The Project Gutenberg EBook of Pinocchio in Africa, by Cherubini
Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the
copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing
this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project
Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the
header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the
eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is
important information about your specific rights and restrictions in
how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a
donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971**
*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****
Title: Pinocchio in Africa
Author: Cherubini
Release Date: March, 2004 [EBook #5327]
[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
[This file was first posted on July 1, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, PINOCCHIO IN AFRICA ***
This eBook was produced by Walter Moore and formatted by James Linden and
James Nugen.
Pinocchio In Africa
By Cherubini
Translated by Angelo Patri
1. Preface
2. Why Pinocchio Did Not Go To School
3. Pinocchio Assists In Welcoming The Circus
4. Pinocchio Among The Wild Animals
5. Pinocchio Makes Friends With The Wild Animals
6. Pinocchio Determines To Go To Africa
7. Pinocchio In Doubt
8. He Bids Good-by To The Animals
9. Pinocchio Does Not Sleep
10. Pinocchio Eats Dates
11. Pinocchio Lands On A Rock
12. The First Night In Africa
13. Pinocchio Is Well Received
14. Pinocchio Is Arrested
15. Pinocchio's Father
16. Pinocchio Sells Drinking Water
17. A Ride On A Dog's Back
18. The Cave
19. The Caravan
20. The Baby Pulls His Nose
21. Pinocchio Travels With The Caravan
22. He Is Offered For Sale
23. The Bird In The Forest
24. His Adventure With A Lion
25. Pinocchio Is Brought Before The King
26. The Monkeys Stone The Marionette
27. Pinocchio Dreams Again
28. Pinocchio Is Carried Away In An Eggshell
29. Pinocchio Escapes Again
30. Pinocchio Is Swallowed By A Crocodile
31. Pinocchio Is Made Emperor
32. His First Night As Emperor
33. He Sends For The Royal Doctor
34. An Old Story
35. His Duties As Emperor
36. Pinocchio Makes His First Address
37. The Emperor Becomes As Black As A Crow
38. The Hippopotamus Hunt
39. The Emperor Surprises His Subjects By His Wisdom
40. Pinocchio Travels Through The Empire
41. Pinocchio Is Placed In A Cage
42. Pinocchio Performs For The Public
43. Pinocchio Breaks The Cage And Makes His Escape
1. Preface
Collodi's "Pinocchio" tells the story of a wooden marionette and of
his efforts to become a real boy. Although he was kindly treated by the
old woodcutter, Geppetto, who had fashioned him out of a piece of
kindling wood, he was continually getting into trouble and disgrace.
Even Fatina, the Fairy with the Blue Hair, could not at once change an
idle, selfish marionette into a studious and reliable boy. His
adventures, including his brief transformation into a donkey, give the
author an opportunity to teach a needed and wholesome lesson without
disagreeable moralizing.
Pinocchio immediately leaped into favor as the hero of Italian
juvenile romance. The wooden marionette became a popular subject for
the artist's pencil and the storyteller's invention. Brought across the
seas, he was welcomed by American children and now appears in a new
volume which sets forth his travels in Africa. The lessons underlying
his fantastic experiences are clear to the youngest readers but are
never allowed to become obtrusive. The amusing illustrations of the
original are fully equaled in the present edition, while the whimsical
nonsense which delights Italian children has been reproduced as closely
as a translation permits.
2. Why Pinocchio Did Not Go To School
ONE morning Pinocchio slipped out of bed before daybreak. He got up
with a great desire to study, a feeling, it must be confessed, which
did not often take hold of him. He dipped his wooden head into the
cool, refreshing water, puffed very hard, dried himself, jumped up and
down to stretch his legs, and in a few moments was seated at his small
worktable.
There was his home work for the day, twelve sums, four pages of
penmanship, and the fable of "The Dog and the Rabbit" to learn by
heart. He began with the fable, reciting it in a loud voice, like the
hero in the play: "'A dog was roaming about the fields, when from
behind a little hill jumped a rabbit, which had been nibbling the
tender grass.'
"Roaming, nibbling. - The teacher says this is beautiful language.
Maybe it is; I have nothing to say about that. Well, one more.
"'A dog was roaming about the fields - when he saw - run out - a
rabbit which - which - ' I don't know it; let's begin again. 'A dog was
running about eating, eating - ' But eating what? Surely he did not eat
grass!
"This fable is very hard; I cannot learn it. Well, I never did have
much luck with dogs and rabbits! Let me try the sums. Eight and seven,
seventeen; and three, nineteen; and six, twenty-three, put don two and
carry three. Nine and three, eleven; and four, fourteen; put down the
whole number - one, four; total, four hundred thirteen.
"Ah! good! very good! I do not wish to boast, but I have always had
a great liking for arithmetic. Now to prove the answer: eight and
sever, sixteen; and three, twenty-one; and six, twenty-four; put down
four - why! it's wrong! Eight and seven, fourteen; and three, nineteen;
and six - wrong again!
"I know what the trouble is; the wind is not in the right quarter
to-day for sums. Perhaps it would be better to take a walk in the
open."
No sooner said than done. Pinocchio went out into the street and
filled his lungs with the fresh morning air."Ah! here, at least, one
can breathe. It is a pity that I am beginning to feel hungry! Strange
how things go wrong sometimes! Take the lessons - " he went on.
Listen! A noise of creaking wheels, of bells ringing, the voices of
people, the cries of animals! Pinocchio stopped short. What could it
all mean?
Down the street came a huge wagon drawn by three big mules. Behind
it was a long train of men and women dressed in the strangest fashion.
Some were on foot, some on horseback, some sat or lay on other wagons
larger and heavier than the first. Two Moors, their scarlet turbans
blazing in the sun, brought up the rear. With spears at rest and with
shields held before them, they rode along, mounted on two snow-white
horses.
Pinocchio stood with his mouth open. Only after the two Moors had
passed did he discover the fact that he had legs, and that these were
following on behind the procession. And he walked, walked, walked,
until the carriages and all the people stopped in the big town square.
A man with a deep voice began to give orders. In a short time there
arose an immense tent, which hid from Pinocchio and the many others who
had gathered in the square all those wonderful wagons, horses, mules,
and strange people.
It may seem odd, but it is a fact that the school bell began to ring
and Pinocchio never heard it!
3. Pinocchio Assists In Welcoming The Circus
THAT day the school bell rang longer and louder perhaps than it was
wont to ring on other days. What of that? From the tent came the loud
clanging of hammers, the sounds of instruments, the neighing of horses,
the roaring of lions and tigers and panthers, the howling of wolves,
the bleating of camels, the screeching of monkeys! Wonderful noises!
Who cared for the school bell? Pinocchio? No, not he.
Suddenly there was a loud command. All was still.
The two Moors raised the tent folds with their spears. Out came a
crowd of men dressed in all sorts of fine clothes, and women in coats
of mail and beautiful cloaks of silk, with splendid diadems on their
heads. They were all mounted upon horses covered with rich trappings of
red and white.
Out they marched, and behind them came a golden carriage drawn by
four white ponies. In it was the big man with the deep voice. There he
sat in the beautiful carriage with his dazzling high hat and his tall
white collar. He wore a black suit with a pair of high boots. As he
rode on he waved his white gloves and bowed right and left. The band
with its trumpets and drums and cymbals struck up a stirring march, and
a parade such as the townsfolk had never seen before passed out among
the crowds that now filled the square.
The marionette could not believe his eyes. He rubbed them to see if
he was really awake. He forgot all about his hunger. What did he care
for that? The wonders of the whole world were before him.
The parade soon reentered the tent. The two Moors, mounted upon
their snow-white horses, again stood at the entrance. Then the
director, the man with the loud voice, came out, hat in hand, and began
to address the people.
4. Pinocchio Among The Wild Animals
"LADIES and gentlemen! kind and gentle people! citizens of a great
town! officers and soldiers! I wish you all peace, health, and
plenty.
"Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, let me make a brief
explanation. I am not here for gain. Far be it from me to think of such
a thing as money. I travel the world over with my menagerie, which is
made up of rare animals brought by me from the heart of Africa. I
perform only in large cities. But to-day one of the monkeys in the
troupe is fallen seriously ill. It is therefore necessary to make a
short stop in order that we may consult with some well-known doctor in
this town.
"Profit, therefore, by this chance, ladies and gentlemen, to see
wonders which you have never seen before, and which you may never see
again. I labor to spread learning, and I work to teach the masses, for
I love the common people. Come forward, and I shall be glad to open my
menagerie to you. Forward, forward, ladies and gentlemen! two small
francs will admit you. Children one franc, yes, only one franc."
Pinocchio, who stood in the front row, and who was ready to take
advantage of the kind invitation, felt a sudden shock on hearing these
last words. He looked at the director in a dazed fashion, as if to say
to him, "What are you talking about? Did you not say that you traveled
around the world for - "
Then, as he saw one of the spectators put down a two-franc piece and
walk inside, he hung his head and suffered in silence.
Having passed two or three minutes in painful thinking, the forlorn
marionette put his hands into his pockets, hoping to find in them a
forgotten coin. He found nothing but a few buttons.
He racked his brains to think of some plan whereby he could get the
money that was needed. He glanced at his clothes, which he would
cheerfully have sold could he have found a buyer. Not knowing what else
to do, he walked around the tent like a wolf prowling about the
sheepfold.
Around and around he went till he found himself near an old wall
which hid him from view. He come nearer the tent and to his joy
discovered a tiny hole in the canvas. Here was his chance! He thrust in
his thin wooden finger, but seized with a sudden fear lest some hungry
lion should see it and bite it off, he hastily tried to pull it out
again. In doing this, somehow "r-r-rip" went the canvas, and there was
a tear a yard wide. Pinocchio shook with fear. But fear or no fear,
there was the hole and beyond - were the wonders of Africa!First an
arm, then his head, and then his whole body went into the cage of wild
animals! He could not see them, but he heard them, and he was filled
with awe. The beasts had seen him. He felt himself grasped at once by
the shoulders and by the end of his nose. Two or three voices shouted
in his ears, "Who goes there?"
"For pity's sake, Mr. Elephant!" said poor Pinocchio.
"There are no elephants here."
"Pardon, Sir Lion."
"There are no lions here."
"Excuse me, Mr. Tiger."
"There are no tigers."
"Mr. Monkey?"
"No Monkeys.
"Men?"
"There are neither men nor women here; there are only Africans from
Africa, who imitate wild beasts for two francs and a half a day."
"But the elephants, where are they?"
"In Africa."
"And the lions?"
"In Africa."
"And the tigers and the monkeys?"
"In Africa. And you, where do you come from? What are you doing in
the cage of the wild beasts? Didn't you see what is written over the
door? NO ONE ALLOWED TO ENTER."
"I cannot read in the dark," replied Pinocchio, trembling from head
to foot; "I am no cat."
At these words everybody began to laugh. Pinocchio felt a little
encouraged and murmured to himself, "They seem to be kind people, these
wild beasts."
He wanted to say something pleasant to them, but just then the
director of the company began to shout at the top of his voice.
5. Pinocchio Makes Friends With The Wild Animals
COME forward, come forward, ladies and gentlemen! The cost is small
and the pleasure is great. The show will last an hour, only one hour.
Come forward! See the battle between the terrible lion Zumbo and his
wife, the ferocious lioness Zumba. Behold the tiger that wrestles with
the polar bear, and the elephant that lifts the whole weight of the
tent with his powerful trunk. See the animals feed. Ladies and
gentlemen, come forward! Only two francs!"
At these words the men in the cages of the wild animals put horns,
sea shells, and whistles to their mouths, and the next moment there
came wild roarings and howls and shrieks. It was enough to make one
shudder with fear.
Again the director raised his voice: "Come forward, come forward,
ladies and gentlemen! two francs; children only one franc."
The music started: Boom! Boom! Boom! Par-ap'-ap'-pa! Boom! Boom!
Boom! Par-ap'ap'ap'pa!parap'ap'ap'pa!
One surprise seemed to follow another. Pinocchio longed to enjoy the
sights, but how was he to get out of the cage? At length, taking his
courage in both hands, he said politely, "Excuse me, gentlemen, but if
you have no commands to give me - "
"Not a command!" roughly answered the bearded man who played the
lion. "If you do not go away quickly, I will have you eaten up by that
large ape behind you."
"But I should be hard to digest," said the marionette.
"Boy, be careful how you talk," exclaimed the same voice.
"I said that your ape would have indigestion if he ate me," replied
Pinocchio. "Do you think that I am joking? No, I am in earnest. He
really would. I came in here by chance while returning from a walk,
and if you will permit me, I will go home to my father who is waiting
for me. As you have no orders to give me, many thanks, good-by, and
good luck to you."
"Listen, boy," said the large man who took the part of the elephant;
"I am very thirsty, and I will give you a fine new penny if you will
fill this bucket at the fountain and bring it to me."
"What!" replied Pinocchio, greatly offended; "I am no servant!
However this time, merely to please you, I will go." And crawling
through the hole by which he had entered, he went out to the fountain
and returned in a very short time with the bucket full of water.
"Good boy, good marionette!" said the men as they passed the bucket
from one to another.
Pinocchio was happy. Never had he felt so happy as at that moment.
"What good people!" he said to himself. "I would gladly stay with
them." In the meantime the bucket was emptied, and there were still
some who had not had a drink. "I will go and refill it," said the
marionette promptly. And without waiting to be asked, he took the
bucket and flew to the fountain.
When he returned they flattered him so cleverly with praise and
thanks that a strong friendship sprang up between Pinocchio and the
wild beasts.
Being a woodenhead he forgot about his father and did not go away as
he had intended to do. In fact, he was curious to know something of the
history of these people, who were forced to play at being wild
animals.
After a moment's silence he turned to the one who had asked him to
go for the water and said, "You are from Africa?"
"Yes, I am an African, and all my companions are African."
"How interesting! but pardon me, is Africa a beautiful country?"
"I should say so! A country, my dear boy, full of plenty, where
everything is given away free! A country in which at any moment the
strangest things may happen. A servant may become a master; a plain
citizen may become a king. There are trees, taller than church
steeples, with branches touching the ground, so that one may gather
sweet fruit without the least trouble. My boy, Africa is a country full
of enchanted forests, where the game allows itself to be killed,
quartered, and hung; where riches - "
No one knows how far this description would have gone, if at that
moment the voice of the director had not been heard. The music had
stopped, and the director was talking to the people, who did not seem
very willing to part with their money.
6. Pinocchio Determines To Go To Africa
PINOCCHIO had already resolved to go to Africa to eat of the fruit
and to gather riches. He was eager to learn more, and impatient of
interruption.
"And the director is an African also?"
"Certainly he is an African."
"And is he very rich?"
"Is he rich? Take my word for it that if he would, he could buy up
this whole country."
Pinocchio was struck dumb. Still he wanted to make the men believe
that what he had heard was not altogether new to him. "Oh, I know that
Africa is a very beautiful country, and I have often planned to go
there, and - if I were sure that it would not be too much trouble I
would willingly go with you."
"With us? We are not going to Africa."
"What a pity! I thought I could make the journey in your company."
"Are you in earnest?" asked the bearded man. "Do you believe that
there is any Africa outside this tent?"
"Tent or no tent, I have decided to go to Africa, and I shall go,"
boldly replied the marionette.
"I like that youngster," said the man who played the part of a
crocodile. "That boy will make his fortune someday."
"Of course I shall!" continued Pinocchio. "I ought to have fifty
thousand francs, because I must get a new jacket for my father, who
sold his old one to buy me a spelling book. If there is so much gold
and silver in Africa, I will fill up a thousand vessels. Is it true
that there is a great deal of gold and silver?"
"Did we not tell you so?" replied another voice. "Why, if I had not
lost all that I had put in my pockets before leaving Africa, by this
time I should have become a prince. And now were it not for the fact
that I have promised to stay with these people, to be a panther at two
francs and a half a day, I would gladly go along with you."
"Thank you; thank you for your good intentions," answered the
marionette. "In case you decide to go with me, I start to-morrow
morning at dawn."
"On what steamship?"
"What did you say?" asked Pinocchio.
"On what steamship do you sail?"
"Sail! I am going on foot."
At these words everybody laughed.
"There is little to laugh at, my dear people. If you knew how many
miles I have traveled on these legs by day and by night, over land and
sea, you would not laugh. What! do you think Fairyland, the country of
the Blockheads, and the Island of the Bees are reached in a single
stride? I go to Africa, and I go on foot."
"But it is necessary to cross the Mediterranean Sea."
"It will be crossed."
"On foot?"
"Either on foot or on horseback, it matters little. But pardon me,
after crossing the Mediterranean Sea, do you reach Africa?"
"Certainly, unless you wish to go by way of the Red Sea."
"The Red Sea? No, truly!"
"Perhaps the route over the Red Sea would be better."
"I do not wish to go near the Red Sea."
"And why?" asked the wolf man, who up to this time had not opened
his mouth.
"Why? Why? Because I do not wish to get my clothes dyed; do you
understand?"
More laughter greeted these words. Pinocchio's wooden cheeks got
very red, and he sputtered: "This is no way to treat a gentleman. I
shall do as I please, and I do not please to enter the Red Sea. That is
enough. Now I shall leave you, and he started off.
"Farewell, farewell, marionette!"
"Farewell, you impolite beasts!" Pinocchio wanted to call out, but
he did not.
"Come back!" cried the bearded man; "here is the bucket; please fill
it once more, for I am still thirsty."
7. Pinocchio In Doubt
PINOCCHIO went away very angry, vowing that he would avenge himself
on all who had laughed at him.
"To begin with," said he, "I intend to make them all die of thirst.
If they wait to drink of the water that I bring, they will certainly
die." With these thoughts in his mind the marionette started homeward,
carrying the bucket on his head.
"The bucket will repay me for all the work I have had put upon me.
How unlucky we children are! Wherever we go, there is always something
for us to do. To-day I thought I would simply enjoy myself; instead, I
have had to carry water for a company of strangers. How absurd! two
trips, one after the other, to give drink to people I do not know! And
how they drink! they seem to be sponges. For my part they can be
thirsty as long as they like. I feel now as if I would never again move
a finger for them. I am not going to be laughed at."
As he finished these remarks Pinocchio arrived at the fountain. It
was delightful to see the clear water rushing out, but he could not
help thinking of those poor creatures who were waiting for him. He had
to stop.
"Shall I or shall I not?" he asked himself. "After all, they are
good people, who are forced to imitate wild animals; and besides, they
have treated me with some kindness. I may as well carry some water to
them; a trip more or less makes no difference to me."
He approached the fountain, filled the bucket, and ran down the
road.
"Hello within there!" he said in a low voice. "Here is the bucket of
water; come and take it, for I am not going in."
"Good marionette," said the beasts, "thank you!"
"Don't mention it," replied Pinocchio, very happy.
"Why will you not come in?"
"It is impossible, thank you. I must go to school."
"Then you are not going to Africa?"
"Who told you that! I am returning to school to bid farewell to my
teacher, and to ask him to excuse me for a few days. Then I wish to see
my father and ask his permission to go, so that he will not be anxious
while I am away."
"Excellent marionette, you will become famous."
"What agreeable people!" thought Pinocchio. "I am sorry to leave
them."
"So you really will not come in?"
"No, I have said so before. I must go to school first, and then - "
"But it seems to me rather late for school," said the crocodile
man.
"That is true; it is too late for school," replied Pinocchio.
"Well, then, stay a little longer with us, and later you can go home
to your father."
Pinocchio thrust his head through the hole and leaped into the tent.
The naughty marionette had not the least desire to go to school, and
was only too glad of an excuse to watch these strange people.
8. He Bids Good-by To The Animals
THE show had begun. The director was explaining to the people the
wonders of his menagerie.
"Ladies and gentlemen, observe the beauty and the wildness of all
these animals, which I have brought from Central Africa. Here they are,
inclosed in these many cages, but hidden from your view. Why are they
hidden? Because, ladies and gentlemen, you would be frightened at the
sight of them, and your peace and health greatly concern me. The first
animal which I have the pleasure to present to you is the elephant.
Observe, ladies and gentlemen, that small affair which hangs under his
nose. With that he builds houses, tills the soil, writes letters,
carries trunks, and picks flowers. You can see that the animal was
painted from life and placed in this beautiful frame."
The people began to look at one another.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, let us go on to the next one."
A roar of laughter and jeers arose on all sides. The director saw
the unfortunate state of things and began to shout: "Have respect,
ladies, for the poor sick monkey I told you of. At this moment she is
pressing to her breast for the last time her friendless child."
But not even this was sufficient to calm the crowd, which presently
became an infuriated mob. Men and women rushed about the tent, making
fierce gestures and heaping abuse upon the director. What an uproar!
In the cage where Pinocchio was, there was no confusion, and the
conversation between the marionette and the wild beasts went on without
stopping.
"When do you leave for Africa?" Pinocchio was asked.
"Have I not told you? To-morrow morning at daybreak, even if it
rains."
"Excellent! But you must carry with you several things which you may
need."
"And those are - ?"
"First of all you will need plenty of money."
"That is not lacking," said Pinocchio in his usual airy way.
"Good! Then you should get a rifle."
"What for?"
"To defend yourself against the wild animals."
"Come, come! You don't want me to believe that! I have seen what the
wild animals of Africa are!"
"Be careful, marionette. Take a good rifle with you, for one never
knows what will happen in Africa."
"But I do not know how to load one."
"Well, then, stay at home. It is folly for you to begin such an
undertaking without arms and without knowing how to use them."
"It is you who are foolish. Do not make me angry. When I have
decided upon a thing no one can stop me from carrying it out."
"Take care, marionette; you may be sorry."
"Nevertheless I shall go."
"You may find things very unpleasant."
"It is for that very reason that I am going."
"You may never return."
"The good Fairy will protect me."
"Who is the Fairy?"
"How may things you want to know! If you are in need of nothing
else, I will bid you all good-by!"
"Farewell, marionette."
"Till we meet again."
"Good-by, blockhead."
"Don't be rude! said Pinocchio, greatly vexed, and out he went.
9. Pinocchio Does Not Sleep
WHEN Pinocchio arrived at his home he found his father already in
bed. Old Geppetto did not earn enough to provide a supper for two. He
used to say that he was not hungry, and go to bed. But there was always
plenty for Pinocchio. An onion, some beans moistened in water, and a
piece of bread which had been left over from the morning, were never
missing.
That night Pinocchio found a better meal than usual.
His good father, not having seen his son at the regular dinner hour,
knew that the boy would be very hungry. There would have to be
something out of the ordinary. He therefore added to the fare some
dried fish and a delicious morsel of orange peel. "He will even have
fruit," the good man had said to himself, smiling at the joy his dear
Pinocchio would feel on seeing himself treated like a man of the
world.
The marionette ate his supper with relish, and having finished his
meal, went over to his sleeping father and kissed him as a reward for
the fish and the orange peel. Pinocchio, to say the least, had a good
heart, and would have done anything for his father except study and
work.
That night he slept little. Lions, elephants, tigers, panthers,
beautiful women dressed in silk and mounted on butterflies as large as
eagles, men, in large boots, armed with knives and guns, palaces of
silver and gold! All these and a great many more strange sights floated
before his dreaming eyes, while he could hear animals roaring, howling,
and whistling to the sound of trumpets and drums.
At length the night needed and Pinocchio arose. First of all he went
to bid farewell to his friends in the circus, but they were no longer
to be found. During the night the director had quietly stolen away
with his company.
"A pleasant journey to you!" said Pinocchio, and he began to search
the ground for a forgotten piece of gold, or some precious stone which
might have fallen from a lady's diadem; but he found nothing.
"What shall I do now? Shall I go to Africa or to school? It might be
better to go to school, for the teacher says that I am a little behind
in reading, writing, composition, history, geography, and arithmetic.
In other subjects I am not so dull. Yes, yes; it will certainly do me
more good to go to school. Then I shall be a dunce no longer."
Having made this sensible decision, the marionette started for home
with the idea of studying his lessons and of going to school.
10. Pinocchio Eats Dates
SOON he met a man in a paper hat and a white apron. He was pushing a
cart filled with a kind of fruit that Pinocchio had never seen before.
"Dates! dates! fresh dates! sweet dates! real African dates!" came
the cry.
"Even he speaks of Africa!" thought Pinocchio. "Africa seems to
follow me. But what has Africa to do with dates, and what are these
dates? I have never heard of them." The man stopped; Pinocchio stopped
also. A lady bought some of the dates, and it happened that one of them
fell on the ground. The marionette picked it up and handed it to her.
"Thank you," she said with a smile. "Keep it yourself; you have
earned it."
The man with the cart went on, "Dates! dates! fresh dates! sweet
dates! real African dates!"
Pinocchio looked after him for a time and then put the date into his
mouth. Great Caesar! How delicious! Never before had he tasted
anything so sweet. The orange peel was nothing compared with this! What
the circus people had told him, then, was really true!
"To Africa I go," he said, "even if I break a leg. What do I care
about the Red Sea, the Yellow Sea, the Green, or any other sea? I will
go!"
And the rascal, forgetting his home and his father, who at that very
moment was waiting to give him his breakfast, set out toward the sea.
As he neared the water he heard a voice call, "Pinocchio!
Pinocchio!"
The marionette stopped and looked around, but seeing no one, he went
on.
"Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Be careful! You know not what you do!"
"Farewell and many thanks," answered the stubborn marionette, and
forthwith stepped into the sea.
"The water is like ice this morning. No wonder it makes me feel
cold; but I know how to get rid of a chill. A good swim, and I am as
warm as ever." Out shot his arms and he plunged into the water. The
journey to Africa had begun.
At noon he still swam on. It grew dark and on he swam. Later the
moon arose and grinned at him. He kept on swimming, without a sign of
fatigue, of hunger, or of sleepiness. A marionette can do things that
would tire a real boy, and to Pinocchio swimming was no task at all.
11. Pinocchio Lands On A Rock
THE moon grinned again and disappeared behind a cloud. The night
grew dark. Pinocchio continued to swim through the black waters. He
could see nothing ahead. He swam, swam, swam into the dark. Suddenly he
felt something scrape his body, and he gave a start.
"Who goes there?" he cried. No one answered. "Perhaps it is my old
friend the shark, who has recognized me," thought he; and he rapidly
swam on to get away from the spot which reminded him of that terrible
monster.
He had not gone more than fifty yards when his head ran against
something rough and hard. "Oh!" cried the marionette, and he raised his
hand to the injured part.
Then, as he noticed a large rock standing out of the water, he cried
joyously; "I have arrived! I am in Africa!"
He got up on his feet and began to feel of himself all over, his
ribs, his stomach, his legs. Everything was in order.
"Nothing broken!" he said. "The rocks on the way have been very
kind. However, I hope that day will break soon, for I have no matches,
and it seems to me that I am very hungry."
Then he began to move on carefully. First he put down one foot and
then the other, and thus crept along till he found a comfortable spot.
"I seem to be very tired and sleepy also," he said.
With that, he lay down and went off in to a deep slumber.
When he awoke it was daylight. The sun shone red and hot. There was
nothing to be seen but rocks and water.
"Is this Africa?" said the marionette, greatly troubled. "Even at
dawn it seems to be very warm. When the sun gets a little higher I am
likely to be baked." And he wiped the sweat from his brow on his coat
sleeve. Presently clouds began to rise out of the water. They grew
darker and darker, and the day, instead of being bright, gradually
became gloomy and overcast.
The sun disappeared.
"This is funny!" said Pinocchio. "What jokes the sun plays in these
parts! It shines for a while and then disappears."
Poor marionette! It did not occur to him at first that he had slept
the whole day, and that instead of the rising he saw the setting of the
sun.
12. The First Night In Africa
"AND now I must pass another night here alone on these bare rocks!"
he thought.
The unhappy marionette began to tremble. He tried to walk, but the
night was so dark that it was impossible to see where to go. The tears
rolled down his wooden cheeks. He thought of his disobedience and of
his stubbornness. He remembered the warnings his father had given him,
the advice of his teacher, and the kindly words of the good Fairy. He
remembered the promises he had made to be good, obedient, and studious.
How happy he had been! He recalled the day when his father's face
beamed with pleasure at his progress. He saw the happy smile with which
his protecting Fairy greeted him. His tears fell fast, and sobs rent
his heart.
"If I should die, here in this gloomy place! If I should die of
weariness, of hunger, of fear! To die a marionette without having had
the happiness of becoming a real boy!"
He wept bitterly, and yet his troubles had scarcely begun. Even
while his tears were flowing down his cheeks and into the dark water,
he heard prolonged howls. At the same time he saw lights moving to and
fro, as if driven by the wind.
"What in the world is this? Who is carrying those lanterns? asked
Pinocchio, continuing to sob.
As if in answer to his questions, two lights came down the rocky
coast and drew nearer to him.
Along with the lights came the howls, which sounded like those he
had heard at the circus, only more natural and terrible.
"I hope this will end well," the marionette said to himself, "but I
have some doubt about it."
He threw himself on the ground and tried to hide between the rocks.
A minute later and he felt a warm breath on his face. There stood the
shadowy form of a hyena, its open mouth ready to devour the marionette
at one gulp.
"I am done for!" and Pinocchio shut his eyes and gave a last thought
to his dear father and his beloved Fatina. But the beast, after
sniffing at him once or twice from head to foot, burst into aloud,
howling laugh and walked away. He had no appetite for wooden boys.
"May you never return! said Pinocchio, raising his head a little and
straining his eyes to pierce the darkness about him. "Oh, if there were
only a tree, or a wall, or anything to climb up on!"The marionette was
right in wishing for something to keep him far above the ground. During
the whole night these visitors were coming and going. They came around
him howling, sniffing, laughing, mocking. As each one ran off,
Pinocchio would say, "May you never return!" He lay there shivering in
the agony of his terror. If the night had continued much longer, the
poor fellow would have died of fright. But the dawn came at last. All
these strange night visitors disappeared. Pinocchio tried to get up. He
could not move. His legs and arms were stiff. A terrible weakness had
seized him, and the world swam around him. Hunger overpowered him. The
poor marionette felt that he should surely die. "How terrible," he
though, "to die of hunger! What would I not eat! Dry beans and cherry
stems would be delicious." He looked eagerly around, but there was not
even a cricket or a snail in sight. There was nothing, nothing but
rocks.
Suddenly, however, a faint cry came from his parched throat. Was it
possible? A few feet from him there was something between the rocks
which looked like food. The marionette did not know what it was. He
dragged himself along on hands and knees, and commenced to eat it. His
nose wished to have nothing to do with it, and would even have drawn
back, but the marionette said; "It is necessary to accustom yourself to
all things, my friends. One must have patience. Don't be afraid; if I
find any roses, I promise to gather them for you."
The nose became quiet, the mouth ate, the hunger was satisfied, and
when the meal was finished Pinocchio jumped to his feet and shouted
joyously; "I have had my first meal in Africa. Now I must begin my
search for wealth." He forgot the night, his father, and Fatina. His
only thought was to get farther away from home.
What an easy thing life is to a wooden marionette!
13. Pinocchio Is Well Received
"FIRST of all," he said, "I must go to the nearest castle I can
find. The master will not refuse me shelter and food. Some soup, a leg
of roast chicken, and a glass of milk will put me in fine spirits."
The journey across the rocks was full of difficulties, but the
marionette overcame them readily, leaping from rock to rock like a
goat. He walked, walked, walked! The rocks seemed to have no ending,
and the castle, which he imagined he saw in the distance, appeared to
be always farther and farther away. As the marionette drew nearer, the
towers began to disappear and the walls to crumble. He walked on
broken-hearted. Finally he sat down I despair and put his head in his
hands. "Farewell, castle! good-by, roast chicken and soup!" He was
about to weep again when he saw in the distance a village of great
beauty lying at the foot of a gentle slope.
At the sight he gave a cry of joy and without a moment's delay set
out in that direction. He leaped over the rocks and bushes, putting to
flight several flocks of birds in his haste. Of course only a
marionette could go as fast as he did. "How beautiful Africa is! said
he. "If I had known this I would have come here long ago."
In a short time he reached the main square of the town. Men, women,
and children were lounging about, gossiping, buying, and selling. When
they saw the marionette they gathered around him, and many began to
shout: "It is Pinocchio! Look, here is Pinocchio! Pinocchio!
Pinocchio!"
"Well, this is strange!" said the marionette to himself. "I am known
even in Africa. Surely I am a great person."
Like most great men, Pinocchio was annoyed at his noisy reception.
In some anger he made his way through the crowd, pushing people right
and left with his elbows. He ran down a side street and finally stopped
before a restaurant, over which was the sign printed in huge
letters:MARIONETTES SERVED HERE."This is what I have been looking for,"
said Pinocchio, and he went in.
14. Pinocchio Is Arrested
PINOCCHIO found himself facing a man of about fifty years of age. He
was stout and good-natured, and like all good hosts, asked what the
gentleman would have to eat. Pinocchio, hearing himself called
"gentleman," swelled with pride, and very gravely gave his order. He
was served promptly, and devoured everything before him in a way known
only to hungry marionettes.
In the meantime the innkeeper eyed his customer from head to foot.
He addressed Pinocchio in a very respectful manner, but the marionette
gave only short answers. Persons of rank ate here, and to appear like
one of them he could not allow himself to waste words on common folk.
Having finished his meal, the marionette asked for something to
drink.
"What is this drink called?" he asked, as he put down the glass and
thrust his thumb into his vest pocket after the manner of a gentleman.
"Nectar, your excellency."
Upon hearing himself called "excellency" Pinocchio fairly lost his
head. He felt a strange lightness in his feet; indeed, he found it hard
work to resist the temptation to get up and dance. "I knew that in
Africa I should make my fortune," he thought, and called for a box of
cigarettes.
Having smoked one of these, the brave Pinocchio arose to go out,
when the host handed him a sheet of paper on which was written a row of
figures.
"What is this?" asked the marionette.
"The bill, your excellency; the amount of your debt for the dinner."
Pinocchio stroked his wooden chin and looked at the innkeeper in
surprise.
"Is there anything astonishing about that, your excellence? Is it
not usual in your country to pay for what you eat?"
"It is amazing! I do not know what you mean! What strange custom is
this that you speak of?"
"In these parts, your excellency," remarked the innkeeper, "when one
eats, one must pay. However, if your lordship has no money, and intends
to live at the expense of others, I have a very good remedy. One
minute!"
So saying, the man stepped out of the door, uttered a curious sound,
and then returned.
Pinocchio lost his courage. He broke down and began to weep. He
begged the man to have patience. The first piece of gold he found would
pay for the meal. The innkeeper smiled as he said, "I am sorry, but
the thing is done."
"What is done?" asked the marionette.
"I have sent for the police."
"The police!" cried the marionette, shaking with fear. "The police!
Even in Africa there are policemen? Please, sir, send them back! I do
not want to go to prison."All this was useless talk. Two black
policemen were already there. Straight toward the marionette they went
and asked his name.
"Pinocchio," he answered in a faint voice.
"What is your business?"
"I am a marionette."
"Why have you come to Africa?"
"I will tell you," replied Pinocchio, "You gentlemen must know that
my poor father sold his coat to buy me a spelling book, and as I have
heard that there is plenty of gold and silver in Africa, I have come
here."
"What kind of talk is this?" asked the elder of the two policemen.
"No nonsense! Show us your papers."
"What papers! I left all I had at school."
The policemen cut short the marionette's words by taking out their
handcuffs and preparing to lead him away to prison. But the innkeeper
was a good-hearted man, and he was sorry for the poor blockhead. He
begged them to leave Pinocchio in his charge.
"So long as you are satisfied, we are satisfied," said the
policemen. "If you wish to give away your food, that is your own
affair;" and they went off without saying another word.
15. Pinocchio's Father
PINOCCHIO blushed with shame.
"Then you are the marionette Pinocchio?"
Upon hearing himself addressed in this familiar way, Pinocchio felt
a little annoyed, but recalling the unsettled account, he thought it
best to answer politely that he was Pinocchio.
"I am pleased," continued the man; "I am very much pleased, because
I knew your father."
"You knew my father?" exclaimed the marionette.
"Certainly I knew him! I was a servant in his house before you were
born."
"In my house as a servant? When has father Geppetto had servants?"
asked the marionette, his eyes wide with surprise.
"But who said Geppetto? Geppetto is not your father's name."
"Oh, indeed! Well, then, what is his name?"
"Your father's name is not Geppetto, but Collodi. A wonderful man,
my boy."
Pinocchio understood less and less. It was strange, he thought, to
have come to Africa to learn the story of his family. He listened with
astonishment to all that the innkeeper said.
"Remember, however, that even if you are not really the son of the
good Geppetto, it does not follow that you should forget the care he
has given you. What gratitude have you shown him? You ran away from
home without even telling him. Who knows how unhappy the poor old man
may be! You never will understand what suffering you cause your
parents. Such blockheads as you are not fit to have parents. They work
from morning till night so that you may want for nothing, and may grow
up to be good and wise men, useful to yourselves, to your family, and
to your country. What do you do? Nothing! You are worthless!"
Pinocchio listened very thoughtfully. He had never expected that in
Africa he was to hear so many disagreeable truths, and he was on the
verge of weeping.
"For your father's sake you have been let off easily. From now on
you may regard this as your home. I am not very rich, and I need a boy
to help me. You will do. You may as well begin to work at once." And he
handed the marionette a large broom.
Pinocchio was vexed at this, but the thought of the black policemen
and the unsettled bill cooled his anger, and he swept as well as he
knew how. "From a gentleman to a sweeper! What fine progress I have
made!" he thought, as the tears rolled down his cheeks.
"If my father were to see me now, or my good Fairy, or my companions
at school! What a fine picture I should make!" And he continued to
sweep and dust.
16. Pinocchio Sells Drinking Water
THE time passed quickly. At the dinner hour Pinocchio had a great
appetite and ate with much enjoyment. The master praised him highly for
the tidy appearance of the store and urged him to keep up his good
work.
"At the end of twenty years," he said, "You will have put aside
enough to return home, and a little extra money to spend on poor old
Geppetto. Now that you have eaten, take this leather bag and fill it
with water, which you are to sell about the city. When you return we
shall know how much you have made."
The bag was soon strapped on his shoulders and the marionette was
shown the door. "Remember," said his master, "a cent a glass!"
Pinocchio set out down the narrow street. He walked on, little
caring where he went. His wooden brains were far away. He was grieved.
Had the master known just how the marionette felt he would have run
after him and at least regained his leather bag.
Pinocchio walked on. He was soon among a hurrying crowd of people.
"Can this be Egypt in Africa? I have read about it often."
A Man, wrapped in a white cloak, touched him on the shoulder.
Pinocchio did not understand, and started to go on about his business,
but the man took him roughly by the nose. Pinocchio shrieked. The crowd
stopped. At last, he discovered that the man wanted water. Pinocchio
placed the bag on the ground. Then he poured the water into a glass.
The man drank, paid, and went his way.
"What a thirst for water Africans have!" thought the marionette, as
he remembered his companions of the circus. "I like ices better, and I
am going to try to get one with this penny." At once he started off,
leaving the leather bag behind.
17. A Ride On A Dog's Back
A CROWD of boys had by this time gathered in the street. They began,
after the manner of boys in nearly every part of the world, to annoy
one who was clearly a stranger. They did not know Pinocchio, however,
nor the force of his feet and elbows. There came a shower of kicks and
punches, and the boys scattered. Away flew Pinocchio. The people were
astonished to see those tiny legs fly like the wind. They shouted and
ran after him. Pinocchio resolved not to be caught. He turned into a
side street that led into the open country. A large dog, stretched out
upon the ground, was in his way. Pinocchio measured the distance and
leaped.
At that very moment the dog sprang up, and hardly knowing how it
happened, Pinocchio found himself astride his back. Barking furiously,
the animal shot along like a cannon ball. The poor boy felt sure that
he was going to break his neck and prayed for safety. On they rushed.
The dog jumped over rocks and ditches as if he had done nothing in all
his life but carry marionettes on his back.
"Is it possible that he is a horse-dog?" thought Pinocchio. "If he
is, I shall ride him always, and when I return home, I shall present
him to my father. My companions will die of envy when they see me
riding to school like a gentleman. I shall make him a saddle like those
I saw on the circus horses, and a pair of silver stirrups. A saddle is
really necessary, because it is very uncomfortable to ride in this
way."
The came to a deep gully and the dog prepared to make the leap.
Pinocchio muttered to himself: "This is the end. If I cross this in
safety, I will surely return home and go to school."
There was a leap, and a plunge into the black, empty air. When he
opened his eyes, he found himself lying at the bottom of a precipice in
total darkness. How long had he been in the air? The marionette did not
know. He remembered only that while flying down he had heard a familiar
voice call, "Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Pinocchio!"
"Farewell to the world and to Africa," said the marionette. "Wooden
marionettes will never learn. Here I shall stay forever. It serves me
right."
18. The Cave
IF I get out of this prison alive, it will be the greatest wonder I
have ever known." Pinocchio sat in the spot where he had fallen. He now
began to suffer from thirst. There had been a great deal of excitement,
and his throat was parched. He would have given anything for a sip of
the water he had so carelessly left in the middle of the street only a
little while before.
"I don't want to die here," he said. "I must get up and walk."
So saying, he moved slowly about, groping with his hands and feet as
if he were playing blindman's buff. The ground was soft, and the air
seemed fresh. In fact, it was not so bad as he had at first thought.
Only four things worried him, darkness, hunger, thirst, and fear. Aside
from these he was safe and sound.
He had gone but a short distance through the darkness when suddenly
he thought he heard a faint murmur. He saw a gleam of light. The blood
rushed through his veins. He walked on. The sound became clearer, and
the light grew brighter. At length Pinocchio found himself in a cave
lighted by soft rays. The murmuring sound was caused by a small stream
of water coming out from a high rock and forming a little waterfall.
Pinocchio rushed toward the rocks, opened his mouth wide like a funnel,
and drank his fill.
"I shall not die of thirst," said the marionette. "Unfortunately, I
am still hungry. What a fate is mine! Why can we not live without
eating? Some day I am going to find a way. If I succeed, I shall teach
the poor people to live without food as I do. How happy they will be!"
Meanwhile he looked about for a means of escape. Soon he discovered the
hole that lighted the cave, and walked out once more under the open
sky.
19. The Caravan
HE saw nothing but rocks and sand; rocks that shone like mirrors,
and sand that burned like fire. He walked on very sadly, without
knowing where. Presently he found himself upon a hill, from which he
could see a vast plain crossed by a wide highway. A long line of people
and camels were on the march, but how strange they looked! They were
going along with heads down and feet up. At first the marionette was
filled with a strong desire to laugh; then he became frightened and
rubbed his eyes, doubting what they told him.
"Am I dreaming?" he said to himself.
The line continued its march, and he distinctly heard the people
laugh and joke as they all sat upside down on the backs of the inverted
camels.
"I was not prepared for this! What a strange way of traveling they
have in Africa! Maybe I too am walking on my head!" and he touched
himself to make sure that his head was in its proper place.
Meanwhile the caravan passed on, and Pinocchio stood still, his eyes
fixed upon the camels as they disappeared at the turning of the road.
The only thing left for him to do was to follow them.
"Either on my head or on my feet I shall surely arrive somewhere! I
do not believe that all those people will walk on air forever. Sometime
or other they will stop to eat. I shall be there to help them."
As he spoke the marionette started forward, walking rapidly in the
hot sun.
20. The Baby Pulls His Nose
IN half an hour he had caught up with the topsy-turvy caravan. It
had stopped at a large well, which was filled with clear, cool water.
The people were laughing and talking as if they were at home. They were
all as happy as they could be.
Pinocchio could not understand it. Had these people really stood on
their heads? What had happened to them? There was something wrong. He
had certainly seen them traveling in that strange fashion. However, a
marionette who is hungry and thirsty does not worry long about things
he cannot explain. He was there, and the people were eating and
drinking.
"What a fool I am! If their heads were upside down, they could
neither eat nor drink. Surely they will not refuse me a little water,
and perhaps as they are familiar with Africa, I may discover in talking
with them where the mines of gold and precious stones are to be found."
So saying, Pinocchio moved toward an old man who was sitting with a
pipe in his mouth. He had finished his meal and was enjoying a smoke.
The marionette took off his hat and said, "Pardon me, sir; what time is
it?"
The old man's answer came in a volume of smoke.
"Ask the sun, my boy. He will tell you."
"Thank you!" said Pinocchio, a little taken aback by this reception,
and he moved on toward a woman with a baby on her shoulders.
"Madam, will you please tell me if I am on the right road to - "
"The world is wide," broke in the woman.
"And long too," thought the marionette. "How polite these Africans
are!"
Of course, the marionette was a stupid fellow. He was a little
ashamed to beg for food, and had only asked these questions so that the
people might notice him and perhaps offer him food and water. An
ordinary boy would have asked for what he wanted, but the blockhead was
too proud.
He was about to go on when the baby began to wave its arms, and to
shout, "I want it! I want it!"
Can you guess what it wanted? Pinocchio's nose! The child reached
out its hands, and cried and kicked in trying to get hold of it.
The whole caravan looked toward the spot. A group of children
gathered about them. Even the camels lifted their heads to see what was
the matter. The mother was distressed because the child's screams and
kicks continued. She asked Pinocchio to let it touch his nose. His
pride was hurt, but thinking it best to humor the child, he went closer
and allowed his nose to be touched and squeezed and pulled until the
baby was perfectly happy and satisfied. The good woman laughed, and
thanked Pinocchio by offering him some bread and milk.
Pinocchio buried his face in the milk and ate the bread. There was
no doubt of his hunger. The others offered him fruit and cake. He was
pleased. Africa, after all, was a country where one could live. His
hunger satisfied, he did what marionettes usually do, talked about
himself. In a short time all the people knew who he was and why he had
come to Africa. The old man with the pipe asked him, "Who told you that
here in Africa there is so much gold?"
"Who told me? He who knows told me!"
"But are you sure that he did not wish to deceive you?"
"Deceive me?" replied the marionette, "My dear sire, to deceive me
one must have a good - " and he touched his forehead with his
forefinger as much as to say that within lay a great brain. "Before
leaving home I studied so much that the teacher feared I should ruin my
health."
"Very well," replied the old man, "let us travel together, for we
also area in search of gold and precious stones."
Pinocchio's heart beat fast with hope. At last there was some one to
help him in his search. He could scarcely control himself enough to
say: "Willingly, most willingly! I have no objections. Suit
yourselves."
21. Pinocchio Travels With The Caravan
THE camels, refreshed by the large amount of water they had taken,
stood up, proud of their loads. Even the donkey brayed. Yes, there was
a donkey! And this fact displeased Pinocchio. He had for a long time
felt a great dislike for these animals. In fact, he had once been a
donkey, and his dislike was a natural one.
The donkey did not carry any load, and for that reason the
marionette was asked to ride on its back. He hesitated. It was stupid
to ride a donkey, and he would have preferred to walk, but he did not
like to seem rude to the good people, and up he mounted.
They traveled all day along the narrow road which gradually wound
around the slope of a mountain. The old man rode by the side of
Pinocchio, asking him many questions about the studies he had taken up
to prepare himself for this trip to Africa.
The marionette talked a great deal, and as might have been expected,
made many blunders. He began to think that his companions were very
simple, and that in Africa one could tell any kind of lie without being
discovered. He even went so far as to assure the old man that he knew
the very spot where they could find gold and diamonds, and ended by
saying that within a week they should all be men of great wealth.
"You must walk straight ahead," the saucy marionette was saying,
"then to the right, and you will arrive at the bottom of a valley,
through which flows a beautiful brook of yellow water. By the side of
this brook is a tree, and beneath the tree there is gold in plenty."
The old man was amazed to hear the tales he told. Pinocchio himself
felt ashamed of all these lies. He was afraid his nose would grow as it
had done one day at home. But no, it was still its natural size!
"Well!" he thought, "if it has not grown longer this time, it will
never grow again, no matter how many lies I tell."
22. He Is Offered For Sale
THEY went on until they met a second caravan resting at a well.
Every one admired Pinocchio, and the old man who had him in charge
treated him as if he were his own son.
Pinocchio was greatly pleased. Yet to tell the truth he was worried.
Suppose they discovered that he had lied, and that he knew nothing
about Africa, or the gold, or the diamonds! What would happen then?
The old man was talking to three or four men of the new caravan.
Pinocchio did not like their faces. Now and then they looked toward the
marionette with open eyes of astonishment.
Pinocchio pricked up his ears to listen to the good things the old
man was saying about him. He felt highly flattered on hearing himself
praised for his character, his intelligence, and his ability to eat and
drink.
Then the men lowered their voices, and the marionette only now and
then caught some stray words.
"How much do you want?"
"Come!" replied the good old man, "between us there should not be so
much talk. I cannot give him to you unless you give me twenty yards of
English calico, thirty yards of iron wire, and four strings of glass
beads."
"It is too much. It is too much," replied one.
"They are bargaining for the donkey," said Pinocchio, and he felt
sorry for the poor beast.
"I am sorry for you," he went on, addressing the donkey, "because
you have made me quite comfortable. Now I must give you up and walk."
"It is too much. It is too much," the men were saying.
"Yes, yes, all you say is very true," spoke one in a high voice,
"but, after all, he is made of wood."
"Of wood? Who is made of wood? The donkey?" thought Pinocchio,
looking at the animal, which stood still, its ears erect as if it also
were listening.
"Here!" put in one of the men, "the bargain is made if you will give
him up for an elephant's tooth; if not, let us talk no more of it."
The old man was silent. He looked at the marionette, and then with a
sigh which came from his heart he said: "You drive a hard bargain! Add
at least the horn of a rhinoceros and let us be done with it."
"Put in the horn!" replied the man, and they shook hands. "You have
done well, my friends," the old man said. "That fellow there," - and
this time pointed directly at Pinocchio, "that fellow there has some
great ideas in his head. He knows a thing or two! He says he knows the
exact spot where one may find gold and diamonds."
Pinocchio was thunderstruck! It was he and not the donkey that had
been sold.
"Dogs!" he cried, "farewell. I go from you forever." And away he
leaped as fast as the north wind. They did not even try to follow him.
Who could have caught him
23. The Bird In The Forest
AFTER two hours of hard running, Pinocchio, still angry at the
treatment he had received, came to a forest. "It's better to be a bird
in the bushes than a bird in a cage!" he thought.
Although the walk in the forest was refreshing, he began, as usual,
to be hungry. The place was very beautiful, but beauty could not
satisfy a marionette's appetite. He looked here and there in the hope
that he might see trees loaded with the fruit about which the elephant
man had spoken. He saw nothing but branches and leaves, leaves and
branches. On he walked. Both the forest and his hunger seemed without
end.
Fortunately Pinocchio was very strong. Being made of wood, he could
endure a great many hardships. He was sure that his good Fairy would
come to help him, so he kept on bravely. He had walked a long way
before he saw a large tree, bearing fruit that resembled oranges.
"At last!" he cried aloud. The birds flew away at the sound.
Pinocchio climbed over the rocks and up the tree as fast as he could.
"I will eat enough to last for a week!" he said, as he thought of
the orange peel his father Geppetto had given him for supper.
He picked the largest of the fruit and put it into his mouth. It was
as hard as ivory. He pulled out his penknife, with which he used to
sharpen his pencil at school. With great difficulty he cut the fruit in
two, to find within only a soft, bitter pulp. Then he tried another and
another. All were like the first one, and he gave up trying because he
was at length convinced that none of the fruit was fit to eat.
Tired and unhappy, with bowed head and dangling arms, he pushed on
slowly, stumbling over rocks, and becoming entangled again and again in
the briers. He thought sadly of the disappointments he had met with in
Africa.
"It is settled. I am to die of hunger. Where are the delicious
fruits and the precious stones? Should I not do better to go home and
leave the gold and silver to those who want them?"
As he went along, thinking over these things, he noticed ahead of
him a bird about the size of a canary, which looked at him as if it
longed to console him in his misery.It went on before Pinocchio, flying
from one branch to another, stopping when the marionette stopped, and
moving every time the marionette moved. Pinocchio said to himself:
"Does his dear little bird wish to be eaten? I'll pluck its feathers,
stick a twig through it, put it in the sun, and in half an hour it will
be cooked and ready to eat."
While the hungry marionette was giving himself up to this thought,
the bird began to sing,"Pinocchio, my dear,
If you would honey eat,
Come closer to me here,
And you will find a treat."Imagine Pinocchio's surprise! He
approached the little songster and looked up. Sure enough, there on a
branch of a great tree was a beehive.
One would think that Pinocchio would at least stop to thank the
bird, but not he! Up the tree he went like a squirrel, while the bees
buzzed about him angrily. The marionette laughed.
"Sting away! sting away, brave bees! I am a marionette and made of
wood. You may sting me as much as you please." He thrust his hand into
the hive and drew out a handful of sweet honey.
"This time at least I shall not die of hunger."
24. His Adventure With A Lion
THE marionette was on the point of filling his mouth a second time,
when he heard a frightful roar directly under his feet. The shock
almost tumbled him down headfirst. Had he fallen, how unfortunate it
would have been! He would have gone straight into the deep mouth of an
African lion which was ready to devour him at one gulp.
"Oh, mercy!" cried the marionette. And the lion gave another
dreadful roar which seemed to say: "Mercy indeed! I have you now, you
little thief."
"Dear lion," pleaded Pinocchio, "have pity on a poor orphan lad who
is nearly starving!"
The lion roared still louder. "Who has given you permission to take
what belongs to another without having earned it by useful and honest
work? In this world he who does not work must starve."
"You are right, my dear lion, you are right. I am ready to pay to
the last cent for all the honey I eat, but please don't seem so angry
or I shall die of fear."
Then the lion stopped roaring, and sitting down upon the ground, he
looked at the marionette as if to say: "Well, what are you going to do
about it? Are you coming down or not?"
"Listen, my dear lion," answered Pinocchio; "so long as you stay
there, I shall not come down. If you want me to go away and leave the
honey, remove yourself a hundred miles or so, and then I will obey
you."
The lion did not move.
For almost an hour Pinocchio sat glued to the tree, not daring to
eat the honey or to come down to the waiting lion. The hot rays of the
sun beat upon him. He felt that he must die, for hunger, fear, and heat
seemed ready to destroy him.
"Surely there must be away out of this," he thought. "That lion must
have in him some spark of kindness. He has made up his mind to keep me
company, and perhaps it is my duty to thank him."
Then the marionette raised his hand to ask permission to speak. It
would have been better had he kept still.
At this gesture the lion uttered a roar so loud that it shook the
whole forest. He began to lash the ground with his tail, sending up a
cloud of dust that nearly choked the marionette, and repeating all the
while in lion language, "If you move hand or foot, you will die!"
Pinocchio sat still. Another hour passed in silence. Pinocchio still
suffered from the heat and from hunger. Both honey and shade were
within easy reach, and he could enjoy neither.
"What an obstinate beast!" he muttered. "How stupid he is to wait
there! There is enough room in the forest for us both."
But the lion did not move, and Pinocchio's suffering was great. He
was sure now that he was going to die, and he looked sadly at those
wooden legs which had carried him through so many adventures. There was
the shade, but he could not reach it. There was the honey that must not
be touched.
"Eat! eat!" said the honey. "Come! come!" said the shade.
Fortunately a new character now arrived on the scene. A magnificent
giraffe came along through the bushes, eating the tender shoots as it
approached the spot.Pinocchio saw the giraffe and recognized it at once
from a picture of one he had seen in school. The lion saw it also. What
should he do? Continue to watch the marionette, or attack and carry off
the giraffe? He decided to take the giraffe. As the animal raised its
head to bite off the leaves from a tall acacia, the lion leaped at its
throat and killed it. Seizing the body in his powerful jaws, the lion
disappeared through the forest, and Pinocchio was left behind to have
his fill of honey. He ate as he had never eaten before.
When he could eat no longer he came down from the tree, but how
strange he felt! His eyes were dim, and his head began to swim, while
his legs went here and there in every direction. He could not even talk
clearly.
"African honey plays jokes upon those who eat too much of it!" he
seemed to hear some one say. He turned to see who it was that had
spoken to him, but no one was there. The next moment he fell heavily to
the ground as if he had been knocked down with a club.
"That is what happens to greedy boys!" continued the voice of the
little bird who had shown him the honey, but Pinocchio lay fast
asleep.
25. Pinocchio Is Brought Before The King
PINOCCHIO had slept for hours when he was aroused by strange sounds.
Were these the voices of human beings.
"Yah! Yah! Hoi! Hoi! Uff! Uff!"
What could it possibly be? The marionette opened an eye, but quickly
shut it again when he saw a number of coal-black faces turned toward
him.
"What do these ugly people want of me?" he asked himself, as he lay
there perfectly still.
When Pinocchio next opened his eyes he saw to his great surprise
that the men had formed a circle about him. At their chief's command
they began to dance. It was all so funny that Pinocchio could hardly
keep from laughing. Then the chief made a sign, at which the savages
advanced toward the marionette, took him up by his arms and legs, and
started away with him.
"This is not so bad," thought the marionette.
After a time his bearers laid him gently upon the ground and
commenced to examine him. Pinocchio decided to make believe he was
dead.
For that reason he kept his eyes shut tightly and lay still.
Suddenly there was a great noise. He was startled. Opening one eye,
he saw approaching a chief followed by a crowd of attendants. Judging
from the manner in which the new arrivals were received, they were
persons of high rank. At their approach the savages knelt down, raised
their hands high in the air, and bent their foreheads to the ground.
A man stepped out from the ranks and came toward Pinocchio. He
examined the marionette from head to foot, while all the others looked
on in silence.
When the examination was over the marionette hoped to be left in
peace, but another approached him and went through the same
performance. Then came a third, a fourth, a fifth, and so on.
Pinocchio was somewhat tired of this. As the last one came up he
muttered, "Now I shall see what they are going to do with me."
The man who had first examined Pinocchio now approached him again,
and calling the bearers, said, in a tongue which, curiously enough, the
marionette understood, "Turn the little animal over!"
Upon hearing himself called an animal, Pinocchio was seized with a
mad desire to give his tormentor a kick, but he thought better of it.
The bearers advanced, took the marionette by the shoulders, and
rolled him over.
"Easy! easy! this bed is not too soft," Pinocchio said to himself.
A second examination followed, and then another command, "Roll him
over again!"
"What do you take me for, a top?" muttered the marionette in a burst
of rage. But he pricked up his ears when the man who had been rolling
him over turned to another and said, "Your majesty!"
Indeed!" thought Pinocchio, "we are not dealing with ordinary
persons! We are beginning to know great people. Let me hear what he has
to say about me to his black majesty," and the marionette listened with
the deepest attention.
"Your majesty, my knowledge of the noble art of cooking assures me
that this creature" - and he gave Pinocchio a kick - "is an animal of
an extinct race. It has been turned into wood, carried by the water to
the beach, and then brought here by the wind."
"Not so bad for a cook," thought Pinocchio. He felt half inclined to
strike out and hit the nose of the wise savage, who had again knelt
down to examine him.
"Your majesty," continued the cook, "this little animal is dead,
because if it were not dead - "
"It would be alive," Pinocchio muttered. "What a beast! How stupid!"
"Because if it were not dead, it would not be so hard. To conclude,
had it not been made of wood, I could have cooked it for your majesty's
dinner."
Pinocchio said to himself: "Listen to this black rascal! Eaten
alive! What kind of country have I fallen into? What vulgar people!
It's lucky for me that I am made of wood!"
His majesty then commanded that as the animal was not good to eat it
should be buried.
Immediately three or four of the men began to dig a hole, while the
unfortunate marionette, half dead with fright, tried to form some plan
of escape. The time passed. The hole was dug, and the poor fellow could
not think of any plan. Run away! But how? And if they found out that he
was alive would he not be cooked and eaten? The marionette did not know
what to do.
In the meantime two men had raised him from the ground and stood
ready to throw him into the hole. Then in spite of himself, the
marionette began to shout at the top of his lungs: "Stop! Stop! I will
not be buried alive! Help! Help! My good Fatina! - Fatina! - my Fatina!
Help!"At the first shout the two men who were holding him let him fall
to the ground and started off in a great fright. All the others
followed their example.
"What funny people!" said Pinocchio. "If I had known that they would
all run away like this, I should not have been so uneasy. However, I
really do not know why I have come here. If I only knew where to find
diamonds and gold, it would not be so hard. I might return home to my
father, for who knows how much he is suffering because I am not there!"
At that moment he would have given up the whole trip, but he was too
stupid to keep an idea in his head for more than a few seconds. Another
thought flashed across his mind, and he forgot his poor father.
"If these people run away, it means that they are afraid, and if
they are afraid, it means that they have no courage. Now then, I, being
very brave, may in a short time come to rule over everything in Africa.
Perhaps - who knows! - I may become a king or an emperor!"
Pinocchio, you lazy dreamer, are you never going to learn wisdom?
Only a blockhead like you could be so foolish. A wooden emperor,
indeed!
26. The Monkeys Stone The Marionette
FILLED with these hopes and forgetting his fright, Pinocchio set
boldly forth without the least alarm at the difficulties of the
journey. He was going merrily along, dreaming of all the great things
he would do as emperor of Africa, when at a turn in the road there came
flying after him a volley of stones. Had any struck him he would have
been killed. Astonished and frightened at this strange turn of affairs,
he glanced around, but saw no one. He looked up at the trees, and then
from right to left, but nobody was in sight.
"This is pleasant!" exclaimed the marionette. "Have those pebbles
fallen from the sky?" And he started to go on his way.
He had taken only a few steps, when a second discharge drove him to
the shelter of a large tree. Thence he looked carefully in the
direction from which the stones continued to come. To his surprise he
discovered among the bushes and twigs a large number of monkeys.
"Well! What is this?" cried the marionette. "Those rogues must not
be allowed to play such mean tricks. I had better be on my guard."
He picked up a stout stick lying on the ground near by. To his
amazement, the monkeys threw away the stones and began to pick up
sticks likewise.
"I hope I shall get through this safely!" thought Pinocchio. He
raised his stick and threatened the whole army of monkeys.
The monkeys, as if obeying his command, raised their sticks and held
them erect, imitating exactly the action of the marionette. Then
Pinocchio lowered his stick, and the monkeys lowered theirs. Again
Pinocchio lifted his stick as high as he could, and the monkeys raised
theirs, holding them stiffly like soldiers on drill.
"Arms rest!" cried Pinocchio.
All the monkeys, imitating the marionette, lowered their sticks in
perfect order, just as soldiers do at the officer's command.
"That's a good idea," thought Pinocchio, "I might become the leader
of the monkeys, and within a month conquer all Africa." And he laughed
at the joke.
The monkeys looked straight at him, standing erect and in line
waiting for further orders.
"Ah! you wish to follow me!" said the marionette. "This might suit
your taste, but not mine, thank you! I will give you marching orders.
Then I shall be left in peace."
Accordingly Pinocchio, who was determined to get away from these
annoying beasts, moved two steps forward. The monkeys advanced two
steps also. Then he took three steps to the rear, and the monkeys went
back three steps.
"At - tention!" and facing about quickly, he started to run. All the
monkeys also turned, and began to run in the direction opposite to that
taken by the marionette. Pinocchio, laughing at his own cunning, went
his way, only now and then turning to watch the dark forms as they
disappeared in the distance.
"They all run away in this country," he said to himself, and he too
ran on, fearing that the worthy beasts would return for further
orders.
27. Pinocchio Dreams Again
"IF these people are such cowards that they run at the sound of my
voice, in a few days I shall be master of all Africa. I shall be a
great man. However, this is a country of hunger and thirst and fatigue.
I must find a place where I can rest a little before I begin my career
of conquest."
Fortune now seemed to favor Pinocchio. Not far off he thought he saw
a group of huts at the foot of a hill. He felt that besides getting
rest and shelter, he might also find something to eat. Greedy
marionette!
As he approached he was struck by the strangeness of these
buildings. They looked like little towers topped with domes. He went
along wondering what race of people lived in houses built without
windows or doors. He saw no one, and he was filled with a sort of
fear.
"Shall I go on or not?" he mused. "Perhaps it would be best to call
out, Some one will show me where to go for food and shelter."
"Hello there!" he said in a low voice. No one answered.
"Hello there!" repeated the marionette a little louder. But there
was no answer.
"They are deaf, or asleep, or dead!" concluded the marionette, after
calling out at the top of his voice again and again.
Then he thought it might be a deserted village, and he entered
bravely between the towers. There was no one to be seen. As he
stretched out his tired limbs on the ground he murmured. "Since it is
useless to think of eating, I may at least rest." And in a few minutes
he was sound asleep.
He dreamed that he was being pulled along by an army of small
insects that resembled ants. It seemed to him that he was making every
effort to stop them, but he could not succeed. They dragged and rolled
him down a slope toward a frightful precipice, over which he must fall.
I even seemed as if they had entered his mouth by hundreds, busying
themselves in tearing out his tongue. It served him right, too, because
his tongue had made many false promises and caused everybody much
suffering."You will never tell any more lies!" the ants seemed to say.
Then the marionette awoke with a struggle and a cry of fear. His
dream was a reality. He was covered with ants. He brushed them off his
face, his arms, his legs, - in short, his whole body. They had tortured
him for four or five hours, and only the fact that he was made of very
hard wood had saved his life.
"Thanks to my strong constitution." thought the marionette, "I am as
good as new."
28. Pinocchio Is Carried Away In An Eggshell
PINOCCHIO now found himself in a dense growth of shrubbery which
made his progress difficult. He pushed on among the thorny plants. They
would have stopped any one but a wooden marionette. His clothes were
torn, to be sure, but he did not mind that.
"Soon I shall have a suit that will make me look like a price. Goods
of the best quality, and tailoring that has never been equaled! The
gold, the silver, and the diamonds must be found." And he went on at a
brisk gait as if he had been on the highway.
Trees, shrubs, underbrush, nothing else! The scene would have grown
tiresome had it not been for a swarm of butterflies of the most
beautiful and brilliant colors. They flew here and there, now letting
themselves be carried by the wind, now hovering about in search of the
flowers hidden in the thick foliage.From time to time a hare would run
between Pinocchio's feet, and after a few bounds would turn sharply
around to stare at him with curious eyes, as much as to say that a
marionette was a comical sight. Young monkeys peeped through the
leaves, laughed at him, and then scampered away.
Pinocchio walked along fearlessly, caring little for what went on
around him, and thinking only of the treasures for which he was
seeking.
On and on he walked until at length he found himself at the edge of
a vast plain. He gave a great sigh of relief. The long march through
the woods had tired him. However, he kept his eyes open, now and then
looking down at his feet to see if any precious stones were lying
about. Presently his attention was drawn to a great hole or nest, in
which he saw some white objects shaped like hen's eggs, but
considerably larger than his head.
Curious to see whether or not he could lift one, Pinocchio
approached the nest. Just then he heard a frightful noise behind him.
Turning quickly, the marionette saw a huge bird running toward him.
The next moment a powerful push sent him head over heels upon one of
the eggs! As he fell he heard a loud crash, and at almost the same
instant found himself carried through the air. What had befallen him?
Of course, the hole was the nest of an ostrich. Enraged at the sight
of the broken egg, the fierce bird had seized in its powerful beak that
part of the shell into which the unfortunate marionette had fallen, and
was now rushing across the plain with the swiftness of an express
train.
The marionette screamed in terror, and with the stick which he still
held in his hand rained blows upon the bird's long neck. But the blows
had no effect whatever. The furious creature ran and ran and ran.
Pinocchio, gasping for breath, was certain that his end was near.
The mad race lasted for hours. Suddenly the marionette was thrown
into a muddy pool, in which he sank up to his neck like a frog. Having
no desire to be suffocated in the mud, he raised his head a little,
although he did not try to climb out. What he saw surprised him beyond
measure.
29. Pinocchio Escapes Again
HIS ostrich was no longer alone. There stood another. The new
arrival, somewhat smaller, but uglier and even more ferocious than the
first, moved cautiously, ready for fight. Suddenly Pinocchio saw the
gleam of a knife, and an instant later the ostrich that had carried him
thus far fell to the ground, wounded to death. The marionette could not
understand how it was possible for a bird to carry a knife hidden
beneath its wings and to make use of it. Yet the thing had happened
right before his eyes; there was no doubt about it.
While seeking an explanation for his very strange incident, he saw
the victorious ostrich draw first one arm, then the other, from beneath
its feathers, and finally take off its beak and place it upon the
ground. The second ostrich was a man.
Pinocchio now began to understand what had happened, and to hate the
trickster who had put on the feathers of an ostrich, in order to attack
and kill the poor creature that lay there breathing its last.
The man approached the dying ostrich and tried to lift the huge bird
to his shoulders, but in spite of his great strength he failed. Then
looking about in search of help, he saw the marionette, whose head was
out of the water, and signaled to him to come ashore. Pinocchio would
have refused, but there was the knife lying on the ground, and there
was the man. He decided to obey.
He came out of the pond as best he could, and the ugly black man
began to laugh. He laughed and laughed until he was able to stand no
longer, and could only throw himself upon the ground, where he lay,
breathless and weak. The marionette, seeing this, said to himself: "If
I do not escape now, it will be my own fault. My dear legs, it is no
dishonor to run when you must!" and he went on at a gallop toward a
hill which could be seen a short distance away.
"May you die of laughing, you villain!" he cried as he ran.
Presently he was somewhat alarmed to discover that the man was
running after him. Feeling sure, however, that he could easily outrun
his pursuer, he halted a moment, as if waiting for him. The man was
hurrying on, thinking that the boy could go no farther, when the saucy
marionette, putting his hand to his mouth, shouted "Cuckoo!" Then at a
pace swifter than the wind he set off once more, pausing now and again
to call out, "Cuckoo! Cuckoo!"
Pinocchio had nearly reached the top of the hill, and the man was
halfway up, when a loud roar made them both stop. Turning around, they
saw that a lion was carrying off the dead ostrich. At that, the hunter
thrust his fingers into his curly hair, and without paying further
attention to the marionette, started off to regain the knife, which was
still lying where it had fallen.
"Tit for tat," Pinocchio shouted after him, and went on up the
hill.
30. Pinocchio Is Swallowed By A Crocodile
WHEN Pinocchio reached the top of the hill he looked around for a
place where he could rest. He thought of the lion that had carried off
the ostrich, and he did not like the idea of meeting him. Fortunately
there were no signs of life, but neither was there any place where he
could sit down in comfort. Sand and rocks, rocks and sand were
everywhere. In the distance he saw water.
"At any rate," he said, "I shall at least be able to wash myself;"
and he turned his footsteps toward the water.
He arrived before long at the water's edge. How fresh and clean it
was! He was so dusty and tired that there was only one thing to do,
take a bath! When Pinocchio decided upon a course of action he did not
hesitate. In an instant he was undressed.
As he started toward the water a voice cried, "Pinocchio!
Pinocchio!"
"Oh, let Pinocchio alone!" the marionette said, and leaped into the
air.
Horrors! As he came flying down, a green mass rose to the surface of
the river. It was a crocodile! Pinocchio saw it and shuddered, but
there was no time to cry out. Down, down he went into that open mouth!
But wooden marionettes are always fortunate. The crocodile's throat was
so wide that Pinocchio slipped into the stomach of the creature with
great ease. Not even a scratch! As he was accustomed to being under
water and inside the bodies of animals, he was not at all frightened.
In fact, when he noticed that he was being carried down to the bottom
of the river, where it was cool and refreshing, he uttered no word of
complaint, but rather enjoyed the experience.The crocodile crawled in
to a cave, and prepared to digest the marionette at its leisure.
Pinocchio was naturally annoyed at this and began to kick and squirm
about.
At first this did not seem to cause any ill effects, but Pinocchio
kicked and struggled until the poor reptile could not help wondering
what the trouble was, and began to twist and shake its whole body.
Pinocchio did not stop. Presently the crocodile decided to return to
the surface and deposit the marionette upon the bank. Pinocchio desired
nothing better. As soon as he saw a ray of light he became very quiet.
The crocodile, now that the trouble seemed over, was about to return to
its cave, but it had made this plan without consulting our wooden
marionette.
"Suppose I let the beast carry me a short distance! I can make it
throw me upon the bank later as well as now! It may carry me to some
place where - enough, I am going to try it! A green ship, without
sails, without engines, and without a crew, is not to be found every
day. Boo! boo! boo!" muttered the marionette.
The crocodile, frightened at the strange noises inside its body,
began to swim with all its strength. It swam and swam and swam! When it
slowed up the marionette continued, "Boo! boo! boo!" and the crocodile
went on faster than ever.
The poor creature became thoroughly exhausted, and fairly wept with
anger and fright, but the strange voice went on without ceasing.
At last, growing desperate, the crocodile stopped, opened its huge
jaws, and with a great effort sent the marionette flying through the
air to the bank of the river; then it disappeared in the deep water.
"Pleasant trip home! Remember me to everybody!" cried Pinocchio as
he leaped about joyously.
31. Pinocchio Is Made Emperor
FINDING himself without any clothes, the marionette began to think
of his condition. To go back and search for his suit was out of the
question. To go about in that state did not seem proper, although he
knew that the Africans in general were dressed in the same fashion.
Finally he decided to make himself a suit of leaves. There were some
beautiful ones near by that were just suited to the purpose. He knew
how to go to work, for at home he had often made clothes out of
shavings and twigs. He set about his task at once and in a short time
had made a garment that reached from his waist down to his knees. He
was busy selecting the leaves for a coat when he happened to raise his
eyes, and saw a crowd of men and women rushing about as if either very
happy or frantic with terror.
"Lunatics!" he murmured, and went on with his work, for he disliked
to be seen half-dressed. All at once the marionette heard a hissing,
humming sound. A cloud of arrows fell around him. He was amazed and
terrified, not by the arrows, for what harm could arrows do to him? -
but by the idea that this meant more trouble for Pinocchio.
"So long as they shoot, I fear nothing; but if they try to capture
me, I may have to jump into the river and take to my green ship."
The arrows continued to fall like hailstones on his shoulders, on
his breast, on his arms and legs; but of course they dropped to the
ground without doing any harm. The natives were astonished. They looked
at one another in blank surprise.
Pinocchio, weary of the game, turned in anger toward them and
shouted: "Give up shooting, stupid ones! Do you not see that you are
wasting your time?"They had already perceived that this was true, and
they stopped shooting. A group braver than the rest now approached the
marionette and surrounded him. One of them shouted, "Hoa! Hoi! Hoi!"
"Pinocchio!" answered the marionette.
"Yah! Yah! Yah!"
"Pinocchio!" the boy repeated. "Are you deaf?"
Then they began to shout in chorus: "Yah! Yah! Hoi! Hoi! Uff! Uff!
Uff!"
And Pinocchio replied: "Yah! Yah! Hoi! Hoi! Uff! Uff! Uff!
This conversation soon began to be wearisome, and Pinocchio tried to
escape. It was too late. The Africans, quick as a flash, closed in
about him and, seizing him by the legs, raised him from the ground,
shouting: "Long live our emperor, Pinocchio the First! Long live our
emperor, Pinocchio!"
Pinocchio had never dreamed of such a welcome.
"Long live Pinocchio!"
"Ah! at last! I knew that in Africa my greatness would be
recognized. Now I shall be revenged on you, my dear restaurant-keeper,
and on you, dear policemen, who wanted to arrest me. Old man, you who
wanted to sell me for a rhinoceros horn, now it is my turn!" Thus
thought Pinocchio.
This was his first triumph. Flocking like ravens, his African
subjects came to render homage to the new emperor, who was carried
aloft on willing shoulders. As he passed, all bowed to the ground and
then followed in his train. Such a multitude joined the procession that
it looked, from a distance, like a vast blot of ink. They went along
singing the praises of Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all the
African kings, sent from heaven to earth to replace the late emperor,
who had died the preceding day.
As they marched a great chorus chanted: "He was to come forth from
the mouth of a crocodile! He was to remain unharmed by poisoned arrows!
He was to have a wooden head! Long live our emperor, Pinocchio the
First! Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!"
"They shot poisoned arrows at me!" thought the marionette. "That is
the way they treated their future king. Lucky for me that I am made of
wood, very hard wood too! How fortunate that I came to Africa as a
marionette! If I had been a real boy, there would be little to say
about Pinocchio now."
32. His First Night As Emperor
PINOCCHIO, his heart filled with joy, entered the capital of his new
empire amid the shouts of the people who crowded the streets. The
children, rolling on the ground in glee, raised such a dust that one
could hardly see.
Forward, forward, they marched through the streets until the main
square was reached. The city was not a large city. Pinocchio was a
little disappointed. The houses were only huts plastered with mud. The
streets and even the main square were dirty.
"I will change all that," Pinocchio gravely said to himself. "I will
build a new city." To the marionette such a task appeared to be an easy
matter.
In a corner of the square stood a hut somewhat larger than the
others. This was the royal palace. Pinocchio was not pleased. The king
of all Africa should have something far better than this. However, he
thought it would not do, just at this time, to utter any words of
complaint.
In the huts about the palace lived the people of the court. These
were the advisers and the leaders, who stood ready to carry out the
commands of his majesty.
Like many another in such a situation, Pinocchio did nothing but bow
his head in agreement with everything that was said to him. This
greatly pleased the people of the court and gained for him their
admiration and applause. They called him Pinocchio the Wise!
Night came and all the people withdrew. The emperor was left alone
with his servant, a gigantic African, who invited his majesty to pass
into the royal bedchamber.
The furniture was as simple as the palace itself. A string,
stretched across the room, served as a clothes-hanger. The bed was a
leopard's skin that swung from four poles. Having displayed with pride
these equipments, the servant pointed to a frying pan, which was to be
struck with a wooden mallet in case his majesty desired to call the
attendants. He then withdrew from the chamber, bowing as he went out.
"Apparently they do not eat here," said the marionette. "Maybe these
people think that an emperor is never hungry! However, night passes
quickly." Then he undressed himself and lay down. He was quite tired
out, and he felt sure that in a few moments he should be fast asleep.
But soon he began to roll and toss about uneasily. The bed was hard and
uncomfortable. He opened his eyes. There was a spider crawling over
him, and he shivered. Other spiders, as large as crabs, were creeping
quietly over the ground and the walls as if this was their home and not
the king's!
There was one spider twice as large as the others. Surely he was the
head of that large family. He fixed his fiery eyes upon the marionette
and spoke in the voice of the Talking Cricket: "Where have you come
from - fool that you are? What do you think you have gained by
becoming the emperor of these people? Return to your home, and be
content to be a boy like the rest, and to learn a trade by which you
may help your father and be happy yourself."
Upon hearing these familiar words the marionette wanted to beat the
pan and call for help, but, he reflected, this would show that he
lacked courage and might lower him in the eyes of his subjects. So he
endured his fate, thinking: "A night soon passes. To-morrow night I
will have a sentinel on guard." And he drew himself up, mallet in hand,
ready to fight the spiders if they came too near him. All was still,
and Pinocchio tried a second time to close his eyes to sleep.
"Buzz! buzz! buzz!"
The place swarmed with flies.
"Zz! zz! Zeeee, zeeee, smm, zmmm!"
Out in the night frogs croaked, birds cried, wild animals howled.
"What a place to sleep in!" whined the poor emperor, flinging
himself about on his hard bed.
Then he thought of his own small cot, neat and clean, in which he
had so often peacefully slept and dreamed pleasant dreams. It will not
seem strange that Pinocchio wished that he were at home again, instead
of being a king in Africa.
Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all the African kings,
passed a very wretched night. He felt hot and feverish, and he was
afraid that he was going to die before morning came.
33. He Sends For The Royal Doctor
PINOCCHIO presently became very anxious about his health. He was
sure that the night's troubles had brought on a high fever, and this,
of course, would keep him from attending to affairs of state. At dawn,
therefore, Pinocchio the First rapped the pan and sent for the doctor
of the court. He was an old man, with a long white beard. Having
listened to the emperor's lament, the doctor drew out a string of beads
from his breast, threw them on the floor, and examined them closely,
all the time murmuring strange words. Then he began to count the beads.
At the end of a quarter of an hour he said that his royal majesty was
in excellent health and need not worry.
The marionette's rage knew no bounds, but it would not do to
complain at the very beginning of his career. He thanked the worthy
doctor therefore, and dismissed him with a polite nod of the head. Then
he again rapped furiously on the pan. There promptly appeared eight or
ten servants, who first knelt down at the foot of the imperial bed, and
then advancing with every sign of respect, raised his majesty gently,
and placed him upon a panther's skin that was stretched upon the
floor.Pinocchio allowed them to proceed, until they began to cover his
body with oil. At this, he asked why they anointed him in such a
manner.
"To make you clean, your majesty," answered the servants, very
respectfully.
"Fine cleaning!" thought the marionette. "How are my face and hands
to get washed this morning? Never mind. Let us see what comes next."
This first operation ended, Pinocchio the First was made to sit
cross-legged to have his hair combed. His attendants covered his hair
with a purple cream and then sprinkled over it a golden powder.
Pinocchio's joy upon seeing that glittering substance knew no
bounds, but he overheard one of the servants say in a melancholy
undertone: "What a pity his majesty has not a black complexion such as
we have! What a pity! What a pity!"
The marionette was moved to the bottom of his heart, and he was
about to say, "You may be sure, my dear subjects, I shall do the best I
can to become black," when he heard footsteps approach.
34. An Old Story
THE grand chamberlain was announced.
This grave person had come to inquire about his majesty's health,
and at the same time to notify him that the council had fixed the day
for the coronation.
Pinocchio the First listened and approved. The grand chamberlain,
very much pleased with his reception, made a deep bow, and was
apparently about to retire, when, as if he had forgotten something
important, he approached the emperor again and said with great respect,
"Your majesty, in the name of the council I must announce to you that
to-morrow the lessons begin."
"What lessons?" said the marionette, feeling a chill creep down his
back.
"Ah! I will explain," the chamberlain replied meekly. "The things
that your majesty must do to straighten out the affairs of state are
very simple. Only two words are needed, 'Yes' and 'No!' But to say
'Yes' or 'No' at the proper time requires at least one month of
instruction. To make sure that you learn, there will be, twice each
day, a punishment of ten lashes of the whip, to be given your majesty
on whatever part of the body you may desire. However, in view of the
present wisdom of your majesty, the council has agreed that the lessons
and the lashings may be delayed till the end of the month, if your
majesty so decides."
Pinocchio had listened gloomily until he heard the last words, and
then he came near laughing outright. He kept his face very serious,
however, and bowed his head as if in deep thought. After a long silence
he said, "I have decided to leave the lessons till the end of the
month."
The grand chamberlain made a profound bow and went out.
The servants went away also, and Pinocchio, finding himself alone,
jumped about in great glee.
"Compulsory fiddlesticks! What blockheads they were to think that I
was going to start to-day! At the end of the month, perhaps! There are
still thirty days, and in thirty days what may not happen!" And he
looked about quite satisfied with himself. He was sure that everything
would go well during his stay in Africa.
"If they sprinkled my hair with gold, they will fill my pockets with
money," he thought. And then to his surprise he found that the suit
they had put on him had no pockets.
"I shall make pockets as soon as I have time," he said, and striking
the pan, ordered the servants to bring in his breakfast.
35. His Duties As Emperor
PINOCCHIO was served with a piece of elephant's nose, cooked in a
highly seasoned sauce. How he twisted his face and ground his teeth!
Evidently the meal was not to his liking. He would have preferred some
fish, some grapes, and a dozen figs, but he was ashamed to ask for
these dainties. He gulped down the food as best he could, and drank
from a gourd a great deal of water; then he felt more comfortable.
His ministers had been waiting some time, and Pinocchio did not
think it wise to prolong his first meal. With a truly stately stride he
entered the audience chamber.
Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all Africa, felt it to be
his first duty to express his gratitude for the magnificent reception
that had been given to him. The ministers made an equally polite
response.
Persons of rank now came to pay homage to the new king. Among them
were great chiefs of tribes, princes, and kings of the neighboring
states. Pinocchio received them all with much pomp. This sort of thing
was at first very pleasing to him. But day after day the visitors and
the feasts continued. As Pinocchio was the host, he had to eat with all
these newcomers. He became very stout, and his jaws ached from so much
chewing. Eating was becoming a burden to him. He even longed for the
days when he had gone hungry. However, one must take things as they
come and be ready to suffer for the good of one's country.
One day there came to the court three kings, the most powerful
within a range of a thousand miles. The first was clad in a white
skirt, and a military coat which he had bought from an English captain.
He came with his head uncovered and a high hat in his hand. The second
wore an old helmet on the back of his head. The third carried a clumsy
sword in one hand and in the other a broken umbrella.
They bowed to the ground very respectfully, and then each in turn
slapped Pinocchio in the face.
The marionette, who did not expect this sort of greeting, was about
to express his anger, when the master of ceremonies whispered in his
ear that such a greeting was given only to great people.
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do," thought Pinocchio, and he
smiled at the visitors.
Dinner was then announced. Pinocchio felt sick at the thought of
eating again. It was the fifth time that day, and the sun was still
high in the sky, but of course it was not proper to dismiss three kings
without having feasted them.
They went out to the dining room, which was under a tree. Beneath
the branches were more than a thousand people. They all sat on the
ground, and were waited upon by tall young men, who carried around
large plates of meat.The three kings gave themselves up to the joys of
eating. They took their food in their hands and swallowed it without
even stopping to chew it. Each man ate enough to satisfy a score of
ordinary people, for African kings are great eaters. The poor
marionette tried to eat as much as the others did. He felt that his
reputation depended upon it. How he suffered!
At sunset, when all had satisfied their hunger, there was placed
before them a strange-looking affair with a long tube fastened to it. A
disagreeable smoke came out of it.
"What new thing is this?" thought the marionette, but he did not say
a word, for by this time he had learned that an emperor must appear to
know everything.
The matter, however, was quickly made clear. The outfit was a huge
pipe, with a long mouthpiece. The master of ceremonies presented the
mouthpiece to the emperor and asked him to have the kindness to smoke.
"What blockheads!" the marionette muttered to himself. "I never
smoke anything but the finest cigars!"
Still, he considered it wise to make no objections. He puffed twice
on the pipe stem, and then passed it to the king that sat at his right
hand.
The king drew a mouthful and then passed the pipe to his next
neighbor. Thus the pipe moved along in regular order until it came back
to Pinocchio. Poor Pinocchio! he was already feeling a little queer
after his first attempt, and did not enjoy the idea of smoking again;
but he knew that he must live up to the reputation of a great emperor.
Accordingly he bravely took the pipe and puffed half a dozen times.
Alas! It would have been better for him had he not tried it again!
He was wretchedly sick. His head swam dizzily, and the sweat stood out
on his forehead. He tried to hide his feelings by talking, but what he
said was sheer nonsense.
"When I was king in my own country, the Talking Cricket told me -
because my feet burned - that the alphabet had been swallowed by the
cat - that was hung to a tree by a dog - that was owned by the director
of the circus."
He gazed around him, frightened at his own words, but he saw the
flushed faces of the people and heard them whisper: "The sea talks - "
"The sun is filled with stars - " "The tiger laughs - " "The summer is
red - " and similar phrases equally sensible.
"What is the matter with everybody?" thought the marionette, as he
looked about, and saw one of the kings asleep on the ground beside him.
Other forms were stretched out around them. Even as he looked,
Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all Africa, fell over on his
wooden nose, and he too was soon fast asleep.
36. Pinocchio Makes His First Address
THE next day was a splendid one. The sky was a clear blue, the earth
was green and fresh. Thousands upon thousands shouted with joy.
Pinocchio was to be crowned king and emperor.
He had carefully prepared the royal address, and came proudly
forward mounted upon a large elephant, towering above his people. The
trumpets sounded, the drums beat, the children rolled on the ground. At
a signal from the master of ceremonies all was still. Even the birds
ceased to sing. A troop of monkeys, leaping about in the trees, paused
to listen. The emperor spoke as follows:
"Ministers of Africa, officers of the army, chiefs and underchiefs,
servants and slaves, men, women, and children, all, beloved subjects,
listen to the voice of your emperor!" - and Pinocchio looked around at
the multitude.
"We, Pinocchio the First, speak to you, and bring to you the word of
peace and of love. A new day is about to open to you. Rejoice, O
people! We have concluded to bring happiness to every heart and riches
to every home. We shall not reveal all the plans which, in time, we
hope to see carried out. We shall begin very modestly. Our first gift
to you, O people, is Time. Time is very valuable. We have a great deal
of it in store. Our kingdom is rich in Time; therefore we have decreed
to give each of you as much Time as you want. How can we be more
generous!
"Behold the bright sun in the clear blue sky! There is not its equal
anywhere else in the world. Kings are proud of it. We, your emperor and
ruler, have decreed that every one of you, our faithful subjects, may
enjoy the sunlight free of any charge, without tax or duty. Can we be
more unselfish?
"You hear the song of the birds, the voices of the animals, the
rustling of the leaves in the wind! These also we give you to enjoy at
your leisure, and without expense.
"There is one thing, however, that needs our special notice, and
this we shall now bring to your attention. Remember, we shall enforce
with all our power this law we are about to propose."
Here Pinocchio placed his hand upon his breast and looked toward the
sky.
"We will never introduce into our kingdom that shameful system which
brings sorrow to many countries known to us. We speak of the horrible
scheme called Compulsory Education! What a disgrace it is, beloved
subjects, to see so many bright, intelligent children seated for hours
and hours before books which ruin their eyesight! The eye is a precious
jewel, and it is improved, not by books, but by looking here and there,
above and below, everywhere and anywhere, as the butterflies and the
birds do. Let us teach our children as nature teaches us. Let us burn
our books and our schools. Do not drive our dear little ones to silly
words and cruel numbers. It makes our heart bleed to see parents call
their children from some pleasant game and shut them up in ugly
schoolrooms."
At this point Pinocchio was so moved that he had to stop. He looked
around at the many mothers, and saw them wipe the tears from their
eyes. Proud of the impression his words had made on these kind hearts,
he went on in a tone so pathetic that it touched even the elephant
which carried him."These are gentle tears, dear subjects, and they show
how noble are your hearts. You love your children. We ourselves will
never see them suffer. No, a thousand times no! We are not so cruel as
to tear you away from your dear ones. They may continue to roll upon
the grass, free as the birds that fly. They are free to hunt for
crickets, to steal birds' nests, to bite and to kick each other, to run
and play in the fields and woods with the monkeys.
"We consider these exercises very necessary, and whenever the grave
affairs of the state will permit we will visit you and encourage these
sports. You perceive that in this matter you owe much to your emperor,
who was made to go to school, and who saw the evils of education. Alas!
too many of his young companions were completely ruined so far as their
eyes and brains were concerned.
"Officers and soldiers, ministers of the crown, beloved subjects,
we, Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King, ask you to shout with all
the breath in your lungs: 'Down with Compulsory Education! Down with
the school!'"
A deafening roar, louder than thunder, arose from the people: "Down
with Compulsory Education! Down with the school!"
This speech was followed by a review of the troops, which lasted
till night.
Emperor Pinocchio, tired but satisfied, then returned in state to
the royal palace.
37. The Emperor Becomes As Black As A Crow
IT was no easy matter to be an emperor. There was a great deal of
work to be done, and work was always tiresome to Pinocchio. Each day he
must get out of bed at a fixed hour, and allow himself to be washed and
oiled. Then came breakfast, and after that the ministers with the
affairs of state.
True, his work did not seem hard. He had only to say "Yes" or "No."
But in the task of deciding whether it should be "Yes" or "No" lay the
real difficulty.
Sometimes he would be left with only a few servants, among them some
boys to entertain him or to drive away the flies with big feather
dusters, which tickled his nose and made him sneeze. These were
pleasant moments in his life, but he was often bored, and being a
cunning rogue he thought out a plan by which once in a while he could
be freed from care.
Among the boys at the court was one who resembled him in all things
except in the color of his skin. What had Pinocchio planned?
One day, while strolling through the woods near the capital, he
called the boy to him and taking his arm, said to him in a gentle
voice, "Do you love your emperor?"
"Is it necessary to ask, your majesty?" replied the boy, moved to
tears at such an honor.
"And should you like to do your emperor a favor?"
"Your majesty, to do you a service I would go at once, with only my
feather duster to protect me, and pinch a boa constrictor's tongue!"
"Good!" replied Pinocchio. "You are a fine lad, and you will become
a great man. But let us put aside boa constrictors for the time. I have
often been sad because I am not like my subjects. I should like to
color my skin so that it would be like a native's, dear Marameho, like
yours. You know how pleased the ministers would be."
"Your majesty, it would be the brightest day of our lives!"
"Good boy!" exclaimed the marionette. "If you always answer so well,
I promise you the place of keeper of the king's treasures."
The boy's eyes shone.
"Well, can it be done?" asked the marionette.
"Nothing more simple, your majesty," replied Marameho. "I know of a
plant, the fruit of which will serve our purpose."
"When can we get this wonderful dye?"
"To-day, if your majesty will permit me to absent myself for a short
time," replied Marameho with great respect.
"Go, go at once," ordered the marionette, greatly delighted. "But
wait; there is something more. We are alone and may drop our titles.
Your majesty, your highness, weary me to death. Call me plain
Pinocchio, and I will call you my dear Marameho."
The poor boy was overcome with all this kindness, and planting a
kiss upon the point of his emperor's nose, he vanished through the
trees.
The next day a proclamation was made throughout the empire. His
royal and imperial highness had become as black as the blackest of his
subjects.The ministers were joyous, and they celebrated this happy
event with a great feast. That day they did nothing but eat and
dance.
As a rule the emperor, of course, could not take part in such
amusements. It was his business to sit upon the throne while the
ministers and the people danced and played before him. This time,
however, the ancient law was broken. Pinocchio danced like a madman
the entire night, while the faithful Marameho, clothed in the emperor's
garments, sat upon the throne. No one even dreamed of the exchange.
38. The Hippopotamus Hunt
THE next day was set aside for a hunt in honor of the young emperor,
Pinocchio the First. He would have been content to stay home, but this
would have been taken as a grave insult to the people.
A herd of hippopotamuses had been discovered a few miles from the
capital. His ministers agreed that the emperor must go. There was
nothing else for him to do.
Besides, the hunt was for scientific purposes. As Pinocchio had made
known his views on schools, he could do no less than encourage this
expedition, which was the only educational training allowed in the
country.
The hunters, in fact, were persons of high rank, who spent their
time in searching for traces of wild animals. It seemed strange to
Pinocchio that these learned hunters did not study how to protect their
animals, instead of trying to kill them.
"I suppose it is the custom of the country," thought the
marionette.
Two hours before sunrise the leaders in the hunt, armed with bows,
arrows, and javelins, stood before the royal palace waiting for the
emperor. He was to ride on the back of a bull, which the prime minister
held by a rope.
They were not kept waiting long. Pinocchio the First came forth with
a pleasant smile upon his lips. Inwardly, he was very angry, but little
did his faithful subjects suspect how he felt.
"A fine time for a king to rise!" he thought. "Am I or am I not
emperor? If I am emperor, I should sleep as long as I wish, eat what I
please, and do anything I like. It seems to me that I am the slave of
my people rather than their ruler. Wait, my dear subjects; I will soon
prove to you what stuff I am made of."
The people waited. The ministers explained to the emperor that he
was to ride on the bull.
"My dear subjects, have you lost your senses?" thought the
marionette. "I certainly will not ride on a bull. How long have bulls
been used as horses? This beast will hurl me into the first ditch we
come to. A fine regard you have for your emperor! I almost begin to
believe that you want to get rid of me and have another king."
However, there was no way of escape, and he decided to do as he was
told. He leaped squarely upon the bull, and calmly sat there. The bull,
fortunately, did not move.
"Good beast!" said Pinocchio, somewhat encouraged, as he gave the
signal to depart.
The sun was already up when they reached the river where the hunt
was to take place.
Hippopotamus hunting is a very dangerous sport, but it was one that
the people dearly loved.
Scouts were sent on ahead while the hunters crawled like snakes
through the high, thick grass. As they neared the river, they became
very careful. With their eyes fixed, their ears wide open, their spears
firmly grasped, they were ready to attack at any moment.
Pinocchio pretended that he was suffering with a pain in the left
foot, and slowly dropped behind the others. He had never had any great
liking for the hunt. He felt annoyed that he should always have to do
things that he did not enjoy. He would have stayed where he was, but
the prime minister came along in search of him.
Tired of the insolence of this man, the marionette thrust back his
hat with a bold sweep of his hand, as if to say, "Now I shall show you
who I am, and who I was." Pinocchio then hastened toward the river,
reaching the bank at the very moment when the hunters had started a
large hippopotamus out of the weeds.
The huge animal tried to get away and made for the river.
"Some one must jump into the water and kill it with the javelin,"
said the prime minister. Nobody stirred.
Suddenly a loud voice rang through the stillness:
"I will go."
And Pinocchio, amid shouts of admiration and terror from his
subjects, dived into the river and swam toward the animal.
The hippopotamus scented the enemy and turned upon him, but the
nimble marionette, swimming around the great creature, grasped it by
its short, thick tail.
When the beast felt itself gently pulled in this manner it began to
turn round and round like a dog chasing a troublesome fly.
This performance, which was both funny and terrible, lasted for
fully five minutes. During all that time Pinocchio did nothing but
laugh. He did not seem to realize what would happen to him if he were
clutched by those terrible jaws.
At length the animal, blind with rage, plunged below the surface of
the water, leaving the marionette and the others dumbfounded.
This adventure increased tenfold the admiration of the black hunters
for their emperor, although it was not wholly satisfactory to the chief
cook of the royal household, who had already planned a great dinner.
But Pinocchio quickly consoled him, assuring him that when it came to
eating the tongue and feet of a hippopotamus, the emperor would
cheerfully forego the pleasure.
39. The Emperor Surprises His Subjects By His Wisdom
PINOCCHIO'S power grew greater and greater. The courage shown by him
in the hand-to-hand fight with the hippopotamus had made a great
impression on the ministers.
The grand council, for instance, had assembled the high court of
justice, which was to try a large number of important cases. The very
next morning the wise and brave Pinocchio was urged to pass judgment
upon the cases to be presented that day.
Pinocchio thought of playing the usual trick upon his ministers by
placing Marameho in his seat; but this was an important affair, and
must be attended to in person.
"Dignitaries! chamberlains! ministers! royal judges! guards! To the
court!"
The persons called came forward and knelt down to kiss the earth
before his majesty; then, rising, they all moved on to the court of
justice.
Beneath a canopy of ostrich feathers, held aloft by a stately
African, walked Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all the
African kings. He was wrapped in a large green and red cloak covered
with precious stones, that is to say, with bits of broken glass of all
colors, and shining pebbles collected with great labor from the rich
mines of the country.
The court was to sit in the open air. This greatly pleased
Pinocchio, for the day was very beautiful. When his majesty arrived all
the great crowd of people knelt and buried their heads in their hands.
They did not rise till the judges were comfortably seated on the bare
ground.
At a signal from the emperor the first case was called. There
appeared two men, each with his head completely covered by a large bag
which had in it holes for eyes and mouth. The men bowed again and again
to his highness and to the court, scraping their noses along the
ground. At last they stood stiff and erect like posts.
The grand chamberlain made a sign to Pinocchio, and his majesty,
turning to one of the men, asked, "What brings you before the emperor's
court?"
The person addressed twisted his whole body and sprinkled sand over
his head. Finally he said, "There was once - "
"A king!" thought Pinocchio, "Is he going to tell a story? I, for
one, should be pleased. African stories must be amusing."
"There was once an old man - a kind old man - blacker than I am, who
had many sons, and I was one of them. For this reason, the old man,
being my father - "
"He was his son. He reasons well," thought the marionette, but he
did not move an eyelash, pretending to be all attention.
"For this reason, the old man, my father, sent me to tend his
flocks. One night I arrived at the brink of the river to water the
flock. There I discovered that a sheep was missing. I was heartbroken
over this, and, not wishing to return home without my little sheep, I
searched everywhere, but in vain. The sheep could not be found. I sat
down and began to weep. Behind me was a thick cane field. Upon a rock
within the field was that man, with a sheep between his knees. I rushed
to the spot and shouted out to him, 'Why have you stolen my sheep?' He
appeared not to hear me. 'Why have you stolen my sheep?' It was like
talking to a stone. Blinded by anger, I drew nearer. When he saw me
approach he arose and ran away. I hastened to my sheep and raised it
from the ground, and then I saw - it horrifies me to tell it - that
what I held in my hand was only the sheep's coat. The robber had eaten
the rest. My sheep! My poor little sheep! I shall never see it again!"
Pinocchio was greatly touched by this pitiful tale. He had just
opened his mouth to pronounce a terrible sentence upon the thief, who
was standing motionless as a statue, when the minister whispered to him
to listen to the other side of the story. With an angry look Pinocchio
ordered the accused man to speak.
He started as if he had been roused from deep thought, gazed around,
and then said in a grave, slow voice, "The sun shines - "
"What kind of speech is he going to make?" thought Pinocchio. "Is it
necessary for him to say that the sun shines?"
And as the rogue went on to speak of starry skies, blue waters, and
things of that sort, the marionette lost his patience and shouted, "But
did you or did you not eat the sheep?"
"Your majesty," replied the man, "certainly I ate the sheep! Ask,
however, who, on the day before, ate three fingers from my left hand!"
"Your majesty, I was hungry - " groaned the shepherd. "I was very
hungry."
Pinocchio shuddered. "What kind of people are these? What sort of
place have I fallen into? Fortunately for me I am made of wood."
Meanwhile the two had lowered their heads, waiting for their
sentence. Pinocchio was too much shocked to say a word.
The grand chamberlain came to his aid and whispered something in his
ear.
"Speak!" replied the marionette, "I bid you speak, for whatever you
do is well done."
The minister was pleased at the faith his majesty had in him. He
turned his dark face toward the two offenders and said, "One sheep and
three fingers! You shall both be hanged."
Pinocchio, half-dazed, watched the minister.
Case followed case, and at the end of each one Pinocchio said to the
minister, "Act. I bid you act. What you do is always well done."
The minister knew so well how to act that on this one day there were
sentences amounting to five hundred years of imprisonment, and two
hundred years at hard labor, while a thousand prisoners were to be
lashed, and one hundred were condemned to die.Justice had been done.
The emperor Pinocchio was led back to the royal palace amid the shouts
of the people. He was declared to be the mildest, the wisest, and the
most just of all kings, past, present, and future.
40. Pinocchio Travels Through The Empire
IN order that his faithful subjects might behold their new
sovereign, Pinocchio the First resolved to make a tour of the villages
of his vast empire and see with his own eyes the needs of his people.
The arrangements were made by the ministers of state. Messages were
sent to all the governors to make preparations for the event, to select
committees to meet the emperor, to provide entertainment, in short, to
have everything in readiness.
It was a big task. The emperor, however, did not trouble himself
about it. He amused himself watching the crickets and the birds,
laughing at the antics of some little monkeys, and playing with his boy
pages.
Sometimes he spoke of his past. He told his pages about his travels,
his struggles, his suffering. He told them how he had struggles with
the waves of a stormy sea, and about the fish from whose stomach he had
rescued his father Geppetto. He recalled his dear Fatina, that gentle
and beautiful lady with the blue hair, and, placing his hand upon his
breast, took an oath, as emperor and king, that we would have her come
to Africa. That thought made him happy, and he went on to describe the
feast they would have on her arrival. He had resolved to make her queen
of one of his states.
Marameho shared the joy of his emperor, but a cloud of sadness came
over his face when he heard him build these castles in the air, and
make such plans for the future. The poor boy had already seen too many
changes to believe that anything in the world would last long. He was
aware that his emperor was in grave danger, but he did not dare to warn
him.
However, events quickly ran their course. The preparations were
completed, and on a bright, sunny day, Pinocchio the First, Emperor and
King of all the African kings, took his place upon a litter made of
branches, which was borne aloft by four robust men. Following these
came all the ministers, and the day's march was begun.
Wherever they went, there was loud applause for the emperor. The
mothers were pleased because their ruler had promised to stop
compulsory instruction. They expressed their thanks in flattering
words, some of which reached the emperor's ears.
"How fine is that wooden head!" said one. "It is easy to see that he
is a king of great endurance! They say he can jump wonderfully - just
like a marionette!"
Toward evening the tents were erected. In the largest of these
Pinocchio gave a supper to all the ministers, a splendid supper which
lasted till late that night. A blazing fire protected the court against
the attacks of wild animals and the cold of the night.
The ministers retired about midnight. Pinocchio, left alone, began
to walk up and down in his tent, with his hands behind him and his head
lowered. He had seen at school a picture of the great Napoleon in the
same attitude.
He thought of his stay in Africa, and of the strange things which
had befallen him. He thought of the treasures he had not yet found.
While pondering on all these things he approached the entrance of the
tent, and in the faint light of the dying fire, he saw a group of men
huddled together. Drawing nearer, he heard them talking.
"If things go well, as I hope they will, we shall gather many
presents," the prime minister was saying. "It cannot be denied that he
is attractive, and I am sure that all our people will vie with each
other in making gifts. Therefore, I entreat you to be patient. When the
visit is ended we will share what has been gathered."
After a long silence, interrupted only by the roar of a lion
prowling about, the prime minister continued: "As for him, we will
dispatch him in the quickest way. If he were not of wood," he added in
a deep voice, "he would be good roasted, but - "
Then some one threw an armful of branches on the fire. The flames
lit up the tent, but Pinocchio saw and heard no more, for he had
vanished out of sight.
At dawn, notices were sent throughout the whole country that the
emperor had disappeared, and that there was no trace of him to be
found!The confusion was terrible. The people everywhere were aroused,
charges were brought against the government. The matter became so
serious that the ministers were forced to flee.
Among those who escaped was the prime minister. He went into the
forests determined to find the emperor. Having strong legs and a keen
nose, he was well fitted to track any kind of animal, including a
marionette.
In fact, after many hours of hard work, he beheld the emperor
scampering away from a herd of wild beasts. They evidently wanted to
make a meal of him. The court gentleman knew that these animals would
soon give up the chase, and was content to follow at a distance. After
a while daylight drove the beasts away, and the poor, tired emperor
threw himself flat upon the ground to regain his breath. Scarcely had
he done so when a roaring more terrible than that of wild beasts caused
him to spring to his feet in the vain hope of making his escape.
41. Pinocchio Is Placed In A Cage
ALAS! there was the prime minister. He had caught hold of the
marionette and tied a rope around his neck.
It would be impossible to describe the wrath of the poor emperor. He
wanted to say a few things and to do even more, but the cruel minister
struck him with a whip.
This kind of argument convinced the emperor that it was best to
remain quiet.
"That is how I like to see you," said the minister, pushing
Pinocchio forward, and holding him by the rope as the farmers do their
donkeys on returning from market.
Thus they walked a great distance, until they came to the top of a
hill from which could be seen a large tract of country covered with
huts. The minister turned toward Pinocchio and spoke as follows: "My
dear emperor, we must decide upon some plan of action, if we do not
wish to starve. You see to what a miserable state we are reduced. We
have no money, nor have we any food; in short, if we do not earn
something before night, we shall not only be compelled to sleep in the
open, but we shall go to bed supperless. If you were not made of wood,
things would not be so hopeless, because I could eat you up and you
would last some time. But since this is impossible, I have resolved to
carry you around the village and place you on exhibition before the
public. You will make money, do you understand? Now be good enough to
give me your aid. Help me to put together a cage from the bark of these
trees. We shall make money, much money!" And the minister rubbed his
hands gleefully.
The marionette did not share in his joy. In fact, he was on the
point of showering bitter reproaches upon this unfaithful servant, who
was now going to exhibit him in the public squares, but he decided to
wait for a better opportunity. Accordingly, he began to strip the bark
from the trees without making any objection.
When the cage was completed, the minister turned to the marionette
and said: "Enter. From now on, there shall be no more talk of emperor.
I am your master, and you are my faithful slave. Forward, march!"
The command had been given in a way which made its repetition
unnecessary, and Pinocchio knew that he must obey.
42. Pinocchio Performs For The Public
WITH the cage on his head the ex-minister walked into the village,
whistling as he went to attract the attention of the people.
"P-r-r-p, p-r-r-p, p-r-r-p!"
It was a holiday, and the people flocked around him. Everybody
wanted to see, everybody wanted to admire the rare animal in the cage.
Shouts of wonder burst forth on all sides.
It is easy to fancy how Pinocchio felt! He longed to be a cricket,
or a mouse, so that he might hide in some hole. How he wished that he
were a butterfly or a bird and could fly to his home!
He stood there, huddled up in one corner of the cage, trying to
present as little of his body as possible to the eager eyes of the
crowd. He prayed for aid with all his heart. It was useless. The cruel
master saw that the square was filled with people, eager to look at the
marionette. He opened the cage, and when Pinocchio stepped out he made
him run around in circles like a monkey.
Then the minister addressed the people:
"Africans of Africa! What you see here is not, as you believe, an
animal; at least, it is not a wild animal. It is a boy. He is like many
other boys that are to be found in certain parts of the earth. How he
happened to fall into my hands would be too long a story. When I tell
you about his habits and his mode of living, you will be able to judge
for yourselves how strange a creature he is. Just think, on arising in
the morning, he wants to wash his face, neck, and hands, and with what?
Water!"
At these words, a murmur of surprise arose from the spectators, and
some of the people laughed outright.
"That is not all," he continued. "When he has washed himself, he
passes through his hair an object, made of bone, that has long, pointed
teeth. Do you understand his purpose?"
The mothers looked at one another, and some of them touched the
woolly hair of their children, glad that their little ones did not have
to undergo such hardships.
"Nor is that all. You must know that when he wishes to blow his
nose, he takes from his pocket a piece of linen, called a handkerchief,
and blows his nose upon that."
An outburst of laughter greeted these words and completely drowned
the voice of the speaker.
"But there is more, my people! This individual possesses the ability
to eat raw butter, yet his meat must be cooked. He takes porridge with
a spoon and caries it to his mouth. He is even stupid enough to cut
bread with a weapon called a knife."
The astonishment was great! When it had subsided a little there was
a rush to the huts. The people came out carrying water, raw meat, and
butter. One brought a chicken, which the minister immediately killed
and cooked.
At the word of command, Pinocchio washed his hands, neck, and face.
This the marionette did willingly, for he felt the need of it. Then the
broiled chicken was given to him. Pinocchio, to the delight of all, cut
off one of the legs with his knife, and having spread it with pieces of
butter, proceeded to eat it with evident relish.
The women then wished to see him comb his hair. Pinocchio, who had
no comb, passed his fingers through his tangled locks, and finally
succeeded in parting them. Then he drew a handkerchief from his pocket
and blew his nose. The children shouted with glee, and even the parents
could not help laughing at the queer things the marionette did.
43. Pinocchio Breaks The Cage And Makes His Escape
FOR the next few days the poor Emperor and King of all African kings
was compelled to exhibit himself, and to repeat his performances before
thousands of eyes eager to see his strange accomplishments. He was
compelled from morning till night to hear the insults of the boys and
the laughter of the men. All this made him very miserable.
What annoyed him most was the warning he received not to refuse to
eat whenever food was brought to him. "That is what the monkeys and the
elephants do," said the marionette sorrowfully, recalling what he and
his school companions had seen when they went to the circus.
It is unnecessary to say that he thought of his father, of his dear
Fatina, and of his home. They were constantly in his mind. Slowly,
slowly it dawned upon him that this way of living could no longer be
endured, and finally he was convinced that if he did not soon see his
little home, if he did not soon eat the hard, black crust given him by
the loving hands of his father, if he did not soon drink the water from
his own well, he should die of a broken heart.
"My home, my home!" he cried, the tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Home, my home!" he repeated, no longer thinking of the gold and silver
for which he had come to Africa.
"I want to see my father again." And then he stood erect in his
cage. His head went through the top of it and the side fell apart. Away
he leaped over the heads of the crowd, away like lightning! Out of the
village, across the plains, beyond the hills! Compared with him, the
swift south wind would have seemed no faster than a snail.
He ran and ran and ran. Nor did he make an end of running until he
reached the wide waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
There he stopped. He looked back at Africa, the land of all his
empty dreams; then flinging himself into the water, he said aloud, "I
will return when I have a little more sense."
At that moment a familiar voice shouted to him: "Good Pinocchio!
Hurrah for Pinocchio!"
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, PINOCCHIO IN AFRICA ***
This file should be named pnoca10.txt or pnoca10.zip
Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, pnoca11.txt
VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, pnoca10a.txt
Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US
unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we usually do not
keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
We are now trying to release all our eBooks one year in advance
of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing.
Please be encouraged to tell us about any error or corrections,
even years after the official publication date.
Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til
midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement.
The official release date of all Project Gutenberg eBooks is at
Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A
preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment
and editing by those who wish to do so.
Most people start at our Web sites at:
http://gutenberg.net or
http://promo.net/pg
These Web sites include award-winning information about Project
Gutenberg, including how to donate, how to help produce our new
eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter (free!).
Those of you who want to download any eBook before announcement
can get to them as follows, and just download by date. This is
also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the
indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an
announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter.
http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext04 or
ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04
Or /etext03, 02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90
Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want,
as it appears in our Newsletters.
Information about Project Gutenberg (one page)
We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The
time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours
to get any eBook selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright
searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. Our
projected audience is one hundred million readers. If the value
per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2
million dollars per hour in 2002 as we release over 100 new text
files per month: 1240 more eBooks in 2001 for a total of 4000+
We are already on our way to trying for 2000 more eBooks in 2002
If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total
will reach over half a trillion eBooks given away by year's end.
The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away 1 Trillion eBooks!
This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers,
which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users.
Here is the briefest record of our progress (* means estimated):
eBooks Year Month
1 1971 July
10 1991 January
100 1994 January
1000 1997 August
1500 1998 October
2000 1999 December
2500 2000 December
3000 2001 November
4000 2001 October/November
6000 2002 December*
9000 2003 November*
10000 2004 January*
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created
to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium.
We need your donations more than ever!
As of February, 2002, contributions are being solicited from people
and organizations in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
We have filed in all 50 states now, but these are the only ones
that have responded.
As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list
will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states.
Please feel free to ask to check the status of your state.
In answer to various questions we have received on this:
We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork to legally
request donations in all 50 states. If your state is not listed and
you would like to know if we have added it since the list you have,
just ask.
While we cannot solicit donations from people in states where we are
not yet registered, we know of no prohibition against accepting
donations from donors in these states who approach us with an offer to
donate.
International donations are accepted, but we don't know ANYTHING about
how to make them tax-deductible, or even if they CAN be made
deductible, and don't have the staff to handle it even if there are
ways.
Donations by check or money order may be sent to:
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
PMB 113
1739 University Ave.
Oxford, MS 38655-4109
Contact us if you want to arrange for a wire transfer or payment
method other than by check or money order.
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been approved by
the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN
[Employee Identification Number] 64-622154. Donations are
tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. As fund-raising
requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be
made and fund-raising will begin in the additional states.
We need your donations more than ever!
You can get up to date donation information online at:
http://www.gutenberg.net/donation.html
***
If you can't reach Project Gutenberg,
you can always email directly to:
Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com>
Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message.
We would prefer to send you information by email.
**The Legal Small Print**
(Three Pages)
***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS**START***
Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers.
They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with
your copy of this eBook, even if you got it for free from
someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our
fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement
disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how
you may distribute copies of this eBook if you want to.
*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS EBOOK
By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
eBook, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept
this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive
a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this eBook by
sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person
you got it from. If you received this eBook on a physical
medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request.
ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM EBOOKS
This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBooks,
is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart
through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project").
Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright
on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and
distribute it in the United States without permission and
without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth
below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this eBook
under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark.
Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market
any commercial products without permission.
To create these eBooks, the Project expends considerable
efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain
works. Despite these efforts, the Project's eBooks and any
medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other
things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged
disk or other eBook medium, a computer virus, or computer
codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.
LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES
But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below,
[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may
receive this eBook from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook) disclaims
all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including
legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR
UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE
OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
If you discover a Defect in this eBook within 90 days of
receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any)
you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that
time to the person you received it from. If you received it
on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and
such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement
copy. If you received it electronically, such person may
choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to
receive it electronically.
THIS EBOOK IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS
TO THE EBOOK OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or
the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the
above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you
may have other legal rights.
INDEMNITY
You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation,
and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated
with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including
legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the
following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this eBook,
[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the eBook,
or [3] any Defect.
DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm"
You may distribute copies of this eBook electronically, or by
disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this
"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg,
or:
[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this
requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the
eBook or this "small print!" statement. You may however,
if you wish, distribute this eBook in machine readable
binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form,
including any form resulting from conversion by word
processing or hypertext software, but only so long as
*EITHER*:
[*] The eBook, when displayed, is clearly readable, and
does *not* contain characters other than those
intended by the author of the work, although tilde
(~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may
be used to convey punctuation intended by the
author, and additional characters may be used to
indicate hypertext links; OR
[*] The eBook may be readily converted by the reader at
no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent
form by the program that displays the eBook (as is
the case, for instance, with most word processors);
OR
[*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at
no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the
eBook in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC
or other equivalent proprietary form).
[2] Honor the eBook refund and replacement provisions of this
"Small Print!" statement.
[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the
gross profits you derive calculated using the method you
already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you
don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are
payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation"
the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were
legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent
periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to
let us know your plans and to work out the details.
WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO?
Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of
public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed
in machine readable form.
The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time,
public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses.
Money should be paid to the:
"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or
software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at:
hart@pobox.com
[Portions of this eBook's header and trailer may be reprinted only
when distributed free of all fees. Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 by
Michael S. Hart. Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be
used in any sales of Project Gutenberg eBooks or other materials be
they hardware or software or any other related product without
express permission.]
*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS*Ver.02/11/02*END*