CHAPTER 23

Pinocchio weeps upon learning that the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair is dead．He meets a Pigeon，who carries him to the seashore．He throws himself into the sea to go to the aid of his father．

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

The poor Marionette was heartbroken at reading these words．He fell to the ground and，covering the cold marble with kisses，burst into bitter tears．He cried all night，and dawn found him still there，though his tears had dried and only hard，dry sobs shook his wooden frame．But these were so loud that they could be heard by the faraway hills．

As he sobbed he said to himself：

“Oh，my Fairy，my dear，dear Fairy，why did you die？Why did I not die，who am so bad，instead of you，who are so good？And my father—where can he be？Please dear Fairy，tell me where he is and I shall never，never leave him again！You are not really dead，are you？If you love me，you will come back，alive as before．Don't you feel sorry for me？I'm so lonely．If the two Assassins come，they'll hang me again from the giant oak tree and I will really die，this time．What shall I do alone in the world？Now that you are dead and my father is lost，where shall I eat？Where shall I sleep？Who will make my new clothes？Oh，I want to die！Yes，I want to die！Oh，oh，oh！”

Poor Pinocchio！He even tried to tear his hair，but as it was only painted on his wooden head，he could not even pull it．

Just then a large Pigeon flew far above him．Seeing the Marionette，he cried to him：

“Tell me，little boy，what are you doing there？”

“Can't you see？I'm crying，” cried Pinocchio，lifting his head toward the voice and rubbing his eyes with his sleeve．

“Tell me，” asked the Pigeon，“do you by chance know of a Marionette，Pinocchio by name？”

“Pinocchio！Did you say Pinocchio？” replied the Marionette，jumping to his feet．“Why，I am Pinocchio！”

At this answer，the Pigeon flew swiftly down to the earth．He was much larger than a turkey．

“Then you know Geppetto also？”

“Do I know him？He's my father，my poor，dear father！Has he，perhaps，spoken to you of me？Will you take me to him？Is he still alive？Answer me，please！Is he still alive？”

“I left him three days ago on the shore of a large sea．”

“What was he doing？”

“He was building a little boat with which to cross the ocean．For the last four months，that poor man has been wandering around Europe，looking for you．Not having found you yet，he has made up his mind to look for you in the New World，far across the ocean．”

“How far is it from here to the shore？” asked Pinocchio anxiously．

“More than fifty miles．”

“Fifty miles？Oh，dear Pigeon，how I wish I had your wings！”

“If you want to come，I'll take you with me．”

“How？”

“Astride my back．Are you very heavy？”

“Heavy？Not at all．I'm only a feather．”

“Very well．”

Saying nothing more，Pinocchio jumped on the Pigeon's back and，as he settled himself，he cried out gayly：

“Gallop on，gallop on，my pretty steed！I'm in a great hurry．”

The Pigeon flew away，and in a few minutes he had reached the clouds．The Marionette looked to see what was below them．His head swam and he was so frightened that he clutched wildly at the Pigeon's neck to keep himself from falling．

They flew all day．Toward evening the Pigeon said：

“I'm very thirsty！”

“And I'm very hungry！” said Pinocchio．

“Let us stop a few minutes at that pigeon coop down there．Then we can go on and be at the seashore in the morning．”

They went into the empty coop and there they found nothing but a bowl of water and a small basket filled with chick-peas．

The Marionette had always hated chick-peas．According to him，they had always made him sick；but that night he ate them with a relish．As he finished them，he turned to the Pigeon and said：

“I never should have thought that chick-peas could be so good！”

“You must remember，my boy，” answered the Pigeon，“that hunger is the best sauce！”

After resting a few minutes longer，they set out again．The next morning they were at the seashore．

Pinocchio jumped off the Pigeon's back，and the Pigeon，not wanting any thanks for a kind deed，flew away swiftly and disappeared．

The shore was full of people，shrieking and tearing their hair as they looked toward the sea．

“What has happened？” asked Pinocchio of a little old woman．

“A poor old father lost his only son some time ago and today he built a tiny boat for himself in order to go in search of him across the ocean．The water is very rough and we're afraid he will be drowned．”

“Where is the little boat？”

“There．Straight down there，” answered the little old woman，pointing to a tiny shadow，no bigger than a nutshell，floating on the sea．

Pinocchio looked closely for a few minutes and then gave a sharp cry：

“It's my father！It's my father！”

Meanwhile，the little boat，tossed about by the angry waters，appeared and disappeared in the waves．And Pinocchio，standing on a high rock，tired out with searching，waved to him with hand and cap and even with his nose．

It looked as if Geppetto，though far away from the shore，recognized his son，for he took off his cap and waved also．He seemed to be trying to make everyone understand that he would come back if he were able，but the sea was so heavy that he could do nothing with his oars．Suddenly a huge wave came and the boat disappeared．

They waited and waited for it，but it was gone．

“Poor man！” said the fisher folk on the shore，whispering a prayer as they turned to go home．

Just then a desperate cry was heard．Turning around，the fisher folk saw Pinocchio dive into the sea and heard him cry out：

“I'll save him！I'll save my father！”

The Marionette，being made of wood，floated easily along and swam like a fish in the rough water．Now and again he disappeared only to reappear once more．In a twinkling，he was far away from land．At last he was completely lost to view．

“Poor boy！” cried the fisher folk on the shore，and again they mumbled a few prayers，as they returned home．

第二十三章

得知可爱的天蓝色头发仙女去世，匹诺曹失声痛哭。他遇见了一只鸽子，鸽子驮着他飞到了海边。他扑进海里，去救自己的父亲。

匹诺曹一觉得脖子上那个丢脸的狗脖套没有了，就撒腿跑过田野和草地，一分钟也不停，一直跑到了那条把他带向仙女家的大路。

到了大路上，他定睛望着下方的山谷。他就是在那儿看到了树林，在树林里不幸碰见了狐狸和猫，还有他被吊起来的那棵大橡树。但是，他四处寻找，就是看不到天蓝色头发的仙女住的那座小房子。

他胆战心惊，拔腿飞奔，最后跑到了小房子曾耸立的那个地方。小房子已经不在那儿，取而代之的是一小块大理石碑，石碑上刻着这样令人伤心的碑文：

这儿躺着

天蓝色头发的美丽仙女

她因被弟弟匹诺曹

遗弃

悲伤而死

读完这些碑文，可怜的木偶伤心欲绝，倒在地上，一遍又一遍地亲吻着大理石碑，放声痛哭。他哭了整整一夜，第二天早晨还在哭，尽管他的眼泪已经哭干了，只有干呕的哭泣摇撼着他木制的身躯。但是，这些声音非常响亮，遥远的山峦都可以听到。

他一边抽泣，一边自言自语道：“噢，我的仙女，我最亲爱的仙女，你为什么死啊？你这么好，我这么坏，我为什么不死啊？还有我的爸爸——他可能会在哪儿呢？求求你，亲爱的仙女，告诉我他在哪儿，我永远永远不离开他了！你不是真的死了，对吗？要是你爱我，你就像以前那样活着回来吧！你不可怜我吗？我好孤独啊！要是那两个刺客来，它们就又会把我吊在大橡树上，这次我真的会死。我孤零零在这个世界上，该怎么办啊？你死了，我的爸爸也不见了，我去哪儿吃东西啊？我去哪儿睡啊？谁会给我做新衣服啊？噢，我想死！是的，我想死！噢！噢！噢！”

可怜的匹诺曹！他甚至想设法拽掉自己的头发，但他的头发只不过是画在木头上的，所以怎么也不可能拽下来。

正在这时，一只大鸽子从他的头顶飞过。看到木偶，大鸽子对他大声喊道：“小孩子，告诉我，你在那儿干什么？”

“你看不见吗？我在哭。”匹诺曹朝声音的方向抬起头，用袖子揉了揉眼睛，大声嚷道。

“告诉我，”鸽子问，“你认识一个叫匹诺曹的木偶吗？”

“匹诺曹！你是说匹诺曹？”木偶跳起来答道，“哎呀，我就是匹诺曹啊！”

听了这个回答，鸽子马上飞到了地上，它比一只火鸡还要大得多。

“那你也认识杰佩托吗？”

“我认识他？他是我的爸爸，是我的可怜的亲爸爸！他大概对你说起过我吧？你带我去见他好吗？他还活着吗？请回答我！他还活着吗？”

“我是三天前在一个大海边离开他的。”

“他在干什么？”

“他在造一条小船，要漂洋过海。在过去的四个月里，那个可怜人一直在欧洲漫游寻找你。因为还没有找到你，所以他就下定决心漂洋过海去新大陆寻找你。”

“从这儿到海边有多远？”匹诺曹焦急地问道。

“八十多公里。”

“八十多公里？噢，亲爱的鸽子，我要是有你这样一双翅膀该多好啊！”

“你要是去，我就带你一块儿去。”

“怎么带？”

“你骑在我的背上。你很重吗？”

“重？一点儿也不重！我只不过是一根羽毛。”

“很好。”

匹诺曹二话不说，跳上鸽子的背，坐好后，他欢快地大声叫道：“快跑，快跑，我漂亮的骏马！我要快点儿到。”

鸽子飞走了，不一会儿就飞到了云端。木偶低头朝下看，顿时头晕目眩，吓得拼命抓住鸽子的脖子，以防自己掉下来。

他们飞了一整天，快到傍晚时，鸽子说：“我很渴啊！”

“我也很饿呀！”匹诺曹说。

“我们到下面那个鸽巢待一会儿，然后再继续飞，明天早上就能到那个海边了。”

他们落进了一个空鸽笼，那儿只有一碗水和满满一小篮鹰嘴豆。

木偶一向讨厌鹰嘴豆，根据他的说法，鹰嘴豆总是让他恶心。但是，那天夜里，他却吃得津津有味，吃完时，他转过身对鸽子说道：“我从来没有想到鹰嘴豆会这么好吃！”

“我的孩子，你必须记住，”鸽子回答说，“饥饿是最好的调料！”

他们又休息了一会儿之后，就再次起程了。第二天早晨，他们来到了海边。

匹诺曹跳下鸽子背。鸽子做了好事，却不要任何感谢，马上飞走，不见了踪影。

海边到处都是人。他们望着大海，一边尖叫，一边拽着头发。

“出什么事儿了？”匹诺曹问一位老太太。

“一位可怜的老父亲不久前丢了唯一的儿子，今天他造了一条小船，就为了漂洋过海去寻找儿子。海浪汹涌，我们担心他会被淹死。”

“小船在哪儿？”

“在那儿，就在那前方。”老太太指着一个小黑影说。那个黑影还没有核桃壳大，正在海上漂浮着。

匹诺曹仔细看了一会儿，然后尖声叫道：“那是我的爸爸！那是我的爸爸！”

这时，小船被汹涌的波涛颠来荡去，时隐时现。匹诺曹站到一块高高的礁石上，苦苦寻找，对他又是挥手，又是挥帽子，甚至挥动起了鼻子。

尽管离岸很远，好像杰佩托也认出了自己的儿子，因为他脱下帽子，也挥动起来，仿佛是想让每个人明白，只要他能，就一定会回来。但是，风大浪急，他的船桨无济于事。突然，一个大浪打来，船不见了。

他们等啊等，就是不见船的踪影。

“可怜的人！”岸上的渔民们说，同时低声祈祷着，转身向家走去。

正在这时，传来一声绝望的哀叫。渔民们回过头来，只见匹诺曹跳进大海，大声呼喊：“我要救他！我要救爸爸！”

匹诺曹是木头做的，很容易浮到水面上，他像鱼一样在波涛中游了起来。他一会儿消失，一会儿又重新出现。眨眼间，他就远离了陆地，最后完全不见了踪影。

“可怜的孩子啊！”岸上的渔民们说。他们又低声祈祷了几句，然后就回家去了。