The Adventures of Pinocchio (1904)/Chapter 18
What do you think? The Fairy let the marionette cry and weep for a good half hour because he could not go through the door on account of the length of his nose. She did this because she wished to teach him a lesson and correct that ugly vice of telling stories. But when she saw him so disfigured, his eyes nearly out of his head with desperation, she was moved to pity and struck her hands together. At that signal about a thousand birds called Woodpeckers flew into the room and, placing themselves on Pinocchio’s nose, picked at it so hard that in a few minutes it was reduced to its usual size.
“How good you are, my Fairy!” said the marionette, drying his eyes, “and how I like you!”
“I like you too,” replied the Fairy, “and if you will remain with me, you shall be my little brother and I will be your little sister.”
“I will stay willingly—but my poor papa!”
“I have thought of everything; your father has been told already and before night he will be here.”
“Truly?” cried Pinocchio, jumping with joy.
“Then, my Fairy, if you are willing, I should like to go to meet him. I cannot wait to kiss that good old man, who has suffered so much for me.”
“Go, but do not lose your way. Take the road to the forest and I am sure you will find him.”
Pinocchio departed. As soon as he entered the forest he began to run like a deer. But when he arrived at a certain point, nearly in front of the Grand Oak, he stopped because he thought he heard some one. Indeed, he saw on the road—whom, do you suppose?—the Fox and the Cat, that
“Here is our dear friend Pinocchio!” cried the Fox, hugging and kissing him. “How did you ever get here?”
“How did you ever get here?” repeated the Cat.
“It is a long story,” said the marionette, “and I will tell you when I have time. You know the night when you left me alone at the Inn I met some assassins on the road.”
“Assassins? Oh, my poor friend! and what did they want?”
“They wished to rob me of my money.”
“Infamous!” said the Fox.
“Most infamous!” said the Cat.
“But I started to run,” continued the marionette, “and they ran after me until they caught me and hanged me to a branch of that large oak.” And Pinocchio pointed to the Grand Oak that was not far away.
“One could not imagine anything worse,” said the Fox. “In what a world are we condemned to live! Where shall we find a secure refuge, we gentlemen of leisure?”
While they talked thus Pinocchio perceived that the Cat limped and that he lacked a right forepaw; so he asked him, “What has happened to your foot?”
The Cat wished to reply but became confused. Then the Fox said quickly: “My friend is too modest, and that is why he does not respond. I will reply for him. Know, then, that an hour ago we met on the road an old Wolf, nearly fainting with hunger, who asked for a little help. Not having any money with us, not even the scale of a fish, what do you think my friend did? He has the heart of a Cæsar. He bit off his paw and threw it to the poor beast, so that he might have something to eat.” And the Fox in saying this dried a tear.
Pinocchio, also moved, approached the Cat and whispered in his ear, “If all the cats were like you, the mice would be happy.”
“And now what are you doing in this place?” asked the Fox.
“I am waiting for my papa, who may arrive at any moment.”
“And your money, where is that?”
“I have it all, less the piece I spent at the inn called the Red Lobster.”
“And to think that instead of four pieces they might become two thousand by to-morrow! Why did you not follow my advice? Why do you not sow them in the Field of Miracles?”
“To-day it is impossible. I will go another time.”
“Another time will be too late,” said the Fox.
“Why?”
“Because that field has been bought by a rich man, and after to-morrow no one will be permitted to sow there any more.”
“How far is the Field of Miracles from here?”
“Hardly two miles. Will you come with us? In half an hour we shall be there. You can sow the money quickly, and after a few moments you can return home with your pockets full. Will you come with us?”
Pinocchio hesitated a little because he thought of the good Fairy, of old Geppetto, and of the advice of the Talking Cricket; but, after the fashion of foolish, heartless boys, he finally yielded. With a shake of his head he said to the Fox and the Cat, “Come on, I will go with you.” And they started.
After having walked half a day they arrived at a city called Stupid-catchers. As soon as they entered the city Pinocchio saw all the streets full of sick dogs that gaped for food; clipped sheep that shook from the cold; featherless chickens that begged for alms; big butterflies that could not fly any more because they had sold their beautiful colors for a few pennies and were ashamed to be seen; and pheasants that limped, bewailing their brilliant gold and silver feathers now lost forever.
In the middle of the crowd of beggars and unfortunates they passed from time to time several fine carriages filled with people, each of whom
turned out to be a Fox or a thieving Magpie or a Bird of Prey.
“Where is the Field of Miracles?” asked Pinocchio.
“Only a few steps farther.”
And so it proved. They walked through the city and outside the walls they stopped in a field which looked much like other fields. No one was in sight.
“Here we are at last,” said the Fox. “Now stoop down and dig a hole and put the money inside.”
Pinocchio obeyed, dug a hole, put in the money, and then covered it over with earth.
“Now then,” said the Fox, “go to that well and take a little water and sprinkle the ground where you have sown.”
Pinocchio went to the well. Because he had nothing in which to carry water, he took his shoe and, filling it, came back and sprinkled the spot where he had sown the money. Then he asked, “Is there anything else?”
“Nothing else,” replied the Fox. “Now we shall go away. You may return here in about twenty minutes and you will find a large vine with its branches covered with money.”
The poor marionette, nearly crazy with joy, thanked the Fox and the Cat a thousand times and promised them a beautiful present.
“We wish nothing,” they replied. “To us it is enough to have taught others the way to get rich without doing anything; and we are as contented as can be.”
Thus saying, they bowed to Pinocchio and, wishing him a good harvest, went away.