Stranica 167 [167]
PINOCCHIO 149
he would have to pass under the windows of the
good Fairys house between the carabineers.
He would rather have died.
They had already reached the village when
a gust of wind blew Pinocchios cap off his
head and carried it ten yards off.
“Will you permit me,” said the puppet
to the carabineers, "to go and get my cap?”
“Go, then; but be quick about it.”
The puppet went and picked up his cap...
but instead of putting it on his head he took
it between his teeth and began to run as hard
as he could towards the seashore.
The carabineers, thinking it would be diffi¬
cult to overtake him, sent after him a large
mastiff who had won the first prizes at all the
dog-races. Pinocchio ran, but the dog ran
faster. The people came to their windows and
crowded into the street in their anxiety to see
the end of the desperate race. But they could
not satisfy their curiosity, for Pinocchio and
the dog raised such clouds of dust that in a
few minutes nothing could be seen of either of
them.