Pinocchio is robbed of his gold pieces and,in punishment, is sentenced to four months in prisonIf the Marionette had been told to wait a day instead oftwenty minutes, the time could not have seemed longerto him. He walked impatiently to and fro and finallyturned his nose toward the Field of Wonders.
And as he walked with hurried steps, his heart beatwith an excited tic, tac, tic, tac, just as if it were a wallclock, and his busy brain kept thinking:
"What if, instead of a thousand, I should find twothousand? Or if, instead of two thousand, I should find fivethousand--or one hundred thousand? I'll build myself abeautiful palace, with a thousand stables filled with athousand wooden horses to play with, a cellar overflowingwith lemonade and ice cream soda, and a library of candiesand fruits, cakes and cookies."Thus amusing himself with fancies, he came to the field.
There he stopped to see if, by any chance, a vine filledwith gold coins was in sight. But he saw nothing! Hetook a few steps forward, and still nothing! He steppedinto the field. He went up to the place where he haddug the hole and buried the gold pieces. Again nothing!
Pinocchio became very thoughtful and, forgetting his goodmanners altogether, he pulled a hand out of his pocket andgave his head a thorough scratching.
As he did so, he heard a hearty burst of laughter closeto his head. He turned sharply, and there, just above himon the branch of a tree, sat a large Parrot, busily preeninghis feathers.
"What are you laughing at?" Pinocchio asked peevishly.
"I am laughing because, in preening my feathers, Itickled myself under the wings."The Marionette did not answer. He walked to thebrook, filled his shoe with water, and once more sprinkledthe ground which covered the gold pieces.
Another burst of laughter, even more impertinent thanthe first, was heard in the quiet field.
"Well," cried the Marionette, angrily this time,"may I know, Mr. Parrot, what amuses you so?""I am laughing at those simpletons who believeeverything they hear and who allow themselves to be caught soeasily in the traps set for them.""Do you, perhaps, mean me?""I certainly do mean you, poor Pinocchio--you whoare such a little silly as to believe that gold can be sownin a field just like beans or squash. I, too, believed thatonce and today I am very sorry for it. Today (but too late!)I have reached the conclusion that, in order to comeby money honestly, one must work and know how to earnit with hand or brain.""I don't know what you are talking about," said theMarionette, who was beginning to tremble with fear.
"Too bad! I'll explain myself better," said the Parrot.
"While you were away in the city the Fox and the Catreturned here in a great hurry. They took the four goldpieces which you have buried and ran away as fast as the wind.
If you can catch them, you're a brave one!"Pinocchio's mouth opened wide. He would not believethe Parrot's words and began to dig away furiously at theearth. He dug and he dug till the hole was as big as himself,but no money was there. Every penny was gone.
In desperation, he ran to the city and went straight to the courthouse to report the robbery to the magistrate.
The Judge was a Monkey, a large Gorilla venerablewith age. A flowing white beard covered his chest and hewore gold-rimmed spectacles from which the glasses haddropped out. The reason for wearing these, he said, wasthat his eyes had been weakened by the work of many years.
Pinocchio, standing before him, told his pitiful tale,word by word. He gave the names and the descriptionsof the robbers and begged for justice.
The Judge listened to him with great patience. A kindlook shone in his eyes. He became very much interestedin the story; he felt moved; he almost wept. When theMarionette had no more to say, the Judge put out hishand and rang a bell.
At the sound, two large Mastiffs appeared, dressed inCarabineers' uniforms.
Then the magistrate, pointing to Pinocchio, said in avery solemn voice:
"This poor simpleton has been robbed of four gold pieces.
Take him, therefore, and throw him into prison."The Marionette, on hearing this sentence passed uponhim, was thoroughly stunned. He tried to protest, butthe two officers clapped their paws on his mouth andhustled him away to jail.
There he had to remain for four long, weary months.
And if it had not been for a very lucky chance, he probablywould have had to stay there longer. For, my dearchildren, you must know that it happened just then that the young emperor who ruled over the City of SimpleSimons had gained a great victory over his enemy, and incelebration thereof, he had ordered illuminations, fireworks,shows of all kinds, and, best of all, the opening of all prison doors.
"If the others go, I go, too," said Pinocchio to the Jailer.
"Not you," answered the Jailer. "You are one of those--""I beg your pardon," interrupted Pinocchio, "I, too, am a thief.""In that case you also are free," said the Jailer. Takingoff his cap, he bowed low and opened the door of the prison,and Pinocchio ran out and away, with never a look backward.
