Carlo Collodi

“ What have I done?” cried Pinocchio, grasping his two long ears in his hands and pulling and tugging at them angrily, just as if they belonged to another.
“My dear boy,” answered the Dormouse to cheer him up a bit, “why worry now? What is done cannot be undone, you know. Fate has decreed that all lazy boys who come to hate books and schools and teachers and spend all their days with toys and games must sooner or later turn into donkeys.”
“But is it really so?” asked the Marionette, sobbing bitterly. ”

“ Out with it!” the brigands cried. And the marionette made signs with his hands and head, which meant, “I have none!”
“Bring out the money or you will die!” said the taller assassin.
“You will die,” repeated the smaller one.
“And after you are dead we will kill your papa.”
“We will kill your papa,” repeated the other.
“No, no, no! Not my poor papa!” cried Pinocchio, despairingly; but in saying this the gold pieces made a noise in his mouth.
“Oh, you story-teller! you have hidden the money in your mouth! Out with it!”
Poor Pinocchio remained quiet.
“Ah! do you make believe you are deaf? ”

“ Poor Pinocchio huddled close to the doghouse more dead than alive from cold, hunger, and fright. Now and again he pulled and tugged at the collar which nearly choked him and cried out in a weak voice:
“I deserve it! Yes, I deserve it! I have been nothing but a truant and a vagabond. I have never obeyed anyone and I have always done as I pleased. If I were only like so many others and had studied and worked and stayed with my poor old father, I should not find myself here now, in this field and in the darkness, taking the place of a farmer’s watchdog. ”

“ The play continued for a few minutes, and then suddenly, without any warning, Harlequin stopped talking. Turning toward the audience, he pointed to the rear of the orchestra, yelling wildly at the same time:
“Look, look! Am I asleep or awake? Or do I really see Pinocchio there?”
“Yes, yes! It is Pinocchio!” screamed Pulcinella.
“It is! It is!” shrieked Signora Rosaura, peeking in from the side of the stage.
“It is Pinocchio! It is Pinocchio!” yelled all the Marionettes, pouring out of the wings. “It is Pinocchio. It is our brother Pinocchio! Hurrah for Pinocchio!” ”

“ But Pinocchio, thinking his father was frightened, tried to comfort him by saying:
“Courage, Father! In a few moments we shall be safe on land.”
“But where is that blessed shore?” asked the little old man, more and more worried as he tried to pierce the faraway shadows. “Here I am searching on all sides and I see nothing but sea and sky.”
“I see the shore,” said the Marionette. “Remember, Father, that I am like a cat. I see better at night than by day.” ”

“ As knocking was of no use, Pinocchio, in despair, began to kick and bang against the door, as if he wanted to break it. At the noise, a window opened and a lovely maiden looked out. She had azure hair and a face white as wax. Her eyes were closed and her hands crossed on her breast. With a voice so weak that it hardly could be heard, she whispered:
“No one lives in this house. Everyone is dead.” ”

“ Why, you find a tree loaded with gold pieces!”
“If I bury five pieces,” said Pinocchio, all excited, “how many shall I find next morning?”
“It is easy to count,” replied the Fox. “You can do it on your fingers. Every gold piece will make five hundred; and therefore, multiplying each by five, you will have two thousand five hundred.”
“Oh, how beautiful!” cried Pinocchio, dancing with joy. “When I have all those gold pieces I will give you five hundred of them and I will take the other two thousand to my papa.”
“A present to us!” cried the Fox, disdainfully, as if he were offended. ”

“ If the Cricket’s death scared Pinocchio at all, it was only for a very few moments. For, as night came on, a queer, empty feeling at the pit of his stomach reminded the Marionette that he had eaten nothing as yet.
A boy’s appetite grows very fast, and in a few moments the queer, empty feeling had become hunger, and the hunger grew bigger and bigger, until soon he was as ravenous as a bear. ”

“ When they were white with it, he threw them into the pan. The first to dance in the hot oil were the mullets, the bass followed, then the whitefish, the flounders, and the anchovies. Pinocchio’s turn came last. Seeing himself so near to death (and such a horrible death!) he began to tremble so with fright that he had no voice left with which to beg for his life.
The poor boy beseeched only with his eyes. But the Green Fisherman, not even noticing that it was he, turned him over and over in the flour until he looked like a Marionette made of chalk. ”

“ Why do you want to go to school? Come with me to the Land of Toys. There we’ll never study again. There we can enjoy ourselves and be happy from morn till night.’”
“And why did you follow the advice of that false friend?”
“Why? Because, my dear little Dormouse, I am a heedless Marionette—heedless and heartless. Oh! If I had only had a bit of heart, I should never have abandoned that good Fairy, who loved me so well and who has been so kind to me! And by this time, I should no longer be a Marionette. I should have become a real boy, like all these friends of mine! ”

“ They were a Crow, an Owl, and a Talking Cricket.
“I should like to know from you, gentlemen,” said the Fairy, turning to the three doctors who surrounded the bed of Pinocchio,—“I should like to know if this unhappy marionette is dead or alive.” At this invitation the Crow stepped forward, tested the pulse of Pinocchio, tested his nose, and then his little toe. When he had tested him thoroughly he pronounced these words: “It is my
belief that the marionette is quite dead; but if through some awkwardness he should not be dead, then it would be a sure sign that he is alive.” ”

“ One of them, more impudent than the rest, put out his hand to pull the Marionette’s nose.
But he was not quick enough, for Pinocchio stretched his leg under the table and kicked him hard on the shin.
“Oh, what hard feet!” cried the boy, rubbing the spot where the Marionette had kicked him.
“And what elbows! They are even harder than the feet!” shouted another one, who, because of some other trick, had received a blow in the stomach.
With that kick and that blow Pinocchio gained everybody’s favor. Everyone admired him, danced attendance upon him, petted and caressed him. ”

“ He saw his yellow wig in the hands of the marionette. “Pinocchio! give me back my wig immediately,” he said. But Pinocchio, instead of giving back the wig, put it on his own head, making himself look half smothered.
At this insolence Geppetto looked sad and melancholy, a thing he had never done before in his life; and turning to Pinocchio, said: “Bad little boy! You are not yet finished and already lack respect to your father. Bad, bad boy!” And he dried a tear.
There were now only the legs and feet to make. When Geppetto had finished them he felt a kick on the end of his nose. ”

“ He is gaining! Hurry! Oh, hurry, or you are lost!” Pinocchio swam faster than ever, and away they both raced, going as fast as bullet balls. As they approached the rock the Goat held out its two front paws to aid Pinocchio to land. But—
It was too late! The monster had been too quick. Drawing in a quantity of water, he drank Pinocchio just as if he were sucking an egg. He swallowed him with such violence that the marionette arrived at the stomach of the Dogfish with such force that he was stunned for a quarter of an hour. ”

“ It is impossible to imagine the kisses, the embraces, the words of endearment, the wooden-headed sayings of true and sincere brotherhood that Pinocchio received in the midst of the actors and actresses of that dramatic company. It was a touching sight; but the public, seeing that the comedy was stopped, grew impatient and began to cry, “We want the play.”
It was all breath thrown away, for the marionettes, instead of continuing the dialogue, redoubled their cries; and taking Pinocchio on their shoulders, they carried him in triumph behind the wings on the stage. ”

“ Lamp-Wick called out. “Listen to me. Come with us and we’ll always be happy.”
“No, no, no!”
“Come with us and we’ll always be happy,” cried four other voices from the wagon.
“Come with us and we’ll always be happy,” shouted the one hundred and more boys in the wagon, all together. “And if I go with you, what will my good Fairy say?” asked the Marionette, who was beginning to waver and weaken in his good resolutions.
“Don’t worry so much. Only think that we are going to a land where we shall be allowed to make all the racket we like from morning till night.” ”

“ I will leave you to imagine the grief, the shame, the desperation of Pinocchio. He cried and screamed and beat his head against the wall; but his ears grew and grew and grew until hair began to show on the tops.
At the sound of his heartrending cries a Dormouse, who lived on the first floor, entered the room. Seeing the marionette in great anguish, he asked eagerly, “What is the matter, my dear little lodger?”
“I am sick, Dormouse; very sick, and with a sickness that alarms me. Do you understand the pulse?” ”

“ The Tunny stuck his nose out of the water and Pinocchio knelt on the sand and kissed him most affectionately on his cheek. At this warm greeting, the poor Tunny, who was not used to such tenderness, wept like a child. He felt so embarrassed and ashamed that he turned quickly, plunged into the sea, and disappeared.
In the meantime day had dawned.
Pinocchio offered his arm to Geppetto, who was so weak he could hardly stand, and said to him:
“Lean on my arm, dear Father, and let us go. We will walk very, very slowly, and if we feel tired we can rest by the wayside.” ”

“ At that sound Harlequin, who until then had been afflicted and doubled up like a weeping willow, began to look more lively, and leaning toward Pinocchio, whispered to him softly, “Good news, brother! Our master has sneezed. That is a sign that he pities you, and now you are saved.”
For you must know that while most men either cry or at least pretend to wipe their eyes when they feel moved to pity, Fire Eater, instead, had the habit of sneezing. It was his way of letting others know the tenderness of his heart. ”

“ I know, however, that Pinocchio led a very hard and weary life. When he was taken to a stall his new master emptied some straw into the manger; but Pinocchio, after he had eaten a mouthful, spat it out. Then the master, scolding, gave him some hay; but that did not please him.
“Ah! You do not like hay?” cried the master, in anger. “I will teach you better manners.”
He then took a whip and gave the donkey a crack on the legs. Pinocchio, in great pain, gave a long bray, as if to say, “Y-a, y-a, I cannot digest straw.” ”

“ The old fellow, curious to know the true story of the Marionette’s life, immediately untied the rope which held his foot. Pinocchio, feeling free as a bird of the air, began his tale:
“Know, then, that, once upon a time, I was a wooden Marionette, just as I am today. One day I was about to become a boy, a real boy, but on account of my laziness and my hatred of books, and because I listened to bad companions, I ran away from home. One beautiful morning, I awoke to find myself changed into a donkey—long ears, gray coat, even a tail! ”

“ Pinocchio, not having listened to the good advice of the Talking Cricket, falls into the hands of the Assassins.
“Dear, oh, dear! When I come to think of it,” said the Marionette to himself, as he once more set out on his journey, “we boys are really very unlucky. Everybody scolds us, everybody gives us advice, everybody warns us. If we were to allow it, everyone would try to be father and mother to us; everyone, even the Talking Cricket. Take me, for example. Just because I would not listen to that bothersome Cricket, who knows how many misfortunes may be awaiting me! Assassins indeed! ”

“ I also want to grow a little. Look at me! I have never grown higher than a penny’s worth of cheese.”
“But you can’t grow,” answered the Fairy.
“Why not?”
“Because Marionettes never grow. They are born Marionettes, they live Marionettes, and they die Marionettes.”
“Oh, I’m tired of always being a Marionette!” cried Pinocchio disgustedly. “It’s about time for me to grow into a man as everyone else does.” ”

“ A man, remember, whether rich or poor, should do something in this world. No one can find happiness without work. Woe betide the lazy fellow! Laziness is a serious illness and one must cure it immediately; yes, even from early childhood. If not, it will kill you in the end.”
These words touched Pinocchio’s heart. He lifted his eyes to his Fairy and said seriously: “I’ll work; I’ll study; I’ll do all you tell me. After all, the life of a Marionette has grown very tiresome to me and I want to become a boy, no matter how hard it is. ”

“ The Cat, after pretending to be blind for so many years had really lost the sight of both eyes. And the Fox, old, thin, and almost hairless, had even lost his tail. That sly thief had fallen into deepest poverty, and one day he had been forced to sell his beautiful tail for a bite to eat.
“Oh, Pinocchio,” he cried in a tearful voice. “Give us some alms, we beg of you! We are old, tired, and sick.”
“Sick!” repeated the Cat.
“Addio, false friends!” answered the Marionette. “You cheated me once, but you will never catch me again.”
“Believe us! Today we are truly poor and starving.” ”

“ Tell me if you can,” cried Pinocchio, as he ran and jumped on his Father’s neck.
“This sudden change in our house is all your doing, my dear Pinocchio,” answered Geppetto.
“What have I to do with it?”
“Just this. When bad boys become good and kind, they have the power of making their homes gay and new with happiness.”
“I wonder where the old Pinocchio of wood has hidden himself?”
“There he is,” answered Geppetto. And he pointed to a large Marionette leaning against a chair, head turned to one side, arms hanging limp, and legs twisted under him. ”

“ Should you like to be boiled, or fried in a pan with tomato sauce?”
“To tell you the truth,” replied Pinocchio, “if I must choose, I should prefer to be set free and to go home.”
“You are joking. Do you think I would lose the chance of eating so rare a fish? What I will do is to fry you with all the others. Being fried with companions is always a consolation.”
At this allusion the unhappy Pinocchio began to weep. ”