Part 14 (2/2)
”Oh, my poor Pinocchio!”
”Oh,silence followed these words, during which ti way
Finally the Marionette, in a voice sweet as honey and soft as a flute, said to his companion: ”Tell me, Lamp-Wick, dear friend, have you ever suffered from an earache?”
”Never! And you?”
”Never! Still, since thisme”
”So has mine”
”Yours, too? And which ear is it?”
”Both of them And yours?”
”Both of them, too I wonder if it could be the same sickness”
”I'm afraid it is”
”Will you do me a favor, Lamp-Wick?”
”Gladly! With my whole heart”
”Will you let me see your ears?”
”Why not? But before I show you mine, I want to see yours, dear Pinocchio”
”No You must show yours first”
”No, my dear! Yours first, then mine”
”Well, then,” said the Marionette, ”let us make a contract”
”Let's hear the contract!”
”Let us take off our caps together All right?”
”All right”
”Ready then!”
Pinocchio began to count, ”One! Two! Three!”
At the word ”Three!” the two boys pulled off their caps and threw theh in air
And then a scene took place which is hard to believe, but it is all too true The Marionette and his friend, Lamp-Wick, when they saw each other both stricken by the saan to poke fun at each other, and after hter
They laughed and laughed, and laughed again--laughed till they ached--laughed till they cried
But all of a sudden La He tottered and alhost, he turned to Pinocchio and said: ”Help, help, Pinocchio!”
”What is the er stand up”
”I can't either,” cried Pinocchio; and his laughter turned to tears as he stumbled about helplessly
They had hardly finished speaking, when both of the around the roothened into snouts and their backs becaray hairs
This was huh, but the most horrible moment was the one in which the two poor creatures felt their tails appear Overcorief, they tried to cry and bemoan their fate
But what is done can't be undone! Instead of moans and cries, they burst forth into loud donkey brays, which sounded very much like, ”Ha!”
At thatwas heard at the door and a voice called to theon which brought you here Open, I say, or beware!”
CHAPTER 33
Pinocchio, having becoht by the owner of a Circus, ants to teach him to do tricks The Donkey becomes lame and is sold to a man ants to use his skin for a drumhead
Very sad and downcast were the two poor little fellows as they stood and looked at each other Outside the rooave the door such a violent kick that it flew open With his usual sweet smile on his lips, he looked at Pinocchio and Lamp-Wick and said to them: ”Fine work, boys! You have brayed well, so well that I recognized your voices i this, the two Donkeys bowed their heads in shas
At first, the Little Man petted and caressed them and smoothed down their hairy coats Then he took out a currycolass Satisfied with the looks of the two little animals, he bridled them and took them to a market place far away froood price
In fact, he did not have to wait very long for an offer Laht by a farmer whose donkey had died the day before Pinocchio went to the owner of a circus, anted to teach him to do tricks for his audiences
And now do you understand what the Little Man's profession was? This horrid little being, whose face shone with kindness, went about the world looking for boys Lazy boys, boys who hated books, boys anted to run away from home, boys ere tired of school--all these were his joy and his fortune He took them with him to the Land of Toys and let them enjoy themselves to their heart's content When, after months of all play and no work, they became little donkeys, he sold them on the market place In a few years, he had become a millionaire
What happened to Lamp-Wick? My dear children, I do not know Pinocchio, I can tell you, reat hardshi+ps even fro hier with straw, but Pinocchio, after tasting a er with hay But Pinocchio did not like that any better
”Ah, you don't like hay either?” he cried angrily ”Wait, my pretty Donkey, I'll teach you not to be so particular”
Without ave the Donkey a hearty blow across the legs
Pinocchio screamed with pain and as he screaest straw!”
”Then eat the hay!” answered his master, who understood the Donkey perfectly