Part 13 (2/2)
In fact the wagon was so closely packed with boys of all ages that it looked like a box of sardines They were uncomfortable, they were piled one on top of the other, they could hardly breathe; yet not one word of coht that in a few hours they would reach a country where there were no schools, no books, no teachers, er, nor thirst, nor sleep, nor discoon stopped than the little fat man turned to La tone: ”Tell me, my fine boy, do you also want to come to my wonderful country?”
”Indeed I do”
”But I warn you, on It is full”
”Never mind,” answered Lamp-Wick ”If there's no room inside, I can sit on the top of the coach”
And with one leap, he perched himself there
”What about you,politely to Pinocchio ”What are you going to do? Will you come with us, or do you stay here?”
”I stay here,” answered Pinocchio ”I want to return home, as I prefer to study and to succeed in life”
”May that bring you luck!”
”Pinocchio!” Lamp-Wick called out ”Listen to me Come with us and we'll always be happy”
”No, no, no!”
”Come with us and we'll always be happy,” cried four other voices froon
”Come with us and we'll always be happy,” shouted the one hundred and o with you, illto waver and weaken in his good resolutions
”Don't worry soto a land where we shall be allowed to ht”
Pinocchio did not answer, but sighed deeply once--twice--a third tio, too!”
”The seats are all filled,” answered the Little Man, ”but to show you how much I think of you, take my place as coachman”
”And you?”
”I'll walk”
”No, indeed I could not per one of these donkeys,” cried Pinocchio
No sooner said than done He approached the first donkey and tried to ave him such a terrible kick in the storound and fell with his legs in the air
At this unlooked-for entertainhed uproariously
The little fat h He went up to the rebellious anily and bit off half of his right ear
In the round, and with one leap landed on the donkey's back The leap was so well taken that all the boys shouted, ”Hurrah for Pinocchio!” and clapped their hands in hearty applause
Suddenly the little donkey gave a kick with his two hind feet and, at this unexpectedright in the hter But the Little Man, instead of laughing, beca toward the little animal that, with another kiss, he bit off half of his left ear
”You can mount now, my boy,” he then said to Pinocchio ”Have no fear That donkey orried about so, but I have spoken to him and now he seeon started on its way While the donkeys galloped along the stony road, the Marionette fancied he heard a very quiet voice whispering to hi to be a sorry boy before very long”
Pinocchio, greatly frightened, looked about him to see whence the words had coon rolled on smoothly, the boys slept (Lamp-Wick snored like a dor sleepily between his teeth
After a ain heard the sa: ”Re and turn their backs upon books and schools and teachers in order to give all their tirief Oh, hoell I know this! Hoell I can prove it to you! A day will co now--but it will be too late!”
At these whispered words, the Marionette grew round, ran up to the donkey on whose back he had been riding, and taking his nose in his hands, looked at hireat was his surprise when he saw that the donkey eeping--weeping just like a boy!
”Hey, Mr Driver!” cried the Marionette ”Do you knohat strange thing is happening here! This donkey weeps”
”Let hih”
”Have you perhaps taught him to speak?”
”No, he learned to mumble a feords when he lived for three years with a band of trained dogs”
”Poor beast!”
”Come, come,” said the Little Man, ”do not lose tio The night is cool and the road is long”
Pinocchio obeyed without another word The wagon started again Toward dawn the next ed-for country, the Land of Toys
This great land was entirely different froh it as composed wholly of boys The oldest were about fourteen years of age, the youngest, eight In the street, there was such a racket, such shouting, such blowing of truathered together Some played at marbles, at hopscotch, at ball Others rode on bicycles or on wooden horses Soroup played circus, there another sang and recited A few turned somersaults, others walked on their hands with their feet in the air Generals in full uniforhter, shrieks, howls, catcalls, hand-clapping followed this parade One boy made a noise like a hen, another like a rooster, and a third iether they created such a pandemonium that it would have been necessary for you to put cotton in your ears The squares were filled with s till night, and on the walls of the houses, written with charcoal, ords like these: HURRAH FOR THE LAND OF TOYS! DOWN WITH ARITHMETIC! NO MORE SCHOOL!
As soon as they had set foot in that land, Pinocchio, Lamp-Wick, and all the other boys who had traveled with theation They wandered everywhere, they looked into every nook and corner, house and theater They became everybody's friend Who could be happier than they?
What with entertainments and parties, the hours, the days, the weeks passed like lightning
”Oh, what a beautiful life this is!” said Pinocchio each time that, by chance, he ?” answered Lamp-Wick ”And to think you did not want to come! To think that even yesterday the idea came into your head to return hoain! If today you are free from pencils and books and school, you owe it to me, to my advice, to my care Do you admit it? Only true friends count, after all”
”It's true, Lamp-Wick, it's true If today I am a really happy boy, it is all because of you And to think that the teacher, when speaking of you, used to say, 'Do not go with that Lamp-Wick! He is a bad companion and some day he will lead you astray'”
”Poor teacher!” answered the other, nodding his head ”Indeed I knoill of ive hi his friend
Fivethe a book, or a desk, or a school But,when Pinocchio awoke and found a great surprise awaiting him, a surprise which made him feel very unhappy, as you shall see