Poor Pinocchio!  He even tried to tear his hair, but as it was only painted on his wooden head, he could not even pull it.

Just then a large Pigeon flew far above him.  Seeing the Marionette, he cried to him: 

“Tell me, little boy, what are you doing there?”

“Can’t you see?  I’m crying,” cried Pinocchio, lifting his head toward the voice and rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.

“Tell me,” asked the Pigeon, “do you by chance know of a Marionette, Pinocchio by name?”

“Pinocchio!  Did you say Pinocchio?” replied the Marionette, jumping to his feet.  “Why, I am Pinocchio!”

At this answer, the Pigeon flew swiftly down to the earth.  He was much larger than a turkey.

“Then you know Geppetto also?”

“Do I know him?  He’s my father, my poor, dear father!  Has he, perhaps, spoken to you of me?  Will you take me to him?  Is he still alive?  Answer me, please!  Is he still alive?”

“I left him three days ago on the shore of a large sea.”

“What was he doing?”

“He was building a little boat with which to cross the ocean.  For the last four months, that poor man has been wandering around Europe, looking for you.  Not having found you yet, he has made up his mind to look for you in the New World, far across the ocean.”

“How far is it from here to the shore?” asked Pinocchio anxiously.

“More than fifty miles.”

“Fifty miles?  Oh, dear Pigeon, how I wish I had your wings!”

“If you want to come, I’ll take you with me.”

“How?”

“Astride my back.  Are you very heavy?”

“Heavy?  Not at all.  I’m only a feather.”

“Very well.”

Saying nothing more, Pinocchio jumped on the Pigeon’s back and, as he settled himself, he cried out gayly: 

“Gallop on, gallop on, my pretty steed!  I’m in a great hurry.”

The Pigeon flew away, and in a few minutes he had reached the clouds.  The Marionette looked to see what was below them.  His head swam and he was so frightened that he clutched wildly at the Pigeon’s neck to keep himself from falling.

They flew all day.  Toward evening the Pigeon said: 

“I’m very thirsty!”

“And I’m very hungry!” said Pinocchio.

“Let us stop a few minutes at that pigeon coop down there.  Then we can go on and be at the seashore in the morning.”

They went into the empty coop and there they found nothing but a bowl of water and a small basket filled with chick-peas.

The Marionette had always hated chick-peas.  According to him, they had always made him sick; but that night he ate them with a relish.  As he finished them, he turned to the Pigeon and said: 

“I never should have thought that chick-peas could be so good!”

“You must remember, my boy,” answered the Pigeon, “that hunger is the best sauce!”

After resting a few minutes longer, they set out again.  The next morning they were at the seashore.