ted!" answered Fire-Eater; he then added, sighing and
shaking his head:

"I must have patience! Tonight I shall have to resign myself to eat the
mutton half raw; but another time, woe to him who displeases me!"

At the news of the pardon the puppets all ran to the stage and, having
lighted the lamps and chandeliers as if for a full-dress performance,
they began to leap and to dance merrily. At dawn they were still
dancing.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XII

PINOCCHIO RECEIVES A PRESENT OF FIVE GOLD PIECES

The following day Fire-Eater called Pinocchio to one side and asked him:

"What is your father's name?"

"Geppetto."

"And what trade does he follow?"

"He is a beggar."

"Does he gain much?"

"Gain much? Why, he has never a penny in his pocket. Only think, in
order to buy a spelling-book so that I could go to school he was obliged
to sell the only coat he had to wear--a coat that, between patches and
darns, was not fit to be seen."

"Poor devil! I feel almost sorry for him! Here are five gold pieces. Go
at once and take them to him with my compliments."

Pinocchio was overjoyed and thanked the showman a thousand times. He
embraced all the puppets of the company one by one, even to the
gendarmes, and set out to return home.

But he had not gone far when he met on the road a Fox lame of one foot,
and a Cat blind of both eyes, and they were going along helping each
other like good companions in misfortune. The Fox, who was lame, walked
leaning on the Cat; and the Cat, who was blind, was guided by the Fox.

"Good-day, Pinocchio," said the Fox, greeting him politely.

"How do you come to know my name?" asked the puppet.

"I know your father well."

"Where did you see him?"

"I saw him yesterday at the door of his house."

"And what was he doing?"

"He was in his shirt-sleeves and shivering with cold."

"Poor papa! But that is over; for the future he shall shiver no more!"

"Why?"

"Because I have become a gentleman."

"A gentleman--you!" said the Fox, and he began to laugh rudely and
scornfully. The Cat also began to laugh, but to conceal it she combed
her whiskers with her forepaws.

[Illustration: Splash! Splash! They fell Into the Very Middle of the
Ditch]

"There is little to laugh at," cried Pinocchio angrily. "I am really
sorry to make your mouth water, but if you know anything about it, you
can see that these are five gold pieces."

And he pulled out the money that Fire-Ea