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  <item ID="1001" Section="#1" Name="200-300-1" Text="Once upon a time there was a piece of wood. It was not an expensive piece of wood. Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm." />
  <item ID="1001" Section="#1" Name="200-300-2" Text="As soon as he saw that piece of wood, Mastro Cherry was filled with joy. Rubbing his hands together happily, he mumbled half to himself: &quot;This has come in the nick of time. I shall use it to make the leg of a table.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1002" Section="#1" Name="200-300-3" Text="He grasped the hatchet quickly to peel off the bark and shape the wood. But as he was about to give it the first blow, he stood still with arm uplifted, for he had heard a wee, little voice say in a beseeching tone: &quot;Please be careful! Do not hit me so hard!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1003" Section="#1" Name="200-300-4" Text="&quot;Oh, I see,&quot; he said, trying bravely to laugh and ruffling up his wig with his hand. &quot;It can easily be seen I only imagined I heard the tiny voice! Well, well - to work once more!&quot; The poor fellow was scared half to death, so he tried to sing a gay song in order to gain courage." />
  <item ID="1004" Section="#1" Name="200-300-5" Text="He set aside the hatchet and picked up the plane to make the wood smooth and even, but as he drew it to and fro, he heard the same tiny voice. This time it giggled as it spoke: &quot;Stop it! Oh, stop it! Ha, ha, ha! You tickle my stomach.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1005" Section="#1" Name="200-300-6" Text="This time poor Mastro Cherry fell as if shot. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting on the floor. His face had changed; fright had turned even the tip of his nose from red to deepest purple." />
  <item ID="1006" Section="#1" Name="200-300-7" Text="Geppetto had a very bad temper. Woe to the one who called him Polendina! He became as wild as a beast and no one could soothe him. &quot;Good day, Mastro Antonio,&quot; said Geppetto. &quot;What are you doing on the floor?&quot; &quot;I am teaching the ants their A B C's.&quot; &quot;Good luck to you!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1007" Section="#1" Name="200-300-8" Text="And growing angrier each moment, they went from words to blows, and finally began to scratch and bite and slap each other. When the fight was over, Mastro Antonio had Geppetto's yellow wig in his hands and Geppetto found the carpenter's curly wig in his mouth." />
  <item ID="1008" Section="#1" Name="200-300-9" Text="Mastro Antonio, very glad indeed, went immediately to his bench to get the piece of wood which had frightened him so much. But as he was about to give it to his friend, with a violent jerk it slipped out of his hands and hit against poor Geppetto's thin legs." />
  <item ID="1009" Section="#2" Name="300-400-1" Text="I do not know how this really happened, yet the fact remains that one fine day this piece of wood found itself in the shop of an old carpenter. His real name was Mastro Antonio, but everyone called him Mastro Cherry, for the tip of his nose was so round and red and shiny that it looked like a ripe cherry." />
  <item ID="1010" Section="#2" Name="300-400-2" Text="What a look of surprise shone on Mastro Cherry's face! His funny face became still funnier. He turned frightened eyes about the room to find out where that wee, little voice had come from and he saw no one! He looked under the bench - no one! He peeped inside the closet - no one! He searched among the shavings - no one! He opened the door to look up and down the street - and still no one!" />
  <item ID="1011" Section="#2" Name="300-400-3" Text="With these words, he grabbed the log with both hands and started to knock it about unmercifully. He threw it to the floor, against the walls of the room, and even up to the ceiling. He listened for the tiny voice to moan and cry. He waited two minutes - nothing; five minutes - nothing; ten minutes - nothing." />
  <item ID="1012" Section="#2" Name="300-400-4" Text="In that very instant, a loud knock sounded on the door. &quot;Come in,&quot; said the carpenter, not having an atom of strength left with which to stand up. At the words, the door opened and a dapper little old man came in. His name was Geppetto, but to the boys of the neighborhood he was Polendina, on account of the wig he always wore which was just the color of yellow corn." />
  <item ID="1013" Section="#2" Name="300-400-5" Text="After choosing the name for his Marionette, Geppetto set seriously to work to make the hair, the forehead, the eyes. Fancy his surprise when he noticed that these eyes moved and then stared fixedly at him. Geppetto, seeing this, felt insulted and said in a grieved tone: &quot;Ugly wooden eyes, why do you stare so?&quot; There was no answer." />
  <item ID="1014" Section="#2" Name="300-400-6" Text="After the eyes, Geppetto made the nose, which began to stretch as soon as finished. It stretched and stretched and stretched till it became so long, it seemed endless. Poor Geppetto kept cutting it and cutting it, but the more he cut, the longer grew that impertinent nose. In despair he let it alone. Next he made the mouth." />
  <item ID="1015" Section="#2" Name="300-400-7" Text="But instead of giving it back, Pinocchio put it on his own head, which was half swallowed up in it. At that unexpected trick, Geppetto became very sad and downcast, more so than he had ever been before. &quot;Pinocchio, you wicked boy!&quot; he cried out. &quot;You are not yet finished, and you start out by being impudent to your poor old father. Very bad, my son, very bad!&quot; And he wiped away a tear." />
  <item ID="1016" Section="#2" Name="300-400-8" Text="The legs and feet still had to be made. As soon as they were done, Geppetto felt a sharp kick on the tip of his nose. &quot;I deserve it!&quot; he said to himself. &quot;I should have thought of this before I made him. Now it's too late!&quot; He took hold of the Marionette under the arms and put him on the floor to teach him to walk." />
  <item ID="1017" Section="#2" Name="300-400-9" Text="Pinocchio's legs were so stiff that he could not move them, and Geppetto held his hand and showed him how to put out one foot after the other. When his legs were limbered up, Pinocchio started walking by himself and ran all around the room. He came to the open door, and with one leap he was out into the street. Away he flew!" />
  <item ID="1018" Section="#3" Name="400-500-1" Text="&quot;Oh, I see!&quot; he then said, laughing and scratching his Wig. &quot;It can easily be seen that I only thought I heard the tiny voice say the words! Well, well - to work once more.&quot; He struck a most solemn blow upon the piece of wood. &quot;Oh, oh! You hurt!&quot; cried the same far-away little voice. Mastro Cherry grew dumb, his eyes popped out of his head, his mouth opened wide, and his tongue hung down on his chin." />
  <item ID="1019" Section="#3" Name="400-500-2" Text="As soon as he regained the use of his senses, he said, trembling and stuttering from fright: &quot;Where did that voice come from, when there is no one around? Might it be that this piece of wood has learned to weep and cry like a child? I can hardly believe it. Here it is - a piece of common firewood, good only to burn in the stove, the same as any other. Yet - might someone be hidden in it? If so, the worse for him. I'll fix him!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1020" Section="#3" Name="400-500-3" Text="It was a small room on the ground floor, with a tiny window under the stairway. The furniture could not have been much simpler: a very old chair, a rickety old bed, and a tumble-down table. A fireplace full of burning logs was painted on the wall opposite the door. Over the fire, there was painted a pot full of something which kept boiling happily away and sending up clouds of what looked like real steam." />
  <item ID="1021" Section="#3" Name="400-500-4" Text="As soon as he reached home, Geppetto took his tools and began to cut and shape the wood into a Marionette. &quot;What shall I call him?&quot; he said to himself. &quot;I think I'll call him PINOCCHIO. This name will make his fortune. I knew a whole family of Pinocchi once - Pinocchio the father, Pinocchia the mother, and Pinocchi the children - and they were all lucky. The richest of them begged for his living.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1022" Section="#3" Name="400-500-5" Text="Not wishing to start an argument, Geppetto made believe he saw nothing and went on with his work. After the mouth, he made the chin, then the neck, the shoulders, the stomach, the arms, and the hands. As he was about to put the last touches on the finger tips, Geppetto felt his wig being pulled off. He glanced up and what did he see? His yellow wig was in the Marionette's hand. &quot;Pinocchio, give me my wig!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1023" Section="#3" Name="400-500-6" Text="Sing on, Cricket mine, as you please. What I know is, that tomorrow, at dawn, I leave this place forever. If I stay here the same thing will happen to me which happens to all other boys and girls. They are sent to school, and whether they want to or not, they must study. As for me, let me tell you, I hate to study! It's much more fun, I think, to chase after butterflies, climb trees, and steal birds' nests." />
  <item ID="1024" Section="#3" Name="400-500-7" Text="The poor Marionette, who was still half asleep, had not yet found out that his two feet were burned and gone. As soon as he heard his Father's voice, he jumped up from his seat to open the door, but, as he did so, he staggered and fell headlong to the floor. In falling, he made as much noise as a sack of wood falling from the fifth story of a house. &quot;Open the door for me!&quot; Geppetto shouted from the street." />
  <item ID="1025" Section="#3" Name="400-500-8" Text="Geppetto, thinking that all these tears and cries were only other pranks of the Marionette, climbed up the side of the house and went in through the window. At first he was very angry, but on seeing Pinocchio stretched out on the floor and really without feet, he felt very sad and sorrowful. Picking him up from the floor, he fondled and caressed him, talking to him while the tears ran down his cheeks: &quot;My little Pinocchio, my dear little Pinocchio! How did you burn your feet?&quot;" />
  <item ID="1026" Section="#3" Name="400-500-9" Text="Geppetto, though trying to look very stern, felt his eyes fill with tears and his heart soften when he saw Pinocchio so unhappy. He said no more, but taking his tools and two pieces of wood, he set to work diligently. In less than an hour the feet were finished, two slender, nimble little feet, strong and quick, modeled as if by an artist's hands. &quot;Close your eyes and sleep!&quot; Geppetto then said to the Marionette." />
  <item ID="1027" Section="4" Name="500-600-1" Text="On hearing himself called Polendina for the third time, Geppetto lost his head with rage and threw himself upon the carpenter. Then and there they gave each other a sound thrashing. After this fight, Mastro Antonio had two more scratches on his nose, and Geppetto had two buttons missing from his coat. Thus having settled their accounts, they shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives. Then Geppetto took the fine piece of wood, thanked Mastro Antonio, and limped away toward home." />
  <item ID="1028" Section="#4" Name="500-600-2" Text="At last, by sheer luck, a Carabineer happened along, who, hearing all that noise, thought that it might be a runaway colt, and stood bravely in the middle of the street, with legs wide apart, firmly resolved to stop it and prevent any trouble. Pinocchio saw the Carabineer from afar and tried his best to escape between the legs of the big fellow, but without success. The Carabineer grabbed him by the nose (it was an extremely long one and seemed made on purpose for that very thing) and returned him to Mastro Geppetto." />
  <item ID="1029" Section="#4" Name="500-600-3" Text="The little old man wanted to pull Pinocchio's ears. Think how he felt when, upon searching for them, he discovered that he had forgotten to make them! All he could do was to seize Pinocchio by the back of the neck and take him home. As he was doing so, he shook him two or three times and said to him angrily: &quot;We're going home now. When we get home, then we'll settle this matter!&quot; Pinocchio, on hearing this, threw himself on the ground and refused to take another step. One person after another gathered around the two. Some said one thing, some another." />
  <item ID="1030" Section="#4" Name="500-600-4" Text="Very little time did it take to get poor old Geppetto to prison. In the meantime that rascal, Pinocchio, free now from the clutches of the Carabineer, was running wildly across fields and meadows, taking one short cut after another toward home. In his wild flight, he leaped over brambles and bushes, and across brooks and ponds, as if he were a goat or a hare chased by hounds. On reaching home, he found the house door half open. He slipped into the room, locked the door, and threw himself on the floor, happy at his escape." />
  <item ID="1031" Section="#4" Name="500-600-5" Text="Suddenly, he saw, among the sweepings in a corner, something round and white that looked very much like a hen's egg. In a jiffy he pounced upon it. It was an egg. The Marionette's joy knew no bounds. It is impossible to describe it, you must picture it to yourself. Certain that he was dreaming, he turned the egg over and over in his hands, fondled it, kissed it, and talked to it: &quot;And now, how shall I cook you? Shall I make an omelet? No, it is better to fry you in a pan! Or shall I drink you? No, the best way is to fry you in the pan. You will taste better.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1032" Section="#4" Name="500-600-6" Text="No sooner said than done. He placed a little pan over a foot warmer full of hot coals. In the pan, instead of oil or butter, he poured a little water. As soon as the water started to boil - tac! - he broke the eggshell. But in place of the white and the yolk of the egg, a little yellow Chick, fluffy and gay and smiling, escaped from it. Bowing politely to Pinocchio, he said to him: &quot;Many, many thanks, indeed, Mr. Pinocchio, for having saved me the trouble of breaking my shell! Good-by and good luck to you and remember me to the family!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1033" Section="#4" Name="500-600-7" Text="Pinocchio hated the dark street, but he was so hungry that, in spite of it, he ran out of the house. The night was pitch black. It thundered, and bright flashes of lightning now and again shot across the sky, turning it into a sea of fire. An angry wind blew cold and raised dense clouds of dust, while the trees shook and moaned in a weird way. Pinocchio was greatly afraid of thunder and lightning, but the hunger he felt was far greater than his fear. In a dozen leaps and bounds, he came to the village, tired out, puffing like a whale, and with tongue hanging." />
  <item ID="1034" Section="#4" Name="500-600-8" Text="The whole village was dark and deserted. The stores were closed, the doors, the windows. In the streets, not even a dog could be seen. It seemed the Village of the Dead. Pinocchio, in desperation, ran up to a doorway, threw himself upon the bell, and pulled it wildly, saying to himself: &quot;Someone will surely answer that!&quot; He was right. An old man in a nightcap opened the window and looked out. He called down angrily: &quot;What do you want at this hour of night?&quot; &quot;Will you be good enough to give me a bit of bread? I am hungry.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1035" Section="#4" Name="500-600-9" Text="Pinocchio had no hat, but he managed to get under the window just in time to feel a shower of ice-cold water pour down on his poor wooden head, his shoulders, and over his whole body. He returned home as wet as a rag, and tired out from weariness and hunger. As he no longer had any strength left with which to stand, he sat down on a little stool and put his two feet on the stove to dry them. There he fell asleep, and while he slept, his wooden feet began to burn. Slowly, very slowly, they blackened and turned to ashes." />
  <item ID="1036" Section="#5" Name="600-700-1" Text="If the Cricket's death scared Pinocchio at all, it was only for a very few moments. For, as night came on, a queer, empty feeling at the pit of his stomach reminded the Marionette that he had eaten nothing as yet. A boy's appetite grows very fast, and in a few moments the queer, empty feeling had become hunger, and the hunger grew bigger and bigger, until soon he was as ravenous as a bear. Poor Pinocchio ran to the fireplace where the pot was boiling and stretched out his hand to take the cover off, but to his amazement the pot was only painted! Think how he felt! His long nose became at least two inches longer." />
  <item ID="1037" Section="#5" Name="600-700-2" Text="He ran about the room, dug in all the boxes and drawers, and even looked under the bed in search of a piece of bread, hard though it might be, or a cookie, or perhaps a bit of fish. A bone left by a dog would have tasted good to him! But he found nothing. And meanwhile his hunger grew and grew. The only relief poor Pinocchio had was to yawn; and he certainly did yawn, such a big yawn that his mouth stretched out to the tips of his ears. Soon he became dizzy and faint. He wept and wailed to himself: &quot;The Talking Cricket was right. It was wrong of me to disobey Father and to run away from home. If he were here now, I wouldn't be so hungry! Oh, how horrible it is to be hungry!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1038" Section="#5" Name="600-700-3" Text="The poor Marionette stood as if turned to stone, with wide eyes, open mouth, and the empty halves of the egg- shell in his hands. When he came to himself, he began to cry and shriek at the top of his lungs, stamping his feet on the ground and wailing all the while: &quot;The Talking Cricket was right! If I had not run away from home and if Father were here now, I should not be dying of hunger. Oh, how horrible it is to be hungry!&quot; And as his stomach kept grumbling more than ever and he had nothing to quiet it with, he thought of going out for a walk to the near-by village, in the hope of finding some charitable person who might give him a bit of bread." />
  <item ID="1039" Section="#5" Name="600-700-4" Text="As he talked to himself, he thought he heard sounds of pipes and drums coming from a distance: pi-pi-pi, pi-pi-pi. . .zum, zum, zum, zum. He stopped to listen. Those sounds came from a little street that led to a small village along the shore. &quot;What can that noise be? What a nuisance that I have to go to school! Otherwise. . .&quot; There he stopped, very much puzzled. He felt he had to make up his mind for either one thing or another. Should he go to school, or should he follow the pipes? &quot;Today I'll follow the pipes, and tomorrow I'll go to school. There's always plenty of time to go to school,&quot; decided the little rascal at last, shrugging his shoulders." />
  <item ID="1040" Section="#5" Name="600-700-5" Text="&quot;It is Pinocchio! It is Pinocchio!&quot; yelled all the Marionettes, pouring out of the wings. &quot;It is Pinocchio. It is our brother Pinocchio! Hurrah for Pinocchio!&quot; &quot;Pinocchio, come up to me!&quot; shouted Harlequin. &quot;Come to the arms of your wooden brothers!&quot; At such a loving invitation, Pinocchio, with one leap from the back of the orchestra, found himself in the front rows. With another leap, he was on the orchestra leader's head. With a third, he landed on the stage. It is impossible to describe the shrieks of joy, the warm embraces, the knocks, and the friendly greetings with which that strange company of dramatic actors and actresses received Pinocchio." />
  <item ID="1041" Section="#5" Name="600-700-6" Text="In the theater, great excitement reigned. Fire Eater (this was really his name) was very ugly, but he was far from being as bad as he looked. Proof of this is that, when he saw the poor Marionette being brought in to him, struggling with fear and crying, &quot;I don't want to die! I don't want to die!&quot; he felt sorry for him and began first to waver and then to weaken. Finally, he could control himself no longer and gave a loud sneeze. At that sneeze, Harlequin, who until then had been as sad as a weeping willow, smiled happily and leaning toward the Marionette, whispered to him: &quot;Good news, brother mine! Fire Eater has sneezed and this is a sign that he feels sorry for you. You are saved!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1042" Section="#5" Name="600-700-7" Text="Cat and Fox and Marionette walked and walked and walked. At last, toward evening, dead tired, they came to the Inn of the Red Lobster. &quot;Let us stop here a while,&quot; said the Fox, &quot;to eat a bite and rest for a few hours. At midnight we'll start out again, for at dawn tomorrow we must be at the Field of Wonders.&quot; They went into the Inn and all three sat down at the same table. However, not one of them was very hungry. The poor Cat felt very weak, and he was able to eat only thirty-five mullets with tomato sauce and four portions of tripe with cheese. Moreover, as he was so in need of strength, he had to have four more helpings of butter and cheese." />
  <item ID="1043" Section="#5" Name="600-700-8" Text="Pinocchio paid a gold piece for the three suppers and started on his way toward the field that was to make him a rich man. He walked on, not knowing where he was going, for it was dark, so dark that not a thing was visible. Round about him, not a leaf stirred. A few bats skimmed his nose now and again and scared him half to death. Once or twice he shouted, &quot;Who goes there?&quot; and the far-away hills echoed back to him, &quot;Who goes there? Who goes there? Who goes...?&quot; As he walked, Pinocchio noticed a tiny insect glimmering on the trunk of a tree, a small being that glowed with a pale, soft light." />
  <item ID="1044" Section="#5" Name="600-700-9" Text="After running seven miles or so, Pinocchio was well - nigh exhausted. Seeing himself lost, he climbed up a giant pine tree and sat there to see what he could see. The Assassins tried to climb also, but they slipped and fell. Far from giving up the chase, this only spurred them on. They gathered a bundle of wood, piled it up at the foot of the pine, and set fire to it. In a twinkling the tree began to sputter and burn like a candle blown by the wind. Pinocchio saw the flames climb higher and higher. Not wishing to end his days as a roasted Marionette, he jumped quickly to the ground and off he went, the Assassins close to him, as before." />
  <item ID="1045" Section="#6" Name="700-800-1" Text="&quot;Poor Marionette,&quot; called out a man. &quot;I am not surprised he doesn't want to go home. Geppetto, no doubt, will beat him unmercifully, he is so mean and cruel!&quot; &quot;Geppetto looks like a good man,&quot; added another, &quot;but with boys he's a real tyrant. If we leave that poor Marionette in his hands he may tear him to pieces!&quot; They said so much that, finally, the Carabineer ended matters by setting Pinocchio at liberty and dragging Geppetto to prison. The poor old fellow did not know how to defend himself, but wept and wailed like a child and said between his sobs: &quot;Ungrateful boy! To think I tried so hard to make you a well-behaved Marionette! I deserve it, however! I should have given the matter more thought.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1046" Section="#6" Name="700-800-2" Text="See Pinocchio hurrying off to school with his new A-B-C book under his arm! As he walked along, his brain was busy planning hundreds of wonderful things, building hundreds of castles in the air. Talking to himself, he said: &quot;In school today, I'll learn to read, tomorrow to write, and the day after tomorrow I'll do arithmetic. Then, clever as I am, I can earn a lot of money. With the very first pennies I make, I'll buy Father a new cloth coat. Cloth, did I say? No, it shall be of gold and silver with diamond buttons. That poor man certainly deserves it; for, after all, isn't he in his shirt sleeves because he was good enough to buy a book for me? On this cold day, too! Fathers are indeed good to their children!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1047" Section="#6" Name="700-800-3" Text="Quick as a flash, Pinocchio disappeared into the Marionette Theater. And then something happened which almost caused a riot. The curtain was up and the performance had started. Harlequin and Pulcinella were reciting on the stage and, as usual, they were threatening each other with sticks and blows. The theater was full of people, enjoying the spectacle and laughing till they cried at the antics of the two Marionettes. The play continued for a few minutes, and then suddenly, without any warning, Harlequin stopped talking. Turning toward the audience, he pointed to the rear of the orchestra, yelling wildly at the same time: &quot;Look, look! Am I asleep or awake? Or do I really see Pinocchio there?&quot; &quot;Yes, yes! It is Pinocchio!&quot; screamed Pulcinella." />
  <item ID="1048" Section="#6" Name="700-800-4" Text="On hearing himself addressed as your Excellency, the Director of the Marionette Theater sat up very straight in his chair, stroked his long beard, and becoming suddenly kind and compassionate, smiled proudly as he said to Pinocchio: &quot;Well, what do you want from me now, Marionette?&quot; &quot;I beg for mercy for my poor friend, Harlequin, who has never done the least harm in his life.&quot; &quot;There is no mercy here, Pinocchio. I have spared you. Harlequin must burn in your place. I am hungry and my dinner must be cooked.&quot; &quot;In that case,&quot; said Pinocchio proudly, as he stood up and flung away his cap of dough, &quot;in that case, my duty is clear. Come, officers! Tie me up and throw me on those flames. No, it is not fair for poor Harlequin, the best friend that I have in the world, to die in my place!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1049" Section="#6" Name="700-800-5" Text="Dear, oh, dear! When I come to think of it,&quot; said the Marionette to himself, as he once more set out on his journey, &quot;we boys are really very unlucky. Everybody scolds us, everybody gives us advice, everybody warns us. If we were to allow it, everyone would try to be father and mother to us; everyone, even the Talking Cricket. Take me, for example. Just because I would not listen to that bothersome Cricket, who knows how many misfortunes may be awaiting me! Assassins indeed! At least I have never believed in them, nor ever will. To speak sensibly, I think assassins have been invented by fathers and mothers to frighten children who want to run away at night. And then, even if I were to meet them on the road, what matter?" />
  <item ID="1050" Section="#6" Name="700-800-6" Text="As he ran, the Marionette felt more and more certain that he would have to give himself up into the hands of his pursuers. Suddenly he saw a little cottage gleaming white as the snow among the trees of the forest. &quot;If I have enough breath left with which to reach that little house, I may be saved,&quot; he said to himself. Not waiting another moment, he darted swiftly through the woods, the Assassins still after him. After a hard race of almost an hour, tired and out of breath, Pinocchio finally reached the door of the cottage and knocked. No one answered. He knocked again, harder than before, for behind him he heard the steps and the labored breathing of his persecutors. The same silence followed." />
  <item ID="1051" Section="#6" Name="700-800-7" Text="If the poor Marionette had dangled there much longer, all hope would have been lost. Luckily for him, the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair once again looked out of her window. Filled with pity at the sight of the poor little fellow being knocked helplessly about by the wind, she clapped her hands sharply together three times. At the signal, a loud whirr of wings in quick flight was heard and a large Falcon came and settled itself on the window ledge. &quot;What do you command, my charming Fairy?&quot; asked the Falcon, bending his beak in deep reverence (for it must be known that, after all, the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair was none other than a very kind Fairy who had lived, for more than a thousand years, in the vicinity of the forest)." />
  <item ID="1052" Section="#6" Name="700-800-8" Text="Thus amusing himself with fancies, he came to the field. There he stopped to see if, by any chance, a vine filled with gold coins was in sight. But he saw nothing! He took a few steps forward, and still nothing! He stepped into the field. He went up to the place where he had dug the hole and buried the gold pieces. Again nothing! Pinocchio became very thoughtful and, forgetting his good manners altogether, he pulled a hand out of his pocket and gave his head a thorough scratching. As he did so, he heard a hearty burst of laughter close to his head. He turned sharply, and there, just above him on the branch of a tree, sat a large Parrot, busily preening his feathers. &quot;What are you laughing at?&quot; Pinocchio asked peevishly." />
  <item ID="1053" Section="#6" Name="700-800-9" Text="Pinocchio hesitated still another minute. Then, remembering how his father had often told him that a kind deed is never lost, he swam to Alidoro and, catching hold of his tail, dragged him to the shore. The poor Dog was so weak he could not stand. He had swallowed so much salt water that he was swollen like a balloon. However, Pinocchio, not wishing to trust him too much, threw himself once again into the sea. As he swam away, he called out: &quot;Good-by, Alidoro, good luck and remember me to the family!&quot; &quot;Good-by, little Pinocchio,&quot; answered the Dog. &quot;A thousand thanks for having saved me from death. You did me a good turn, and, in this world, what is given is always returned. If the chance comes, I shall be there.&quot; Pinocchio went on swimming close to shore." />
  <item ID="1054" Section="#7" Name="800-900-1" Text="The yelling was of no use, for the Marionettes, instead of going on with their act, made twice as much racket as before, and, lifting up Pinocchio on their shoulders, carried him around the stage in triumph. At that very moment, the Director came out of his room. He had such a fearful appearance that one look at him would fill you with horror. His beard was as black as pitch, and so long that it reached from his chin down to his feet. His mouth was as wide as an oven, his teeth like yellow fangs, and his eyes, two glowing red coals. In his huge, hairy hands, a long whip, made of green snakes and black cats' tails twisted together, swished through the air in a dangerous way. At the unexpected apparition, no one dared even to breathe. One could almost hear a fly go by. Those poor Marionettes, one and all, trembled like leaves in a storm." />
  <item ID="1055" Section="#7" Name="800-900-2" Text="The Fox, after a great deal of coaxing, tried his best to eat a little. The doctor had put him on a diet, and he had to be satisfied with a small hare dressed with a dozen young and tender spring chickens. After the hare, he ordered some partridges, a few pheasants, a couple of rabbits, 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 bread and a few nuts and then hardly touched them. The poor fellow, with his mind on the Field of Wonders, was suffering from a gold-piece indigestion. Supper over, the Fox said to the Innkeeper: &quot;Give us two good rooms, one for Mr. Pinocchio and the other for me and my friend. Before starting out, we'll take a little nap. Remember to call us at midnight sharp, for we must continue on our journey.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1056" Section="#7" Name="800-900-3" Text="One of them grabbed the Marionette by the nose and the other by the chin, and they pulled him unmercifully from side to side in order to make him open his mouth. All was of no use. The Marionette's lips might have been nailed together. They would not open. In desperation the smaller of the two Assassins pulled out a long knife from his pocket, and tried to pry Pinocchio's mouth open with it. Quick as a flash, the Marionette sank his teeth deep into the Assassin's hand, bit it off and spat it out. Fancy his surprise when he saw that it was not a hand, but a cat's paw. Encouraged by this first victory, he freed himself from the claws of his assailers and, leaping over the bushes along the road, ran swiftly across the fields. His pursuers were after him at once, like two dogs chasing a hare." />
  <item ID="1057" Section="#7" Name="800-900-4" Text="The Poodle, to show that he understood, wagged his silk-covered tail two or three times and set off at a quick pace. In a few minutes, a lovely little coach, made of glass, with lining as soft as whipped cream and chocolate pudding, and stuffed with canary feathers, pulled out of the stable. It was drawn by one hundred pairs of white mice, and the Poodle sat on the coachman's seat and snapped his whip gayly in the air, as if he were a real coachman in a hurry to get to his destination. In a quarter of an hour the coach was back. The Fairy, who was waiting at the door of the house, lifted the poor little Marionette in her arms, took him to a dainty room with mother-of-pearl walls, put him to bed, and sent immediately for the most famous doctors of the neighborhood to come to her. One after another the doctors came, a Crow, and Owl, and a Talking Cricket." />
  <item ID="1058" Section="#7" Name="800-900-5" Text="They walked and walked for a half a day at least and at last they came to the town called the City of Simple Simons. As soon as they entered the town, Pinocchio noticed that all the streets were filled with hairless dogs, yawning from hunger; with sheared sheep, trembling with cold; with combless chickens, begging for a grain of wheat; with large butterflies, unable to use their wings because they had sold all their lovely colors; with tailless peacocks, ashamed to show themselves; and with bedraggled pheasants, scuttling away hurriedly, grieving for their bright feathers of gold and silver, lost to them forever. Through this crowd of paupers and beggars, a beautiful coach passed now and again. Within it sat either a Fox, a Hawk, or a Vulture. &quot;Where is the Field of Wonders?&quot; asked Pinocchio, growing tired of waiting. &quot;Be patient. It is only a few more steps away.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1059" Section="#7" Name="800-900-6" Text="Then the magistrate, pointing to Pinocchio, said in a very solemn voice: &quot;This poor simpleton has been robbed of four gold pieces. Take him, therefore, and throw him into prison.&quot; The Marionette, on hearing this sentence passed upon him, was thoroughly stunned. He tried to protest, but the two officers clapped their paws on his mouth and hustled him away to jail. There he had to remain for four long, weary months. And if it had not been for a very lucky chance, he probably would have had to stay there longer. For, my dear children, you must know that it happened just then that the young emperor who ruled over the City of Simple Simons had gained a great victory over his enemy, and in celebration thereof, he had ordered illuminations, fireworks, shows of all kinds, and, best of all, the opening of all prison doors." />
  <item ID="1060" Section="#7" Name="800-900-7" Text="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 the main road that was to take him to the Fairy's house. When he reached it, he looked into the valley far below him and there he saw the wood where unluckily he had met the Fox and the Cat, and the tall oak tree where he had been hanged; but though he searched far and near, he could not see the house where the Fairy with the Azure Hair lived. He became terribly frightened and, running as fast as he could, he finally came to the spot where it had once stood. The little house was no longer there. In its place lay a small marble slab, which bore this sad inscription: HERE LIES THE LOVELY FAIRY WITH AZURE HAIR WHO DIED OF GRIEF WHEN ABANDONED BY HER LITTLE BROTHER PINOCCHIO" />
  <item ID="1161" Section="#7" Name="800-900-8" Text="His mind made up, Pinocchio swam to the rocks, but as he started to climb, he felt something under him lifting him up higher and higher. He tried to escape, but he was too late. To his great surprise, he found himself in a huge net, amid a crowd of fish of all kinds and sizes, who were fighting and struggling desperately to free themselves. At the same time, he saw a Fisherman come out of the cave, a Fisherman so ugly that Pinocchio thought he was a sea monster. In place of hair, his head was covered by a thick bush of green grass. Green was the skin of his body, green were his eyes, green was the long, long beard that reached down to his feet. He looked like a giant lizard with legs and arms. When the Fisherman pulled the net out of the sea, he cried out joyfully: &quot;Blessed Providence! Once more I'll have a fine meal of fish!&quot;" />
  <item ID="1162" Section="#7" Name="800-900-9" Text="And as he struggled and squirmed like an eel to escape from him, the Green Fisherman took a stout cord and tied him hand and foot, and threw him into the bottom of the tub with the others. Then he pulled a wooden bowl full of flour out of a cupboard and started to roll the fish into it, one by one. When they were white with it, he threw them into the pan. The first to dance in the hot oil were the mullets, the bass followed, then the whitefish, the flounders, and the anchovies. Pinocchio's turn came last. Seeing himself so near to death (and such a horrible death!) he began to tremble so with fright that he had no voice left with which to beg for his life. The poor boy beseeched only with his eyes. But the Green Fisherman, not even noticing that it was he, turned him over and over in the flour until he looked like a Marionette made of chalk." />
  <item ID="1163" Section="#8" Name="900-1000-1" Text="These brave words, said in a piercing voice, made all the other Marionettes cry. Even the officers, who were made of wood also, cried like two babies. Fire Eater at first remained hard and cold as a piece of ice; but then, little by little, he softened and began to sneeze. And after four or five sneezes, he opened wide his arms and said to Pinocchio: &quot;You are a brave boy! Come to my arms and kiss me!&quot; Pinocchio ran to him and scurrying like a squirrel up the long black beard, he gave Fire Eater a loving kiss on the tip of his nose. &quot;Has pardon been granted to me?&quot; asked poor Harlequin with a voice that was hardly a breath. &quot;Pardon is yours!&quot; answered Fire Eater; and sighing and wagging his head, he added: &quot;Well, tonight I shall have to eat my lamb only half cooked, but beware the next time, Marionettes.&quot; At the news that pardon had been given, the Marionettes ran to the stage and, turning on all the lights, they danced and sang till dawn." />
  <item ID="1164" Section="#8" Name="900-1000-2" Text="They tied Pinocchio's hands behind his shoulders and slipped the noose around his neck. Throwing the rope over the high limb of a giant oak tree, they pulled till the poor Marionette hung far up in space. Satisfied with their work, they sat on the grass waiting for Pinocchio to give his last gasp. But after three hours the Marionette's eyes were still open, his mouth still shut and his legs kicked harder than ever. Tired of waiting, the Assassins called to him mockingly: &quot;Good-by till tomorrow. When we return in the morning, we hope you'll be polite enough to let us find you dead and gone and with your mouth wide open.&quot; With these words they went. A few minutes went by and then a wild wind started to blow. As it shrieked and moaned, the poor little sufferer was blown to and fro like the hammer of a bell. The rocking made him seasick and the noose, becoming tighter and tighter, choked him. Little by little a film covered his eyes." />
  <item ID="1165" Section="#8" Name="900-1000-3" Text="The Fairy clapped her hands twice. A magnificent Poodle appeared, walking on his hind legs just like a man. He was dressed in court livery. A tricorn trimmed with gold lace was set at a rakish angle over a wig of white curls that dropped down to his waist. He wore a jaunty coat of chocolate-colored velvet, with diamond buttons, and with two huge pockets which were always filled with bones, dropped there at dinner by his loving mistress. Breeches of crimson velvet, silk stockings, and low, silver-buckled slippers completed his costume. His tail was encased in a blue silk covering, which was to protect it from the rain. &quot;Come, Medoro,&quot; said the Fairy to him. &quot;Get my best coach ready and set out toward the forest. On reaching the oak tree, you will find a poor, half-dead Marionette stretched out on the grass. Lift him up tenderly, place him on the silken cushions of the coach, and bring him here to me.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1166" Section="#8" Name="900-1000-4" Text="Crying as if his heart would break, the Marionette mourned for hours over the length of his nose. No matter how he tried, it would not go through the door. The Fairy showed no pity toward him, as she was trying to teach him a good lesson, so that he would stop telling lies, the worst habit any boy may acquire. But when she saw him, pale with fright and with his eyes half out of his head from terror, she began to feel sorry for him and clapped her hands together. A thousand woodpeckers flew in through the window and settled themselves on Pinocchio's nose. They pecked and pecked so hard at that enormous nose that in a few moments, it was the same size as before. &quot;How good you are, my Fairy,&quot; said Pinocchio, drying his eyes, &quot;and how much I love you!&quot; &quot;I love you, too,&quot; answered the Fairy, &quot;and if you wish to stay with me, you may be my little brother and I'll be your good little sister.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1167" Section="#8" Name="900-1000-5" Text="Pinocchio's mouth opened wide. He would not believe the Parrot's words and began to dig away furiously at the earth. He dug and he dug till the hole was as big as himself, but no money was there. Every penny was gone. In desperation, he ran to the city and went straight to the courthouse to report the robbery to the magistrate. The Judge was a Monkey, a large Gorilla venerable with age. A flowing white beard covered his chest and he wore gold-rimmed spectacles from which the glasses had dropped out. The reason for wearing these, he said, was that his eyes had been weakened by the work of many years. Pinocchio, standing before him, told his pitiful tale, word by word. He gave the names and the descriptions of the robbers and begged for justice. The Judge listened to him with great patience. A kind look shone in his eyes. He became very much interested in the story; he felt moved; he almost wept. When the Marionette had no more to say, the Judge put out his hand and rang a bell." />
  <item ID="1168" Section="#8" Name="900-1000-6" Text="Tormented by the wish to see his father and his fairy sister with azure hair, he raced like a greyhound. As he ran, he was splashed with mud even up to his cap. &quot;How unhappy I have been,&quot; he said to himself. &quot;And yet I deserve everything, for I am certainly very stubborn and stupid! I will always have my own way. I won't listen to those who love me and who have more brains than I. But from now on, I'll be different and I'll try to become a most obedient boy. I have found out, beyond any doubt whatever, that disobedient boys are certainly far from happy, and that, in the long run, they always lose out. I wonder if Father is waiting for me. Will I find him at the Fairy's house? It is so long, poor man, since I have seen him, and I do so want his love and his kisses. And will the Fairy ever forgive me for all I have done? She who has been so good to me and to whom I owe my life! Can there be a worse or more heartless boy than I am anywhere?&quot;" />
  <item ID="1169" Section="#8" Name="900-1000-7" Text="Pinocchio, spurred on by the hope of finding his father and of being in time to save him, swam all night long. And what a horrible night it was! It poured rain, it hailed, it thundered, and the lightning was so bright that it turned the night into day. At dawn, he saw, not far away from him, a long stretch of sand. It was an island in the middle of the sea. Pinocchio tried his best to get there, but he couldn't. The waves played with him and tossed him about as if he were a twig or a bit of straw. At last, and luckily for him, a tremendous wave tossed him to the very spot where he wanted to be. The blow from the wave was so strong that, as he fell to the ground, his joints cracked and almost broke. But, nothing daunted, he jumped to his feet and cried: &quot;Once more I have escaped with my life!&quot; Little by little the sky cleared. The sun came out in full splendor and the sea became as calm as a lake." />
  <item ID="1170" Section="#8" Name="900-1000-8" Text="There were only two means left to him in order to get a bite to eat. He had either to work or to beg. He was ashamed to beg, because his father had always preached to him that begging should be done only by the sick or the old. He had said that the real poor in this world, deserving of our pity and help, were only those who, either through age or sickness, had lost the means of earning their bread with their own hands. All others should work, and if they didn't, and went hungry, so much the worse for them. Just then a man passed by, worn out and wet with perspiration, pulling, with difficulty, two heavy carts filled with coal. Pinocchio looked at him and, judging him by his looks to be a kind man, said to him with eyes downcast in shame: &quot;Will you be so good as to give me a penny, for I am faint with hunger?&quot; &quot;Not only one penny,&quot; answered the Coal Man. &quot;I'll give you four if you will help me pull these two wagons.&quot;" />
  <item ID="1171" Section="#8" Name="900-1000-9" Text="During that wild chase, Pinocchio lived through a terrible moment when he almost gave himself up as lost. This was when Alidoro (that was the Mastiff's name), in a frenzy of running, came so near that he was on the very point of reaching him. The Marionette heard, close behind him, the labored breathing of the beast who was fast on his trail, and now and again even felt his hot breath blow over him. Luckily, by this time, he was very near the shore, and the sea was in sight; in fact, only a few short steps away. As soon as he set foot on the beach, Pinocchio gave a leap and fell into the water. Alidoro tried to stop, but as he was running very fast, he couldn't, and he, too, landed far out in the sea. Strange though it may seem, the Dog could not swim. He beat the water with his paws to hold himself up, but the harder he tried, the deeper he sank. As he stuck his head out once more, the poor fellow's eyes were bulging and he barked out wildly, &quot;I drown! I drown!&quot;" />
</root>