been robbed had me immediately put in prison to content the robbers, and then when I was coming away I saw a beautiful bunch of grapes in a field, and I was caught in a trap, and the peasant, who was quite right, put a dog-collar round my neck that I might guard the poultry-yard, and acknowledging my innocence let me go, and the Serpent with the smoking tail began to laugh and broke a blood-vessel in his chest, and so I returned to the house of the beautiful Child, who was dead, and the Pigeon, seeing that I was crying, said to me, ’I have seen your father who was building a little boat to go in search of you,’ and I said to him, ‘Oh! if I also had wings,’ and he said to me, ‘Do you want to go to your father?’ and I said, ’Without doubt! but who will take me to him?’ and he said to me, ’I will take you,’ and I said to him, ‘How?’ and he said to me, ‘Get on my back,’ and so we flew all night, and then in the morning all the fishermen who were looking out to sea said to me, ’There is a poor man in a boat who is on the point of being drowned,’ and I recognized you at once, even at that distance, for my heart told me, and I made signs to you to return to land.”

“I also recognized you,” said Geppetto, “and I would willingly have returned to the shore, but what was I to do!  The sea was tremendous and a great wave upset my boat.  Then a horrible Dog-Fish, who was near, as soon as he saw me in the water, came towards me, and, putting out his tongue, took hold of me and swallowed me as if I had been a little apple tart.”

“And how long have you been shut up here?” asked Pinocchio.

[Illustration:  They Thought It Would Be More Comfortable to Get on the Tunny’s Back]

“Since that day—­it must be nearly two years ago; two years, my dear Pinocchio, that have seemed like two centuries!”

“And how have you managed to live?  And where did you get the candle?  And the matches to light it?  Who gave them to you?”

“Stop, and I will tell you everything.  You must know, then, that in the same storm in which my boat was upset a merchant vessel foundered.  The sailors were all saved, but the vessel went to the bottom, and the Dog-Fish, who had that day an excellent appetite, after he had swallowed me, swallowed also the vessel.”

“How?”

“He swallowed it in one mouthful, and the only thing that he spat out was the mainmast, that had stuck between his teeth like a fish-bone.  Fortunately for me, the vessel was laden with preserved meat in tins, biscuit, bottles of wine, dried raisins, cheese, coffee, sugar, candles, and boxes of wax matches.  With this providential supply I have been able to live for two years.  But I have arrived at the end of my resources; there is nothing left in the larder, and this candle that you see burning is the last that remains.”

“And after that?”

“After that, dear boy, we shall both remain in the dark.”

“Then, dear little papa,” said Pinocchio, “there is no time to lose.  We must think of escaping.”