[Illustration]
The next day, early in the morning, Punchinello came on deck to see the
sun rise.
"A storm is rising," he announced.
The Captain laughed at Punchinello's prediction, and so did the crew.
But suddenly the sky became black, the waves grew larger, and the ship
commenced to roll dangerously.
"I told you, sir, that you would be drowned," said Punchinello.
The Captain, furious, instead of attending to the management of his
ship, thought only of revenging himself on Punchinello.
"You scoundrel!" cried he, "if I am going to be drowned, you shall be so
first."
[Illustration]
Immediately poor Punchinello was lifted up and held between the sky and
the sea. But even in this terrible situation he did not lose his
presence of mind.
"Mercy on you, my good people!" said he. "You will not have long to
rejoice over my death, for I see some one coming who will avenge me."
All eyes were turned in the direction which Punchinello indicated. About
a mile off, the fire of the cannons of a Turkish pirate ship was to be
seen.
"Horror upon horrors!" screamed the Captain, "we shall all be killed."
So saying, he rolled about the deck, weeping.
"As I happen to know the Turkish language perfectly," said Punchinello,
"I shall be able to save you." He then withdrew to his cabin, and
dressed himself like a Turk, which gave him the most extraordinary
appearance you can imagine. This done, he saturated his garments with a
strong and disagreeable odor that he had obtained from the juice of a
sickly plant.
[Illustration]
In this guise did he approach the Turkish vessel, and was hoisted on
board. At the sight of this mountebank, or on account of the horrible
odor, the pirates showed much surprise, and could not resist holding
their noses.
"It really is nothing," said Punchinello. "Friend Pasha, I have come
from that miserable Spanish ship, which I trust you will soon take
possession of."
"But," interrupted the Pasha, "Brother Hunchback, what ever is this
dreadful smell?"
"It is nothing, my lord," replied Punchinello. "A number of the men on
the Spanish vessel are ill. The physician has said that it might be the
plague. Thus we use these ill-smelling things to protect us from the
disease."
"The plague!" roared the Pasha, rising hastily. "The wretch has the
plague. Throw him into his boat. Let us get away as fast as we can.
Friends, they have all got the plague."
The Pasha had not said this before Punchinello jumped into his boat and
returned to his own quarters, where he was received with transports of
delight, for the pirates had already fled, and were soon out of sight.
Directly he landed at Marseilles, Punchinello sought for a horse to take
him to Paris. While he was purchasing his animal, a big black cat came
and rubbed itself against his legs.
[Illustration]
"That cat," said the owner of the horse, "knows the way to Paris as well
as any one; and I have given him as guide to several travellers."
"Ho! ho! I shall take him with me, then, if that is the case, just to
find out what a rogue you are, my fine fellow."
[Illustration]
Punchinello galloped at full speed toward Paris, and was much astonished
to see the big cat run on before him with marvellous rapidity. But his
surprise soon changed to uneasiness when he observed that the speed of
the cat was rapidly increasing, and that his horse was following it at
the same rate. Both seemed to have gone mad.
"This is horrible!" cried Punchinello. "Friend Puss, good creature, are
we not going to have some dinner somewhere? What is the matter with you?
Whoa! Faith, my clothes are all falling off me!" But this discourse only
spurred on the cat. Suddenly, when they were going at the same rate
through a dark forest of chestnuts, all at once the whole cavalcade sank
into the earth, and disappeared as if enchanted.
Punchinello now found himself, with his feet in the air, in the midst of
about thirty persons of the most forbidding appearance possible. They
were in reality thieves of the worst character.
"Lord Punchinello," said the Captain of the band, "I hope you will
consent to remain with us; for if you refuse, I shall have you put in a
pot and boil you alive."
"I understand that I should not be worth much boiled," said Punchinello;
"therefore I am at your service, sirs."
Punchinello saw that he was a prisoner, and therefore began at once to
plan how to escape. The Captain, whose name was Ronflard, departed that
very evening, thus giving him an opportunity too good to be lost.
The next day he said, laughing: "Comrades, you lead a jolly life down
here, but I confess that I can't help regretting the delightful
amusement that always enchanted the Neapolitan Court after dinner."
"What was it?" cried the whole band at once.
"It consists," said Punchinello, "in descending a steep hill in little
sledges, going one after the other, and running on rails. Nothing would
be easier than to arrange the same sort of thing on the slope that I
descended yesterday evening to get here."
"That is the thing to suit us exactly," cried the brigands on all sides.
"Friends, to work at once and build some sledges!"
Soon all was ready. Each of the twenty brigands got into his own sledge
upon the platform that was just at the top of the staircase underneath
the trap-door.
Punchinello remained at the bottom of the staircase. The brigands in
their twenty sledges set off, descending the slope with terrible
rapidity; but, lo and behold! as soon as they were going at full speed,
Punchinello drew a huge skewer, about thirty feet long, from behind his
back, and held the point toward the tops of the sledges, which were
descending with immense rapidity. Horror was depicted on the faces of
the brigands. Their cries were piteous. However, whether they would or
no, they were obliged to fall upon the skewer. They went rolling down
zigzag; the first brigand arrived like lightning, and thirty feet of
steel went through his body. The others came rolling down, and were
impaled, one after the other--a horrible death, but a fitting end to
their guilty lives.
[Illustration]
Punchinello then put the skewer, with his extraordinary game, on a cart,
harnessed six horses to it, and arrived in less than two hours at the
town of Chartres. He immediately inquired the address of the magistrate.
[Illustration]
Directly Punchinello entered the low room where this personage awaited
him, he was almost dazed at recognizing in the nose of this official the
counterpart of the one he had seen the night before on Captain
Ronflard's face. Indeed, such a nose was not to be forgotten when once
seen. Its length was so great that it made its appearance, so to speak,
about a quarter of an hour before its owner. It stretched straight out
like a staff, or the shaft of a carriage.
Of course Punchinello understood at once that the magistrate, by a bold
appropriation of two offices, united the power of a justice with his
horrible trade of chief of a band of robbers. With great self-command,
he pretended not to have recognized Ronflard in his magistrate's robes.
The latter had the account of Punchinello's escape related to him, and,
caressing his big cat, he complimented Punchinello upon his courage, and
begged him to sup with him.
What passed during the meal was never quite cleared up, as Punchinello
confessed that he did not know himself. Some have concluded that he must
have swallowed some terrible drug. What is known for certain is that the
next morning Punchinello found himself in a damp prison. He began to
think over his past life, until, remembering the look of regret that his
donkey had given him when he said good-by to him forever, tears fell
from his eyes.
"Who is that that is complaining over there?" said a voice suddenly,
quite close to Punchinello.
"It is the poor son of a fisherman," replied he, "who is deformed in
front and behind. But who are you?"
"I am the Goodman Patience," replied the voice, "and my trade is to show
puppets gratis to amuse poor people and little children."
"By my wig--" cried Punchinello. But he was cut short by the prison door
groaning on its hinges; and the magistrate entered, followed by his
black cat. By the light of a torch Ronflard read their sentence, in
which they were condemned to be hanged in an hour's time.
When Punchinello wished to remonstrate, the magistrate withdrew,
grinning. Punchinello, enraged, noticed the big cat that was going out
after its master, and shut the door with such violence that the tail of
the animal was cut clean off at the root. Immediately it was transformed
into a long rope.
"Ha! ha!" cried Punchinello, "I move that we make this tail useful. I
see my way to an escape."
Punchinello mounted the tail, of which he held the tuft as a bridle,
whilst Patience placed himself behind.
"Good!" cried Punchinello. "One, two, three--and away to Paris!"
Punchinello had hardly time to realize that he was travelling when he
was set down, with his companion, in the middle of the Champs Elysées.
It was on a beautiful day in spring, about noon.
"Listen," said Patience: "I have an idea in my head. I will establish my
little theatre here, and if you will appear as an actor, it can not fail
to prosper. There is no question but that your wit, added to your funny
appearance, will attract numbers of spectators."
"Well, perhaps so," said Punchinello; "and I confess that I thought of
that myself. As I have only found envy and malice amongst the great,
what better use could I make of the wit that has been given me than to
employ it in amusing poor people, and little children who are always
innocent and good? I am poor myself and of lowly rank. I will make them
laugh, and I will bring roses to the cheeks of all the sweet little
children that pass, for in so doing I shall reap a blessing."
In the course of time Punchinello made the acquaintance of Judy, and
married her. She has been a great help to him in his performances, as
you will all allow. If you are puzzled as to how he manages to be in so
many countries and at so many different places at the same time, it is
because he still retains the rope made of the cat's tail, which carries
him anywhere at a moment's notice.