CHAPTER 21

Pinocchio is caught by a Farmer,

who uses him as a watchdog for his chicken coop





Pinocchio, as you may well imagine, began to scream

and weep and beg; but all was of no use, for no houses

were to be seen and not a soul passed by on the road.



Night came on.



A little because of the sharp pain in his legs, a little

because of fright at finding himself alone in the darkness

of the field, the Marionette was about to faint, when he

saw a tiny Glowworm flickering by. He called to her

and said:



"Dear little Glowworm, will you set me free?"



"Poor little fellow!" replied the Glowworm, stopping

to look at him with pity. "How came you to be caught

in this trap?"



"I stepped into this lonely field to take a few grapes and--"



"Are the grapes yours?"



"No."



"Who has taught you to take things that do not belong to you?"



"I was hungry."



"Hunger, my boy, is no reason for taking something

which belongs to another."



"It's true, it's true!" cried Pinocchio in tears. "I won't

do it again."



Just then, the conversation was interrupted by

approaching footsteps. It was the owner of the field,

who was coming on tiptoes to see if, by chance, he had caught

the Weasels which had been eating his chickens.



Great was his surprise when, on holding up his lantern,

he saw that, instead of a Weasel, he had caught a boy!



"Ah, you little thief!" said the Farmer in an angry

voice. "So you are the one who steals my chickens!"



"Not I! No, no!" cried Pinocchio, sobbing bitterly.

"I came here only to take a very few grapes."



"He who steals grapes may very easily steal chickens also.

Take my word for it, I'll give you a lesson that you'll remember

for a long while."



He opened the trap, grabbed the Marionette by the

collar, and carried him to the house as if he were a puppy.

When he reached the yard in front of the house, he

flung him to the ground, put a foot on his neck, and said

to him roughly: "It is late now and it's time for bed.

Tomorrow we'll settle matters. In the meantime, since my

watchdog died today, you may take his place and guard

my henhouse."



No sooner said than done. He slipped a dog collar

around Pinocchio's neck and tightened it so that it would

not come off. A long iron chain was tied to the collar.

The other end of the chain was nailed to the wall.



"If tonight it should happen to rain," said the Farmer,

"you can sleep in that little doghouse near-by, where you

will find plenty of straw for a soft bed. It has been

Melampo's bed for three years, and it will be good enough

for you. And if, by any chance, any thieves should come,

be sure to bark!"



After this last warning, the Farmer went into the house

and closed the door and barred it.



Poor Pinocchio huddled close to the doghouse more

dead than alive from cold, hunger, and fright. Now and

again he pulled and tugged at the collar which nearly

choked him and cried out in a weak voice:



"I deserve it! Yes, I deserve it! I have been nothing

but a truant and a vagabond. I have never obeyed anyone

and I have always done as I pleased. If I were only like

so many others and had studied and worked and stayed

with my poor old father, I should not find myself here now,

in this field and in the darkness, taking the place of a

farmer's watchdog. Oh, if I could start all over again!

But what is done can't be undone, and I must be patient!"



After this little sermon to himself, which came from the very

depths of his heart, Pinocchio went into the doghouse and fell asleep.

****

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