Page 63 [63]
OCR
PINOCCHIO 53 After he had sneezed, the showman, still acting the ruffian, shouted to Pinocchio: " Have done crying! Your lamentations have given me a pain in my stomach.... I feel a spasm, that almost... Etci! etci!” and he sneezed again twice. “ Bless you!” said Pinocchio. “'Thank you! And your papa and your mamma, are they still alive? " asked Fire-eater. “Papa, yes; my mamma I have never known.” " Who can say what a sorrow it would be for your poor old father if I was to have you thrown amongst those burning coals! Poor old man! I compassionate him! ... Etci! etci! etci! " and he sneezed again three times, “Bless you!” said Pinocchio. - Thank you! All the same, some compassion 1s due to me, for as you see I have no more wood with which to finish roasting my mutton, and to tell you the truth, under the circumstances you would have been of great use to me! However, I have had pity on you, so I must have patience. Instead of you I will burn under the spit one of the puppets belonging to my company. Ho there, gendarmes!”’ At this call two wooden gendarmes immediately appeared. ‘They were very long and
