Part 4 (1/2)
”Poor Blackbird!” said Pinocchio to the Cat ”Why did you kill him?”
”I killed him to teach him a lesson He talks too much Next time he will keep his words to himself”
By this ti distance Suddenly, the Fox stopped in his tracks and, turning to the Marionette, said to hiold pieces?”
”What do you mean?”
”Do you want one hundred, a thousand, two thousand gold pieces for your miserable five?”
”Yes, but how?”
”The way is very easy Instead of returning home, come with us”
”And where will you take me?”
”To the City of Siht a while and then said fir where Father is waiting for me How unhappy he must be that I have not yet returned! I have been a bad son, and the Talking Cricket was right when he said that a disobedient boy cannot be happy in this world I have learned this at ht in the theater, when Fire Eater Brrrr!!!!!The shi+vers run up and down ht of it”
”Well, then,” said the Fox, ”if you really want to go hoo ahead, but you'll be sorry”
”You'll be sorry,” repeated the Cat
”Think well, Pinocchio, you are turning your back on Dame Fortune”
”On Daold pieces will be two thousand!”
”Two thousand!” repeated the Cat
”But how can they possibly becoly
”I'll explain,” said the Fox ”You must know that, just outside the City of Simple Simons, there is a blessed field called the Field of Wonders In this field you dig a hole and in the hole you bury a gold piece After covering up the hole with earth you water it well, sprinkle a bit of salt on it, and go to bed During the night, the gold piece sprouts, grows, blosso you find a beautiful tree, that is loaded with gold pieces”
”So that if I were to burywonder, ”nextI should find--how ure out,” answered the Fox ”Why, you can figure it on your fingers! Granted that each piece gives you five hundred,you will find twenty-five hundred new, sparkling gold pieces”
”Fine! Fine!” cried Pinocchio, dancing about with joy ”And as soon as I have them, I shall keep two thousand for ive to you two”
”A gift for us?” cried the Fox, pretending to be insulted ”Why, of course not!”
”Of course not!” repeated the Cat
”We do not work for gain,” answered the Fox ”We work only to enrich others”
”To enrich others!” repeated the Cat
”What good people,” thought Pinocchio to hi his father, the new coat, the A-B-C book, and all his good resolutions, he said to the Fox and to the Cat: ”Let us go I am with you”
CHAPTER 13
The Inn of the Red Lobster
Cat and Fox and Marionette walked and walked and walked At last, toward evening, dead tired, they came to the Inn of the Red Lobster
”Let us stop here a while,” said the Fox, ”to eat a bite and rest for a few hours At ain, for at dawn tomorroe must be at the Field of Wonders”
They went into the Inn and all three sat down at the sary
The poor Cat felt very weak, and he was able to eat only thirty-five mullets with tomato sauce and four portions of tripe with cheese Moreover, as he was so in need of strength, he had to have four s of butter and cheese
The Fox, after a great deal of coaxing, tried his best to eat a little The doctor had put him on a diet, and he had to be satisfied with a s chickens After the hare, he ordered soes, a few pheasants, a couple of rabbits, and a dozen frogs and lizards That was all He felt ill, he said, and could not eat another bite
Pinocchio ate least of all He asked for a bite of bread and a few nuts and then hardly touched them The poor felloith his old-piece indigestion
Supper over, the Fox said to the Innkeeper: ”Give us two good rooms, one for Mr Pinocchio and the other forout, we'll take a little nap Reht sharp, for we must continue on our journey”
”Yes, sir,” answered the Innkeeper, winking in a knoay at the Fox and the Cat, as if to say, ”I understand”
As soon as Pinocchio was in bed, he fell fast asleep and began to dream He dreamed he was in the rapes The grapes were no other than gold coins which tinkled merrily as they swayed in the wind They seemed to say, ”Let him ants us take us!”
Just as Pinocchio stretched out his hand to take a handful of them, he akened by three loud knocks at the door It was the Innkeeper who had coht had struck
”Are my friends ready?” the Marionette asked hio”
”Why in such a hurry?”
”Unfortunately the Cat received a telegra from chilblains and was on the point of death He could not even wait to say good-by to you”
”Did they pay for the supper?”