Oldal 132 [132]
116 PINOCCHIO
marble stone, on which were engraved these
sad words:
HERE LIES
THE CHILD WITH THE BLUE HAIR
WHO DIED FROM SORROW
BECAUSE SHE WAS ABANDONED BY HER
LITTLE BROTHER PINOCCHIO.
I leave you to imagine the puppet s feelings
when he had with difficulty spelt out this
epitaph. He fell with his face on the ground
and, covering the tombstone with a thousand
kisses, burst into an agony of tears. He cried
all night, and when morning came he was still
crying although he had no tears left, and his
sobs and lamentations were so acute and heart¬
breaking that they roused the echoes in the
surrounding hills.
And as he wept he said:
“ Oh, little Fairy, why did you die? Why
did not I die instead of you, I who am so wicked,
whilst you were so good?... And my papa!
Where can he be? Oh, little Fairy, tell me
where I can find him, for [ want to remain with
him always and never to leave him again, never
again! . . . Oh, little Fairy, tell me that it is
not true that you are dead! ... If you really
love me . . . If you really love your little brother,
come to life again .. . come to life as you were