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THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO
PART 1 CHAPTER 11
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Fire Eater sneezes. He decides not to use Pinocchio as firewood. Pinocchio saves the life of his friend, Harlequin.
IN THE PUPPET THEATRE, there was great excitement.
Fire Eater (this was really the Director's name) was ugly, but he was not as bad as he looked. When he saw the poor puppet being brought in to him, kicking and screaming with fear, and crying, 'I don't want to die! I don't want to die!', he felt sorry for him. At first he could not decide what to do. Then his sorrow for the poor puppet grew larger and larger until . . . . "Haaa-Choooo!" he gave a loud sneeze.
Harlequin had been looking sad, but when he heard that great sneeze, he smiled happily. He whispered into Pinocchio's ear: "Good news, little brother! Fire Eater has sneezed. That means he feels sorry for you. You will not be thrown on the fire. You are saved!"
It was the truth. Most people, when they are sad and sorrowful, cry a little. Fire Eater sneezed each time he felt unhappy. That was the way he showed the kindness of his heart. It was just as good as any other way.
After sneezing, Fire Eater, ugly as ever, shouted to Pinocchio: "Stop crying! All that noise gives me a funny feeling in my stomach. Ha-chee! Ha-choo!" He ended with two more loud sneezes.
"Bless you!" said Pinocchio, politely, which is what most people say when someone sneezes; but I think Pinocchio was also quite thankful to learn he would not be burned.
"Thanks! Now, tell me a little about yourself. Are your father and mother still alive?" asked Fire Eater.
"My father, yes. I have never known my mother."
"Your poor father would be so sad if I used you as firewood. Poor old man! I feel sorry for him! Ha-chee! Ha-choo! HAAAA!-CHOOOO!" Three more great sneezes followed, one after the other, each louder than the one before.
"God bless you!" said Pinocchio again.
"Thanks! Well, I ought to feel sorry for myself, too, just now. My good dinner is spoiled. I have no more wood for the fire, and the lamb is only half cooked. Never mind! I'll burn some other puppet instead. Hey there! Officers!"
Two wooden policemen came, long and thin as sticks, with strange-looking hats on their heads and swords in their hands.
"Get Harlequin," Fire Eater yelled at them. "He's big enough. Tie him up, and throw him on the fire. I want my lamb well cooked!"
Think how poor Harlequin felt! He was so frightened that he could no longer stand up. He fell to the floor.
Pinocchio threw himself at the feet of Fire Eater. Crying buckets of tears, he asked in a sad little voice: "Oh no! Be kind, I beg of you, gentleman!"
"There are no gentlemen here!"
"Don't hurt my friend, kind sir!"
"There are no sirs here!"
"Have pity, Your Honour!"
On hearing himself called 'Your Honour', the Director of the puppet theatre sat up straight in his chair, and stroked his long beard. Suddenly he became kinder. He smiled as he said to Pinocchio: "Well, what do you want from me now, puppet?"
"Please don't hurt my poor friend, Harlequin. He has never done anything wrong in his whole life."
"There is no mercy here, in my heart, Pinocchio. I have saved you. Harlequin must burn instead. I am hungry and my dinner must be cooked."
"In that case," said Pinocchio bravely, standing up as straight and as tall as he could, "in that case, I know what I must do. Come, officers! Tie me up. Throw me on that fire. It is not fair for poor Harlequin, the best friend that I have in the world, to die in my place!"
These brave words, said loudly and clearly so that everyone could hear, made all the other puppets cry. Even the policemen, who were themselves puppets and made of wood, too, cried like babies.
Fire Eater's face at first looked as cold and hard as a piece of ice. Then, little by little, he began to smile, and he began to sneeze. And after four or five sneezes, he opened wide his arms and said to Pinocchio: "You are a brave, brave boy! Come to my arms. Give me a big kiss!"
Pinocchio ran to him. Climbing like a monkey up the Director's long black beard, he gave Fire Eater a loving kiss on his nose.
"Have I been saved?" asked poor Harlequin with a voice that was no louder than a breath.
"Well, tonight, it seems I shall have to eat my lamb only half cooked. But yes, Mr Harlequin, you are saved!" answered Fire Eater, with a smile.
When they heard that, all the puppets ran on to the stage. They turned on all the lights in the theatre. They danced and they sang the whole night long.