ind a shrub already pushing through
the ground, with its branches quite loaded with money."

The poor puppet, beside himself with joy, thanked the Fox and the Cat a
thousand times, and promised them a beautiful present.

"We wish for no presents," answered the two rascals. "It is enough for
us to have taught you the way to enrich yourself without undergoing hard
work, and we are as happy as people out for a holiday."

Thus saying, they took leave of Pinocchio, and, wishing him a good
harvest, went about their business.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XIX

PINOCCHIO IS ROBBED OF HIS MONEY

The puppet returned to the town and began to count the minutes one by
one, and when he thought that it must be time he took the road leading
to the Field of Miracles.

And as he walked along with hurried steps his heart beat fast--tic, tac,
tic, tac--like a drawing-room clock when it is really going well.
Meanwhile he was thinking to himself:

"And if, instead of a thousand gold pieces, I were to find on the
branches of the tree two thousand? And instead of two thousand,
supposing I found five thousand? and instead of five thousand, that I
found a hundred thousand? Oh! what a fine gentleman I should then
become! I would have a beautiful palace, a thousand little wooden horses
and a thousand stables to amuse myself with, a cellar full of currant
wine and sweet syrups, and a library quite full of candies, tarts,
plum-cakes, macaroons, and biscuits with cream."

Whilst he was building these castles in the air he had arrived in the
neighborhood of the field, and he stopped to look about for a tree with
its branches laden with money, but he saw nothing. He advanced another
hundred steps--nothing; he entered the field and went right up to the
little hole where he had buried his sovereigns--and nothing. He then
became very thoughtful and, forgetting the rules of society and good
manners, he took his hands out of his pocket and gave his head a long
scratch.

At that moment he heard an explosion of laughter close to him and,
looking up, he saw a large Parrot perched on a tree, who was pruning the
few feathers he had left.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Pinocchio in an angry voice.

"I am laughing because in pruning my feathers I tickled myself under my
wings."

The puppet did not answer, but went to the canal and, filling the same
old shoe full of water, he proceeded to water the earth afresh that
covered his gold pieces.