crumbs,—“in that case I know what my duty should be. Come, guards, bind me and throw me into the flames. No, it is not just that poor Harlequin, my true friend, should die for me!”
These words, pronounced in a loud tone and with heroic accents, made all the marionettes that were present at this scene cry. The guards, although made of wood, wept like two baby lambs.
Fire Eater at first remained hard and cold as a piece of ice; but afterward he slowly began to show symptoms of being moved and of sneezing. After having sneezed four or five times, he held out his arms to Pinocchio and said: “You are a brave boy. Come here and give me a kiss.”
Pinocchio ran quickly, and, climbing like a squirrel up the beard of the manager, gave him a most beautiful kiss right on the point of his nose. “Then I am free?” asked Harlequin, with a thin voice that could scarcely be heard.
“Yes, you are free,” replied Fire Eater. Then he added, sighing and shaking his head: “To-night I will eat my supper half-cooked; but another time, woe to him who changes my plans!”
When the marionettes heard that Harlequin was free they ran to the stage, lit all the lights, just as if it were a grand holiday, and began to dance and jump. And they danced all night long.
