The Adventures of Pinocchio (1904)/Chapter 35
As soon as Pinocchio had said good-by to his friend the Tunny, he moved around, groping in the darkness. Walking inside the Dogfish, he advanced toward the little light that shone so far away.
As he groped along he felt his feet wading in a puddle of greasy, slippery water. The water had such a pungent odor of fried fish that he thought it must be Lent.
The more he walked, the clearer and more distinct became the light, until finally he arrived at the end of the passage. What did he find? I will let you guess a thousand times. He found a little table all nicely set, and lighted by a candle stuck into a green bottle. Seated behind the table he saw an old man with snow-white beard and hair, who was slowly eating some little live fish.
At the sight of the poor old man Pinocchio became so overjoyed that he nearly lost his senses. He wished to laugh; he wished to cry. He did not know what to do. He finally murmured some joyous sounds, for words stuck in his throat. Giving a cry of pleasure, he rushed to the old man, threw his arms around his neck, and cried: “Oh, my dear father! At last I have found you! Now I will never leave you again, never, never, never!”
“Do my eyes tell me truly?” asked the old man, rubbing them. “Do I really see my dear Pinocchio?”
“Yes, yes; it is I, truly, Pinocchio! And you have already forgiven me, have you not? Oh, my papa! How good you are! And to think that I—Oh, but if you only knew how many things have happened to me,—how many troubles and trials! Just imagine, the day you sold your coat for my A B C card I ran away from school and met some marionettes, and the manager wished to put me on the fire so that I could cook some mutton that he wanted to eat. He gave me some pieces of gold for you; but when I went toward home I met a Fox and a Cat, who led me to an inn called the Red Lobster, where they ate like wolves. I left the inn at night and met assassins who began to run after me and finally caught me and hanged me to a large oak. Then a beautiful Baby with Blue Hair sent a carriage to take me to her house, where there were doctors who said if I was not dead it was a sign that I was alive. Then I told a story and my nose commenced to grow so that I could not pass through the door of the room. After that I met the Fox and the Cat, who advised me to put the money in the ground and watch it grow. I lost it all, for I believed their story. When I told the judge of the town he put me in prison for being so foolish. After I was set free I walked along a road and, feeling hungry, I looked for a bunch of grapes; but I was caught in a trap and a farmer took me to his house and made me play dog. After I had caught the Polecats that robbed his hencoop, he set me free; and I met a Serpent with a smoking tail, and it laughed so hard that a vein broke in its chest and it died. Then I hurried to the house of the beautiful Baby, but she had died. Then a Dove, seeing me cry, said to me, ‘I have seen your papa making a ship to go and look for you’; and I said, ‘Oh! if I had wings I would fly to him!’ And the Dove said, ‘Get on my back’; and away we flew all night. The next day, when we arrived at the shore, the fishermen, looking toward the sea, said to me, ‘There in that boat is a poor old man who will sink’; for the water was so rough. And I ran to a rock and recognized you, because my heart told me that you were there; and I made a sign for you to come back to the shore—”
“I recognized you also,” said Geppetto, “and I would willingly have come back; but how could I?—the sea was so rough and my boat was so frail. Then a horrible Dogfish that was near me put out its tongue and swallowed me like a pill.”
“And how long have you been shut up here?” asked Pinocchio.
“Two years, Pinocchio, that seemed like two centuries.”
“And how have you lived? And where did you find the candle and the matches to light it?”
“I will tell you all. Fortunately, when the Dogfish swallowed me he swallowed also the provisions I had on board the ship—”
“What? He swallowed all in a mouthful?” asked Pinocchio, surprised.
“All in a mouthful. But he did not like the mast of the boat; for that stuck in his teeth like a toothpick and he spat that out. As the boat was loaded with preserved meat, figs, biscuits, wine, raisins, coffee, sugar, candles, and matches, I was well supplied. To-day, however, I am burning my last candle—”
“And after that?”
“Why, my dear boy, we shall both be left in the dark.”
“Then, Papa,” said Pinocchio, “there is no time to lose. We must hurry and escape.”
“How?”
“Why, we must escape from the mouth of the Dogfish and throw ourselves into the sea.”
“But I do not know how to swim.”
“That does not matter. You can get on my back and I will take you to the shore.”
“You are dreaming, my boy,” said Geppetto, shaking his head.
“Try it and see. Anyway, we shall have the consolation of dying together.”
And without saying any more Pinocchio took the candle and started to walk toward the mouth of the Dogfish. “Come along, and do not be afraid, Papa,” said Pinocchio.
And thus they walked along for a little while, traversing the whole length of the Dogfish’s stomach. When they arrived at the end they stopped so as to look carefully before trying to escape.
Now, my little readers, you must know that the Dogfish, being very old and suffering from asthma and palpitation of the heart, was obliged to sleep with his mouth open. Pinocchio, therefore, looking up through the throat, saw the starry heavens and the light of the moon.
“This is truly the time to escape,” whispered Pinocchio; “the Dogfish sleeps and the sea is very smooth. Come, then, Papa. Follow me and we shall soon be outside.”
No sooner said than done. They mounted the throat of the huge sea monster and, arriving in the immense mouth, began to walk on the tips of their toes along the tongue. Suddenly the Dogfish sneezed. The candle was blown out, and both Geppetto and Pinocchio were given a violent shake and found themselves back once more in the Dogfish’s stomach.
“Now we are truly lost,” said Geppetto.
“Give me your hand, and be careful not to slip.”
“Where are you leading me?”
“Come along and do not be afraid.”
Thus saying, Pinocchio took his papa’s hand and again they mounted the throat of the monster, always going on tiptoe. Then passing along the tongue and the three rows of teeth, they found themselves out in the air.
“Get on my back,” said Pinocchio, “and hold on tight.”
Scarcely had Geppetto placed his arms around Pinocchio’s neck when the brave marionette began to swim. The sea was as smooth as oil, the moon was resplendent, and the Dogfish continued to sleep so soundly that not even a cannon shot would have awakened him.
