheFisherman。"ImustadmitthataMarionettefishis，forme，anentirelynewkindoffish。
Somuchthebetter。I’lleatyouwithgreaterrelish。"
"Eatme？Butcan’tyouunderstandthatI’mnotafish？
Can’tyouhearthatIspeakandthinkasyoudo？"
"It’strue，"answeredtheFisherman;"butsinceIseethatyouareafish，wellabletotalkandthinkasIdo，I’lltreatyouwithallduerespect。"
"Andthatis——"
"That，asasignofmyparticularesteem，I’llleavetoyouthechoiceofthemannerinwhichyouaretobecooked。Doyouwishtobefriedinapan，ordoyouprefertobecookedwithtomatosauce？"
"Totellyouthetruth，"answeredPinocchio，"ifImustchoose，IshouldmuchrathergofreesoImayreturnhome！"
"Areyoufooling？DoyouthinkthatIwanttolosetheopportunitytotastesuchararefish？AMarionettefishdoesnotcomeveryoftentotheseseas。Leaveittome。
I’llfryyouinthepanwiththeothers。Iknowyou’lllikeit。
It’salwaysacomforttofindoneselfingoodcompany。"
TheunluckyMarionette，hearingthis，begantocryandwailandbeg。Withtearsstreamingdownhischeeks，hesaid：
"Howmuchbetteritwouldhavebeenformetogotoschool！
IdidlistentomyplaymatesandnowIampayingforit！
Oh！Oh！Oh！"
Andashestruggledandsquirmedlikeaneeltoescapefromhim，theGreenFishermantookastoutcordandtiedhimhandandfoot，andthrewhimintothebottomofthetubwiththeothers。
Thenhepulledawoodenbowlfullofflouroutofacupboardandstartedtorollthefishintoit，onebyone。
Whentheywerewhitewithit，hethrewthemintothepan。
Thefirsttodanceinthehotoilwerethemullets，thebassfollowed，thenthewhitefish，theflounders，andtheanchovies。Pinocchio’sturncamelast。Seeinghimselfsoneartodeath（andsuchahorribledeath！）hebegantotremblesowithfrightthathehadnovoiceleftwithwhichtobegforhislife。
Thepoorboybeseechedonlywithhiseyes。ButtheGreenFisherman，notevennoticingthatitwashe，turnedhimoverandoverintheflouruntilhelookedlikeaMarionettemadeofchalk。
Thenhetookhimbytheheadand——
CHAPTER29
PinocchioreturnstotheFairy’shouseandshepromiseshimthat，onthemorrow，hewillceasetobeaMarionetteandbecomeaboy。
Awonderfulpartyofcoffee-and-milktocelebratethegreateventMindfulofwhattheFishermanhadsaid，Pinocchioknewthatallhopeofbeingsavedhadgone。Heclosedhiseyesandwaitedforthefinalmoment。
Suddenly，alargeDog，attractedbytheodoroftheboilingoil，camerunningintothecave。
"Getout！"criedtheFishermanthreateninglyandstillholdingontotheMarionette，whowasallcoveredwithflour。
ButthepoorDogwasveryhungry，andwhiningandwagginghistail，hetriedtosay：
"GivemeabiteofthefishandI’llgoinpeace。"
"Getout，Isay！"repeatedtheFisherman。
AndhedrewbackhisfoottogivetheDogakick。
ThentheDog，who，beingreallyhungry，wouldtakenorefusal，turnedinaragetowardtheFishermanandbaredhisterriblefangs。Andatthatmoment，apitifullittlevoicewasheardsaying："Saveme，Alidoro;ifyoudon’t，Ifry！"
TheDogimmediatelyrecognizedPinocchio’svoice。
Greatwashissurprisetofindthatthevoicecamefromthelittleflour-coveredbundlethattheFishermanheldinhishand。
Thenwhatdidhedo？Withonegreatleap，hegraspedthatbundleinhismouthand，holdingitlightlybetweenhisteeth，ranthroughthedooranddisappearedlikeaflash！
TheFisherman，angryatseeinghismealsnatchedfromunderhisnose，ranaftertheDog，butabadfitofcoughingmadehimstopandturnback。
Meanwhile，Alidoro，assoonashehadfoundtheroadwhichledtothevillage，stoppedanddroppedPinocchiosoftlytotheground。
"HowmuchIdothankyou！"saidtheMarionette。
"Itisnotnecessary，"answeredtheDog。"Yousavedmeonce，andwhatisgivenisalwaysreturned。Weareinthisworldtohelponeanother。"
"Buthowdidyougetinthatcave？"
"Iwaslyinghereonthesandmoredeadthanalive，whenanappetizingodoroffriedfishcametome。ThatodortickledmyhungerandIfollowedit。Oh，ifIhadcomeamomentlater！"
"Don’tspeakaboutit，"wailedPinocchio，stilltremblingwithfright。"Don’tsayaword。Ifyouhadcomeamomentlater，Iwouldbefried，eaten，anddigestedbythistime。Brrrrrr！Ishiveratthemerethoughtofit。"
AlidorolaughinglyheldouthispawtotheMarionette，whoshookitheartily，feelingthatnowheandtheDogweregoodfriends。Thentheybideachothergood-byandtheDogwenthome。
Pinocchio，leftalone，walkedtowardalittlehutnearby，whereanoldmansatatthedoorsunninghimself，andasked：
"Tellme，goodman，haveyouheardanythingofapoorboywithawoundedhead，whosenamewasEugene？"
"Theboywasbroughttothishutandnow——"
"Nowheisdead？"Pinocchiointerruptedsorrowfully。
"No，heisnowaliveandhehasalreadyreturnedhome。"
"Really？Really？"criedtheMarionette，jumpingaroundwithjoy。"Thenthewoundwasnotserious？"
"Butitmighthavebeen——andevenmortal，"answeredtheoldman，"foraheavybookwasthrownathishead。"
"Andwhothrewit？"
"Aschoolmateofhis，acertainPinocchio。"
"AndwhoisthisPinocchio？"askedtheMarionette，feigningignorance。
"Theysayheisamischief-maker，atramp，astreeturchin——"
"Calumnies！Allcalumnies！"
"DoyouknowthisPinocchio？"
"Bysight！"answeredtheMarionette。
"Andwhatdoyouthinkofhim？"askedtheoldman。
"Ithinkhe’saverygoodboy，fondofstudy，obedient，kindtohisFather，andtohiswholefamily——"
Ashewastellingalltheseenormousliesabouthimself，Pinocchiotouchedhisnoseandfoundittwiceaslongasitshouldbe。Scaredoutofhiswits，hecriedout：
"Don’tlistentome，goodman！AllthewonderfulthingsIhavesaidarenottrueatall。IknowPinocchiowellandheisindeedaverywickedfellow，lazyanddisobedient，whoinsteadofgoingtoschool，runsawaywithhisplaymatestohaveagoodtime。"
Atthisspeech，hisnosereturnedtoitsnaturalsize。
"Whyareyousopale？"theoldmanaskedsuddenly。
"Letmetellyou。Withoutknowingit，Irubbedmyselfagainstanewlypaintedwall，"helied，ashamedtosaythathehadbeenmadereadyforthefryingpan。
"Whathaveyoudonewithyourcoatandyourhatandyourbreeches？"
"Imetthievesandtheyrobbedme。Tellme，mygoodman，haveyounot，perhaps，alittlesuittogiveme，sothatImaygohome？"
"Myboy，asforclothes，IhaveonlyabaginwhichI
keephops。Ifyouwantit，takeit。Thereitis。"
Pinocchiodidnotwaitforhimtorepeathiswords。
Hetookthebag，whichhappenedtobeempty，andaftercuttingabigholeatthetopandtwoatthesides，heslippedintoitasifitwereashirt。Lightlycladashewas，hestartedouttowardthevillage。
Alongthewayhefeltveryuneasy。Infacthewassounhappythathewentalongtakingtwostepsforwardandoneback，andashewenthesaidtohimself：
"HowshallIeverfacemygoodlittleFairy？Whatwillshesaywhensheseesme？Willsheforgivethislasttrickofmine？Iamsureshewon’t。Oh，no，shewon’t。
AndIdeserveit，asusual！ForIamarascal，fineonpromiseswhichIneverkeep！"
Hecametothevillagelateatnight。Itwassodarkhecouldseenothinganditwasrainingpitchforks。
PinocchiowentstraighttotheFairy’shouse，firmlyresolvedtoknockatthedoor。
Whenhefoundhimselfthere，helostcourageandranbackafewsteps。Asecondtimehecametothedoorandagainheranback。Athirdtimeherepeatedhisperformance。Thefourthtime，beforehehadtimetolosehiscourage，hegraspedtheknockerandmadeafaintsoundwithit。
Hewaitedandwaitedandwaited。Finally，afterafullhalfhour，atop-floorwindow（thehousehadfourstories）
openedandPinocchiosawalargeSnaillookout。Atinylightglowedontopofherhead。"Whoknocksatthislatehour？"shecalled。
"IstheFairyhome？"askedtheMarionette。
"TheFairyisasleepanddoesnotwishtobedisturbed。
Whoareyou？"
"ItisI。"
"Who’sI？"
"Pinocchio。"
"WhoisPinocchio？"
"TheMarionette;theonewholivesintheFairy’shouse。"
"Oh，Iunderstand，"saidtheSnail。"Waitformethere。
I’llcomedowntoopenthedoorforyou。"
"Hurry，Ibegofyou，forIamdyingofcold。"
"Myboy，Iamasnailandsnailsareneverinahurry。"
Anhourpassed，twohours;andthedoorwasstillclosed。
Pinocchio，whowastremblingwithfearandshiveringfromthecoldrainonhisback，knockedasecondtime，thistimelouderthanbefore。
Atthatsecondknock，awindowonthethirdflooropenedandthesameSnaillookedout。
"DearlittleSnail，"criedPinocchiofromthestreet。
"Ihavebeenwaitingtwohoursforyou！Andtwohoursonadreadfulnightlikethisareaslongastwoyears。
Hurry，please！"
"Myboy，"answeredtheSnailinacalm，peacefulvoice，"mydearboy，Iamasnailandsnailsareneverinahurry。"Andthewindowclosed。
Afewminuteslatermidnightstruck;thenoneo’clock——twoo’clock。Andthedoorstillremainedclosed！
ThenPinocchio，losingallpatience，grabbedtheknockerwithbothhands，fullydeterminedtoawakenthewholehouseandstreetwithit。Assoonashetouchedtheknocker，however，itbecameaneelandwiggledawayintothedarkness。
"Really？"criedPinocchio，blindwithrage。"Iftheknockerisgone，Icanstillusemyfeet。"
Hesteppedbackandgavethedooramostsolemnkick。
Hekickedsohardthathisfootwentstraightthroughthedoorandhislegfollowedalmosttotheknee。Nomatterhowhepulledandtugged，hecouldnotpullitout。Therehestayedasifnailedtothedoor。
PoorPinocchio！Therestofthenighthehadtospendwithonefootthroughthedoorandtheotheroneintheair。
Asdawnwasbreaking，thedoorfinallyopened。Thatbravelittleanimal，theSnail，hadtakenexactlyninehourstogofromthefourthfloortothestreet。Howshemusthaveraced！
"Whatareyoudoingwithyourfootthroughthedoor？"
sheaskedtheMarionette，laughing。
"Itwasamisfortune。Won’tyoutry，prettylittleSnail，tofreemefromthisterribletorture？"
"Myboy，weneedacarpenterhereandIhaveneverbeenone。"
"AsktheFairytohelpme！"
"TheFairyisasleepanddoesnotwanttobedisturbed。"
"Butwhatdoyouwantmetodo，nailedtothedoorlikethis？"
"Enjoyyourselfcountingtheantswhicharepassingby。"
"Bringmesomethingtoeat，atleast，forIamfaintwithhunger。"
"Immediately！"
Infact，afterthreehoursandahalf，Pinocchiosawherreturnwithasilvertrayonherhead。Onthetraytherewasbread，roastchicken，fruit。
"HereisthebreakfasttheFairysendstoyou，"saidtheSnail。
Atthesightofallthesegoodthings，theMarionettefeltmuchbetter。
Whatwashisdisgust，however，whenontastingthefood，hefoundthebreadtobemadeofchalk，thechickenofcardboard，andthebrilliantfruitofcoloredalabaster！
Hewantedtocry，hewantedtogivehimselfuptodespair，hewantedtothrowawaythetrayandallthatwasonit。Instead，eitherfrompainorweakness，hefelltothefloorinadeadfaint。
Whenheregainedhissenses，hefoundhimselfstretchedoutonasofaandtheFairywasseatednearhim。
"ThistimealsoIforgiveyou，"saidtheFairytohim。
"Butbecarefulnottogetintomischiefagain。"
Pinocchiopromisedtostudyandtobehavehimself。
Andhekepthiswordfortheremainderoftheyear。Attheendofit，hepassedfirstinallhisexaminations，andhisreportwassogoodthattheFairysaidtohimhappily：
"Tomorrowyourwishwillcometrue。"
"Andwhatisit？"
"TomorrowyouwillceasetobeaMarionetteandwillbecomearealboy。"
Pinocchiowasbesidehimselfwithjoy。Allhisfriendsandschoolmatesmustbeinvitedtocelebratethegreatevent！TheFairypromisedtopreparetwohundredcupsofcoffee-and-milkandfourhundredslicesoftoastbutteredonbothsides。
Thedaypromisedtobeaverygayandhappyone，but——
Unluckily，inaMarionette’slifethere’salwaysaBUT
whichisapttospoileverything。
CHAPTER30
Pinocchio，insteadofbecomingaboy，runsawaytotheLandofToyswithhisfriend，Lamp-WickComingatlastoutofthesurpriseintowhichtheFairy’swordshadthrownhim，Pinocchioaskedforpermissiontogiveouttheinvitations。
"Indeed，youmayinviteyourfriendstotomorrow’sparty。
Onlyremembertoreturnhomebeforedark。Doyouunderstand？"
"I’llbebackinonehourwithoutfail，"answeredtheMarionette。
"Takecare，Pinocchio！Boysgivepromisesveryeasily，buttheyaseasilyforgetthem。"
"ButIamnotlikethoseothers。WhenIgivemywordIkeepit。"
"Weshallsee。Incaseyoudodisobey，youwillbetheonetosuffer，notanyoneelse。"
"Why？"
"Becauseboyswhodonotlistentotheireldersalwayscometogrief。"
"Icertainlyhave，"saidPinocchio，"butfromnowon，Iobey。"
"Weshallseeifyouaretellingthetruth。"
Withoutaddinganotherword，theMarionettebadethegoodFairygood-by，andsinginganddancing，heleftthehouse。
Inalittlemorethananhour，allhisfriendswereinvited。Someacceptedquicklyandgladly。Othershadtobecoaxed，butwhentheyheardthatthetoastwastobebutteredonbothsides，theyallendedbyacceptingtheinvitationwiththewords，"We’llcometopleaseyou。"
Nowitmustbeknownthat，amongallhisfriends，Pinocchiohadonewhomhelovedmostofall。
Theboy’srealnamewasRomeo，buteveryonecalledhimLamp-Wick，forhewaslongandthinandhadawoebegonelookabouthim。
Lamp-Wickwasthelaziestboyintheschoolandthebiggestmischief-maker，butPinocchiolovedhimdearly。
Thatday，hewentstraighttohisfriend’shousetoinvitehimtotheparty，butLamp-Wickwasnotathome。Hewentasecondtime，andagainathird，butstillwithoutsuccess。
Wherecouldhebe？Pinocchiosearchedhereandthereandeverywhere，andfinallydiscoveredhimhidingnearafarmer’swagon。
"Whatareyoudoingthere？"askedPinocchio，runninguptohim。
"Iamwaitingformidnighttostriketogo——"
"Where？"
"Far，faraway！"
"AndIhavegonetoyourhousethreetimestolookforyou！"
"Whatdidyouwantfromme？"
"Haven’tyouheardthenews？Don’tyouknowwhatgoodluckismine？"
"Whatisit？"
"TomorrowIendmydaysasaMarionetteandbecomeaboy，likeyouandallmyotherfriends。"
"Mayitbringyouluck！"
"ShallIseeyouatmypartytomorrow？"
"ButI’mtellingyouthatIgotonight。"
"Atwhattime？"
"Atmidnight。"
"Andwhereareyougoing？"
"Toarealcountry——thebestintheworld——awonderfulplace！"
"Whatisitcalled？"
"ItiscalledtheLandofToys。Whydon’tyoucome，too？"
"I？Oh，no！"
"Youaremakingabigmistake，Pinocchio。Believeme，ifyoudon’tcome，you’llbesorry。Wherecanyoufindaplacethatwillagreebetterwithyouandme？Noschools，noteachers，nobooks！Inthatblessedplacethereisnosuchthingasstudy。Here，itisonlyonSaturdaysthatwehavenoschool。IntheLandofToys，everyday，exceptSunday，isaSaturday。VacationbeginsonthefirstofJanuaryandendsonthelastdayofDecember。Thatistheplaceforme！Allcountriesshouldbelikeit！
Howhappyweshouldallbe！"
"ButhowdoesonespendthedayintheLandofToys？"
"Daysarespentinplayandenjoymentfrommorntillnight。Atnightonegoestobed，andnextmorning，thegoodtimesbeginalloveragain。Whatdoyouthinkofit？"
"H’m——！"saidPinocchio，noddinghiswoodenhead，asiftosay，"It’sthekindoflifewhichwouldagreewithmeperfectly。"
"Doyouwanttogowithme，then？Yesorno？Youmustmakeupyourmind。"
"No，no，andagainno！IhavepromisedmykindFairytobecomeagoodboy，andIwanttokeepmyword。Justsee：ThesunissettingandImustleaveyouandrun。
Good-byandgoodlucktoyou！"
"Whereareyougoinginsuchahurry？"
"Home。MygoodFairywantsmetoreturnhomebeforenight。"
"Waittwominutesmore。"
"It’stoolate！"
"Onlytwominutes。"
"AndiftheFairyscoldsme？"
"Letherscold。Aftershegetstired，shewillstop，"saidLamp-Wick。
"Areyougoingaloneorwithothers？"
"Alone？Therewillbemorethanahundredofus！"
"Willyouwalk？"
"Atmidnightthewagonpassesherethatistotakeuswithintheboundariesofthatmarvelouscountry。"
"HowIwishmidnightwouldstrike！"
"Why？"
"Toseeyouallsetouttogether。"
"Stayhereawhilelongerandyouwillseeus！"
"No，no。Iwanttoreturnhome。"
"Waittwomoreminutes。"
"Ihavewaitedtoolongasitis。TheFairywillbeworried。"
"PoorFairy！Issheafraidthebatswilleatyouup？"
"Listen，Lamp-Wick，"saidtheMarionette，"areyoureallysurethattherearenoschoolsintheLandofToys？"
"Noteventheshadowofone。"
"Notevenoneteacher？"
"Notone。"
"Andonedoesnothavetostudy？"
"Never，never，never！"
"Whatagreatland！"saidPinocchio，feelinghismouthwater。
"Whatabeautifulland！Ihaveneverbeenthere，butIcanwellimagineit。"
"Whydon’tyoucome，too？"
"Itisuselessforyoutotemptme！ItoldyouIpromisedmygoodFairytobehavemyself，andIamgoingtokeepmyword。"
"Good-by，then，andremembermetothegrammarschools，tothehighschools，andeventothecollegesifyoumeetthemontheway。"
"Good-by，Lamp-Wick。Haveapleasanttrip，enjoyyourself，andrememberyourfriendsonceinawhile。"
Withthesewords，theMarionettestartedonhiswayhome。Turningoncemoretohisfriend，heaskedhim：
"Butareyousurethat，inthatcountry，eachweekiscomposedofsixSaturdaysandoneSunday？"
"Verysure！"
"AndthatvacationbeginsonthefirstofJanuaryandendsonthethirty-firstofDecember？"
"Very，verysure！"
"Whatagreatcountry！"repeatedPinocchio，puzzledastowhattodo。
Then，insuddendetermination，hesaidhurriedly：
"Good-byforthelasttime，andgoodluck。"
"Good-by。"
"Howsoonwillyougo？"
"Withintwohours。"
"Whatapity！Ifitwereonlyonehour，Imightwaitforyou。"
"AndtheFairy？"
"BythistimeI’mlate，andonehourmoreorlessmakesverylittledifference。"
"PoorPinocchio！AndiftheFairyscoldsyou？"
"Oh，I’llletherscold。Aftershegetstired，shewillstop。"
Inthemeantime，thenightbecamedarkeranddarker。
Allatonceinthedistanceasmalllightflickered。A
queersoundcouldbeheard，softasalittlebell，andfaintandmuffledlikethebuzzofafar-awaymosquito。
"Thereitis！"criedLamp-Wick，jumpingtohisfeet。
"What？"whisperedPinocchio。
"Thewagonwhichiscomingtogetme。Forthelasttime，areyoucomingornot？"
"Butisitreallytruethatinthatcountryboysneverhavetostudy？"
"Never，never，never！"
"Whatawonderful，beautiful，marvelouscountry！Oh——h——h！！"
CHAPTER31
Afterfivemonthsofplay，PinocchiowakesuponefinemorningandfindsagreatsurpriseawaitinghimFinallythewagonarrived。Itmadenonoise，foritswheelswereboundwithstrawandrags。
Itwasdrawnbytwelvepairofdonkeys，allofthesamesize，butallofdifferentcolor。Someweregray，otherswhite，andstillothersamixtureofbrownandblack。
Hereandtherewereafewwithlargeyellowandbluestripes。
Thestrangestthingofallwasthatthosetwenty-fourdonkeys，insteadofbeingiron-shodlikeanyotherbeastofburden，hadontheirfeetlacedshoesmadeofleather，justliketheonesboyswear。
Andthedriverofthewagon？
Imaginetoyourselvesalittle，fatman，muchwiderthanhewaslong，roundandshinyasaballofbutter，withafacebeaminglikeanapple，alittlemouththatalwayssmiled，andavoicesmallandwheedlinglikethatofacatbeggingforfood。
Nosoonerdidanyboyseehimthanhefellinlovewithhim，andnothingsatisfiedhimbuttobeallowedtorideinhiswagontothatlovelyplacecalledtheLandofToys。
Infactthewagonwassocloselypackedwithboysofallagesthatitlookedlikeaboxofsardines。Theywereuncomfortable，theywerepiledoneontopoftheother，theycouldhardlybreathe;yetnotonewordofcomplaintwasheard。Thethoughtthatinafewhourstheywouldreachacountrywheretherewerenoschools，nobooks，noteachers，madetheseboyssohappythattheyfeltneitherhunger，northirst，norsleep，nordiscomfort。
NosoonerhadthewagonstoppedthanthelittlefatmanturnedtoLamp-Wick。Withbowsandsmiles，heaskedinawheedlingtone：
"Tellme，myfineboy，doyoualsowanttocometomywonderfulcountry？"
"IndeedIdo。"
"ButIwarnyou，mylittledear，there’snomoreroominthewagon。Itisfull。"
"Nevermind，"answeredLamp-Wick。"Ifthere’snoroominside，Icansitonthetopofthecoach。"
Andwithoneleap，heperchedhimselfthere。
"Whataboutyou，mylove？"askedtheLittleMan，turningpolitelytoPinocchio。"Whatareyougoingtodo？
Willyoucomewithus，ordoyoustayhere？"
"Istayhere，"answeredPinocchio。"Iwanttoreturnhome，asIprefertostudyandtosucceedinlife。"
"Maythatbringyouluck！"
"Pinocchio！"Lamp-Wickcalledout。"Listentome。
Comewithusandwe’llalwaysbehappy。"
"No，no，no！"
"Comewithusandwe’llalwaysbehappy，"criedfourothervoicesfromthewagon。
"Comewithusandwe’llalwaysbehappy，"shoutedtheonehundredandmoreboysinthewagon，alltogether。
"AndifIgowithyou，whatwillmygoodFairysay？"
askedtheMarionette，whowasbeginningtowaverandweakeninhisgoodresolutions。
"Don’tworrysomuch。Onlythinkthatwearegoingtoalandwhereweshallbeallowedtomakealltheracketwelikefrommorningtillnight。"
Pinocchiodidnotanswer，butsigheddeeplyonce——
twice——athirdtime。Finally，hesaid：
"Makeroomforme。Iwanttogo，too！"
"Theseatsareallfilled，"answeredtheLittleMan，"buttoshowyouhowmuchIthinkofyou，takemyplaceascoachman。"
"Andyou？"
"I’llwalk。"
"No，indeed。Icouldnotpermitsuchathing。Imuchpreferridingoneofthesedonkeys，"criedPinocchio。