Stranica 23 [23]
PINOCCHIO 13
This time Master Cherry was petrified. His
eyes started out of his head with fright, his
mouth remained open, and his tongue hung out
almost to the end of his chin, like a mask on a
fountain. As soon as he had recovered the
use of his speech, he began to say, stuttering
and trembling with fear:
" But where on earth can that little voice
have come from that said Oh! oh!?... Here
there is certainly not a living soul. Is it pos¬
sible that this piece of wood can have learnt to
cry and to lament like a child? I cannot believe
it. This piece of wood, here it is; a log for fuel
hke all the others, and thrown on the fire it
would about suffice to boil a saucepan of beans.
. . . Howthen? If anyone is hidden inside, so
much the worse for him. I will settle him at
once.”
So saying, he seized the poor piece of wood
and commenced beating it without mercy
against the walls of the room.
Then he stopped to listen if he could hear
any little voice lamenting. He waited two
minutes—nothing; five minutes—nothing; ten
minutes—still nothing!
" I see how it is,” he then said, forcing him¬
self to laugh and pushing up his wig; “ evi¬
dently the little voice that said Oh! oh! was all
my imagination! Let us set to work again.”