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Read Ebook: Pinocchio in Africa by Cherubini Eugenio Patri Angelo Translator
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Ebook has 680 lines and 27060 words, and 14 pages
At these words the men in the cages of the wild animals put horns, sea shells, and whistles to their mouths, and the next moment there came wild roarings and howls and shrieks. It was enough to make one shudder with fear.
Again the director raised his voice: ?Come forward, come forward, ladies and gentlemen! two francs; children only one franc.?
The music started: Boom! Boom! Boom! Par-ap?-ap?-pa! Boom! Boom! Boom! Par-ap? ap? ap? pa! parap? ap? ap? pa!
One surprise seemed to follow another. Pinocchio longed to enjoy the sights, but how was he to get out of the cage? At length, taking his courage in both hands, he said politely, ?Excuse me, gentlemen, but if you have no commands to give me??
?Not a command!? roughly answered the bearded man who played the lion. ?If you do not go away quickly, I will have you eaten up by that large ape behind you.?
?But I should be hard to digest,? said the marionette.
?Boy, be careful how you talk,? exclaimed the same voice.
?I said that your ape would have indigestion if he ate me,? replied Pinocchio. ?Do you think that I am joking? No, I am in earnest. He really would. I came in here by chance while returning from a walk, and if you will permit me, I will go home to my father who is waiting for me. As you have no orders to give me, many thanks, good-by, and good luck to you.?
?Listen, boy,? said the large man who took the part of the elephant; ?I am very thirsty, and I will give you a fine new penny if you will fill this bucket at the fountain and bring it to me.?
?What!? replied Pinocchio, greatly offended; ?I am no servant! However this time, merely to please you, I will go.? And crawling through the hole by which he had entered, he went out to the fountain and returned in a very short time with the bucket full of water.
?Good boy, good marionette!? said the men as they passed the bucket from one to another.
Pinocchio was happy. Never had he felt so happy as at that moment. ?What good people!? he said to himself. ?I would gladly stay with them.? In the meantime the bucket was emptied, and there were still some who had not had a drink. ?I will go and refill it,? said the marionette promptly. And without waiting to be asked, he took the bucket and flew to the fountain.
When he returned they flattered him so cleverly with praise and thanks that a strong friendship sprang up between Pinocchio and the wild beasts.
Being a woodenhead he forgot about his father and did not go away as he had intended to do. In fact, he was curious to know something of the history of these people, who were forced to play at being wild animals.
After a moment?s silence he turned to the one who had asked him to go for the water and said, ?You are from Africa??
?Yes, I am an African, and all my companions are African.?
?How interesting! but pardon me, is Africa a beautiful country??
?I should say so! A country, my dear boy, full of plenty, where everything is given away free! A country in which at any moment the strangest things may happen. A servant may become a master; a plain citizen may become a king. There are trees, taller than church steeples, with branches touching the ground, so that one may gather sweet fruit without the least trouble. My boy, Africa is a country full of enchanted forests, where the game allows itself to be killed, quartered, and hung; where riches??
No one knows how far this description would have gone, if at that moment the voice of the director had not been heard. The music had stopped, and the director was talking to the people, who did not seem very willing to part with their money.
Pinocchio had already resolved to go to Africa to eat of the fruit and to gather riches. He was eager to learn more, and impatient of interruption.
?And the director is an African also??
?Certainly he is an African.?
?And is he very rich??
?Is he rich? Take my word for it that if he would, he could buy up this whole country.?
Pinocchio was struck dumb. Still he wanted to make the men believe that what he had heard was not altogether new to him. ?Oh, I know that Africa is a very beautiful country, and I have often planned to go there,?and?if I were sure that it would not be too much trouble I would willingly go with you.?
?With us? We are not going to Africa.?
?What a pity! I thought I could make the journey in your company.?
?Are you in earnest?? asked the bearded man. ?Do you believe that there is any Africa outside this tent??
?Tent or no tent, I have decided to go to Africa, and I shall go,? boldly replied the marionette.
?I like that youngster,? said the man who played the part of a crocodile. ?That boy will make his fortune someday.?
?Of course I shall!? continued Pinocchio. ?I ought to have fifty thousand francs, because I must get a new jacket for my father, who sold his old one to buy me a spelling book. If there is so much gold and silver in Africa, I will fill up a thousand vessels. Is it true that there is a great deal of gold and silver??
?Did we not tell you so?? replied another voice. ?Why, if I had not lost all that I had put in my pockets before leaving Africa, by this time I should have become a prince. And now were it not for the fact that I have promised to stay with these people, to be a panther at two francs and a half a day, I would gladly go along with you.?
?Thank you; thank you for your good intentions,? answered the marionette. ?In case you decide to go with me, I start to-morrow morning at dawn.?
?On what steamship??
?What did you say?? asked Pinocchio.
?On what steamship do you sail??
?Sail! I am going on foot.?
At these words everybody laughed.
?There is little to laugh at, my dear people. If you knew how many miles I have traveled on these legs by day and by night, over land and sea, you would not laugh. What! do you think Fairyland, the country of the Blockheads, and the Island of the Bees are reached in a single stride? I go to Africa, and I go on foot.?
?But it is necessary to cross the Mediterranean Sea.?
?It will be crossed.?
?On foot??
?Either on foot or on horseback, it matters little. But pardon me, after crossing the Mediterranean Sea, do you reach Africa??
?Certainly, unless you wish to go by way of the Red Sea.?
?The Red Sea? No, truly!?
?Perhaps the route over the Red Sea would be better.?
?I do not wish to go near the Red Sea.?
?And why?? asked the wolf man, who up to this time had not opened his mouth.
?Why? Why? Because I do not wish to get my clothes dyed; do you understand??
More laughter greeted these words. Pinocchio?s wooden cheeks got very red, and he sputtered: ?This is no way to treat a gentleman. I shall do as I please, and I do not please to enter the Red Sea. That is enough. Now I shall leave you,? and he started off.
?Farewell, farewell, marionette!?
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