A puppet!” 121
The boys threw their books at poor Pinocchio 126
the fisherman put his hand into the net 133
the dog seizes Pinocchio and escapes 139
“Here is the coach!” Shouted Candlewick 147
they arrive in the “Land of the boobies” 153
The boys are turned into donkeys 160
the little donkeys are sold 167
all his friends were invited 172
the puppet was wriggling like an eel 178
swallowed by the dog-fish 186
it would be more comfortable on the Tunny’s back 189
the blind cat and the tailless Fox 194

[Illustration]

PINOCCHIO

CHAPTER I

THE PIECE OF WOOD THAT LAUGHED AND CRIED LIKE A CHILD

There was once upon a time a piece of wood in the shop of an old carpenter named Master Antonio.  Everybody, however, called him Master Cherry, on account of the end of his nose, which was always as red and polished as a ripe cherry.

No sooner had Master Cherry set eyes on the piece of wood than his face beamed with delight, and, rubbing his hands together with satisfaction, he said softly to himself: 

“This wood has come at the right moment; it will just do to make the leg of a little table.”

He immediately took a sharp axe with which to remove the bark and the rough surface, but just as he was going to give the first stroke he heard a very small voice say imploringly, “Do not strike me so hard!”

He turned his terrified eyes all around the room to try and discover where the little voice could possibly have come from, but he saw nobody!  He looked under the bench—­nobody; he looked into a cupboard that was always shut—­nobody; he looked into a basket of shavings and sawdust—­nobody; he even opened the door of the shop and gave a glance into the street—­and still nobody.  Who, then, could it be?

“I see how it is,” he said, laughing and scratching his wig, “evidently that little voice was all my imagination.  Let us set to work again.”

And, taking up the axe, he struck a tremendous blow on the piece of wood.