Приключения Пиноккио / The adventures of Pinocchio. Уровень 1

“Are my friends ready?” the Marionette asked him.

“Indeed, yes! They went two hours ago.”

“Why in such a hurry?”

“Unfortunately the Cat received a telegram which said that his kitten was ill. He could not even wait to say good-bye to you.”

“Did they pay for the supper?”

“How could they do it? They did not want to offend you as not to allow you to pay the bill.”

“Too bad!” said Pinocchio and scratched his head.

“Where will my good friends wait for me?” he added.

“At the Field of Wonders, at sunrise tomorrow morning.”

Pinocchio paid a gold piece for the three suppers and went toward the wonderful field.

It was dark, nothing was visible. A few bats skimmed his nose and scared him. Once or twice he shouted, “Who goes there? Who goes there? Who goes…?”

As he walked, Pinocchio noticed a tiny insect on the trunk of a tree. It glowed with a pale, soft light.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I am the ghost of the Cricket,” answered it.

“What do you want?” asked the Marionette.

“I want to give you some good advice. Return home and give the four gold pieces to your poor old father.”

“Tomorrow my father will be a rich man, for these four gold pieces will become two thousand.”

“Don’t listen to those who promise you wealth overnight, my boy. As a rule they are either fools or swindlers! Listen to me and go home.”

“But I want to go on!”

“The hour is late!”

“I want to go on.”

“The night is very dark.”

“I want to go on.”

“The road is dangerous. There are many robbers in the dark.”

“I want to go on. The same nonsense. Good-bye, Cricket.”

“Good night, Pinocchio.”

There was silence for a minute and the ghost of the Cricket disappeared. Once again the road was dark.

Chapter 14

Pinocchio and the Robbers

“We boys are really very unlucky,” said the Marionette to himself, “Everybody scolds us, everybody gives us advice, everybody warns us. Everyone tries to be father and mother to us; everyone, even the Cricket. Robbers indeed! I think that fathers and mothers invented robbers to frighten children. Even if I meet them on the road, I’ll say, ‘Well, signori, what do you want? Run along and mind your business[17 - mind your business – занимайтесь своим делом].’ If they don’t run away, I can always run myself.”

Suddenly Pinocchio heard a slight rustle among the leaves behind him. He turned to look and saw two big black shadows. The two figures in black coal sacks leaped toward him softly.

“Here they come!” Pinocchio said to himself, and hid the gold pieces under his tongue. He tried to run away, but deep voices said to him:

“Your money or your life!”

Pinocchio could not say a word, because the gold pieces were in his mouth. Pinocchio’s head and hands said,

“I haven’t a coin.”

“Give us your money or you’re a dead man,” said the taller of the two Robbers.

“Dead man,” repeated the other.

“And we will kill your father also.”

“Your father also!”

“No, no, no, not my Father!” cried Pinocchio. And the gold pieces tinkled together in his mouth.

“Ah, you rascal! You have the money under your tongue!”

But Pinocchio was silent again.

“Are you deaf? Wait, young man, we’ll get it from you!”

One of them grabbed the Marionette by the nose and the other by the chin, and they pulled him unmercifully from side to side in order to open his mouth.

But they couldn’t do it. In desperation the smaller of the two Robbers pulled out a long knife from his pocket, and tried to open Pinocchio’s mouth with it.

The Marionette sank his teeth deep into the Robber’s hand, and bit it off. Suddenly he saw that it was not a hand, but a cat’s paw!

Pinocchio freed himself from the claws of his assailers and ran swiftly across the fields. He climbed up a giant pine tree and sat there. The Robbers tried to climb also, but they slipped and fell.

They gathered a bundle of wood, and set fire to it[18 - set fire to it – подожгли]. The tree began to sputter and burn. The flames climbed higher and higher. Pinocchio jumped quickly to the ground and ran away.

But soon Pinocchio saw a deep pool full of dirty water. With a “One, two, three!” he jumped clear across it. The Robbers jumped also, but-splash! – they fell right into the middle of the pool.

“A pleasant bath to you, signori!” Pinocchio cried.