Chapter 36

Pinocchio finally ceases to bea 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 swam swiftly away in aneffort to reach land as soon as possible. All at once henoticed that Geppetto was shivering and shaking as if witha high fever.

Was he shivering from fear or from cold? Who knows?

Perhaps a little of both. But Pinocchio, thinking his fatherwas frightened, tried to comfort him by saying:

"Courage, 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 am searching on all sides and I see nothing but sea and sky.""I see the shore," said the Marionette. "Remember, Father,that I am like a cat. I see better at night than by day."Poor Pinocchio pretended to be peaceful and contented,but he was far from that. He was beginning to feeldiscouraged, his strength was leaving him, and his breathingwas becoming more and more labored. He felt he couldnot go on much longer, and the shore was still far away.

He swam a few more strokes. Then he turned to Geppettoand cried out weakly:

"Help me, Father! Help, for I am dying!"Father and son were really about to drown when theyheard 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 showedme 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 onto my tail, bothof you, and let me lead you. In a twinkling you will besafe on land."Geppetto and Pinocchio, as you can easily imagine, did notrefuse the invitation; indeed, instead of hanging ontothe 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, who was as large as a two-year-old horse.

As soon as they reached the shore, Pinocchio was thefirst to jump to the ground to help his old father.

Then he turned to the fish and said to him:

"Dear friend, you have saved my father, and I have notenough words with which to thank you! Allow me toembrace you as a sign of my eternal gratitude."The Tunny stuck his nose out of the water and Pinocchioknelt on the sand and kissed him most affectionatelyon his cheek. At this warm greeting, the poor Tunny,who was not used to such tenderness, wept like a child.

He felt so embarrassed and ashamed that he turned quickly,plunged into the sea, and disappeared.

In the meantime day had dawned.

Pinocchio offered his arm to Geppetto, who was soweak he could hardly stand, and said to him:

"Lean on my arm, dear Father, and let us go. We willwalk very, very slowly, and if we feel tired we can restby the wayside.""And where are we going?" asked Geppetto.

"To look for a house or a hut, where they will be kind enoughto give us a bite of bread and a bit of straw to sleep on."They had not taken a hundred steps when they saw tworough-looking individuals sitting on a stone begging for alms.

It was the Fox and the Cat, but one could hardly recognizethem, they looked so miserable. The Cat, after pretendingto be blind for so many years had really lost the sightof both eyes. And the Fox, old, thin, and almost hairless,had even lost his tail. That sly thief had fallen intodeepest poverty, and one day he had been forced to sell hisbeautiful tail for a bite to eat.

"Oh, Pinocchio," he cried in a tearful voice. "Give ussome alms, we beg of you! We are old, tired, and sick.""Sick!" repeated the Cat.

"Addio, false friends!" answered the Marionette.

"You cheated me once, but you will never catch me again.""Believe us! Today we are truly poor and starving.""Starving!" repeated the Cat.

"If you are poor; you deserve it! Remember the oldproverb which says: `Stolen money never bears fruit.'

Addio, false friends.""Have mercy on us!""On us.""Addio, false friends. Remember the old proverb which says:

`Bad wheat always makes poor bread!'""Do not abandon us.""Abandon us," repeated the Cat.

"Addio, false friends. Remember the old proverb:

`Whoever steals his neighbor's shirt, usually dies withouthis own.'"Waving good-by to them, Pinocchio and Geppettocalmly went on their way. After a few more steps,they saw, at the end of a long road near a clump of trees,a tiny cottage built of straw.

"Someone must live in that little hut," said Pinocchio.

"Let us see for ourselves."They went and knocked at the door.

"Who is it?" said a little voice from within.

"A poor father and a poorer son, without food and withno roof to cover them," answered the Marionette.

"Turn the key and the door will open," said the samelittle voice.

Pinocchio turned the key and the door opened. As soonas they went in, they looked here and there and everywherebut saw no one.

"Oh--ho, where is the owner of the hut?" cried Pinocchio,very much surprised.

"Here I am, up here!"Father and son looked up to the ceiling, and there on abeam sat the Talking Cricket.

"Oh, my dear Cricket," said Pinocchio, bowing politely.

"Oh, now you call me your dear Cricket, but do youremember when you threw your hammer at me to kill me?""You are right, dear Cricket. Throw a hammer at me now.

I deserve it! But spare my poor old father.""I am going to spare both the father and the son. I haveonly wanted to remind you of the trick you long agoplayed upon me, to teach you that in this world of ourswe must be kind and courteous to others, if we want tofind kindness and courtesy in our own days of trouble.""You are right, little Cricket, you are more than right,and I shall remember the lesson you have taught me. Butwill you tell how you succeeded in buying this prettylittle cottage?""This cottage was given to me yesterday by a little Goatwith blue hair.""And where did the Goat go?" asked Pinocchio.

"I don't know.""And when will she come back?""She will never come back. Yesterday she went awaybleating sadly, and it seemed to me she said: `Poor Pinocchio,I shall never see him again. . .the Shark must haveeaten him by this time.'""Were those her real words? Then it was she--it was--my dear little Fairy," cried out Pinocchio, sobbing bitterly.

After he had cried a long time, he wiped his eyes andthen he made a bed of straw for old Geppetto. He laid himon it and said to the Talking Cricket:

"Tell me, little Cricket, where shall I find a glass of milkfor my poor Father?""Three fields away from here lives Farmer John. He hassome cows. Go there and he will give you what you want."Pinocchio ran all the way to Farmer John's house. TheFarmer said to him:

"How much milk do you want?""I want a full glass.""A full glass costs a penny. First give me the penny.""I have no penny," answered Pinocchio, sad and ashamed.

"Very bad, my Marionette," answered the Farmer,"very bad. If you have no penny, I have no milk.""Too bad," said Pinocchio and started to go.

"Wait a moment," said Farmer John. "Perhaps we can come to terms.

Do you know how to draw water from a well?""I can try.""Then go to that well you see yonder and draw onehundred bucketfuls of water.""Very well.""After you have finished, I shall give you a glass ofwarm sweet milk.""I am satisfied."Farmer John took the Marionette to the well and showedhim how to draw the water. Pinocchio set to work as wellas he knew how, but long before he had pulled up the onehundred buckets, he was tired out and dripping withperspiration. He had never worked so hard in his life.

"Until today," said the Farmer, "my donkey has drawnthe water for me, but now that poor animal is dying.""Will you take me to see him?" said Pinocchio.

"Gladly."As soon as Pinocchio went into the stable, he spied alittle Donkey lying on a bed of straw in the corner of thestable. He was worn out from hunger and too much work.

After looking at him a long time, he said to himself:

"I know that Donkey! I have seen him before."And bending low over him, he asked: "Who are you?"At this question, the Donkey opened weary, dying eyesand answered in the same tongue: "I am Lamp-Wick."Then he closed his eyes and died.

"Oh, my poor Lamp-Wick," said Pinocchio in a faint voice,as he wiped his eyes with some straw he had picked up from the ground.

"Do you feel so sorry for a little donkey that has cost you nothing?"said the Farmer. "What should I do--I, who have paid my good money for him?""But, you see, he was my friend.""Your friend?""A classmate of mine.""What," shouted Farmer John, bursting out laughing.

"What! You had donkeys in your school? How you musthave studied!"The Marionette, ashamed and hurt by those words, did not answer,but taking his glass of milk returned to his father.

From that day on, for more than five months, Pinocchiogot up every morning just as dawn was breaking and wentto the farm to draw water. And every day he was givena glass of warm milk for his poor old father, who grewstronger and better day by day. But he was not satisfiedwith this. He learned to make baskets of reeds and soldthem. With the money he received, he and his father wereable to keep from starving.

Among other things, he built a rolling chair, strong andcomfortable, to take his old father out for an airing onbright, sunny days.

In the evening the Marionette studied by lamplight.

With some of the money he had earned, he bought himselfa secondhand volume that had a few pages missing, andwith that he learned to read in a very short time. As far aswriting was concerned, he used a long stick at one end ofwhich he had whittled a long, fine point. Ink he had none,so he used the juice of blackberries or cherries.

Little by little his diligence was rewarded. Hesucceeded, not only in his studies, but also in his work, and aday came when he put enough money together to keep hisold father comfortable and happy. Besides this, he wasable to save the great amount of fifty pennies. With it hewanted to buy himself a new suit.

One day he said to his father:

"I am going to the market place to buy myself a coat, acap, and a pair of shoes. When I come back I'll be sodressed up, you will think I am a rich man."He ran out of the house and up the road to the village,laughing and singing. Suddenly he heard his name called,and looking around to see whence the voice came, henoticed a large snail crawling out of some bushes.

"Don't you recognize me?" said the Snail.

"Yes and no.""Do you remember the Snail that lived with the Fairywith Azure Hair? Do you not remember how she openedthe door for you one night and gave you something to eat?""I remember everything," cried Pinocchio. "Answerme quickly, pretty Snail, where have you left my Fairy?

What is she doing? Has she forgiven me? Does sheremember me? Does she still love me? Is she very far awayfrom here? May I see her?"At all these questions, tumbling out one after another,the Snail answered, calm as ever:

"My dear Pinocchio, the Fairy is lying ill in a hospital.""In a hospital?""Yes, indeed. She has been stricken with trouble and illness,and she hasn't a penny left with which to buy a bite of bread.""Really? Oh, how sorry I am! My poor, dear little Fairy!

If I had a million I should run to her with it! But Ihave only fifty pennies. Here they are. I was just going tobuy some clothes. Here, take them, little Snail, and givethem to my good Fairy.""What about the new clothes?""What does that matter? I should like to sell these ragsI have on to help her more. Go, and hurry. Come backhere within a couple of days and I hope to have moremoney for you! Until today I have worked for my father.

Now I shall have to work for my mother also. Good-by,and I hope to see you soon."The Snail, much against her usual habit, began to runlike a lizard under a summer sun.

When Pinocchio returned home, his father asked him:

"And where is the new suit?""I couldn't find one to fit me. I shall have to look againsome other day."That night, Pinocchio, instead of going to bed at teno'clock waited until midnight, and instead of makingeight baskets, he made sixteen.

After that he went to bed and fell asleep. As he slept,he dreamed of his Fairy, beautiful, smiling, and happy,who kissed him and said to him, "Bravo, Pinocchio! Inreward for your kind heart, I forgive you for all yourold mischief. Boys who love and take good care of theirparents when they are old and sick, deserve praise eventhough they may not be held up as models of obedienceand good behavior. Keep on doing so well, and you will be happy."At that very moment, Pinocchio awoke and opened wide his eyes.

What was his surprise and his joy when, on lookinghimself over, he saw that he was no longer a Marionette,but that he had become a real live boy! He looked allabout him and instead of the usual walls of straw,he found himself in a beautifully furnished little room,the prettiest he had ever seen. In a twinkling, he jumpeddown from his bed to look on the chair standing near.

There, he found a new suit, a new hat, and a pair of shoes.

As soon as he was dressed, he put his hands in hispockets and pulled out a little leather purse on which werewritten the following words:

The Fairy with Azure Hair returnsfifty pennies to her dear Pinocchiowith many thanks for his kind heart.

The Marionette opened the purse to find the money,and behold--there were fifty gold coins!

Pinocchio ran to the mirror. He hardly recognized himself.

The bright face of a tall boy looked at him with wide-awake blue eyes,dark brown hair and happy, smiling lips.

Surrounded by so much splendor, the Marionette hardlyknew what he was doing. He rubbed his eyes two or three times,wondering if he were still asleep or awake and decided he must be awake.

"And where is Father?" he cried suddenly. He raninto the next room, and there stood Geppetto, grown yearsyounger overnight, spick and span in his new clothes andgay as a lark in the morning. He was once more MastroGeppetto, the wood carver, hard at work on a lovelypicture frame, decorating it with flowers and leaves, andheads of animals.

"Father, Father, what has happened? Tell me if you can,"cried Pinocchio, as he ran and jumped on his Father's neck.

"This sudden change in our house is all your doing,my dear Pinocchio," answered Geppetto.

"What have I to do with it?""Just this. When bad boys become good and kind,they have the power of making their homes gay and newwith happiness.""I wonder where the old Pinocchio of wood has hidden himself?""There he is," answered Geppetto. And he pointedto a large Marionette leaning against a chair, head turnedto one side, arms hanging limp, and legs twisted under him.

After a long, long look, Pinocchio said to himself withgreat content:

"How ridiculous I was as a Marionette! And howhappy I am, now that I have become a real boy!"