THE HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT
The next day was set aside for a hunt in honor of the young emperor,
Pinocchio the First. He would have been content to stay home, but this
would have been taken as a grave insult to the people.
A herd of hippopotamuses had been discovered a few miles from the
capital. His ministers agreed that the emperor must go. There was
nothing else for him to do.
Besides, the hunt was for scientific purposes. As Pinocchio had made
known his views on schools, he could do no less than encourage this
expedition, which was the only educational training allowed in the
country.
The hunters, in fact, were persons of high rank, who spent their time
in searching for traces of wild animals. It seemed strange to Pinocchio
that these learned hunters did not study how to protect their animals,
instead of trying to kill them.
I suppose it is the custom of the country, thought the marionette.
Two hours before sunrise the leaders in the hunt, armed with bows,
arrows, and javelins, stood before the royal palace waiting for the
emperor. He was to ride on the back of a bull, which the prime minister
held by a rope.
They were not kept waiting long. Pinocchio the First came forth with a
pleasant smile upon his lips. Inwardly, he was very angry, but little
did his faithful subjects suspect how he felt.
A fine time for a king to rise! he thought. Am I or am I not
emperor? If I am emperor, I should sleep as long as I wish, eat what I
please, and do anything I like. It seems to me that I am the slave of
my people rather than their ruler. Wait, my dear subjects; I will soon
prove to you what stuff I am made of.
The people waited. The ministers explained to the emperor that he was
to ride on the bull.
My dear subjects, have you lost your senses? thought the marionette.
I certainly will not ride on a bull. How long have bulls been used as
horses? This beast will hurl me into the first ditch we come to. A fine
regard you have for your emperor! I almost begin to believe that you
want to get rid of me and have another king.
However, there was no way of escape, and he decided to do as he was
told. He leaped squarely upon the bull, and calmly sat there. The bull,
fortunately, did not move.
Good beast! said Pinocchio, somewhat encouraged, as he gave the
signal to depart.
The sun was already up when they reached the river where the hunt was
to take place.
Hippopotamus hunting is a very dangerous sport, but it was one that the
people dearly loved.
Scouts were sent on ahead while the hunters crawled like snakes through
the high, thick grass. As they neared the river, they became very
careful. With their eyes fixed, their ears wide open, their spears
firmly grasped, they were ready to attack at any moment.
Pinocchio pretended that he was suffering with a pain in the left foot,
and slowly dropped behind the others. He had never had any great liking
for the hunt. He felt annoyed that he should always have to do things
that he did not enjoy. He would have stayed where he was, but the prime
minister came along in search of him.
Tired of the insolence of this man, the marionette thrust back his hat
with a bold sweep of his hand, as if to say, Now I shall show you who
I am, and who I was. Pinocchio then hastened toward the river,
reaching the bank at the very moment when the hunters had started a
large hippopotamus out of the weeds.
The huge animal tried to get away and made for the river.
Some one must jump into the water and kill it with the javelin, said
the prime minister. Nobody stirred.
Suddenly a loud voice rang through the stillness:
I will go.
And Pinocchio, amid shouts of admiration and terror from his subjects,
dived into the river and swam toward the animal.
The hippopotamus scented the enemy and turned upon him, but the nimble
marionette, swimming around the great creature, grasped it by its
short, thick tail.
When the beast felt itself gently pulled in this manner it began to
turn round and round like a dog chasing a troublesome fly.
This performance, which was both funny and terrible, lasted for fully
five minutes. During all that time Pinocchio did nothing but laugh. He
did not seem to realize what would happen to him if he were clutched by
those terrible jaws.
At length the animal, blind with rage, plunged below the surface of the
water, leaving the marionette and the others dumbfounded.
This adventure increased tenfold the admiration of the black hunters
for their emperor, although it was not wholly satisfactory to the chief
cook of the royal household, who had already planned a great dinner.
But Pinocchio quickly consoled him, assuring him that when it came to
eating the tongue and feet of a hippopotamus, the emperor would
cheerfully forego the pleasure.