Stranica 67 [67]
XII
THE SHOWMAN, FIRE-EATER, MAKES PINOCCHIO
A PRESENT OF FIVE GOLD PIECES TO TAKE
HOME TO HIS FATHER, GEPPETTO; BUT
PINOCCHIO INSTEAD ALLOWS HIMSELF TO BE
TAKEN IN BY THE FOX AND THE CAT, AND
GOES WITH THEM
HE following day Fire-eater called
: Pinocchio on one side and asked him:
‘What is your father’s name? ”
" Geppetto.”
" And what trade does he follow? ”
“ He is a beggar.”
" Does he gain much? "
“Gain much? Why, he has never a penny
in his pocket. Only think, to buy a Spelling¬
book for me to go to school he was obliged to
sell the only coat he had to wear—a coat that,
between patches and darns, was not fit to be
seen."
‘Poor devil! I feel almost sorry for him!
Here are five gold pieces. Go at once and
take them to him with my compliments.”
You can easily understand that Pinocchio
thanked the showman a thousand times. He
embraced all the puppets of the company one
by one, even to the gendarmes, and beside him¬
self with delight set out to return home.
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