up the chase, and was content to follow at a distance. Aftera while daylight drove the beasts away, and the poor, tired emperorthrew himself flat upon the ground to regain his breath. Scarcely hadhe done so when a roaring more terrible than that of wild beasts causedhim to spring to his feet in the vain hope of making his escape.
CHAPTER XLPINOCCHIO IS PLACED IN A CAGE
Alas! there was the prime minister. He had caught hold of themarionette and tied a rope around his neck.
It would be impossible to describe the wrath of the poor emperor. Hewanted to say a few things and to do even more, but the cruel ministerstruck him with a whip.
This kind of argument convinced the emperor that it was best to remainquiet.
"That is how I like to see you," said the minister, pushing Pinocchioforward, and holding him by the rope as the farmers do their donkeys onreturning from market.
Thus they walked a great distance, until they came to the top of a hillfrom which could be seen a large tract of country covered with huts.The minister turned toward Pinocchio and spoke as follows: "My dearemperor, we must decide upon some plan of action, if we do not wish tostarve. You see to what a miserable state we are reduced. We have nomoney, nor have we any food; in short, if we do not earn somethingbefore night, we shall not only be compelled to sleep in the open, butwe shall go to bed supperless. If you were not made of wood, thingswould not be so hopeless, because I could eat you up and you would lastsome time. But since this is impossible, I have resolved to carry youaround the village and place you on exhibition before the public. Youwill make money, do you understand? Now be good enough to give me youraid. Help me to put together a cage from the bark of these trees. Weshall make money,--much money!" And the minister rubbed his handsgleefully.
The marionette did not share in his joy. In fact, he was on the pointof showering bitter reproaches upon this unfaithful servant, who wasnow going to exhibit him in the public squares, but he decided to waitfor a better opportunity. Accordingly, he began to strip the bark fromthe trees without making any objection.
When the cage was completed, the minister turned to the marionette andsaid: "Enter. From now on, there shall be no more talk of emperor. I amyour master, and you are my faithful slave.--Forward, march!"
The command had been given in a way which made its repetitionunnecessary, and Pinocchio knew that he must obey.
CHAPTER XLIPINOCCHIO PERFORMS FOR THE PUBLIC
With the cage on his head the ex-minister walked into the village,whistling as he went to attract the attention of the people.
"P-r-r-p, p-r-r-p, p-r-r-p!"
It was a holiday, and the people flocked around him. Everybody wantedto see, everybody wanted to admire the rare animal in the cage. Shoutsof wonder burst forth on all sides.
It is easy to fancy how Pinocchio felt! He longed to be a cricket, or amouse, so that he might hide in some hole. How he wished that he were abutterfly or a bird and could fly to his home!
He stood there, huddled up in one corner of the cage, trying to presentas little of his body as possible to the eager eyes of the crowd. Heprayed for aid with all his heart. It was useless. The cruel master sawthat the square was filled with people, eager to look at themarionette. He opened the cage, and when Pinocchio stepped out he madehim run around in circles like a monkey.
Then the minister addressed the people:
"Africans of Africa! What you see here is not, as you believe, ananimal; at least, it is not a wild animal. It is a boy. He is like manyother boys that are to be found in certain parts of the earth. How hehappened to fall into my hands would be too long a story. When I tellyou about his habits and his mode of living, you will be able to judgefor yourselves how strange a creature he is. Just think, on arising inthe morning, he wants to wash his face, neck, and hands,--and with what?Water!"
At these words, a murmur of surprise arose from the spectators, andsome of the people laughed outright.
"That is not all," he continued. "When he has washed himself, he passesthrough his hair an object, made of bone, that has long, pointed teeth.Do you understand his purpose?"
The mothers looked at one another, and some of them touched the woollyhair of their children, glad that their little ones did not have toundergo such hardships.
"Nor is that all. You must know that when he wishes to blow his nose,he takes from his pocket a piece of linen, called a handkerchief, andblows his nose upon that."
An outburst of laughter greeted these words and completely drowned thevoice of the speaker.
"But there is more, my people! This individual possesses the ability toeat raw butter, yet his meat must be cooked. He takes porridge with aspoon and caries it to his mouth. He is even stupid enough to cut breadwith a weapon called a knife."
The astonishment was great! When it had subsided a little there was arush to the huts. The people came out carrying water, raw meat, andbutter. One brought a chicken, which the minister immediately killedand cooked.
At the word of command, Pinocchio washed his hands, neck, and face.This the marionette did willingly, for he felt the need of it. Then thebroiled chicken was given to him. Pinocchio, to the delight of all, cutoff one of the legs with his knife, and having spread it with pieces ofbutter, proceeded to eat it with evident relish.
The women then wished to see him comb his hair. Pinocchio, who had nocomb, passed his fingers through his tangled locks, and finallysucceeded in parting them. Then he drew a handkerchief from his pocketand blew his nose. The children shouted with glee, and even the parentscould not help laughing at the queer things the marionette did.
CHAPTER XLIIPINOCCHIO BREAKS THE CAGE AND MAKES HIS ESCAPE
For the next few days the poor Emperor and King of all African kingswas compelled to exhibit himself, and to repeat his performances beforethousands of eyes eager to see his strange accomplishments. He wascompelled from morning till night to hear the insults of the boys andthe laughter of the men. All this made him very miserable.
What annoyed him most was the warning he received not to refuse to eatwhenever food was brought to him. "That is what the monkeys and theelephants do," said the marionette sorrowfully, recalling what he andhis school companions had seen when they went to the circus.
It is unnecessary to say that he thought of his father, of his dearFatina, and of his home. They were constantly in his mind. Slowly,slowly it dawned upon him that this way of living could no longer beendured, and finally he was convinced that if he did not soon see hislittle home, if he did not soon eat the hard, black crust given him bythe loving hands of his father, if he did not soon drink the water fromhis own well, he should die of a broken heart.
"My home, my home!" he cried, the tears rolling down his cheeks. "Home,my home!" he repeated, no longer thinking of the gold and silver forwhich he had come to Africa.
"I want to see my father again." And then he stood erect in his cage.His head went through the top of it and the side fell apart. Away heleaped over the heads of the crowd,--away like lightning! Out of thevillage, across the plains, beyond the hills! Compared with him, theswift south wind would have seemed no faster than a snail.
He ran and ran and ran. Nor did he make an end of running until hereached the wide waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
There he stopped. He looked back at Africa, the land of all his emptydreams; then flinging himself into the water, he said aloud, "I willreturn when I have a little more sense."
At that moment a familiar voice shouted to him: "Good Pinocchio! Hurrahfor Pinocchio!"
THE END
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