Pinocchio is thrown into the sea, eaten by fishes,and becomes a Marionette once more. As he swims to land,he is swallowed by the Terrible SharkDown into the sea, deeper and deeper, sank Pinocchio, andfinally, after fifty minutes of waiting, the man on the cliffsaid to himself:
"By this time my poor little lame Donkey must bedrowned. Up with him and then I can get to work on mybeautiful drum."He pulled the rope which he had tied to Pinocchio'sleg--pulled and pulled and pulled and, at last, he sawappear on the surface of the water--Can you guess what?
Instead of a dead donkey, he saw a very much aliveMarionette, wriggling and squirming like an eel.
Seeing that wooden Marionette, the poor man thoughthe was dreaming and sat there with his mouth wide openand his eyes popping out of his head.
Gathering his wits together, he said:
"And the Donkey I threw into the sea?""I am that Donkey," answered the Marionette laughing.
"You?""I.""Ah, you little cheat! Are you poking fun at me?""Poking fun at you? Not at all, dear Master.
I am talking seriously.""But, then, how is it that you, who a few minutes agowere a donkey, are now standing before me a wooden Marionette?""It may be the effect of salt water. The sea is fond ofplaying these tricks.""Be careful, Marionette, be careful! Don't laugh at me!
Woe be to you, if I lose my patience!""Well, then, my Master, do you want to know my whole story?
Untie my leg and I can tell it to you better."The old fellow, curious to know the true story of theMarionette's life, immediately untied the rope which held his foot.
Pinocchio, feeling free as a bird of the air, began his tale:
"Know, then, that, once upon a time, I was a woodenMarionette, just as I am today. One day I was about tobecome a boy, a real boy, but on account of my lazinessand my hatred of books, and because I listened to badcompanions, I ran away from home. One beautiful morning,I awoke to find myself changed into a donkey--longears, gray coat, even a tail! What a shameful day for me!
I hope you will never experience one like it, dear Master.
I was taken to the fair and sold to a Circus Owner, whotried to make me dance and jump through the rings. Onenight, during a performance, I had a bad fall and becamelame. Not knowing what to do with a lame donkey, the CircusOwner sent me to the market place and you bought me.""Indeed I did! And I paid four cents for you.
Now who will return my money to me?""But why did you buy me? You bought me to do meharm--to kill me--to make a drumhead out of me!""Indeed I did! And now where shall I find another skin?""Never mind, dear Master. There are so many donkeysin this world.""Tell me, impudent little rogue, does your story end here?""One more word," answered the Marionette, "and I am through.
After buying me, you brought me here to kill me. But feelingsorry for me, you tied a stone to my neck and threw meto the bottom of the sea. That was very good and kindof you to want me to suffer as little as possibleand I shall remember you always. And now my Fairywill take care of me, even if you--""Your Fairy? Who is she?""She is my mother, and, like all other mothers wholove their children, she never loses sight of me, eventhough I do not deserve it. And today this good Fairyof mine, as soon as she saw me in danger of drowning,sent a thousand fishes to the spot where I lay. Theythought I was really a dead donkey and began to eat me.
What great bites they took! One ate my ears, another mynose, a third my neck and my mane. Some went at mylegs and some at my back, and among the others, therewas one tiny fish so gentle and polite that he did methe great favor of eating even my tail.""From now on," said the man, horrified, "I swear I shallnever again taste fish. How I should enjoy opening a mulletor a whitefish just to find there the tail of a dead donkey!""I think as you do," answered the Marionette,laughing. "Still, you must know that when the fish finishedeating my donkey coat, which covered me from head tofoot, they naturally came to the bones--or rather, in mycase, to the wood, for as you know, I am made of veryhard wood. After the first few bites, those greedy fishfound out that the wood was not good for their teeth, and,afraid of indigestion, they turned and ran here and therewithout saying good-by or even as much as thank you tome. Here, dear Master, you have my story. You knownow why you found a Marionette and not a dead donkeywhen you pulled me out of the water.""I laugh at your story!" cried the man angrily. "I knowthat I spent four cents to get you and I want my money back.
Do you know what I can do; I am going to take you to the marketonce more and sell you as dry firewood.""Very well, sell me. I am satisfied," said Pinocchio.
But as he spoke, he gave a quick leap and dived into thesea. Swimming away as fast as he could, he cried out, laughing:
"Good-by, Master. If you ever need a skin for your drum, remember me."He swam on and on. After a while, he turned around againand called louder than before:
"Good-by, Master. If you ever need a piece of good dry firewood, remember me."In a few seconds he had gone so far he could hardly be seen.
All that could be seen of him was a very small black dot movingswiftly on the blue surface of the water, a little black dotwhich now and then lifted a leg or an arm in the air.
One would have thought that Pinocchio had turned intoa porpoise playing in the sun.
After swimming for a long time, Pinocchio saw a largerock in the middle of the sea, a rock as white as marble.
High on the rock stood a little Goat bleating and callingand beckoning to the Marionette to come to her.
There was something very strange about that littleGoat. Her coat was not white or black or brown as thatof any other goat, but azure, a deep brilliant color thatreminded one of the hair of the lovely maiden.
Pinocchio's heart beat fast, and then faster and faster.
He redoubled his efforts and swam as hard as he couldtoward the white rock. He was almost halfway over,when suddenly a horrible sea monster stuck its head outof the water, an enormous head with a huge mouth, wideopen, showing three rows of gleaming teeth, the meresight of which would have filled you with fear.
Do you know what it was?
That sea monster was no other than the enormous Shark,which has often been mentioned in this story and which,on account of its cruelty, had been nicknamed"The Attila of the Sea" by both fish and fishermen.
Poor Pinocchio! The sight of that monster frightenedhim almost to death! He tried to swim away from him,to change his path, to escape, but that immense mouthkept coming nearer and nearer.
"Hasten, Pinocchio, I beg you!" bleated the little Goat on the high rock.
And Pinocchio swam desperately with his arms, his body, his legs, his feet.
"Quick, Pinocchio, the monster is coming nearer!"Pinocchio swam faster and faster, and harder and harder.
"Faster, Pinocchio! The monster will get you! There he is!
There he is! Quick, quick, or you are lost!"Pinocchio went through the water like a shot--swifter and swifter.
He came close to the rock. The Goat leaned over and gave him oneof her hoofs to help him up out of the water.
Alas! It was too late. The monster overtook him andthe Marionette found himself in between the rows ofgleaming white teeth. Only for a moment, however,for the Shark took a deep breath and, as he breathed,he drank in the Marionette as easily as he would havesucked an egg. Then he swallowed him so fast that Pinocchio,falling down into the body of the fish, lay stunned for a half hour.
When he recovered his senses the Marionette could notremember where he was. Around him all was darkness,a darkness so deep and so black that for a moment hethought he had put his head into an inkwell. He listenedfor a few moments and heard nothing. Once in a while acold wind blew on his face. At first he could not understandwhere that wind was coming from, but after a whilehe understood that it came from the lungs of the monster.
I forgot to tell you that the Shark was suffering from asthma,so that whenever he breathed a storm seemed to blow.
Pinocchio at first tried to be brave, but as soon as hebecame convinced that he was really and truly in theShark's stomach, he burst into sobs and tears. "Help!
Help!" he cried. "Oh, poor me! Won't someone cometo save me?""Who is there to help you, unhappy boy?" said a roughvoice, like a guitar out of tune.
"Who is talking?" asked Pinocchio, frozen with terror.
"It is I, a poor Tunny swallowed by the Shark at thesame time as you. And what kind of a fish are you?""I have nothing to do with fishes. I am a Marionette.""If you are not a fish, why did you let this monster swallow you?""I didn't let him. He chased me and swallowed mewithout even a `by your leave'! And now what are weto do here in the dark?""Wait until the Shark has digested us both, I suppose.""But I don't want to be digested," shouted Pinocchio,starting to sob.
"Neither do I," said the Tunny, "but I am wise enoughto think that if one is born a fish, it is more dignified to dieunder the water than in the frying pan.""What nonsense!" cried Pinocchio.
"Mine is an opinion," replied the Tunny, "and opinionsshould be respected.""But I want to get out of this place. I want to escape.""Go, if you can!""Is this Shark that has swallowed us very long?" askedthe Marionette.
"His body, not counting the tail, is almost a mile long."While talking in the darkness, Pinocchio thought hesaw a faint light in the distance.
"What can that be?" he said to the Tunny.
"Some other poor fish, waiting as patiently as we tobe digested by the Shark.""I want to see him. He may be an old fish and mayknow some way of escape.""I wish you all good luck, dear Marionette.""Good-by, Tunny.""Good-by, Marionette, and good luck.""When shall I see you again?""Who knows? It is better not to think about it."