Part 12 (2/2)
Pinocchio was beside himself with joy All his friends and schoolreat event! The Fairy promised to prepare two hundred cups of coffee-and-milk and four hundred slices of toast buttered on both sides
The day proay and happy one, but-- Unluckily, in a Marionette's life there's always a BUT which is apt to spoil everything
CHAPTER 30
Pinocchio, instead of beco a boy, runs away to the Land of Toys with his friend, La at last out of the surprise into which the Fairy's words had thrown hiive out the invitations
”Indeed, you may invite your friends to tomorrow's party Only remember to return home before dark Do you understand?”
”I'll be back in one hour without fail,” answered the Marionette
”Take care, Pinocchio! Boys give proet theive my word I keep it”
”We shall see In case you do disobey, you will be the one to suffer, not anyone else”
”Why?”
”Because boys who do not listen to their elders always corief”
”I certainly have,” said Pinocchio, ”but fro the truth”
Without adding another word, the Marionette bade the good Fairy good-by, and singing and dancing, he left the house
In a little more than an hour, all his friends were invited Soladly Others had to be coaxed, but when they heard that the toast was to be buttered on both sides, they all ended by accepting the invitation with the words, ”We'll co all his friends, Pinocchio had one whom he loved most of all The boy's real name was Ro and thin and had a woebegone look about him
Laest mischief-maker, but Pinocchio loved hiht to his friend's house to invite him to the party, but Laain a third, but still without success
Where could he be? Pinocchio searched here and there and everywhere, and finally discovered hi there?” asked Pinocchio, running up to hio--”
”Where?”
”Far, far away!”
”And I have gone to your house three times to look for you!”
”What did you want from ood luck is mine?”
”What is it?”
”Tomorrow I end my days as a Marionette and become a boy, like you and allyou luck!”
”Shall I see you at ht”
”At what ti?”
”To a real country--the best in the world--a wonderful place!”
”What is it called?”
”It is called the Land of Toys Why don't you co mistake, Pinocchio Believe me, if you don't coree better with you and me? No schools, no teachers, no books! In that blessed place there is no such thing as study Here, it is only on Saturdays that we have no school In the Land of Toys, every day, except Sunday, is a Saturday Vacation begins on the first of January and ends on the last day of December That is the place for me! All countries should be like it! How happy we should all be!”
”But how does one spend the day in the Land of Toys?”
”Days are spent in play and enjoyoes to bed, and next ain What do you think of it?”
”H' his wooden head, as if to say, ”It's the kind of life which would agree with o with me, then? Yes or no? You ain no! I have proood boy, and I want to keepand I ood luck to you!”
”Where are you going in such a hurry?”
”Hoht”
”Wait two minutes more”
”It's too late!”
”Only two minutes”
”And if the Fairy scolds ets tired, she will stop,” said La alone or with others?”
”Alone? There will be more than a hundred of us!”