Chapter 8

Geppetto makes Pinocchio a new pair of feet,and sells his coat to buy him an A-B-C bookThe 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 hismischief, let him alone the whole morning. After dinnerhe said to him:

"Why should I make your feet over again? To see yourun 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 ofyour old age."Geppetto, though trying to look very stern, felt his eyesfill with tears and his heart soften when he saw Pinocchioso unhappy. He said no more, but taking his tools and twopieces 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 anartist'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 gluemelted in an eggshell, doing his work so well that the jointcould hardly be seen.

As soon as the Marionette felt his new feet, he gave oneleap 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 goto school now. But to go to school I need a suit of clothes."Geppetto did not have a penny in his pocket, so hemade his son a little suit of flowered paper, a pair of shoesfrom 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, andhe felt so happy that he said proudly:

"Now I look like a gentleman.""Truly," answered Geppetto. "But remember that fineclothes do not make the man unless they be neat and clean.""Very true," answered Pinocchio, "but, in order to goto 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 sadand downcast at these words. When poverty shows itself,even mischievous boys understand what it means.

"What does it matter, after all?" cried Geppetto all atonce, as he jumped up from his chair. Putting on his oldcoat, full of darns and patches, he ran out of the housewithout another word.

After a while he returned. In his hands he had theA-B-C book for his son, but the old coat was gone. Thepoor 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 neckand kissed him over and over.