第26章

"More than fifty miles."

"Fifty miles? Oh, dear Pigeon, how I wish I had your wings!""If you want to come, I'll take you with me.""How?"

"Astride my back.Are you very heavy?"

"Heavy? Not at all.I'm only a feather.""Very well."

Saying nothing more, Pinocchio jumped on the Pigeon's back and, as he settled himself, he cried out gayly:

"Gallop on, gallop on, my pretty steed! I'm in a great hurry."The Pigeon flew away, and in a few minutes he had reached the clouds.The Marionette looked to see what was below them.His head swam and he was so frightened that he clutched wildly at the Pigeon's neck to keep himself from falling.

They flew all day.Toward evening the Pigeon said:

"I'm very thirsty!"

"And I'm very hungry!" said Pinocchio.

"Let us stop a few minutes at that pigeon coop down there.

Then we can go on and be at the seashore in the morning."They went into the empty coop and there they found nothing but a bowl of water and a small basket filled with chick-peas.

The Marionette had always hated chick-peas.According to him, they had always made him sick; but that night he ate them with a relish.As he finished them, he turned to the Pigeon and said:

"I never should have thought that chick-peas could be so good!""You must remember, my boy," answered the Pigeon, "that hunger is the best sauce!"After resting a few minutes longer, they set out again.

The next morning they were at the seashore.

Pinocchio jumped off the Pigeon's back, and the Pigeon, not wanting any thanks for a kind deed, flew away swiftly and disappeared.

The shore was full of people, shrieking and tearing their hair as they looked toward the sea.

"What has happened?" asked Pinocchio of a little old woman.

"A poor old father lost his only son some time ago and today he built a tiny boat for himself in order to go in search of him across the ocean.The water is very rough and we're afraid he will be drowned.""Where is the little boat?"

"There.Straight down there," answered the little old woman, pointing to a tiny shadow, no bigger than a nutshell, floating on the sea.

Pinocchio looked closely for a few minutes and then gave a sharp cry:

"It's my father! It's my father!"

Meanwhile, the little boat, tossed about by the angry waters, appeared and disappeared in the waves.And Pinocchio, standing on a high rock, tired out with searching, waved to him with hand and cap and even with his nose.

It looked as if Geppetto, though far away from the shore, recognized his son, for he took off his cap and waved also.He seemed to be trying to make everyone understand that he would come back if he were able, but the sea was so heavy that he could do nothing with his oars.

Suddenly a huge wave came and the boat disappeared.

They waited and waited for it, but it was gone.

"Poor man!" said the fisher folk on the shore, whispering a prayer as they turned to go home.

Just then a desperate cry was heard.Turning around, the fisher folk saw Pinocchio dive into the sea and heard him cry out:

"I'll save him! I'll save my father!"

The Marionette, being made of wood, floated easily along and swam like a fish in the rough water.Now and again he disappeared only to reappear once more.In a twinkling, he was far away from land.At last he was completely lost to view.

"Poor boy!" cried the fisher folk on the shore, and again they mumbled a few prayers, as they returned home.