“Geppetto.”

“And what trade does he follow?”

“He is a beggar.”

“Does he gain much?”

“Gain much?  Why, he has never a penny in his pocket.  Only think, in order to buy a spelling-book so that I could go to school he was obliged to sell the only coat he had to wear—­a coat that, between patches and darns, was not fit to be seen.”

“Poor devil!  I feel almost sorry for him!  Here are five gold pieces.  Go at once and take them to him with my compliments.”

Pinocchio was overjoyed and thanked the showman a thousand times.  He embraced all the puppets of the company one by one, even to the gendarmes, and set out to return home.

But he had not gone far when he met on the road a Fox lame of one foot, and a Cat blind of both eyes, and they were going along helping each other like good companions in misfortune.  The Fox, who was lame, walked leaning on the Cat; and the Cat, who was blind, was guided by the Fox.

“Good-day, Pinocchio,” said the Fox, greeting him politely.

“How do you come to know my name?” asked the puppet.

“I know your father well.”

“Where did you see him?”

“I saw him yesterday at the door of his house.”

“And what was he doing?”

“He was in his shirt-sleeves and shivering with cold.”

“Poor papa!  But that is over; for the future he shall shiver no more!”

“Why?”

“Because I have become a gentleman.”

“A gentleman—­you!” said the Fox, and he began to laugh rudely and scornfully.  The Cat also began to laugh, but to conceal it she combed her whiskers with her forepaws.

[Illustration:  Splash!  Splash!  They fell Into the Very Middle of the Ditch]

“There is little to laugh at,” cried Pinocchio angrily.  “I am really sorry to make your mouth water, but if you know anything about it, you can see that these are five gold pieces.”

And he pulled out the money that Fire-Eater had given him.

At the jingling of the money the Fox, with an involuntary movement, stretched out the paw that seemed crippled, and the Cat opened wide two eyes that looked like two green lanterns.  It is true that she shut them again, and so quickly that Pinocchio observed nothing.

“And now,” asked the Fox, “what are you going to do with all that money?”

“First of all,” answered the puppet, “I intend to buy a new coat for my papa, made of gold and silver, and with diamond buttons; and then I will buy a spelling-book for myself.”

“For yourself?”

“Yes indeed, for I wish to go to school to study in earnest.”

“Look at me!” said the Fox.  “Through my foolish passion for study I have lost a leg.”

“Look at me!” said the Cat.  “Through my foolish passion for study I have lost the sight of both my eyes.”

At that moment a white Blackbird, that was perched on the hedge by the road, began his usual song, and said: