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

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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



See Pinocchio hurrying off to school with his new A…B…C
book under his arm!  As he walked along; his brain was busy
planning hundreds of wonderful things; building hundreds
of castles in the air。  Talking to himself; he said:

〃In school today; I'll learn to read; tomorrow to write;
and the day after tomorrow I'll do arithmetic。  Then; clever
as I am; I can earn a lot of money。  With the very first
pennies I make; I'll buy Father a new cloth coat。  Cloth;
did I say?  No; it shall be of gold and silver with diamond
buttons。  That poor man certainly deserves it; for; after all;
isn't he in his shirt sleeves because he was good enough to
buy a book for me?  On this cold day; too!  Fathers are
indeed good to their children!〃

As he talked to himself; he thought he heard sounds of
pipes and drums coming from a distance:  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 along the shore。

〃What can that noise be?  What a nuisance that I have
to go to school!  Otherwise。 。 。〃

There he stopped; very much puzzled。  He felt he had
to make up his mind for either one thing or another。
Should he go to school; or should he follow the pipes?

〃Today I'll follow the pipes; and tomorrow I'll go to
school。  There's always plenty of time to go to school;〃
decided the little rascal at last; shrugging his shoulders。

No sooner said than done。  He started down the street;
going like the wind。  On he ran; and louder grew the
sounds of pipe and drum:  pi…pi…pi; pi…pi…pi; pi…pi…pi
。 。 。zum; zum; zum; zum。

Suddenly; he found himself in a large square; full of
people standing in front of a little wooden building painted
in brilliant colors。

〃What is that house?〃 Pinocchio asked a little boy near him。

〃Read the sign and you'll know。〃

〃I'd like to read; but somehow I can't today。〃

〃Oh; really?  Then I'll read it to you。  Know; then;
that written in letters of fire I see the words:
GREAT MARIONETTE THEATER。

〃When did the show start?〃

〃It is starting now。〃

〃And how much does one pay to get in?〃

〃Four pennies。〃

Pinocchio; who was wild with curiosity to know what
was going on inside; lost all his pride and said to the boy
shamelessly:

〃Will you give me four pennies until tomorrow?〃

〃I'd give them to you gladly;〃 answered the other;
poking fun at him; 〃but just now I can't give them to you。〃

〃For the price of four pennies; I'll sell you my coat。〃

〃If it rains; what shall I do with a coat of flowered
paper?  I could not take it off again。〃

〃Do you want to buy my shoes?〃

〃They are only good enough to light a fire with。〃

〃What about my hat?〃

〃Fine bargain; indeed!  A cap of dough!  The mice might
come and eat it from my head!〃

Pinocchio was almost in tears。  He was just about to
make one last offer; but he lacked the courage to do so。
He hesitated; he wondered; he could not make up his mind。
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

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