“Good beast!” said Pinocchio, somewhat encouraged, as he gave the signal to depart.

The sun was already up when they reached the river where the hunt was to take place.

Hippopotamus hunting is a very dangerous sport, but it was one that the people dearly loved.

Scouts were sent on ahead while the hunters crawled like snakes through the high, thick grass.  As they neared the river, they became very careful.  With their eyes fixed, their ears wide open, their spears firmly grasped, they were ready to attack at any moment.

Pinocchio pretended that he was suffering with a pain in the left foot, and slowly dropped behind the others.  He had never had any great liking for the hunt.  He felt annoyed that he should always have to do things that he did not enjoy.  He would have stayed where he was, but the prime minister came along in search of him.

Tired of the insolence of this man, the marionette thrust back his hat with a bold sweep of his hand, as if to say, “Now I shall show you who I am, and who I was.”  Pinocchio then hastened toward the river, reaching the bank at the very moment when the hunters had started a large hippopotamus out of the weeds.

   The huge animal tried to get away and made for the river.

“Some one must jump into the water and kill it with the javelin,” said the prime minister.  Nobody stirred.

   Suddenly a loud voice rang through the stillness: 

   “I will go.”

And Pinocchio, amid shouts of admiration and terror from his subjects, dived into the river and swam toward the animal.

The hippopotamus scented the enemy and turned upon him, but the nimble marionette, swimming around the great creature, grasped it by its short, thick tail.

When the beast felt itself gently pulled in this manner it began to turn round and round like a dog chasing a troublesome fly.

This performance, which was both funny and terrible, lasted for fully five minutes.  During all that time Pinocchio did nothing but laugh.  He did not seem to realize what would happen to him if he were clutched by those terrible jaws.

At length the animal, blind with rage, plunged below the surface of the water, leaving the marionette and the others dumbfounded.

This adventure increased tenfold the admiration of the black hunters for their emperor, although it was not wholly satisfactory to the chief cook of the royal household, who had already planned a great dinner.  But Pinocchio quickly consoled him, assuring him that when it came to eating the tongue and feet of a hippopotamus, the emperor would cheerfully forego the pleasure.

39.  The Emperor Surprises His Subjects By His Wisdom

Pinocchio’s power grew greater and greater.  The courage shown by him in the hand-to-hand fight with the hippopotamus had made a great impression on the ministers.

The grand council, for instance, had assembled the high court of justice, which was to try a large number of important cases.  The very next morning the wise and brave Pinocchio was urged to pass judgment upon the cases to be presented that day.