“Is he dead, I wonder?” said Pinocchio, rubbing his hands together happily.  Without a moment’s hesitation, he started to step over him, but he had just raised one leg when the Serpent shot up like a spring and the Marionette fell head over heels backward.  He fell so awkwardly that his head stuck in the mud, and there he stood with his legs straight up in the air.

At the sight of the Marionette kicking and squirming like a young whirlwind, the Serpent laughed so heartily and so long that at last he burst an artery and died on the spot.

Pinocchio freed himself from his awkward position and once more began to run in order to reach the Fairy’s house before dark.  As he went, the pangs of hunger grew so strong that, unable to withstand them, he jumped into a field to pick a few grapes that tempted him.  Woe to him!

No sooner had he reached the grapevine than—­crack! went his legs.

The poor Marionette was caught in a trap set there by a Farmer for some Weasels which came every night to steal his chickens.

CHAPTER 21

Pinocchio is caught by a Farmer, who uses him as a watchdog for his chicken coop.

Pinocchio, as you may well imagine, began to scream and weep and beg; but all was of no use, for no houses were to be seen and not a soul passed by on the road.

Night came on.

A little because of the sharp pain in his legs, a little because of fright at finding himself alone in the darkness of the field, the Marionette was about to faint, when he saw a tiny Glowworm flickering by.  He called to her and said: 

“Dear little Glowworm, will you set me free?”

“Poor little fellow!” replied the Glowworm, stopping to look at him with pity.  “How came you to be caught in this trap?”

“I stepped into this lonely field to take a few grapes and—­”

“Are the grapes yours?”

“No.”

“Who has taught you to take things that do not belong to you?”

“I was hungry.”

“Hunger, my boy, is no reason for taking something which belongs to another.”

“It’s true, it’s true!” cried Pinocchio in tears.  “I won’t do it again.”

Just then, the conversation was interrupted by approaching footsteps.  It was the owner of the field, who was coming on tiptoes to see if, by chance, he had caught the Weasels which had been eating his chickens.

Great was his surprise when, on holding up his lantern, he saw that, instead of a Weasel, he had caught a boy!

“Ah, you little thief!” said the Farmer in an angry voice.  “So you are the one who steals my chickens!”

“Not I!  No, no!” cried Pinocchio, sobbing bitterly.  “I came here only to take a very few grapes.”

“He who steals grapes may very easily steal chickens also.  Take my word for it, I’ll give you a lesson that you’ll remember for a long while.”