第 3 节
作者:别克陆上公务舱      更新:2021-02-20 18:01      字数:9322
  so hungry!  Oh; how horrible it is to be hungry!〃
  Suddenly; he saw; among the sweepings in a corner;
  something round and white that looked very much like a
  hen's egg。  In a jiffy he pounced upon it。  It was an egg。
  The Marionette's joy knew no bounds。  It is impossible
  to describe it; you must picture it to yourself。  Certain that
  he was dreaming; he turned the egg over and over in his
  hands; fondled it; kissed it; and talked to it:
  〃And now; how shall I cook you?  Shall I make an
  omelet?  No; it is better to fry you in a pan!
  Or shall I drink you?  No; the best way is to
  fry you in the pan。  You will taste better。〃
  No sooner said than done。  He placed a little pan over a
  foot warmer full of hot coals。  In the pan; instead of oil or
  butter; he poured a little water。  As soon as the water
  started to boiltac!he broke the eggshell。  But in place
  of the white and the yolk of the egg; a little yellow Chick;
  fluffy and gay and smiling; escaped from it。  Bowing
  politely to Pinocchio; he said to him:
  〃Many; many thanks; indeed; Mr。 Pinocchio; for having
  saved me the trouble of breaking my shell!  Good…by
  and good luck to you and remember me to the family!〃
  With these words he spread out his wings and; darting
  to the open window; he flew away into space till he was
  out of sight。
  The poor Marionette stood as if turned to stone; with
  wide eyes; open mouth; and the empty halves of the egg…
  shell in his hands。  When he came to himself; he began to
  cry and shriek at the top of his lungs; stamping his feet on
  the ground and wailing all the while:
  〃The Talking Cricket was right!  If I had not run away
  from home and if Father were here now; I should not be
  dying of hunger。  Oh; how horrible it is to be hungry!〃
  And as his stomach kept grumbling more than ever and
  he had nothing to quiet it with; he thought of going out
  for a walk to the near…by village; in the hope of finding
  some charitable person who might give him a bit of bread。
  CHAPTER 6
  Pinocchio falls asleep with his feet on a foot warmer;
  and awakens the next day with his feet all burned off
  Pinocchio hated the dark street; but he was so hungry
  that; in spite of it; he ran out of the house。  The night was
  pitch black。  It thundered; and bright flashes of lightning
  now and again shot across the sky; turning it into a sea of
  fire。  An angry wind blew cold and raised dense clouds of
  dust; while the trees shook and moaned in a weird way。
  Pinocchio was greatly afraid of thunder and lightning;
  but the hunger he felt was far greater than his fear。  In a
  dozen leaps and bounds; he came to the village; tired out;
  puffing like a whale; and with tongue hanging。
  The whole village was dark and deserted。  The stores
  were closed; the doors; the windows。  In the streets; not
  even a dog could be seen。  It seemed the Village of the
  Dead。
  Pinocchio; in desperation; ran up to a doorway; threw
  himself upon the bell; and pulled it wildly; saying to himself:
  〃Someone will surely answer that!〃
  He was right。  An old man in a nightcap opened the
  window and looked out。  He called down angrily:
  〃What do you want at this hour of night?〃
  〃Will you be good enough to give me a bit of bread?
  I am hungry。〃
  〃Wait a minute and I'll come right back;〃 answered the
  old fellow; thinking he had to deal with one of those boys
  who love to roam around at night ringing people's bells
  while they are peacefully asleep。
  After a minute or two; the same voice cried:
  〃Get under the window and hold out your hat!〃
  Pinocchio had no hat; but he managed to get under the
  window just in time to feel a shower of ice…cold water
  pour down on his poor wooden head; his shoulders; and
  over his whole body。
  He returned home as wet as a rag; and tired out from
  weariness and hunger。
  As he no longer had any strength left with which to
  stand; he sat down on a little stool and put his two feet on
  the stove to dry them。
  There he fell asleep; and while he slept; his wooden
  feet began to burn。  Slowly; very slowly; they blackened
  and turned to ashes。
  Pinocchio snored away happily as if his feet were not
  his own。  At dawn he opened his eyes just as a loud knocking
  sounded at the door。
  〃Who is it?〃 he called; yawning and rubbing his eyes。
  〃It is I;〃 answered a voice。
  It was the voice of Geppetto。
  CHAPTER 7
  Geppetto returns home and gives
  his own breakfast to the Marionette
  The poor Marionette; who was still half asleep; had not
  yet found out that his two feet were burned and gone。  As
  soon as he heard his Father's voice; he jumped up from his
  seat to open the door; but; as he did so; he staggered and
  fell headlong to the floor。
  In falling; he made as much noise as a sack of wood
  falling from the fifth story of a house。
  〃Open the door for me!〃 Geppetto shouted from the street。
  〃Father; dear Father; I can't;〃 answered the Marionette
  in despair; crying and rolling on the floor。
  〃Why can't you?〃
  〃Because someone has eaten my feet。〃
  〃And who has eaten them?〃
  〃The cat;〃 answered Pinocchio; seeing that little animal
  busily playing with some shavings in the corner of the room。
  〃Open!  I say;〃 repeated Geppetto; 〃or I'll give you a
  sound whipping when I get in。〃
  〃Father; believe me; I can't stand up。  Oh; dear!
  Oh; dear!  I shall have to walk on my knees all my life。〃
  Geppetto; thinking that all these tears and cries were
  only other pranks of the Marionette; climbed up the side
  of the house and went in through the window。
  At first he was very angry; but on seeing Pinocchio
  stretched out on the floor and really without feet; he felt
  very sad and sorrowful。  Picking him up from the floor; he
  fondled and caressed him; talking to him while the tears
  ran down his cheeks:
  〃My little Pinocchio; my dear little Pinocchio!
  How did you burn your feet?〃
  〃I don't know; Father; but believe me; the night has
  been a terrible one and I shall remember it as long as I live。
  The thunder was so noisy and the lightning so bright
  and I was hungry。  And then the Talking Cricket said to
  me; ‘You deserve it; you were bad;' and I said to him;
  ‘Careful; Cricket;' and he said to me; ‘You are a Marionette
  and you have a wooden head;' and I threw the hammer at
  him and killed him。  It was his own fault; for I didn't want
  to kill him。  And I put the pan on the coals; but the Chick
  flew away and said; ‘I'll see you again!  Remember me to
  the family。' And my hunger grew; and I went out; and the
  old man with a nightcap looked out of the window and
  threw water on me; and I came home and put my feet on
  the stove to dry them because I was still hungry; and I fell
  asleep and now my feet are gone but my hunger isn't!
  Oh!Oh!Oh!〃 And poor Pinocchio began to scream
  and cry so loudly that he could be heard for miles around。
  Geppetto; who had understood nothing of all that
  jumbled talk; except that the Marionette was hungry; felt sorry
  for him; and pulling three pears out of his pocket; offered
  them to him; saying:
  〃These three pears were for my breakfast; but I give
  them to you gladly。  Eat them and stop weeping。〃
  〃If you want me to eat them; please peel them for me。〃
  〃Peel them?〃 asked Geppetto; very much surprised。  〃I
  should never have thought; dear boy of mine; that you
  were so dainty and fussy about your food。  Bad; very bad!
  In this world; even as children; we must accustom ourselves
  to eat of everything; for we never know what life may
  hold in store for us!〃
  〃You may be right;〃 answered Pinocchio; 〃but I will not
  eat the pears if they are not peeled。  I don't like them。〃
  And good old Geppetto took out a knife; peeled the
  three pears; and put the skins in a row on the table。
  Pinocchio ate one pear in a twinkling and started to
  throw the core away; but Geppetto held his arm。
  〃Oh; no; don't throw it away!  Everything in this world
  may be of some use!〃
  〃But the core I will not eat!〃 cried Pinocchio in an angry tone。
  〃Who knows?〃 repeated Geppetto calmly。
  And later the three cores were placed on the table next
  to the skins。
  Pinocchio had eaten the three pears; or rather devoured them。
  Then he yawned deeply; and wailed:
  〃I'm still hungry。〃
  〃But I have no more to give you。〃
  〃Really; nothingnothing?〃
  〃I have only these three cores and these skins。〃
  〃Very well; then;〃 said Pinocchio; 〃if there is nothing
  else I'll eat them。〃
  At first he made a wry face; but; one after another; the
  skins and the cores disappeared。
  〃Ah!  Now I feel fine!〃 he said after eating the last one。
  〃You see;〃 observed Geppetto; 〃that I was right when
  I told you that one must not be too fussy and too dainty
  about food。  My dear; we never know what life may have
  in store for us!〃
  CHAPTER 8
  Geppetto makes Pinocchio a new pair of feet;
  and sells his coat to buy him an A…B…C book
  The Marionette; as soon as his hunger was appeased;
  started to grumble and cry that he wanted a new pair of feet。
  But Mastro Geppetto; in order to punish him for his
  mischief; let him alone the whole morning。  After dinner
  he said to him:
  〃Why should I make your feet over again?  To see you
  run away from home once more?〃
  〃I promise you;〃 a