Chapter 282.docx

Chapter 282.docx

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Chapter282

Chapter28

PinocchiorunsthedangerofbeingfriedinapanlikeafishDuringthatwildchase,Pinocchiolivedthroughaterriblemomentwhenhealmostgavehimselfupaslost.

ThiswaswhenAlidoro（thatwastheMastiff'sname）,inafrenzyofrunning,camesonearthathewasontheverypointofreachinghim.

TheMarionetteheard,closebehindhim,thelaboredbreathingofthebeastwhowasfastonhistrail,andnowandagainevenfelthishotbreathblowoverhim.

Luckily,bythistime,hewasveryneartheshore,andtheseawasinsight;infact,onlyafewshortstepsaway.

Assoonashesetfootonthebeach,Pinocchiogavealeapandfellintothewater.Alidorotriedtostop,butashewasrunningveryfast,hecouldn't,andhe,too,landedfaroutinthesea.Strangethoughitmayseem,theDogcouldnotswim.Hebeatthewaterwithhispawstoholdhimselfup,buttheharderhetried,thedeeperhesank.

Ashestuckhisheadoutoncemore,thepoorfellow'seyeswerebulgingandhebarkedoutwildly,"Idrown!

Idrown!

""Drown!

"answeredPinocchiofromafar,happyathisescape.

"Help,Pinocchio,dearlittlePinocchio!

Savemefromdeath!

"Atthosecriesofsuffering,theMarionette,whoafterallhadaverykindheart,wasmovedtocompassion.

Heturnedtowardthepooranimalandsaidtohim:

"ButifIhelpyou,willyoupromisenottobothermeagainbyrunningafterme?

""Ipromise!

Ipromise!

Onlyhurry,forifyouwaitanothersecond,I'llbedeadandgone!

"Pinocchiohesitatedstillanotherminute.Then,rememberinghowhisfatherhadoftentoldhimthatakinddeedisneverlost,heswamtoAlidoroand,catchingholdofhistail,draggedhimtotheshore.

ThepoorDogwassoweakhecouldnotstand.Hehadswallowedsomuchsaltwaterthathewasswollenlikeaballoon.However,Pinocchio,notwishingtotrusthimtoomuch,threwhimselfonceagainintothesea.Asheswamaway,hecalledout:

"Good-by,Alidoro,goodluckandremembermetothefamily!

""Good-by,littlePinocchio,"answeredtheDog.

"Athousandthanksforhavingsavedmefromdeath.

Youdidmeagoodturn,and,inthisworld,whatisgivenisalwaysreturned.Ifthechancecomes,Ishallbethere."Pinocchiowentonswimmingclosetoshore.Atlasthethoughthehadreachedasafeplace.Glancingupanddownthebeach,hesawtheopeningofacaveoutofwhichroseaspiralofsmoke.

"Inthatcave,"hesaidtohimself,"theremustbeafire.

Somuchthebetter.I'lldrymyclothesandwarmmyself,andthen--well--"Hismindmadeup,Pinocchioswamtotherocks,butashestartedtoclimb,hefeltsomethingunderhimliftinghimuphigherandhigher.Hetriedtoescape,buthewastoolate.Tohisgreatsurprise,hefoundhimselfinahugenet,amidacrowdoffishofallkindsandsizes,whowerefightingandstrugglingdesperatelytofreethemselves.

Atthesametime,hesawaFishermancomeoutofthecave,aFishermansouglythatPinocchiothoughthewasaseamonster.Inplaceofhair,hisheadwascoveredbyathickbushofgreengrass.Greenwastheskinofhisbody,greenwerehiseyes,greenwasthelong,longbeardthatreacheddowntohisfeet.Helookedlikeagiantlizardwithlegsandarms.

WhentheFishermanpulledthenetoutofthesea,hecriedoutjoyfully:

"BlessedProvidence!

OncemoreI'llhaveafinemealoffish!

""ThankHeaven,I'mnotafish!

"saidPinocchiotohimself,tryingwiththesewordstofindalittlecourage.

TheFishermantookthenetandthefishtothecave,adark,gloomy,smokyplace.Inthemiddleofit,apanfullofoilsizzledoverasmokyfire,sendingoutarepellingodoroftallowthattookawayone'sbreath.

"Now,let'sseewhatkindoffishwehavecaughttoday,"saidtheGreenFisherman.Heputahandasbigasaspadeintothenetandpulledoutahandfulofmullets.

"Finemullets,these!

"hesaid,afterlookingatthemandsmellingthemwithpleasure.Afterthat,hethrewthemintoalarge,emptytub.

Manytimesherepeatedthisperformance.Ashepulledeachfishoutofthenet,hismouthwateredwiththethoughtofthegooddinnercoming,andhesaid:

"Finefish,thesebass!

""Verytasty,thesewhitefish!

""Deliciousflounders,these!

""Whatsplendidcrabs!

""Andthesedearlittleanchovies,withtheirheadsstillon!

"Asyoucanwellimagine,thebass,theflounders,thewhitefish,andeventhelittleanchoviesallwenttogetherintothetubtokeepthemulletscompany.ThelasttocomeoutofthenetwasPinocchio.

AssoonastheFishermanpulledhimout,hisgreeneyesopenedwidewithsurprise,andhecriedoutinfear:

"Whatkindoffishisthis?

Idon'trememberevereatinganythinglikeit."Helookedathimcloselyandafterturninghimoverandover,hesaidatlast:

"Iunderstand.Hemustbeacrab!

"Pinocchio,mortifiedatbeingtakenforacrab,saidresentfully:

"Whatnonsense!

Acrabindeed!

Iamnosuchthing.

Bewarehowyoudealwithme!

IamaMarionette,Iwantyoutoknow.""AMarionette?

"askedtheFisherman."ImustadmitthataMarionettefishis,forme,anentirelynewkindoffish.

Somuchthebetter.I'lleatyouwithgreaterrelish.""Eatme?

Butcan'tyouunderstandthatI'mnotafish?

Can'tyouhearthatIspeakandthinkasyoudo?

""It'strue,"answeredtheFisherman;"butsinceIseethatyouareafish,wellabletotalkandthinkasIdo,I'lltreatyouwithallduerespect.""Andthatis--""That,asasignofmyparticularesteem,I'llleavetoyouthechoiceofthemannerinwhichyouaretobecooked.Doyouwishtobefriedinapan,ordoyouprefertobecookedwithtomatosauce?

""Totellyouthetruth,"answeredPinocchio,"ifImustchoose,IshouldmuchrathergofreesoImayreturnhome!

""Areyoufooling?

DoyouthinkthatIwanttolosetheopportunitytotastesuchararefish?

AMarionettefishdoesnotcomeveryoftentotheseseas.Leaveittome.

I'llfryyouinthepanwiththeothers.Iknowyou'lllikeit.

It'salwaysacomforttofindoneselfingoodcompany."TheunluckyMarionette,hearingthis,begantocryandwailandbeg.Withtearsstreamingdownhischeeks,hesaid:

"Howmuchbetteritwouldhavebeenformetogotoschool!

IdidlistentomyplaymatesandnowIampayingforit!

Oh!

Oh!

Oh!

"Andashestruggledandsquirmedlikeaneeltoescapefromhim,theGreenFishermantookastoutcordandtiedhimhandandfoot,andthrewhimintothebottomofthetubwiththeothers.

Thenhepulledawoodenbowlfullofflouroutofacupboardandstartedtorollthefishintoit,onebyone.

Whentheywerewhitewithit,hethrewthemintothepan.

Thefirsttodanceinthehotoilwerethemullets,thebassfollowed,thenthewhitefish,theflounders,andtheanchovies.Pinocchio'sturncamelast.Seeinghimselfsoneartodeath（andsuchahorribledeath!

）hebegantotremblesowithfrightthathehadnovoiceleftwithwhichtobegforhislife.

Thepoorboybeseechedonlywithhiseyes.ButtheGreenFisherman,notevennoticingthatitwashe,turnedhimoverandoverintheflouruntilhelookedlikeaMarionettemadeofchalk.

Thenhetookhimbytheheadand--