The Heart of Pinocchio

d That He Had a Heart a

intently for several minutes, after which he scratched his noddle solemnly. When Pinocchio scratched his head in this way you could be sure that there was trouble in the air. And so there was. The room was empty, the windows c

self by rapping with his knuckles on a woode

ed on the floor in the middle of the room, dead tired, his face all smeared with dust and spider-webs, his shirt in tatters, his tongue hanging out like a pointer's returning from the hunt. Yet there, close to him, he still heard that strange tick-tock ... tick-tock ... tick-tock ... and it seemed as if those mysterious fingers were rapping

awing a long breath, yet the noise keeps up.... Then, since it is not I who am making the noise, some

as if he would split his throat: "Help! Help!" The thought had suddenly come to him that during the night a mouse had jumped into his mouth and down into his stomach and was

I weren't sure that I went to bed without supper I should think I had swallowed Papa Geppetto's watch by mistake.... Hm! If he hadn't told me time and

st

'?" called Pinocchio, looking around i

thinks he can frighten me with his 'just so' he will find himself much m

nything to say to me let him come forward and

rward with his head down, thrashing out blows like a madman. Then he heard a terrible smashing of glass. Pinocchio had hit out at his own image in the wardrobe

from his surprise. "How did I happen not to recognize myself in the mirror? Am I really so

Just so!

as a beautiful terrace covered with flowering plants. In the midst of the plants was a stand, and on the stand a magnificent green parrot who just at th

t you who was chattering '

a crazy laugh and began to

to wants

ass gave s

to know

aster he

y heritage of donkeys, was certainly not Pinocchio's principal virtue. Moreover,

it,

diot, 'yo

ea

ea

care

ca-a

ive it

you,

Ho! H

ass gave s

to know

aster he

you shut up. Take thi

it down with all his force. Coccorito would have come to a sad ending if the god of parrots had not protected his topknot. The flower-pot grazed the stand

hat he threw over his shoulders the first thing in the way of clothing he could lay his hand on, rushed to the door, opened it with a kick, ran through a small room adjoining, sped down the stairs at breakneck speed, flung open the street door and-Heavens! He felt a violent blow on his stomach and, as if hurled from a catapult, he was thrown into the air and fell down the rest of the steps, his legs o

the street and who, seeing Pinocchio flying out of the house like a madm

s room, and if I must tell you all the truth, he was a perfectly comical sight. Soon Pinocch

hadn't suddenly joined in the game. It was a large jet-black poodle that had come from no one knew where. With a couple of bounds he had caught up with Pinocchio and had seized the

Oh, Medoro, don't you reco

ll knotted about Pinocchio's waist. It was only then that he

ly want to do with this rag?

h. The puppet stood there, quite upset. Medoro had given him a lesson. The dog that had been so friendly had turned on him an

after that rag. Papa Geppetto won't even thank him.... I had bette

and two big tears shone in his bright little eyes. But suddenly he sighed a deep sigh, shrugged his shoulders se

stened a moment quietly, and then flung himself into the fields which border

sappers. Everybody clapped, threw kisses and flowers, and overwhelmed the bersaglieri with little gifts. The soldiers broke ranks and mingled with the crowd and answered the applause with loud cheers for Italy, the King, and the Army. Some of them marched along in the midst of their families; weeping mothers begged their sons to be careful; the fathers bade them be brave, reminding

t his heart beating loudly-that strange tick-tock, tick-to

prightly old man who was standing near by, sho

going to

they fire only powder from their

s, real bu

l they a

ight for the honor and greatness of their countr

ch a face that if the little old man had seen it he would probably have boxed his ears for him

inocchio asked the little

pointed to a row of me

would g

hey would take m

rs, the cheers of the crowd, suddenly brought a strange idea into his head. The war, with its cannon, marches on one side, fighting on the other, horses dashing, flags waving in the wind, songs of victory, medals on the breast, prisoners tied togethe

ushed his way between the troops, who, now that they were approaching the station, began to close up the r

you?" Pinocchio asked

he

the

re you

ind

me to take

hen, mus

here, that one with a blue

e, pointed out the captain inspecting the troops. But the captain could decide nothing without the consent of the battalion commander, who, for his part, would ha

t-class carriages were attached into which the orderlies carried the hand-baggage of their higher officers. In front of one compartment reserved for one of these was piled up a regular mountai

al Win-the-War will be here in a minute and his things are

rve that I have only two hands for the s

erve that the train i

ld order some one to

y one to be had

d resolutely toward the adjutant to p

... I have c

word, but caught hold of him under the chin,

ne! Help Private Mollica to carry in all this stuff and your country will be grateful to you. And you, Mollica, hurr

of one of the railway carriages in large letters: "Through Train-Venice

t time ask permission from your superior officer...

, sir, as long

train leaves, but not whe

h for

e written. You are first-class soldiers, you are.

acles. In a few minutes the general's things were

adjutant will be so pleased that if you will promise to keep guard here a m

in front of the door that was so soldierly you might have taken h

almost fell off the step. He had caught sight a short way off of General Win-the-War surrounded by a crowd of officers; and with his marvelous visi

ood stiffly at attention. Even Mollica stood there straight as a ramrod.... Pinocchio gave a leap into the compartment, hoping to escape by the opposite door. But it was not possible to open i

es were singing, "Farewell, my dear one, farewell"; a hundred others sang Garibaldi's Hymn.... There was a profound silence in the compartment. Perhaps the superior officers felt the great responsibility of the moment and were moved by it. Pinocchio didn't dare breathe for fear of betraying himself, but in h

e now be fulfilled. To-morrow we shall cross the frontier, for the gl

ere strangling his throat. When the train was under way, rumbling noisily along the rai