Part 16 (2/2)
To make matters worse, the candle went out and father and son were left in the dark
”And now?” asked Pinocchio with a serious face
”Noe are lost”
”Why lost? Give me your hand, dear Father, and be careful not to slip!”
”Where will you take ain Come with me and don't be afraid”
With these words Pinocchio took his father by the hand and, alalking on tiptoes, they climbed up the monster's throat for a second tiue and jureat leap, the Marionette said to his father: ”Clihtly toelse”
As soon as Geppetto was comfortably seated on his shoulders, Pinocchio, very sure of what he was doing, dived into the water and started to swim The sea was like oil, the moon shone in all splendor, and the Shark continued to sleep so soundly that not even a cannon shot would have awakened him
CHAPTER 36
Pinocchio finally ceases to be a Marionette and becomes a boy
”My dear Father, we are saved!” cried the Marionette ”All we have to do now is to get to the shore, and that is easy”
Without another word, he siftly away in an effort to reach land as soon as possible All at once he noticed that Geppetto was shi+vering and shaking as if with a high fever
Was he shi+vering from fear or from cold? Who knows? Perhaps a little of both But Pinocchio, thinking his father was frightened, tried to coe, Father! In a few moments we shall be safe on land”
”But where is that blessed shore?” asked the little old man, more and more worried as he tried to pierce the faraway shadows ”Here I a but sea and sky”
”I see the shore,” said the Marionette ”Reht than by day”
Poor Pinocchio pretended to be peaceful and contented, but he was far froth was leaving hi er, and the shore was still far away
He swam a few more strokes Then he turned to Geppetto and cried out weakly: ”Help !”
Father and son were really about to drohen they heard a voice like a guitar out of tune call from the sea: ”What is the trouble?”
”It is I and my poor father”
”I know the voice You are Pinocchio”
”Exactly And you?”
”I am the Tunny, your companion in the Shark's stomach”
”And how did you escape?”
”I imitated your example You are the one who showed me the way and after you went, I followed”
”Tunny, you arrived at the right moment! I implore you, for the love you bear your children, the little Tunnies, to help us, or we are lost!”
”With great pleasure indeed Hang ontoyou will be safe on land”
Geppetto and Pinocchio, as you can easily iing onto the tail, they thought it better to climb on the Tunny's back
”Are we too heavy?” asked Pinocchio
”Heavy? Not in the least You are as light as sea-shells,” answered the Tunny, as as large as a two-year-old horse
As soon as they reached the shore, Pinocchio was the first to juround to help his old father Then he turned to the fish and said to him: ”Dear friend, you have saved h words hich to thank you! Allow ratitude”
The Tunny stuck his nose out of the water and Pinocchio knelt on the sand and kissed hi, the poor Tunny, as not used to such tenderness, wept like a child He felt so eed into the sea, and disappeared
In the meantime day had dawned
Pinocchio offered his arm to Geppetto, as so weak he could hardly stand, and said to hio We alk very, very slowly, and if we feel tired we can rest by the wayside”
”And where are we going?” asked Geppetto
”To look for a house or a hut, where they will be kind enough to give us a bite of bread and a bit of straw to sleep on”
They had not taken a hundred steps when they sao rough-looking individuals sitting on a stone begging for alms
It was the Fox and the Cat, but one could hardly recognize the to be blind for so ht of both eyes And the Fox, old, thin, and almost hairless, had even lost his tail That sly thief had fallen into deepest poverty, and one day he had been forced to sell his beautiful tail for a bite to eat
”Oh, Pinocchio,” he cried in a tearful voice ”Give us so of you! We are old, tired, and sick”
”Sick!” repeated the Cat
”Addio, false friends!” answered the Marionette ”You cheated ain”
”Believe us! Today we are truly poor and starving”
”Starving!” repeated the Cat
”If you are poor; you deserve it! Remember the old proverb which says: 'Stolen money never bears fruit' Addio, false friends”