PINOCCHIO IS WELL RECEIVED
First of all, he said, I must go to the nearest castle I can find.
The master will not refuse me shelter and food. Some soup, a leg of
roast chicken, and a glass of milk will put me in fine spirits.
The journey across the rocks was full of difficulties, but the
marionette overcame them readily, leaping from rock to rock like a
goat. He walked, walked, walked! The rocks seemed to have no ending,
and the castle, which he imagined he saw in the distance, appeared to
be always farther and farther away. As the marionette drew nearer, the
towers began to disappear and the walls to crumble. He walked on
broken-hearted. Finally he sat down in despair and put his head in his
hands. Farewell, castle! good-by, roast chicken and soup! He was
about to weep again when he saw in the distance a village of great
beauty lying at the foot of a gentle slope.
At the sight he gave a cry of joy and without a moments delay set out
in that direction. He leaped over the rocks and bushes, putting to
flight several flocks of birds in his haste. Of course only a
marionette could go as fast as he did. How beautiful Africa is! said
he. If I had known this I would have come here long ago.
In a short time he reached the main square of the town. Men, women, and
children were lounging about, gossiping, buying, and selling. When they
saw the marionette they gathered around him, and many began to shout:
It is Pinocchio! Look, here is Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Pinocchio!
Well, this is strange! said the marionette to himself. I am known
even in Africa. Surely I am a great person.
Like most great men, Pinocchio was annoyed at his noisy reception. In
some anger he made his way through the crowd, pushing people right and
left with his elbows. He ran down a side street and finally stopped
before a restaurant, over which was the sign printed in huge letters:
MARIONETTES SERVED HERE.
This is what I have been looking for, said Pinocchio, and he went in.