'Who knows! there are so many chances! . . .' repeated Geppetto without losing his temper.
And so the three cores, instead of being thrown out of the window, were placed on the corner of the table together with the three rinds.
Having eaten, or rather having devoured the three pears, Pinocchio yawned tremendously, and then said in a fretful tone:
'I am as hungry as ever!'
'But, my boy, I have nothing more to give you!'
'Nothing, really nothing?'
'I have only the rind and the cores of the three pears.'
'One must have patience!' said Pinocchio; 'if there is nothing else I will eat a rind.'
And he began to chew it. At first he made a wry face; but then one after another he quickly disposed of the rinds: and after the rinds even the cores, and when he had eaten up everything he clapped his hands on his sides in his satisfaction, and said joyfully:
'Ah! now I feel comfortable.'
'You see now,' observed Geppetto, 'that I was right when I said to you that it did not do to accustom ourselves to be too particular or too dainty in our tastes. We can never know, my dear boy, what may happen to us. There are so many chances! . . .'
