The Inn of the Red LobsterCat and Fox and Marionette walked and walked and walked.
At last, toward evening, dead tired, they came to theInn of the Red Lobster.
"Let us stop here a while," said the Fox, "to eat a biteand rest for a few hours. At midnight we'll start out again,for at dawn tomorrow we must be at the Field of Wonders."They went into the Inn and all three sat down at thesame table. However, not one of them was very hungry.
The poor Cat felt very weak, and he was able toeat only thirty-five mullets with tomato sauce and fourportions of tripe with cheese. Moreover, as he was soin need of strength, he had to have four more helpings ofbutter and cheese.
The Fox, after a great deal of coaxing, tried his bestto eat a little. The doctor had put him on a diet, and hehad to be satisfied with a small hare dressed with a dozenyoung and tender spring chickens. After the hare, heordered some partridges, a few pheasants, a couple ofrabbits, and a dozen frogs and lizards. That was all.
He felt ill, he said, and could not eat another bite.
Pinocchio ate least of all. He asked for a bite of breadand a few nuts and then hardly touched them. The poorfellow, with his mind on the Field of Wonders, wassuffering from a gold-piece indigestion.
Supper over, the Fox said to the Innkeeper:
"Give us two good rooms, one for Mr. Pinocchio andthe other for me and my friend. Before starting out,we'll take a little nap. Remember to call us at midnightsharp, for we must continue on our journey.""Yes, sir," answered the Innkeeper, winking in a knowing wayat the Fox and the Cat, as if to say, "I understand."As soon as Pinocchio was in bed, he fell fast asleepand began to dream. He dreamed he was in the middleof a field. The field was full of vines heavy with grapes.
The grapes were no other than gold coins which tinkled merrily as they swayed in the wind. They seemed tosay, "Let him who wants us take us!"Just as Pinocchio stretched out his hand to take ahandful of them, he was awakened by three loud knocks atthe door. It was the Innkeeper who had come to tell himthat midnight had struck.
"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 whichsaid that his first-born was suffering from chilblainsand was on the point of death. He could not even waitto say good-by to you.""Did they pay for the supper?""How could they do such a thing? Being people ofgreat refinement, they did not want to offend you sodeeply as not to allow you the honor of paying the bill.""Too bad! That offense would have been more thanpleasing to me," said Pinocchio, scratching his head.
"Where did my good friends say they would wait for me?" he added.
"At the Field of Wonders, at sunrise tomorrow morning."Pinocchio paid a gold piece for the three suppers andstarted on his way toward the field that was to make him a rich man.
He walked on, not knowing where he was going, forit was dark, so dark that not a thing was visible. Roundabout him, not a leaf stirred. A few bats skimmed hisnose now and again and scared him half to death. Onceor twice he shouted, "Who goes there?" and the far-awayhills echoed back to him, "Who goes there? Who goesthere? Who goes. . . ?"As he walked, Pinocchio noticed a tiny insectglimmering on the trunk of a tree, a small being that glowedwith a pale, soft light.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am the ghost of the Talking Cricket," answered thelittle being in a faint voice that sounded as if it came froma far-away world.
"What do you want?" asked the Marionette.
"I want to give you a few words of good advice.
Return home and give the four gold pieces you haveleft to your poor old father who is weeping because hehas not seen you for many a day.""Tomorrow my father will be a rich man, for thesefour 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.""I want to go on.""Remember that boys who insist on having their own way,sooner or later come to grief.""The same nonsense. Good-by, Cricket.""Good night, Pinocchio, and may Heaven preserve youfrom the Assassins."There was silence for a minute and the light of theTalking Cricket disappeared suddenly, just as if someonehad snuffed it out. Once again the road was plungedin darkness.
他们走啊，走啊，走啊，最后天黑了，他们累得够呛，来到了一家旅馆，叫做“红虾旅馆”。
“咱们在这儿停一会儿”狐狸说，“吃点东西，歇上个把钟头，半夜动身，明儿天不亮，‘奇迹宝地’就到了。”
他们走进旅馆，，二个人占了一张桌子，可谁都说不要吃什么。
可怜的猫说它肚子很不舒服，只要吃三十五条香茄酱火兔、四份奶酪杂碎，因为觉得杂碎味道不够好，又添了三次牛油和奶酪粉！
狐狸虽然想吃，可大夫规定它要严格节制饮食，因此它只好吃得简单点，就吃了一只肥美的野兔，周围摆满一圈肥嫩的童子鸡，吃完野兔，它又要了一大批饭后点心：鸡杂炒蛋，鹧鸪，家兔，田鸡、晰蜴，甜葡萄。接下来就不要什么了。它说食物已经叫它作呕，它一口也吃不下去了。
吃得最少的是皮诺乔。他只要了点核桃，还要了块面包，可结果都留在盘子里没吃，这可怜孩子光顾着想‘奇迹宝地’，好像金币己经把他撑饱了。
吃完晚饭，狐狸对老极说：
“给我们两间上房，一间住皮诺乔先生，一间住我和我的朋友，我们走前会打铃，可得记住，半夜我们要起来继续赶路。”
“是，先生们，”老板回答着，对狐狸和猫眨眨眼，像是说：“有数有数，算说定了！……”
皮诺乔一上床就睡着了，睡着了就做梦，他梦见自己在一块地当中。这块地满是矮矮的树，树上挂满一串一串的东西，这一串一串的东西都是金币，让风吹着，发出丁、丁、丁的声音，听着像说：“谁高兴就来采我们吧，”可正当皮诺乔兴高采烈，伸手要去采这些漂亮的金币，把它们全给放进口袋的时候，忽然给房门上很响的三下敲门声惊醒了。
原来是旅馆老板来告诉他，钟已经敲半夜十二点了。
“我那两位同伴准备好了吗？”木偶问他，
“岂止准备好了！两个钟头以前都走啦。”
“为什么这祥急？”
“因为猫得到音信，说它的大孩子脚上生冻疮，有生命危险。”
“晚饭钱它们付了吗？”
“您说到哪儿去啦，它们太有教养了，哪能对您这样的先生如此无礼呢！”
“太可惜了！我倒高兴它们无礼些！”皮诺乔说着抓抓头，接着他又问：“我这两位好朋友说过，它们在哪儿等我吗？”
“说是在‘奇迹宝地’等你，明天早晨，天一亮的时候。”
皮诺乔给自已和两个朋友的那顿晚饭付了一个金币，这才走了，
他可以说是摸索着走的，因为旅馆外面一片漆黑，黑得伸手不见五指。四周田野上连一点叶子沙沙声也听不见。只有一些夜鸟不时打一丛树上飞到另一丛树上，在路上穿过，用翅膀碰到了他的鼻子，他吓得向后直跳，大叫起来：“什么人？”周围的小土岗发出回声，拉长声音反复说着：“什么人？什么人？什么人？”
他正走间，看见一棵树干上有一样小生物发出一点光，苍白昏暗，像夜里从透明瓷灯罩里发出来的灯光。
“你是谁？”皮诺乔问它，
“我是会说话的蟋蟀的影子，”那小生物回答，声音很微弱很微弱，像是从另一个世界来的。
“你找我干吗，”
“我想给你一个忠告，你往回走吧，把剩下的四个金币带回去给你可怜的爸爸，他正在哭呢，以为再见不到你了。”
“我爸爸明天就要变成一位体面的先生，因为这四个金币要变成两千个。”
“人家说什么一夜之间就可以发财财富，我的孩子，你可别相信。他们那种人通常不是疯子就是骗子，听我的话，往回走吧。”
“可我不往回走，我偏要向前走。”
“时间很晚了！……”
“我偏要向前走。”
“夜那么黑……”
“我偏要向前走。”
“路上有危险……”
“我偏要向前走。”
“你要记住，任性的孩子早晚要后悔的。”
“又是老一套。明天见，蟋蟀。”
“明天见，皮诺乔，愿天老爷保佑你不沾露水，不遇杀人的强盗！”
会说话的蟋蟀一说完这句话，光忽然熄灭了，就像一些灯给一阵风吹灭了似的。路上比先前更黑了。 |
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