Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all Africa, felt it to be his first duty to express his gratitude for the magnificent reception that had been given to him.  The ministers made an equally polite response.

Persons of rank now came to pay homage to the new king.  Among them were great chiefs of tribes, princes, and kings of the neighboring states.  Pinocchio received them all with much pomp.  This sort of thing was at first very pleasing to him.  But day after day the visitors and the feasts continued.  As Pinocchio was the host, he had to eat with all these newcomers.  He became very stout, and his jaws ached from so much chewing.  Eating was becoming a burden to him.  He even longed for the days when he had gone hungry.  However, one must take things as they come and be ready to suffer for the good of one’s country.

One day there came to the court three kings, the most powerful within a range of a thousand miles.  The first was clad in a white skirt, and a military coat which he had bought from an English captain.  He came with his head uncovered and a high hat in his hand.  The second wore an old helmet on the back of his head.  The third carried a clumsy sword in one hand and in the other a broken umbrella.

They bowed to the ground very respectfully, and then each in turn slapped Pinocchio in the face.

The marionette, who did not expect this sort of greeting, was about to express his anger, when the master of ceremonies whispered in his ear that such a greeting was given only to great people.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” thought Pinocchio, and he smiled at the visitors.

Dinner was then announced.  Pinocchio felt sick at the thought of eating again.  It was the fifth time that day, and the sun was still high in the sky, but of course it was not proper to dismiss three kings without having feasted them.

They went out to the dining room, which was under a tree.  Beneath the branches were more than a thousand people.  They all sat on the ground, and were waited upon by tall young men, who carried around large plates of meat.The three kings gave themselves up to the joys of eating.  They took their food in their hands and swallowed it without even stopping to chew it.  Each man ate enough to satisfy a score of ordinary people, for African kings are great eaters.  The poor marionette tried to eat as much as the others did.  He felt that his reputation depended upon it.  How he suffered!

At sunset, when all had satisfied their hunger, there was placed before them a strange-looking affair with a long tube fastened to it.  A disagreeable smoke came out of it.

“What new thing is this?” thought the marionette, but he did not say a word, for by this time he had learned that an emperor must appear to know everything.

The matter, however, was quickly made clear.  The outfit was a huge pipe, with a long mouthpiece.  The master of ceremonies presented the mouthpiece to the emperor and asked him to have the kindness to smoke.