PINOCCHIO AMONG THE WILD ANIMALS
Ladies and gentlemen! kind and gentle people! citizens of a great
town! officers and soldiers! I wish you all peace, health, and plenty.
Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, let me make a brief explanation. I
am not here for gain. Far be it from me to think of such a thing as
money. I travel the world over with my menagerie, which is made up of
rare animals brought by me from the heart of Africa. I perform only in
large cities. But to-day one of the monkeys in the troupe is fallen
seriously ill. It is therefore necessary to make a short stop in order
that we may consult with some well-known doctor in this town.
Profit, therefore, by this chance, ladies and gentlemen, to see
wonders which you have never seen before, and which you may never see
again. I labor to spread learning, and I work to teach the masses, for
I love the common people. Come forward, and I shall be glad to open my
menagerie to you. Forward, forward, ladies and gentlemen! two small
francs will admit you. Children one franc, yes, only one franc.
Pinocchio, who stood in the front row, and who was ready to take
advantage of the kind invitation, felt a sudden shock on hearing these
last words. He looked at the director in a dazed fashion, as if to say
to him, What are you talking about? Did you not say that you traveled
around the world for
Then, as he saw one of the spectators put down a two-franc piece and
walk inside, he hung his head and suffered in silence.
Having passed two or three minutes in painful thinking, the forlorn
marionette put his hands into his pockets, hoping to find in them a
forgotten coin. He found nothing but a few buttons.
He racked his brains to think of some plan whereby he could get the
money that was needed. He glanced at his clothes, which he would
cheerfully have sold could he have found a buyer. Not knowing what else
to do, he walked around the tent like a wolf prowling about the
sheepfold.
Around and around he went till he found himself near an old wall which
hid him from view. He came nearer the tent and to his joy discovered a
tiny hole in the canvas. Here was his chance! He thrust in his thin
wooden finger, but seized with a sudden fear lest some hungry lion
should see it and bite it off, he hastily tried to pull it out again.
In doing this, somehow r-r-rip went the canvas, and there was a tear
a yard wide. Pinocchio shook with fear. But fear or no fear, there was
the hole and beyondwere the wonders of Africa!
First an arm, then his head, and then his whole body went into the cage
of wild animals! He could not see them, but he heard them, and he was
filled with awe. The beasts had seen him. He felt himself grasped at
once by the shoulders and by the end of his nose. Two or three voices
shouted in his ears, Who goes there?
For pitys sake, Mr. Elephant! said poor Pinocchio.
There are no elephants here.
Pardon, Sir Lion.
There are no lions here.
Excuse me, Mr. Tiger.
There are no tigers.
Mr. Monkey?
No Monkeys.
Men?
There are neither men nor women here; there are only Africans from
Africa, who imitate wild beasts for two francs and a half a day.
But the elephants, where are they?
In Africa.
And the lions?
In Africa.
And the tigers and the monkeys?
In Africa. And you, where do you come from? What are you doing in the
cage of the wild beasts? Didnt you see what is written over the door?
NO ONE ALLOWED TO ENTER.
I cannot read in the dark, replied Pinocchio, trembling from head to
foot; I am no cat.
At these words everybody began to laugh. Pinocchio felt a little
encouraged and murmured to himself, They seem to be kind people, these
wild beasts.
He wanted to say something pleasant to them, but just then the director
of the company began to shout at the top of his voice.