Pinocchio was greatly touched by this pitiful tale.  He had just opened his mouth to pronounce a terrible sentence upon the thief, who was standing motionless as a statue, when the minister whispered to him to listen to the other side of the story.  With an angry look Pinocchio ordered the accused man to speak.

He started as if he had been roused from deep thought, gazed around, and then said in a grave, slow voice, “The sun shines — "

“What kind of speech is he going to make?” thought Pinocchio.  “Is it necessary for him to say that the sun shines?”

And as the rogue went on to speak of starry skies, blue waters, and things of that sort, the marionette lost his patience and shouted, “But did you or did you not eat the sheep?”

“Your majesty,” replied the man, “certainly I ate the sheep!  Ask, however, who, on the day before, ate three fingers from my left hand!”

   “Your majesty, I was hungry — " groaned the shepherd.  “I was very
   hungry.”

Pinocchio shuddered.  “What kind of people are these?  What sort of place have I fallen into?  Fortunately for me I am made of wood.”

Meanwhile the two had lowered their heads, waiting for their sentence.  Pinocchio was too much shocked to say a word.

   The grand chamberlain came to his aid and whispered something in his
   ear.

“Speak!” replied the marionette, “I bid you speak, for whatever you do is well done.”

The minister was pleased at the faith his majesty had in him.  He turned his dark face toward the two offenders and said, “One sheep and three fingers!  You shall both be hanged.”

   Pinocchio, half-dazed, watched the minister.

Case followed case, and at the end of each one Pinocchio said to the minister, “Act.  I bid you act.  What you do is always well done.”

The minister knew so well how to act that on this one day there were sentences amounting to five hundred years of imprisonment, and two hundred years at hard labor, while a thousand prisoners were to be lashed, and one hundred were condemned to die.Justice had been done.  The emperor Pinocchio was led back to the royal palace amid the shouts of the people.  He was declared to be the mildest, the wisest, and the most just of all kings, past, present, and future.

40.  Pinocchio Travels Through The Empire

In order that his faithful subjects might behold their new sovereign, Pinocchio the First resolved to make a tour of the villages of his vast empire and see with his own eyes the needs of his people.

The arrangements were made by the ministers of state.  Messages were sent to all the governors to make preparations for the event, to select committees to meet the emperor, to provide entertainment, in short, to have everything in readiness.

It was a big task.  The emperor, however, did not trouble himself about it.  He amused himself watching the crickets and the birds, laughing at the antics of some little monkeys, and playing with his boy pages.