Part 10 (1/2)
Pinocchio goes to the seashore with his friends to see the Terrible Shark
In the ht and early, Pinocchio started for school
Iine what the boys said when they saw a Marionette enter the classroohed until they cried Everyone played tricks on hied at his coat, a third tried to paint a s to his feet and his hands to make him dance
For a while Pinocchio was very calm and quiet Finally, however, he lost all patience and turning to his torly: ”Careful, boys, I haven't come here to be made fun of I'll respect you and I want you to respect me”
”Hurrah for Dr Know-all! You have spoken like a printed book!” howled the boys, bursting with laughter One of them, more impudent than the rest, put out his hand to pull the Marionette's nose
But he was not quick enough, for Pinocchio stretched his leg under the table and kicked him hard on the shi+n
”Oh, what hard feet!” cried the boy, rubbing the spot where the Marionette had kicked him
”And what elbows! They are even harder than the feet!” shouted another one, who, because of some other trick, had received a blow in the stoained everybody's favor Everyone admired him, danced attendance upon him, petted and caressed him
As the days passed into weeks, even the teacher praised hi, and wide awake, always the first to co, and the last to leave when school was over
Pinocchio's only fault was that he had toothese were many well-known rascals, who cared not a jot for study or for success
The teacher warned hiood Fairy repeated to him many times: ”Take care, Pinocchio! Those bad companions will sooner or later make you lose your love for study Soer,” answered the Marionette, shrugging his shoulders and pointing to his forehead as if to say, ”I'm too wise”
So it happened that one day, as he alking to school, he met some boys who ran up to him and said: ”Have you heard the news?”
”No!”
”A Shark as big as a mountain has been seen near the shore”
”Really? I wonder if it could be the saoing to see it Are you coo to school”
”What do you care about school? You can go there tomorrow With a lesson more or less, we are always the same donkeys”
”And ill the teacher say?”
”Let hi”
”And ,” answered those scamps
”Do you knohat I'll do?” said Pinocchio ”For certain reasons of o after school I can see him then as well as now”
”Poor simpleton!” cried one of the boys ”Do you think that a fish of that size will stand there waiting for you? He turns and off he goes, and no one will ever be the wiser”
”How long does it take from here to the shore?” asked the Marionette ”One hour there and back”
”Very well, then Let's see who gets there first!” cried Pinocchio
At the signal, the little troop, with books under their ar as if on wings, the others following as fast as they could
Now and again, he looked back and, seeing his followers hot and tired, and with tongues hanging out, he laughed out heartily Unhappy boy! If he had only known then the dreadful things that were to happen to him on account of his disobedience!
CHAPTER 27
The great battle between Pinocchio and his play like the wind, Pinocchio took but a very short tilanced all about hin of a Shark The sea was as slass
”Hey there, boys! Where's that Shark?” he asked, turning to his playone for his breakfast,” said one of the
”Or, perhaps, he went to bed for a little nap,” said another, laughing also
Frohter which followed them, Pinocchio understood that the boys had played a trick on hirily to them ”What's the joke?”
”Oh, the joke's on you!” cried his torayly around the Marionette
”And that is--?”
”That we have made you stay out of school to cooody, and of studying so hard? You never have a bit of enjoyment”
”And what is it to you, if I do study?”
”What does the teacher think of us, you mean?”
”Why?”
”Don't you see? If you study and we don't, we pay for it After all, it's only fair to look out for ourselves”
”What do you want me to do?”