章节正文
He waited for some sign of an answer to his questions,
but the answer did not come. On the contrary, the green
Serpent, who had seemed, until then, wide awake and full
of life, became suddenly very quiet and still. His eyes
closed and his tail stopped smoking.
"Is he dead, I wonder?" said Pinocchio, rubbing his
hands together happily. Without a moment's hesitation,
he started to step over him, but he had just raised one leg
when the Serpent shot up like a spring and the Marionette
fell head over heels backward. He fell so awkwardly
that his head stuck in the mud, and there he stood with
his legs straight up in the air.
At the sight of the Marionette kicking and squirming
like a young whirlwind, the Serpent laughed so heartily
and so long that at last he burst an artery and died on the spot.
Pinocchio freed himself from his awkward position and
once more began to run in order to reach the Fairy's
house before dark. As he went, the pangs of hunger grew
so strong that, unable to withstand them, he jumped into
a field to pick a few grapes that tempted him. Woe to him!
No sooner had he reached the grapevine than--crack!
went his legs.
The poor Marionette was caught in a trap set there by
a Farmer for some Weasels which came every night to
steal his chickens.
CHAPTER 21
Pinocchio is caught by a Farmer,
who uses him as a watchdog for his chicken coop
Pinocchio, as you may well imagine, began to scream
and weep and beg; but all was of no use, for no houses
were to be seen and not a soul passed by on the road.
Night came on.
A little because of the sharp pain in his legs, a little
because of fright at finding himself alone in the darkness
of the field, the Marionette was about to faint, when he
saw a tiny Glowworm flickering by. He called to her
and said:
"Dear little Glowworm, will you set me free?"
"Poor little fellow!" replied the Glowworm, stopping
to look at him with pity. "How came you to be caught
in this trap?"
"I stepped into this lonely field to take a few grapes and--"
"Are the grapes yours?"
"No."
"Who has taught you to take things that do not belong to you?"
"I was hungry."
"Hunger, my boy, is no reason for taking something
which belongs to another."
"It's true, it's true!" cried Pinocchio in tears. "I won't
do it again."
Just then, the conversation was interrupted by
approaching footsteps. It was the owner of the field,
who was coming on tiptoes to see if, by chance, he had caught
the Weasels which had been eating his chickens.
Great was his surprise when, on holding up his lantern,
he saw that, instead of a Weasel, he had caught a boy!
"Ah, you little thief!" said the Farmer in an angry
voice. "So you are the one who steals my chickens!"
"Not I! No, no!" cried Pinocchio, sobbing bitterly.
"I came here only to take a very few grapes."
"He who steals grapes may very easily steal chickens also.
Take my word for it, I'll give you a lesson that you'll remember
for a long while."
He opened the trap, grabbed the Marionette by the
collar, and carried him to the house as if he were a puppy.
When he reached the yard in front of the house, he
flung him to the ground, put a foot on his neck, and said
to him roughly: "It is late now and it's time for bed.
Tomorrow we'll settle matters. In the meantime, since my
watchdog died today, you may take his place and guard
my henhouse."
No sooner said than done. He slipped a dog collar
around Pinocchio's neck and tightened it so that it would
not come off. A long iron chain was tied to the collar.
The other end of the chain was nailed to the wall.
"If tonight it should happen to rain," said the Farmer,
"you can sleep in that little doghouse near-by, where you
will find plenty of straw for a soft bed. It has been
Melampo's bed for three years, and it will be good enough
for you. And if, by any chance, any thieves should come,
be sure to bark!"
After this last warning, the Farmer went into the house
and closed the door and barred it.
Poor Pinocchio huddled close to the doghouse more
dead than alive from cold, hunger, and fright. Now and
again he pulled and tugged at the collar which nearly
choked him and cried out in a weak voice:
"I deserve it! Yes, I deserve it! I have been nothing
but a truant and a vagabond. I have never obeyed anyone
and I have always done as I pleased. If I were only like
so many others and had studied and worked and stayed
with my poor old father, I should not find myself here now,
in this field and in the darkness, taking the place of a
farmer's watchdog. Oh, if I could start all over again!
But what is done can't be undone, and I must be patient!"
After this little sermon to himself, which came from the very
depths of his heart, Pinocchio went into the doghouse and fell asleep.
CHAPTER 22
Pinocchio discovers the thieves and,
as a reward for faithfulness, he regains his liberty
Even though a boy may be very unhappy, he very seldom
loses sleep over his worries. The Marionette, being no
exception to this rule, slept on peacefully for a few hours
till well along toward midnight, when he was awakened
by strange whisperings and stealthy sounds coming from
the yard. He stuck his nose out of the doghouse and saw
four slender, hairy animals. They were Weasels, small
animals very fond of both eggs and chickens. One of
them left her companions and, going to the door of the
doghouse, said in a sweet voice:
"Good evening, Melampo."
"My name is not Melampo," answered Pinocchio.
"Who are you, then?"
"I am Pinocchio."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm the watchdog."
"But where is Melampo? Where is the old dog
who used to live in this house?"
"He died this morning."
"Died? Poor beast! He was so good! Still, judging
by your face, I think you, too, are a good-natured dog."
"I beg your pardon, I am not a dog!"
"What are you, then?"
"I am a Marionette."
"Are you taking the place of the watchdog?"
"I'm sorry to say that I am. I'm being punished."
"Well, I shall make the same terms with you that we had with
the dead Melampo. I am sure you will be glad to hear them."
"And what are the terms?"
"This is our plan: We'll come once in a while, as in
the past, to pay a visit to this henhouse, and we'll take
away eight chickens. Of these, seven are for us, and one
for you, provided, of course, that you will make believe
you are sleeping and will not bark for the Farmer."
"Did Melampo really do that?" asked Pinocchio.
"Indeed he did, and because of that we were the best of
friends. Sleep away peacefully, and remember that before
we go we shall leave you a nice fat chicken all ready
for your breakfast in the morning. Is that understood?"
"Even too well," answered Pinocchio. And shaking
his head in a threatening manner, he seemed to say, "We'll
talk this over in a few minutes, my friends."
As soon as the four Weasels had talked things over,
they went straight to the chicken coop which stood close
to the doghouse. Digging busily with teeth and claws,
they opened the little door and slipped in. But they were
no sooner in than they heard the door close with a sharp bang.
The one who had done the trick was Pinocchio, who,
not satisfied with that, dragged a heavy stone in front
of it. That done, he started to bark. And he barked as
if he were a real watchdog: "Bow, wow, wow! Bow, wow!"
The Farmer heard the loud barks and jumped out of bed.
Taking his gun, he leaped to the window and shouted:
"What's the matter?"
"The thieves are here," answered Pinocchio.
"Where are they?"
"In the chicken coop."
"I'll come down in a second."
And, in fact, he was down in the yard in a twinkling
and running toward the chicken coop.
He opened the door, pulled out the Weasels one by one, and,
after tying them in a bag, said to them in a happy voice:
"You're in my hands at last! I could punish you now,
but I'll wait! In the morning you may come with me
to the inn and there you'll make a fine dinner for some
hungry mortal. It is really too great an honor for you,
one you do not deserve; but, as you see, I am really a
very kind and generous man and I am going to do this
for you!"
Then he went up to Pinocchio and began to pet and caress him.
"How did you ever find them out so quickly? And to think
that Melampo, my faithful Melampo, never saw them
in all these years!"
The Marionette could have told, then and there, all he
knew about the shameful contract between the dog and
the Weasels, but thinking of the dead dog, he said to
himself: "Melampo is dead. What is the use of accusing him?
The dead are gone and they cannot defend themselves.
The best thing to do is to leave them in peace!"
"Were you awake or asleep when they came?" continued the Farmer.
"I was asleep," answered Pinocchio, "but they
awakened me with their whisperings. One of them even came
to the door of the doghouse and said to me, `If you promise
not to bark, we will make you a present of one of the
chickens for your breakfast.' Did you hear that? They
had the audacity to make such a proposition as that to me!
For you must know that, though I am a very wicked Marionette
full of faults, still I never have been, nor ever shall be, bribed."
"Fine boy!" cried the Farmer, slapping him on the
shoulder in a friendly way. "You ought to be proud of
yourself. And to show you what I think of you, you
are free from this instant!"
And he slipped the dog collar from his neck.
CHAPTER 23
Pinocchio weeps upon learning that the Lovely Maiden
with Azure Hair is dead. He meets a Pigeon,
who carries him to the seashore. He throws himself
into the sea to go to the aid of his father
As soon as Pinocchio no longer felt the shameful weight
of the dog collar around his neck, he started to run across
the fields and meadows, and never stopped till he came to
but the answer did not come. On the contrary, the green
Serpent, who had seemed, until then, wide awake and full
of life, became suddenly very quiet and still. His eyes
closed and his tail stopped smoking.
"Is he dead, I wonder?" said Pinocchio, rubbing his
hands together happily. Without a moment's hesitation,
he started to step over him, but he had just raised one leg
when the Serpent shot up like a spring and the Marionette
fell head over heels backward. He fell so awkwardly
that his head stuck in the mud, and there he stood with
his legs straight up in the air.
At the sight of the Marionette kicking and squirming
like a young whirlwind, the Serpent laughed so heartily
and so long that at last he burst an artery and died on the spot.
Pinocchio freed himself from his awkward position and
once more began to run in order to reach the Fairy's
house before dark. As he went, the pangs of hunger grew
so strong that, unable to withstand them, he jumped into
a field to pick a few grapes that tempted him. Woe to him!
No sooner had he reached the grapevine than--crack!
went his legs.
The poor Marionette was caught in a trap set there by
a Farmer for some Weasels which came every night to
steal his chickens.
CHAPTER 21
Pinocchio is caught by a Farmer,
who uses him as a watchdog for his chicken coop
Pinocchio, as you may well imagine, began to scream
and weep and beg; but all was of no use, for no houses
were to be seen and not a soul passed by on the road.
Night came on.
A little because of the sharp pain in his legs, a little
because of fright at finding himself alone in the darkness
of the field, the Marionette was about to faint, when he
saw a tiny Glowworm flickering by. He called to her
and said:
"Dear little Glowworm, will you set me free?"
"Poor little fellow!" replied the Glowworm, stopping
to look at him with pity. "How came you to be caught
in this trap?"
"I stepped into this lonely field to take a few grapes and--"
"Are the grapes yours?"
"No."
"Who has taught you to take things that do not belong to you?"
"I was hungry."
"Hunger, my boy, is no reason for taking something
which belongs to another."
"It's true, it's true!" cried Pinocchio in tears. "I won't
do it again."
Just then, the conversation was interrupted by
approaching footsteps. It was the owner of the field,
who was coming on tiptoes to see if, by chance, he had caught
the Weasels which had been eating his chickens.
Great was his surprise when, on holding up his lantern,
he saw that, instead of a Weasel, he had caught a boy!
"Ah, you little thief!" said the Farmer in an angry
voice. "So you are the one who steals my chickens!"
"Not I! No, no!" cried Pinocchio, sobbing bitterly.
"I came here only to take a very few grapes."
"He who steals grapes may very easily steal chickens also.
Take my word for it, I'll give you a lesson that you'll remember
for a long while."
He opened the trap, grabbed the Marionette by the
collar, and carried him to the house as if he were a puppy.
When he reached the yard in front of the house, he
flung him to the ground, put a foot on his neck, and said
to him roughly: "It is late now and it's time for bed.
Tomorrow we'll settle matters. In the meantime, since my
watchdog died today, you may take his place and guard
my henhouse."
No sooner said than done. He slipped a dog collar
around Pinocchio's neck and tightened it so that it would
not come off. A long iron chain was tied to the collar.
The other end of the chain was nailed to the wall.
"If tonight it should happen to rain," said the Farmer,
"you can sleep in that little doghouse near-by, where you
will find plenty of straw for a soft bed. It has been
Melampo's bed for three years, and it will be good enough
for you. And if, by any chance, any thieves should come,
be sure to bark!"
After this last warning, the Farmer went into the house
and closed the door and barred it.
Poor Pinocchio huddled close to the doghouse more
dead than alive from cold, hunger, and fright. Now and
again he pulled and tugged at the collar which nearly
choked him and cried out in a weak voice:
"I deserve it! Yes, I deserve it! I have been nothing
but a truant and a vagabond. I have never obeyed anyone
and I have always done as I pleased. If I were only like
so many others and had studied and worked and stayed
with my poor old father, I should not find myself here now,
in this field and in the darkness, taking the place of a
farmer's watchdog. Oh, if I could start all over again!
But what is done can't be undone, and I must be patient!"
After this little sermon to himself, which came from the very
depths of his heart, Pinocchio went into the doghouse and fell asleep.
CHAPTER 22
Pinocchio discovers the thieves and,
as a reward for faithfulness, he regains his liberty
Even though a boy may be very unhappy, he very seldom
loses sleep over his worries. The Marionette, being no
exception to this rule, slept on peacefully for a few hours
till well along toward midnight, when he was awakened
by strange whisperings and stealthy sounds coming from
the yard. He stuck his nose out of the doghouse and saw
four slender, hairy animals. They were Weasels, small
animals very fond of both eggs and chickens. One of
them left her companions and, going to the door of the
doghouse, said in a sweet voice:
"Good evening, Melampo."
"My name is not Melampo," answered Pinocchio.
"Who are you, then?"
"I am Pinocchio."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm the watchdog."
"But where is Melampo? Where is the old dog
who used to live in this house?"
"He died this morning."
"Died? Poor beast! He was so good! Still, judging
by your face, I think you, too, are a good-natured dog."
"I beg your pardon, I am not a dog!"
"What are you, then?"
"I am a Marionette."
"Are you taking the place of the watchdog?"
"I'm sorry to say that I am. I'm being punished."
"Well, I shall make the same terms with you that we had with
the dead Melampo. I am sure you will be glad to hear them."
"And what are the terms?"
"This is our plan: We'll come once in a while, as in
the past, to pay a visit to this henhouse, and we'll take
away eight chickens. Of these, seven are for us, and one
for you, provided, of course, that you will make believe
you are sleeping and will not bark for the Farmer."
"Did Melampo really do that?" asked Pinocchio.
"Indeed he did, and because of that we were the best of
friends. Sleep away peacefully, and remember that before
we go we shall leave you a nice fat chicken all ready
for your breakfast in the morning. Is that understood?"
"Even too well," answered Pinocchio. And shaking
his head in a threatening manner, he seemed to say, "We'll
talk this over in a few minutes, my friends."
As soon as the four Weasels had talked things over,
they went straight to the chicken coop which stood close
to the doghouse. Digging busily with teeth and claws,
they opened the little door and slipped in. But they were
no sooner in than they heard the door close with a sharp bang.
The one who had done the trick was Pinocchio, who,
not satisfied with that, dragged a heavy stone in front
of it. That done, he started to bark. And he barked as
if he were a real watchdog: "Bow, wow, wow! Bow, wow!"
The Farmer heard the loud barks and jumped out of bed.
Taking his gun, he leaped to the window and shouted:
"What's the matter?"
"The thieves are here," answered Pinocchio.
"Where are they?"
"In the chicken coop."
"I'll come down in a second."
And, in fact, he was down in the yard in a twinkling
and running toward the chicken coop.
He opened the door, pulled out the Weasels one by one, and,
after tying them in a bag, said to them in a happy voice:
"You're in my hands at last! I could punish you now,
but I'll wait! In the morning you may come with me
to the inn and there you'll make a fine dinner for some
hungry mortal. It is really too great an honor for you,
one you do not deserve; but, as you see, I am really a
very kind and generous man and I am going to do this
for you!"
Then he went up to Pinocchio and began to pet and caress him.
"How did you ever find them out so quickly? And to think
that Melampo, my faithful Melampo, never saw them
in all these years!"
The Marionette could have told, then and there, all he
knew about the shameful contract between the dog and
the Weasels, but thinking of the dead dog, he said to
himself: "Melampo is dead. What is the use of accusing him?
The dead are gone and they cannot defend themselves.
The best thing to do is to leave them in peace!"
"Were you awake or asleep when they came?" continued the Farmer.
"I was asleep," answered Pinocchio, "but they
awakened me with their whisperings. One of them even came
to the door of the doghouse and said to me, `If you promise
not to bark, we will make you a present of one of the
chickens for your breakfast.' Did you hear that? They
had the audacity to make such a proposition as that to me!
For you must know that, though I am a very wicked Marionette
full of faults, still I never have been, nor ever shall be, bribed."
"Fine boy!" cried the Farmer, slapping him on the
shoulder in a friendly way. "You ought to be proud of
yourself. And to show you what I think of you, you
are free from this instant!"
And he slipped the dog collar from his neck.
CHAPTER 23
Pinocchio weeps upon learning that the Lovely Maiden
with Azure Hair is dead. He meets a Pigeon,
who carries him to the seashore. He throws himself
into the sea to go to the aid of his father
As soon as Pinocchio no longer felt the shameful weight
of the dog collar around his neck, he started to run across
the fields and meadows, and never stopped till he came to
- contrary [´kɔntrəri]
a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词) - backward [´bækwəd] ad.向后 a.向后的 (初中英语单词)
- hunger [´hʌŋgə] n.饥饿；渴望 (初中英语单词)
- unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)
- fright [frait] n.惊吓；恐怖；怪人 (初中英语单词)
- lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)
- meantime [´mi:ntaim] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)
- collar [´kɔlə] n.衣领；(狗等的)项圈 (初中英语单词)
- deserve [di´zə:v] v.应受；值得 (初中英语单词)
- reward [ri´wɔ:d] n.&v.报答；报酬；奖赏 (初中英语单词)
- unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)
- midnight [´midnait] n.午夜；漆黑 (初中英语单词)
- slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)
- pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)
- sleeping [´sli:piŋ] n.&a.睡着(的) (初中英语单词)
- running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
- punish [´pʌniʃ] vt.(惩)罚；痛击；折磨 (初中英语单词)
- generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)
- faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)
- wicked [´wikid] a.邪恶的；不道德的 (初中英语单词)
- learning [´lə:niŋ] n.学习；学问；知识 (初中英语单词)
- serpent [´sə:pənt] n.大毒蛇；阴险的人 (高中英语单词)
- awkward [´ɔ:kwəd] a.笨拙的；为难的 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- roughly [´rʌfli] ad.粗糙地；毛糙地 (高中英语单词)
- near-by [´niə-bai] a.附近的 ad.在附近 (高中英语单词)
- studied [´stʌdid] a.故意的；有计划的 (高中英语单词)
- sermon [´sə:mən] n.说教；训诫；讲道 (高中英语单词)
- mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)
- caress [kə´res] n.&vt.爱抚；接吻 (高中英语单词)
- proposition [,prɔpə´ziʃən] n.提议；主张；陈述 (高中英语单词)
- whirlwind [´wə:l,wind] n.旋风；猛烈的势力 (英语四级单词)
- artery [´ɑ:təri] n.动脉；干线 (英语四级单词)
- withstand [wið´stænd] vt.抵抗，经得起 (英语四级单词)
- weasel [´wi:zəl] n.黄鼠狼；狡猾的人 (英语四级单词)
- thieves [θi:vz] thief的复数 (英语四级单词)
- warning [´wɔ:niŋ] n.警告；前兆 a.预告的 (英语四级单词)
- vagabond [´vægəbɔnd] n.流浪者 a.流浪的 (英语四级单词)
- good-natured [´gud-´neitʃəd] a.脾气好的，温厚的 (英语四级单词)
- busily [´bizili] ad.忙碌地 (英语四级单词)
- shameful [´ʃeimfəl] a.可耻的；猥亵的 (英语四级单词)
- audacity [ɔ:´dæsiti] n.大胆；卤莽；无礼 (英语四级单词)
- seashore [´si:ʃɔ:] n.海岸；海滨 (英语四级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
- truant [´tru:ənt] n.&a.逃学者(的) (英语六级单词)
- undone [,ʌn´dʌn] a.未完成的，没有做的 (英语六级单词)
- peacefully [´pisfuli] ad.平静地；安宁地 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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