the adventures of pinocchio(木偶奇遇记)-第4章

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and　I　was　hungry。　　And　then　the　Talking　Cricket　said　to
me；　‘You　deserve　it；　you　were　bad；'　and　I　said　to　him；
‘Careful；　Cricket；'　and　he　said　to　me；　‘You　are　a　Marionette
and　you　have　a　wooden　head；'　and　I　threw　the　hammer　at
him　and　killed　him。　　It　was　his　own　fault；　for　I　didn't　want
to　kill　him。　　And　I　put　the　pan　on　the　coals；　but　the　Chick
flew　away　and　said；　‘I'll　see　you　again！　　Remember　me　to
the　family。'　And　my　hunger　grew；　and　I　went　out；　and　the
old　man　with　a　nightcap　looked　out　of　the　window　and
threw　water　on　me；　and　I　came　home　and　put　my　feet　on
the　stove　to　dry　them　because　I　was　still　hungry；　and　I　fell
asleep　and　now　my　feet　are　gone　but　my　hunger　isn't！
Oh！Oh！Oh！〃　And　poor　Pinocchio　began　to　scream
and　cry　so　loudly　that　he　could　be　heard　for　miles　around。

Geppetto；　who　had　understood　nothing　of　all　that
jumbled　talk；　except　that　the　Marionette　was　hungry；　felt　sorry
for　him；　and　pulling　three　pears　out　of　his　pocket；　offered
them　to　him；　saying：

〃These　three　pears　were　for　my　breakfast；　but　I　give
them　to　you　gladly。　　Eat　them　and　stop　weeping。〃

〃If　you　want　me　to　eat　them；　please　peel　them　for　me。〃

〃Peel　them？〃　asked　Geppetto；　very　much　surprised。　　〃I
should　never　have　thought；　dear　boy　of　mine；　that　you
were　so　dainty　and　fussy　about　your　food。　　Bad；　very　bad！
In　this　world；　even　as　children；　we　must　accustom　ourselves
to　eat　of　everything；　for　we　never　know　what　life　may
hold　in　store　for　us！〃

〃You　may　be　right；〃　answered　Pinocchio；　〃but　I　will　not
eat　the　pears　if　they　are　not　peeled。　　I　don't　like　them。〃

And　good　old　Geppetto　took　out　a　knife；　peeled　the
three　pears；　and　put　the　skins　in　a　row　on　the　table。

Pinocchio　ate　one　pear　in　a　twinkling　and　started　to
throw　the　core　away；　but　Geppetto　held　his　arm。

〃Oh；　no；　don't　throw　it　away！　　Everything　in　this　world
may　be　of　some　use！〃

〃But　the　core　I　will　not　eat！〃　cried　Pinocchio　in　an　angry　tone。

〃Who　knows？〃　repeated　Geppetto　calmly。

And　later　the　three　cores　were　placed　on　the　table　next
to　the　skins。

Pinocchio　had　eaten　the　three　pears；　or　rather　devoured　them。
Then　he　yawned　deeply；　and　wailed：

〃I'm　still　hungry。〃

〃But　I　have　no　more　to　give　you。〃

〃Really；　nothingnothing？〃

〃I　have　only　these　three　cores　and　these　skins。〃

〃Very　well；　then；〃　said　Pinocchio；　〃if　there　is　nothing
else　I'll　eat　them。〃

At　first　he　made　a　wry　face；　but；　one　after　another；　the
skins　and　the　cores　disappeared。

〃Ah！　　Now　I　feel　fine！〃　he　said　after　eating　the　last　one。

〃You　see；〃　observed　Geppetto；　〃that　I　was　right　when
I　told　you　that　one　must　not　be　too　fussy　and　too　dainty
about　food。　　My　dear；　we　never　know　what　life　may　have
in　store　for　us！〃



CHAPTER　8

Geppetto　makes　Pinocchio　a　new　pair　of　feet；
and　sells　his　coat　to　buy　him　an　A…B…C　book



The　Marionette；　as　soon　as　his　hunger　was　appeased；
started　to　grumble　and　cry　that　he　wanted　a　new　pair　of　feet。

But　Mastro　Geppetto；　in　order　to　punish　him　for　his
mischief；　let　him　alone　the　whole　morning。　　After　dinner
he　said　to　him：

〃Why　should　I　make　your　feet　over　again？　　To　see　you
run　away　from　home　once　more？〃

〃I　promise　you；〃　answered　the　Marionette；　sobbing；
〃that　from　now　on　I'll　be　good〃

〃Boys　always　promise　that　when　they　want　something；〃
said　Geppetto。

〃I　promise　to　go　to　school　every　day；　to　study；　and　to　succeed〃

〃Boys　always　sing　that　song　when　they　want　their　own　will。〃

〃But　I　am　not　like　other　boys！　　I　am　better　than　all　of
them　and　I　always　tell　the　truth。　　I　promise　you；　Father；
that　I'll　learn　a　trade；　and　I'll　be　the　comfort　and　staff　of
your　old　age。〃

Geppetto；　though　trying　to　look　very　stern；　felt　his　eyes
fill　with　tears　and　his　heart　soften　when　he　saw　Pinocchio
so　unhappy。　　He　said　no　more；　but　taking　his　tools　and　two
pieces　of　wood；　he　set　to　work　diligently。

In　less　than　an　hour　the　feet　were　finished；　two　slender；
nimble　little　feet；　strong　and　quick；　modeled　as　if　by　an
artist's　hands。

〃Close　your　eyes　and　sleep！〃　Geppetto　then　said　to　the　Marionette。

Pinocchio　closed　his　eyes　and　pretended　to　be　asleep；
while　Geppetto　stuck　on　the　two　feet　with　a　bit　of　glue
melted　in　an　eggshell；　doing　his　work　so　well　that　the　joint
could　hardly　be　seen。

As　soon　as　the　Marionette　felt　his　new　feet；　he　gave　one
leap　from　the　table　and　started　to　skip　and　jump　around；
as　if　he　had　lost　his　head　from　very　joy。

〃To　show　you　how　grateful　I　am　to　you；　Father；　I'll　go
to　school　now。　　But　to　go　to　school　I　need　a　suit　of　clothes。〃

Geppetto　did　not　have　a　penny　in　his　pocket；　so　he
made　his　son　a　little　suit　of　flowered　paper；　a　pair　of　shoes
from　the　bark　of　a　tree；　and　a　tiny　cap　from　a　bit　of　dough。

Pinocchio　ran　to　look　at　himself　in　a　bowl　of　water；　and
he　felt　so　happy　that　he　said　proudly：

〃Now　I　look　like　a　gentleman。〃

〃Truly；〃　answered　Geppetto。　　〃But　remember　that　fine
clothes　do　not　make　the　man　unless　they　be　neat　and　clean。〃

〃Very　true；〃　answered　Pinocchio；　〃but；　in　order　to　go
to　school；　I　still　need　something　very　important。〃

〃What　is　it？〃

〃An　A…B…C　book。〃

〃To　be　sure！　　But　how　shall　we　get　it？〃

〃That's　easy。　　We'll　go　to　a　bookstore　and　buy　it。〃

〃And　the　money？〃

〃I　have　none。〃

〃Neither　have　I；〃　said　the　old　man　sadly。

Pinocchio；　although　a　happy　boy　always；　became　sad
and　downcast　at　these　words。　　When　poverty　shows　itself；
even　mischievous　boys　understand　what　it　means。

〃What　does　it　matter；　after　all？〃　cried　Geppetto　all　at
once；　as　he　jumped　up　from　his　chair。　　Putting　on　his　old
coat；　full　of　darns　and　patches；　he　ran　out　of　the　house
without　another　word。

After　a　while　he　returned。　　In　his　hands　he　had　the
A…B…C　book　for　his　son；　but　the　old　coat　was　gone。　　The
poor　fellow　was　in　his　shirt　sleeves　and　the　day　was　cold。

〃Where's　your　coat；　Father？〃

〃I　have　sold　it。〃

〃Why　did　you　sell　your　coat？〃

〃It　was　too　warm。〃

Pinocchio　understood　the　answer　in　a　twinkling；　and；
unable　to　restrain　his　tears；　he　jumped　on　his　father's　neck
and　kissed　him　over　and　over。



CHAPTER　9

Pinocchio　sells　his　A…B…C　book　to
pay　his　way　into　the　Marionette　Theater



See　Pinocchio　hurrying　off　to　school　with　his　new　A…B…C
book　under　his　arm！　　As　he　walked　along；　his　brain　was　busy
planning　hundreds　of　wonderful　things；　building　hundreds
of　castles　in　the　air。　　Talking　to　himself；　he　said：

〃In　school　today；　I'll　learn　to　read；　tomorrow　to　write；
and　the　day　after　tomorrow　I'll　do　arithmetic。　　Then；　clever
as　I　am；　I　can　earn　a　lot　of　money。　　With　the　very　first
pennies　I　make；　I'll　buy　Father　a　new　cloth　coat。　　Cloth；
did　I　say？　　No；　it　shall　be　of　gold　and　silver　with　diamond
buttons。　　That　poor　man　certainly　deserves　it；　for；　after　all；
isn't　he　in　his　shirt　sleeves　because　he　was　good　enough　to
buy　a　book　for　me？　　On　this　cold　day；　too！　　Fathers　are
indeed　good　to　their　children！〃

As　he　talked　to　himself；　he　thought　he　heard　sounds　of
pipes　and　drums　coming　from　a　distance：　　pi…pi…pi；
pi…pi…pi。　。　。zum；　zum；　zum；　zum。

He　stopped　to　listen。　　Those　sounds　came　from　a　little
street　that　led　to　a　small　village　along　the　shore。

〃What　can　that　noise　be？　　What　a　nuisance　that　I　have
to　go　to　school！　　Otherwise。　。　。〃

There　he　stopped；　very　much　puzzled。　　He　felt　he　had
to　make　up　his　mind　for　either　one　thing　or　another。
Should　he　go　to　school；　or　should　he　follow　the　pipes？

〃Today　I'll　follow　the　pipes；　and　tomorrow　I'll　go　to
school。　　There's　always　plenty　of　time　to　go　to　school；〃
decided　the　little　rascal　at　last；　shrugging　his　shoulders。

No　sooner　said　than　done。　　He　started　down　the　street；
going　like　the　wind。　　On　he　ran；　and　louder　grew　the
sounds　of　pipe　and　drum：　　pi…pi…pi；　pi…pi…pi；　pi…pi…pi
。　。　。zum；　zum；　zum；　zum。

Suddenly；　he　found　himself　in　a　large　square；　full　of
people　standing　in　front　of　a　little　wooden　building　painted
in　brilliant　colors。

〃What　is　that　house？〃　Pinocchio　asked　a　little　boy　near　him。

〃Read　the　sign　and　you'll　know。〃

〃I'd　like　to　read；　but　somehow　I　can't　today。〃

〃Oh；　really？　　Then　I'll　read　it　to　you。　　Know；　then；
that　written　in　letters　of　fire　I　see　the　words：
GREAT　MARIONETTE　THEATER。