HIS DUTIES AS EMPEROR
Pinocchio was served with a piece of elephants nose, cooked in a
highly seasoned sauce. How he twisted his face and ground his teeth!
Evidently the meal was not to his liking. He would have preferred some
fish, some grapes, and a dozen figs, but he was ashamed to ask for
these dainties. He gulped down the food as best he could, and drank
from a gourd a great deal of water; then he felt more comfortable.
His ministers had been waiting some time, and Pinocchio did not think
it wise to prolong his first meal. With a truly stately stride he
entered the audience chamber.
Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all Africa, felt it to be his
first duty to express his gratitude for the magnificent reception that
had been given to him. The ministers made an equally polite response.
Persons of rank now came to pay homage to the new king. Among them were
great chiefs of tribes, princes, and kings of the neighboring states.
Pinocchio received them all with much pomp. This sort of thing was at
first very pleasing to him. But day after day the visitors and the
feasts continued. As Pinocchio was the host, he had to eat with all
these newcomers. He became very stout, and his jaws ached from so much
chewing. Eating was becoming a burden to him. He even longed for the
days when he had gone hungry. However, one must take things as they
come and be ready to suffer for the good of ones country.
One day there came to the court three kings, the most powerful within a
range of a thousand miles. The first was clad in a white skirt, and a
military coat which he had bought from an English captain. He came with
his head uncovered and a high hat in his hand. The second wore an old
helmet on the back of his head. The third carried a clumsy sword in one
hand and in the other a broken umbrella.
They bowed to the ground very respectfully, and then each in turn
slapped Pinocchio in the face.
The marionette, who did not expect this sort of greeting, was about to
express his anger, when the master of ceremonies whispered in his ear
that such a greeting was given only to great people.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, thought Pinocchio, and he smiled
at the visitors.
Dinner was then announced. Pinocchio felt sick at the thought of eating
again. It was the fifth time that day, and the sun was still high in
the sky, but of course it was not proper to dismiss three kings without
having feasted them.
They went out to the dining room, which was under a tree. Beneath the
branches were more than a thousand people. They all sat on the ground,
and were waited upon by tall young men, who carried around large plates
of meat.
The three kings gave themselves up to the joys of eating. They took
their food in their hands and swallowed it without even stopping to
chew it. Each man ate enough to satisfy a score of ordinary people, for
African kings are great eaters. The poor marionette tried to eat as
much as the others did. He felt that his reputation depended upon it.
How he suffered!
At sunset, when all had satisfied their hunger, there was placed before
them a strange-looking affair with a long tube fastened to it. A
disagreeable smoke came out of it.
What new thing is this? thought the marionette, but he did not say a
word, for by this time he had learned that an emperor must appear to
know everything.
The matter, however, was quickly made clear. The outfit was a huge
pipe, with a long mouthpiece. The master of ceremonies presented the
mouthpiece to the emperor and asked him to have the kindness to smoke.
What blockheads! the marionette muttered to himself. I never smoke
anything but the finest cigars!
Still, he considered it wise to make no objections. He puffed twice on
the pipe stem, and then passed it to the king that sat at his right
hand.
The king drew a mouthful and then passed the pipe to his next neighbor.
Thus the pipe moved along in regular order until it came back to
Pinocchio. Poor Pinocchio! he was already feeling a little queer after
his first attempt, and did not enjoy the idea of smoking again; but he
knew that he must live up to the reputation of a great emperor.
Accordingly he bravely took the pipe and puffed half a dozen times.
Alas! It would have been better for him had he not tried it again! He
was wretchedly sick. His head swam dizzily, and the sweat stood out on
his forehead. He tried to hide his feelings by talking, but what he
said was sheer nonsense.
When I was king in my own country, the Talking Cricket told mebecause
my feet burnedthat the alphabet had been swallowed by the catthat was
hung to a tree by a dogthat was owned by the director of the circus.
He gazed around him, frightened at his own words, but he saw the
flushed faces of the people and heard them whisper: The sea talks
The sun is filled with stars The tiger laughs The summer is red
and similar phrases equally sensible.
What is the matter with everybody? thought the marionette, as he
looked about, and saw one of the kings asleep on the ground beside him.
Other forms were stretched out around them. Even as he looked,
Pinocchio the First, Emperor and King of all Africa, fell over on his
wooden nose, and he too was soon fast asleep.