《the adventures of pinocchio(木偶奇遇记)》

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the adventures of pinocchio(木偶奇遇记)- 第3部分


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CHAPTER 6

Pinocchio falls asleep with his feet on a foot warmer;
and awakens the next day with his feet all burned off



Pinocchio hated the dark street; but he was so hungry
that; in spite of it; he ran out of the house。  The night was
pitch black。  It thundered; and bright flashes of lightning
now and again shot across the sky; turning it into a sea of
fire。  An angry wind blew cold and raised dense clouds of
dust; while the trees shook and moaned in a weird way。

Pinocchio was greatly afraid of thunder and lightning;
but the hunger he felt was far greater than his fear。  In a
dozen leaps and bounds; he came to the village; tired out;
puffing like a whale; and with tongue hanging。

The whole village was dark and deserted。  The stores
were closed; the doors; the windows。  In the streets; not
even a dog could be seen。  It seemed the Village of the
Dead。

Pinocchio; in desperation; ran up to a doorway; threw
himself upon the bell; and pulled it wildly; saying to himself:
〃Someone will surely answer that!〃

He was right。  An old man in a nightcap opened the
window and looked out。  He called down angrily:

〃What do you want at this hour of night?〃

〃Will you be good enough to give me a bit of bread?
I am hungry。〃

〃Wait a minute and I'll come right back;〃 answered the
old fellow; thinking he had to deal with one of those boys
who love to roam around at night ringing people's bells
while they are peacefully asleep。

After a minute or two; the same voice cried:

〃Get under the window and hold out your hat!〃

Pinocchio had no hat; but he managed to get under the
window just in time to feel a shower of ice…cold water
pour down on his poor wooden head; his shoulders; and
over his whole body。

He returned home as wet as a rag; and tired out from
weariness and hunger。

As he no longer had any strength left with which to
stand; he sat down on a little stool and put his two feet on
the stove to dry them。

There he fell asleep; and while he slept; his wooden
feet began to burn。  Slowly; very slowly; they blackened
and turned to ashes。

Pinocchio snored away happily as if his feet were not
his own。  At dawn he opened his eyes just as a loud knocking
sounded at the door。

〃Who is it?〃 he called; yawning and rubbing his eyes。

〃It is I;〃 answered a voice。

It was the voice of Geppetto。



CHAPTER 7

Geppetto returns home and gives
his own breakfast to the Marionette



The poor Marionette; who was still half asleep; had not
yet found out that his two feet were burned and gone。  As
soon as he heard his Father's voice; he jumped up from his
seat to open the door; but; as he did so; he staggered and
fell headlong to the floor。

In falling; he made as much noise as a sack of wood
falling from the fifth story of a house。

〃Open the door for me!〃 Geppetto shouted from the street。

〃Father; dear Father; I can't;〃 answered the Marionette
in despair; crying and rolling on the floor。

〃Why can't you?〃

〃Because someone has eaten my feet。〃

〃And who has eaten them?〃

〃The cat;〃 answered Pinocchio; seeing that little animal
busily playing with some shavings in the corner of the room。

〃Open!  I say;〃 repeated Geppetto; 〃or I'll give you a
sound whipping when I get in。〃

〃Father; believe me; I can't stand up。  Oh; dear!
Oh; dear!  I shall have to walk on my knees all my life。〃

Geppetto; thinking that all these tears and cries were
only other pranks of the Marionette; climbed up the side
of the house and went in through the window。

At first he was very angry; but on seeing Pinocchio
stretched out on the floor and really without feet; he felt
very sad and sorrowful。  Picking him up from the floor; he
fondled and caressed him; talking to him while the tears
ran down his cheeks:

〃My little Pinocchio; my dear little Pinocchio!
How did you burn your feet?〃

〃I don't know; Father; but believe me; the night has
been a terrible one and I shall remember it as long as I live。
The thunder was so noisy and the lightning so bright
and I was hungry。  And then the Talking Cricket said to
me; ‘You deserve it; you were bad;' and I said to him;
‘Careful; Cricket;' and he said to me; ‘You are a Marionette
and you have a wooden head;' and I threw the hammer at
him and killed him。  It was his own fault; for I didn't want
to kill him。  And I put the pan on the coals; but the Chick
flew away and said; ‘I'll see you again!  Remember me to
the family。' And my hunger grew; and I went out; and the
old man with a nightcap looked out of the window and
threw water on me; and I came home and put my feet on
the stove to dry them because I was still hungry; and I fell
asleep and now my feet are gone but my hunger isn't!
Oh!Oh!Oh!〃 And poor Pinocchio began to scream
and cry so loudly that he could be heard for miles around。

Geppetto; who had understood nothing of all that
jumbled talk; except that the Marionette was hungry; felt sorry
for him; and pulling three pears out of his pocket; offered
them to him; saying:

〃These three pears were for my breakfast; but I give
them to you gladly。  Eat them and stop weeping。〃

〃If you want me to eat them; please peel them for me。〃

〃Peel them?〃 asked Geppetto; very much surprised。  〃I
should never have thought; dear boy of mine; that you
were so dainty and fussy about your food。  Bad; very bad!
In this world; even as children; we must accustom ourselves
to eat of everything; for we never know what life may
hold in store for us!〃

〃You may be right;〃 answered Pinocchio; 〃but I will not
eat the pears if they are not peeled。  I don't like them。〃

And good old Geppetto took out a knife; peeled the
three pears; and put the skins in a row on the table。

Pinocchio ate one pear in a twinkling and started to
throw the core away; but Geppetto held his arm。

〃Oh; no; don't throw it away!  Everything in this world
may be of some use!〃

〃But the core I will not eat!〃 cried Pinocchio in an angry tone。

〃Who knows?〃 repeated Geppetto calmly。

And later the three cores were placed on the table next
to the skins。

Pinocchio had eaten the three pears; or rather devoured them。
Then he yawned deeply; and wailed:

〃I'm still hungry。〃

〃But I have no more to give you。〃

〃Really; nothingnothing?〃

〃I have only these three cores and these skins。〃

〃Very well; then;〃 said Pinocchio; 〃if there is nothing
else I'll eat them。〃

At first he made a wry face; but; one after another; the
skins and the cores disappeared。

〃Ah!  Now I feel fine!〃 he said after eating the last one。

〃You see;〃 observed Geppetto; 〃that I was right when
I told you that one must not be too fussy and too dainty
about food。  My dear; we never know what life may have
in store for us!〃



CHAPTER 8

Geppetto makes Pinocchio a new pair of feet;
and sells his coat to buy him an A…B…C book



The Marionette; as soon as his hunger was appeased;
started to grumble and cry that he wanted a new pair of feet。

But Mastro Geppetto; in order to punish him for his
mischief; let him alone the whole morning。  After dinner
he said to him:

〃Why should I make your feet over again?  To see you
run away from home once more?〃

〃I promise you;〃 answered the Marionette; sobbing;
〃that from now on I'll be good〃

〃Boys always promise that when they want something;〃
said Geppetto。

〃I promise to go to school every day; to study; and to succeed〃

〃Boys always sing that song when they want their own will。〃

〃But I am not like other boys!  I am better than all of
them and I always tell the truth。  I promise you; Father;
that I'll learn a trade; and I'll be the comfort and staff of
your old age。〃

Geppetto; though trying to look very stern; felt his eyes
fill with tears and his heart soften when he saw Pinocchio
so unhappy。  He said no more; but taking his tools and two
pieces of wood; he set to work diligently。

In less than an hour the feet were finished; two slender;
nimble little feet; strong and quick; modeled as if by an
artist's hands。

〃Close your eyes and sleep!〃 Geppetto then said to the Marionette。

Pinocchio closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep;
while Geppetto stuck on the two feet with a bit of glue
melted in an eggshell; doing his work so well that the joint
could hardly be seen。

As soon as the Marionette felt his new feet; he gave one
leap from the table and started to skip and jump around;
as if he had lost his head from very joy。

〃To show you how grateful I am to you; Father; I'll go
to school now。  But to go to school I need a suit of clothes。〃

Geppetto did not have a penny in his pocket; so he
made his son a little suit of flowered paper; a pair of shoes
from the bark of a tree; and a tiny cap from a bit of dough。

Pinocchio ran to look at himself in a bowl of water; and
he felt so happy that he said proudly:

〃Now I look like a gentleman。〃

〃Truly;〃 answered Geppetto。  〃But remember that fine
clothes do not make the man unless they be neat and clean。〃

〃Very true;〃 answered Pinocchio; 〃but; in order to go
to school; I still need something very important。〃

〃What is it?〃

〃An A…B…C book。〃

〃To be sure!  But how shall we get it?〃

〃That's easy。  We'll go to a bookstore and buy it。〃

〃And the money?〃

〃I have none。〃

〃Neither have I;〃 said the old man sadly。

Pinocchio; although a happy boy always; became sad
and downcast at these words。  When poverty shows itself;
even mischievous boys understand what it means。

〃What does it matter; after all?〃 cried Geppetto all at
once; as he jumped up from his chair。  Putting on his old
coat; full of darns and patches; he ran out of the house
without another word。

After a while he returned。  In his hands he had the
A…B…C book for his son; but the old coat was gone。  The
poor fellow was in his shirt sleeves and the day was cold。

〃Where's your coat; Father?〃

〃I have sold it。〃

〃Why did you sell your coat?〃

〃It was too warm。〃

Pinocchio understood the answer in a twinkling; and;
unable to restrain his tears; he jumped on his father's neck
and kissed him over and over。



CHAPTER 9

Pinocchio sells his A…B…C book to
pay his way into the Marionette Theater



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