Stranica 84 [84]
12 PINOCCHIO
Pinocchios mouth seemed to be nailed and
riveted together.
Then the shorter assassin drew out an ugly
knife and tried to force it between his lips like
a lever or chisel. But Pinocchio, as quick as
lightning, caught his hand with his teeth, and
with one bite bit it clean off and spat it out.
Imagine his astonishment when instead of a
hand he perceived that he had spat a cat’s paw
on to the ground.
Encouraged by this first victory he used his
nails to such purpose that he succeeded in lib¬
erating himself from his assailants, and jump¬
ing the hedge by the roadside he began to fly
across country. ‘The assassins ran after him
like two dogs chasing a hare: and the one who
had lost a paw ran on one leg, and no one ever
knew how he managed it.
After a race of some miles ‘Pinocchio could
do no more. Giving himself up for lost he
climbed the stem of a very high pine tree and
seated himself in the topmost branches. The
assassins attempted to climb after him, but
when they had reached half-way up the stem
they slid down again, and arrived on the ground
with the skin grazed from their hands and knees.
But they were not to be beaten by so little:
collecting a quantity of dry wood they piled it
beneath the pine and set fire to it. In less time