LITMIR.BIZ

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earn a lot of money. I’ll buy Father a new coat. It will be of gold and silver with diamond buttons. That poor man certainly deserves it. He sold his coat and bought a book for me! On this cold day, too! Fathers are indeed good to their children!”

      Then he heard sounds of pipes and drums:

      “Pi-pi-pi, pi-pi-pi! Zum, zum, zum, zum!”

      He stopped to listen. Those sounds came from a little street that led to a small village.

      “What is that noise?”

      He was very much puzzled.

      “Today I’ll follow the pipes, and tomorrow I’ll go to school,” decided the little rascal.

      He went down the street. Soon, he found himself in a large square. There was a little wooden building in brilliant colors.

      “What is that house?” Pinocchio asked a little boy near him.

      “Read the sign and you’ll know.”

      “I can’t read.”

      “Oh, really? Listen. It says: Great Marionette Theater.

      “When will the show start?”

      “Now.”

      “And how much is it?”

      “Four pennies.”

      Pinocchio lost all his pride and said to the boy shamelessly:

      “Will you give me four pennies until tomorrow?”

      “Gladly,” answered the other, “but not now.”

      “For the price of four pennies, I’ll sell you my coat.”

      “If it rains, what shall I do with a coat of paper?”

      “Do you want to buy my shoes?”

      “To light a fire?”

      “What about my hat?”

      “A cap of dough! The mice will eat it from my head!”

      Pinocchio was almost in tears. At last he said:

      “Will you give me four pennies for the book?”

      “I am a boy and I buy nothing from boys,” said the little fellow.

      “I’ll give you four pennies for your ABC book,” said a ragpicker who stood nearby.

      Chapter 10

      The Marionettes recognize their brother Pinocchio

      So Pinocchio disappeared into the Marionette Theater. And then something happened. The performance started. Harlequin and Pulcinella were on the stage. The theater was full of people.

      The play continued for a few minutes, and then suddenly Harlequin pointed to Pinocchio and yelled wildly:

      “Look, look! Am I asleep? Or do I really see Pinocchio there?”

      “Yes, yes! It is Pinocchio!” screamed Pulcinella.

      “It is! It is!” shrieked Signora Rosaura.

      “It is Pinocchio! It is Pinocchio!” yelled all the Marionettes. “It is Pinocchio. It is our brother Pinocchio! Hurrah for Pinocchio!”

      “Pinocchio, come up to me!” shouted Harlequin. “Come to the arms of your wooden brothers!”

      Pinocchio, with one leap, landed on the stage. It is impossible to describe the shrieks of joy and the friendly greetings with which actors and actresses received Pinocchio.

      But the audience became angry and began to yell:

      “The play, the play, we want the play!”

      The Marionettes lifted up Pinocchio on their shoulders, and carried him around the stage in triumph. At that very moment, the Director came out of his room. He had a fearful appearance. His beard was as black as pitch, and it reached from his chin down to his feet. His mouth was as wide as an oven, his teeth like yellow fangs, and his eyes like two red coals. The poor Marionettes trembled like leaves in a storm.

      “Why are you here, in my theater?” the Director asked Pinocchio with the voice of an ogre.

      “Believe me, your Honor, this is not my fault.”

      “Enough! Be quiet! I’ll talk to you later.”

      As soon as the play was over, the Director went to the kitchen. There was a fine big lamb on the spit. The Director called Harlequin and Pulcinella and said to them:

      “Bring that Marionette to me! He is made of wood. That’s good for the fire.”

      Harlequin and Pulcinella, frightened, left the kitchen. A few minutes later they returned with poor Pinocchio.

      “Father, save me! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!” cried Pinocchio.

      Chapter 11

      The Director sneezes and forgives Pinocchio

      The Director was very ugly, but he was not very bad. When he saw the poor Marionette he felt sorry for him and began to sneeze. At that sneeze, Harlequin smiled happily and whispered to the Marionette:

      “Good news, my brother! The Director feels sorry for you.”

      When other people are sad and sorrowful, they weep and wipe their eyes. The Director sneezed each time he felt unhappy. So the Director, ugly as ever, cried to Pinocchio:

      “Stop it! Your wails-E-tchee! – E-tchee!”

      Two loud sneezes finished his speech.

      “God bless you!” said Pinocchio.

      “Thanks! Are your father and mother alive?” demanded The Director.

      “My father, yes.”

      “Your poor father… Poor old man! I feel sorry for him! E-tchee! E-tchee! E-tchee!”

      Three more sneezes sounded, louder than ever.

      “God bless you!” said Pinocchio.

      “Thanks! However, I have no more wood for the fire, and the lamb is only half cooked. Never mind![13] I’ll burn some other Marionette. Hey there! Officers!”

      Two wooden officers appeared, long and thin, with queer hats on their heads and swords in their hands. The Director yelled at them in a hoarse voice:

      “Take Harlequin, tie him, and throw him on the fire!”

      Poor Harlequin was so scared that he fell to the floor. Pinocchio threw himself at the feet of the Director and asked him:

      “Have pity, signore!”

      “There are no signori here!”

      “Have pity, kind sir!”

      “There are no sirs here!”

      “Have pity, your Excellency!”

      The Director of the Marionette Theater sat up very straight in his chair, stroked his long beard, and became suddenly kind and compassionate. He smiled proudly as he said to Pinocchio:

      “Well, what do you want from me now, Marionette?”

      “I beg for mercy for my poor friend, Harlequin.”

      “There is no mercy here, Pinocchio. Harlequin must burn in your place[14]. I am hungry and my dinner is not ready yet.”

      “In that case,” said Pinocchio proudly, “in that case, my duty is clear. Come, officers! Tie me up and throw me on those flames. In poor Harlequin’s place!”

      All the Marionettes cried. Even the officers, who were made of wood also, cried like two babies.

      The Director softened and began to sneeze. And after four or five sneezes, he opened wide his arms and said to Pinocchio:

      “You are a brave boy! Come to my arms and kiss me!”

      Pinocchio

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