"I am laughing at the lie you have told."

"And how can you possibly know that I have told a lie?"

"Lies, my dear boy, are found out immediately, because they are of two
sorts. There are lies that have short legs, and lies that have long
noses. Your lie, as it happens, is one of those that have a long nose."

Pinocchio, not knowing where to hide himself for shame, tried to run out
of the room; but he did not succeed, for his nose had increased so much
that it could no longer pass through the door.

[Illustration: SPLASH! SPLASH! THEY FELL INTO THE VERY MIDDLE OF THE
DITCH]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XVIII

PINOCCHIO AGAIN MEETS THE FOX AND THE CAT

The Fairy allowed the puppet to cry for a good half-hour over his nose,
which could no longer pass through the door of the room. This she did to
give him a severe lesson, and to correct him of the disgraceful fault of
telling lies--the most disgraceful fault that a boy can have. But when
she saw him quite disfigured and his eyes swollen out of his head from
weeping, she felt full of compassion for him. She therefore beat her
hands together and at that signal a thousand large birds called
Woodpeckers flew in at the window. They immediately perched on
Pinocchio's nose and began to peck at it with such zeal that in a few
minutes his enormous and ridiculous nose was reduced to its usual
dimensions.

"What a good Fairy you are," said the puppet, drying his eyes, "and how
much I love you!"

"I love you also," answered the Fairy; "and if you will remain with me
you shall be my little brother and I will be your good little sister."

"I would remain willingly if it were not for my poor papa."

"I have thought of everything. I have already let your father know, and
he will be here tonight."

"Really?" shouted Pinocchio, jumping for joy. "Then, little Fairy, if
you consent, I should like to go and meet him. I am so anxious to give a
kiss to that poor old man, who has suffered so much on my account, that
I am counting the minutes."

"Go, then, but be careful not to lose yourself. Take the road through
the wood and I am sure that you will meet him."

Pinocchio set out, and as soon as he was in the wood he began to run
like a kid. But when he had reached a certain spot, almost in front of
the Big Oak, he stopped, because he thought he heard people amongst the
bushes. In fact, two persons came out on to the road. Can you guess who
they were? His two traveling co