Pinocchio in Africa Read online

ready to takeadvantage of the kind invitation, felt a sudden shock on hearing theselast words. He looked at the director in a dazed fashion, as if to sayto him, "What are you talking about? Did you not say that you traveledaround the world for--"

  Then, as he saw one of the spectators put down a two-franc piece andwalk inside, he hung his head and suffered in silence.

  Having passed two or three minutes in painful thinking, the forlornmarionette put his hands into his pockets, hoping to find in them aforgotten coin. He found nothing but a few buttons.

  He racked his brains to think of some plan whereby he could get themoney that was needed. He glanced at his clothes, which he wouldcheerfully have sold could he have found a buyer. Not knowing what elseto do, he walked around the tent like a wolf prowling about thesheepfold.

  Around and around he went till he found himself near an old wall whichhid him from view. He came nearer the tent and to his joy discovered atiny hole in the canvas. Here was his chance! He thrust in his thinwooden finger, but seized with a sudden fear lest some hungry lionshould see it and bite it off, he hastily tried to pull it out again.In doing this, somehow "r-r-rip" went the canvas, and there was a teara yard wide. Pinocchio shook with fear. But fear or no fear, there wasthe hole and beyond--were the wonders of Africa!

  First an arm, then his head, and then his whole body went into the cageof wild animals! He could not see them, but he heard them, and he wasfilled with awe. The beasts had seen him. He felt himself grasped atonce by the shoulders and by the end of his nose. Two or three voicesshouted in his ears, "Who goes there?"

  "For pity's sake, Mr. Elephant!" said poor Pinocchio.

  "There are no elephants here."

  "Pardon, Sir Lion."

  "There are no lions here."

  "Excuse me, Mr. Tiger."

  "There are no tigers."

  "Mr. Monkey?"

  "No Monkeys.

  "Men?"

  "There are neither men nor women here; there are only Africans fromAfrica, who imitate wild beasts for two francs and a half a day."

  "But the elephants, where are they?"

  "In Africa."

  "And the lions?"

  "In Africa."

  "And the tigers and the monkeys?"

  "In Africa. And you, where do you come from? What are you doing in thecage of the wild beasts? Didn't you see what is written over the door?NO ONE ALLOWED TO ENTER."

  "I cannot read in the dark," replied Pinocchio, trembling from head tofoot; "I am no cat."

  At these words everybody began to laugh. Pinocchio felt a littleencouraged and murmured to himself, "They seem to be kind people, thesewild beasts."

  He wanted to say something pleasant to them, but just then the directorof the company began to shout at the top of his voice.

  CHAPTER IVPINOCCHIO MAKES FRIENDS WITH THE WILD ANIMALS

  "Come forward, come forward, ladies and gentlemen! The cost is smalland the pleasure is great. The show will last an hour, only one hour.Come forward! See the battle between the terrible lion Zumbo and hiswife, the ferocious lioness Zumba. Behold the tiger that wrestles withthe polar bear, and the elephant that lifts the whole weight of thetent with his powerful trunk. See the animals feed. Ladies andgentlemen, come forward! Only two francs!"

  At these words the men in the cages of the wild animals put horns, seashells, and whistles to their mouths, and the next moment there camewild roarings and howls and shrieks. It was enough to make one shudderwith fear.

  Again the director raised his voice: "Come forward, come forward,ladies and gentlemen! two francs; children only one franc."

  The music started: Boom! Boom! Boom! Par-ap'-ap'-pa! Boom! Boom! Boom!Par-ap' ap' ap' pa! parap' ap' ap' pa!

  One surprise seemed to follow another. Pinocchio longed to enjoy thesights, but how was he to get out of the cage? At length, taking hiscourage in both hands, he said politely, "Excuse me, gentlemen, but ifyou have no commands to give me--"

  "Not a command!" roughly answered the bearded man who played the lion."If you do not go away quickly, I will have you eaten up by that largeape behind you."

  "But I should be hard to digest," said the marionette.

  "Boy, be careful how you talk," exclaimed the same voice.

  "I said that your ape would have indigestion if he ate me," repliedPinocchio. "Do you think that I am joking? No, I am in earnest. Hereally would. I came in here by chance while returning from a walk, andif you will permit me, I will go home to my father who is waiting forme. As you have no orders to give me, many thanks, good-by, and goodluck to you."

  "Listen, boy," said the large man who took the part of the elephant; "Iam very thirsty, and I will give you a fine new penny if you will fillthis bucket at the fountain and bring it to me."

  "What!" replied Pinocchio, greatly offended; "I am no servant! Howeverthis time, merely to please you, I will go." And crawling through thehole by which he had entered, he went out to the fountain and returnedin a very short time with the bucket full of water.

  "Good boy, good marionette!" said the men as they passed the bucketfrom one to another.

  Pinocchio was happy. Never had he felt so happy as at that moment."What good people!" he said to himself. "I would gladly stay withthem." In the meantime the bucket was emptied, and there were stillsome who had not had a drink. "I will go and refill it," said themarionette promptly. And without waiting to be asked, he took thebucket and flew to the fountain.

  When he returned they flattered him so cleverly with praise and thanksthat a strong friendship sprang up between Pinocchio and the wildbeasts.

  Being a woodenhead he forgot about his father and did not go away as hehad intended to do. In fact, he was curious to know something of thehistory of these people, who were forced to play at being wild animals.

  After a moment's silence he turned to the one who had asked him to gofor the water and said, "You are from Africa?"

  "Yes, I am an African, and all my companions are African."

  "How interesting! but pardon me, is Africa a beautiful country?"

  "I should say so! A country, my dear boy, full of plenty, whereeverything is given away free! A country in which at any moment thestrangest things may happen. A servant may become a master; a plaincitizen may become a king. There are trees, taller than churchsteeples, with branches touching the ground, so that one may gathersweet fruit without the least trouble. My boy, Africa is a country fullof enchanted forests, where the game allows itself to be killed,quartered, and hung; where riches--"

  No one knows how far this description would have gone, if at thatmoment the voice of the director had not been heard. The music hadstopped, and the director was talking to the people, who did not seemvery willing to part with their money.

  CHAPTER VPINOCCHIO DETERMINES TO GO TO AFRICA

  Pinocchio had already resolved to go to Africa to eat of the fruit andto gather riches. He was eager to learn more, and impatient ofinterruption.

  "And the director is an African also?"

  "Certainly he is an African."

  "And is he very rich?"

  "Is he rich? Take my word for it that if he would, he could buy up thiswhole country."

  Pinocchio was struck dumb. Still he wanted to make the men believe thatwhat he had heard was not altogether new to him. "Oh, I know thatAfrica is a very beautiful country, and I have often planned to gothere,--and--if I were sure that it would not be too much trouble I wouldwillingly go with you."

  "With us? We are not going to Africa."

  "What a pity! I thought I could make the journey in your company."

  "Are you in earnest?" asked the bearded man. "Do you believe that thereis any Africa outside this tent?"

  "Tent or no tent, I have decided to go to Africa, and I shall go,"boldly replied the marionette.

  "I like that youngster," said the man who played the part of acrocodile. "That boy will make his fortune someday."

  "Of course I shall!" continued Pinocchio. "I ought to have fiftythousand francs,
because I must get a new jacket for my father, whosold his old one to buy me a spelling book. If there is so much goldand silver in Africa, I will fill up a thousand vessels. Is it truethat there is a great deal of gold and silver?"

  "Did we not tell you so?" replied another voice. "Why, if I had notlost all that I had put in my pockets before leaving Africa, by thistime I should have become a prince. And now were it not for the factthat I have promised to stay with these people, to be a panther at twofrancs and a half a day, I would gladly go along with you."

  "Thank you; thank you for your good intentions," answered themarionette. "In case you decide to go