Pinocchio buried his face in the milk and ate the bread.  There was no doubt of his hunger.  The others offered him fruit and cake.  He was pleased.  Africa, after all, was a country where one could live.  His hunger satisfied, he did what marionettes usually do, talked about himself.  In a short time all the people knew who he was and why he had come to Africa.  The old man with the pipe asked him, “Who told you that here in Africa there is so much gold?”

   “Who told me?  He who knows told me!”

   “But are you sure that he did not wish to deceive you?”

“Deceive me?” replied the marionette, “My dear sire, to deceive me one must have a good — " and he touched his forehead with his forefinger as much as to say that within lay a great brain.  “Before leaving home I studied so much that the teacher feared I should ruin my health.”

“Very well,” replied the old man, “let us travel together, for we also area in search of gold and precious stones.”

Pinocchio’s heart beat fast with hope.  At last there was some one to help him in his search.  He could scarcely control himself enough to say:  “Willingly, most willingly!  I have no objections.  Suit yourselves.”

21.  Pinocchio Travels With The Caravan

The camels, refreshed by the large amount of water they had taken, stood up, proud of their loads.  Even the donkey brayed.  Yes, there was a donkey!  And this fact displeased Pinocchio.  He had for a long time felt a great dislike for these animals.  In fact, he had once been a donkey, and his dislike was a natural one.

The donkey did not carry any load, and for that reason the marionette was asked to ride on its back.  He hesitated.  It was stupid to ride a donkey, and he would have preferred to walk, but he did not like to seem rude to the good people, and up he mounted.

They traveled all day along the narrow road which gradually wound around the slope of a mountain.  The old man rode by the side of Pinocchio, asking him many questions about the studies he had taken up to prepare himself for this trip to Africa.

The marionette talked a great deal, and as might have been expected, made many blunders.  He began to think that his companions were very simple, and that in Africa one could tell any kind of lie without being discovered.  He even went so far as to assure the old man that he knew the very spot where they could find gold and diamonds, and ended by saying that within a week they should all be men of great wealth.

“You must walk straight ahead,” the saucy marionette was saying, “then to the right, and you will arrive at the bottom of a valley, through which flows a beautiful brook of yellow water.  By the side of this brook is a tree, and beneath the tree there is gold in plenty.”

The old man was amazed to hear the tales he told.  Pinocchio himself felt ashamed of all these lies.  He was afraid his nose would grow as it had done one day at home.  But no, it was still its natural size!