Part 2 (2/2)
”What is it?”
”An A-B-C book”
”To be sure! But how shall we get it?”
”That's easy We'll go to a bookstore and buy it”
”And the money?”
”I have none”
”Neither have I,” said the old h a happy boy always, became sad and downcast at these words When poverty shows itself, even mischievous boys understand what it means
”What does it matter, after all?” cried Geppetto all at once, as he ju on his old coat, full of darns and patches, he ran out of the house without another word
After a while he returned In his hands he had the A-B-C book for his son, but the old coat was gone The poor felloas in his shi+rt sleeves and the day was cold
”Where's your coat, Father?”
”I have sold it”
”Why did you sell your coat?”
”It was too war, and, unable to restrain his tears, he jumped on his father's neck and kissed him over and over
CHAPTER 9
Pinocchio sells his A-B-C book to pay his way into the Marionette Theater
See Pinocchio hurrying off to school with his new A-B-C book under his ar hundreds of wonderful things, building hundreds of castles in the air Talking to himself, he said: ”In school today, I'll learn to read, tomorrorite, and the day after tomorrow I'll do arithmetic Then, clever as I am, I can earn a lot of money With the very first pennies I make, I'll buy Father a new cloth coat Cloth, did I say? No, it shall be of gold and silver with diamond buttons That poor man certainly deserves it; for, after all, isn't he in his shi+rt sleeves because he was good enough to buy a book for ood to their children!”
As he talked to hi from a distance: pi-pi-pi, pi-pi-pizum, zum, zum, zum
He stopped to listen Those sounds ca the shore
”What can that noise be? What a nuisance that I have to go to school! Otherwise”
There he stopped, very much puzzled He felt he had to o to school, or should he follow the pipes?
”Today I'll follow the pipes, and too to school,” decided the little rascal at last, shrugging his shoulders
No sooner said than done He started down the street, going like the wind On he ran, and louder grew the sounds of pipe and drum: pi-pi-pi, pi-pi-pi, pi-pi-pi zue square, full of people standing in front of a little wooden building painted in brilliant colors
”What is that house?” Pinocchio asked a little boy near hin and you'll know”
”I'd like to read, but somehow I can't today”
”Oh, really? Then I'll read it to you Know, then, that written in letters of fire I see the words: GREAT MARIONETTE THEATER
”When did the show start?”
”It is starting now”
”And how et in?”
”Four pennies”
Pinocchio, ild with curiosity to knoas going on inside, lost all his pride and said to the boy shaive ladly,” answered the other, poking fun at hiive them to you”
”For the price of four pennies, I'll sell you my coat”
”If it rains, what shall I do with a coat of flowered paper? I could not take it off again”
”Do you want to buy ht a fire with”
”What about h! The ht come and eat it from my head!”
Pinocchio was almost in tears He was just about to e to do so He hesitated, he wondered, he could not ive me four pennies for the book?”
”I a from boys,” said the little felloith far ive you four pennies for your A-B-C book,” said a ragpicker who stood by