Page 55 [55]
PINOCCHIO 45
He stopped and listened. ‘The sounds came
from the end of a cross street that took to a
little village on the seashore.
‘What can that music bef What a pity
that I have to go to school, or else . . ."
And he remained irresolute. It was, how¬
ever, necessary to come to a decision. Should
he go to school? or should he go after the fifes?
“To-day I will go and hear the fifes, and
to-morrow I will go to school,” finally decided
the young scapegrace, shrugging his shoulders.
The more he ran the nearer came the sounds
of the fifes and the beating of the big drum:
fi-fi-fi, zum, zum, zum; zum.
At last he found himself in the middle of a
square quite full of people, who were all crowd¬
ing round a building made of wood and canvas,
and painted a thousand colours.
‘What is that building? " asked Pinocchio,
turning to a little boy who belonged to the place.
" Read the placard—it is all written—and
then you will know.”
“I would read it willingly, but it so hap¬
pens that to-day I don’t know how to read."
- Bravo, blockhead! ‘Then I will read it to
you. The writing on that placard in those
letters red as fire is:
‘GREAT PUPPET THEATRE " "
" Has the play begun long? ”