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220 PINOCCHIO
sleeping like a dormouse, the sea is calm, and
itis as light as day. Follow me, dear papa, and
in a short time we shall be m safety."
They immediately climbed up the throat of
the sea-monster, and having reached his im¬
mense mouth they began to walk on tiptoe down
his tongue.
Before taking the final leap the puppet
said to his father:
" Get on my shoulders and put your arms
round my neck. I will take care of the rest.”
As soon as Geppetto was firmly settled on
his son’s shoulders, ‘Pinocchio, feeling sure of
himself, threw himself into the water and began
to swim. ‘The sea was as smooth as oil, the
moon shone brilliantly, and the Dog-fish was
sleeping so profoundly that even a cannonade
would have failed to wake him.