Part 9 (1/2)
”It seems so to me.”
”But am I ... made of wood or ...”
”You are made of iron.”
”Of iron? Don't joke so with me, Fatina. If you want my nose to grow longer, dearest lady, or if you want me to turn back into a wooden puppet, I am ready to do so; but not of iron, no. I am too afraid of rust.”
”But what are you talking about? Let me feel your pulse. No, that's all right, no fever. I said you were made of iron because you have come out of it all so wonderfully. You were threatened with gas gangrene, and if they had not amputated at once, it would have been the end of you, but instead ...”
”Please, please ... what did they do to me?”
”They cut off your injured leg.”
”My leg!”
”Yes, indeed; they couldn't help it.”
”And when did they cut it off?”
”Three days ago.”
”You are perfectly certain of this?”
”I was present.”
”And I ... wasn't I present?”
”I think so.”
”And how is it I didn't know anything about it?”
”You were asleep.”
”I think it was you who were dreaming. Look.”
Before Fatina could stop him Pinocchio caught the covers and threw them off. One leg was indeed missing and just the one which he had dreamed had been burned by the brazier. He saw a heap of b.l.o.o.d.y bandages and let out such a scream that he made the other two wounded start up.
The one on the left, who looked like a monk in a hood, because from under the bands which bound his head a long s.h.a.ggy beard was sticking out, cried in annoyance:
”Heh! What is it, a locomotive? You are making as much noise as an enemy's cannon.”
”Be quiet, be quiet!”
”Bersaglierino, have you seen what they did to me? They've carried off one of my legs without asking my permission.”
”And they took off one of my arms, and they've made a hole in my head and cut open my stomach.”
”But what kind of dirty tricks are these? I want my leg.... I want my leg!”
”If it were still on you it would be all swollen and black. Be silent, shut up, and thank G.o.d that they haven't taken the other one. Because Major Cutemup is here, and when he begins to amputate it is hard to get him to stop. Imagine, they wanted to cut off my nose.”