Page 84 [84]
OCR
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 liberating himself from his assailants, and jumping 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
