Stranica 178 [178]
158 PINOCCHIO
The dog recognised Pinocchio’s voice, and
to his extreme surprise perceived that it pro¬
ceeded from the floured bundle that the fisher¬
man held in his hand.
So what do you think he did? He made a
spring, seized the bundle in his mouth, and hold¬
ing it gently between his teeth he rushed out
of the cave and was gone like a flash of
hohtning.
The fisherman, furious at seeing a fish he
was so anxious to eat snatched from him, ran
after the dog; but he had not gone many steps
when he was taken with a fit of coughing and
had to give it up.
Alidoro, when he had reached the path that
led to the village, stopped, and put his friend
Pinocchio gently on the ground.
‘How much I have to thank you for!”
said the puppet.
“There is no necessity,” replied the dog.
‘You saved me and I have now returned it.
You know that we must all help each other in
this world.”
‘But how came you to come to the cave? ”
" I was lying on the shore more dead than
alive when the wind brought to me the smell of
fried fish. The smell excited my appetite,
and I f ollowed itup. If I had arrived a second
later. .