CHAPTER 23

Pinocchio weeps upon learning that the Lovely Maiden

with Azure Hair is dead. He meets a Pigeon,

who carries him to the seashore. He throws himself

into the sea to go to the aid of his father





As soon as Pinocchio no longer felt the shameful weight

of the dog collar around his neck, he started to run across

the fields and meadows, and never stopped till he came to

the main road that was to take him to the Fairy's house.



When he reached it, he looked into the valley far below

him and there he saw the wood where unluckily he had

met the Fox and the Cat, and the tall oak tree where he

had been hanged; but though he searched far and near, he

could not see the house where the Fairy with the Azure

Hair lived.



He became terribly frightened and, running as fast as he

could, he finally came to the spot where it had once stood.

The little house was no longer there. In its place lay a

small marble slab, which bore this sad inscription:



HERE LIES

THE LOVELY FAIRY WITH AZURE HAIR

WHO DIED OF GRIEF

WHEN ABANDONED BY

HER LITTLE BROTHER PINOCCHIO





The poor Marionette was heartbroken at reading these

words. He fell to the ground and, covering the cold marble

with kisses, burst into bitter tears. He cried all night, and

dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried

and only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But

these were so loud that they could be heard by the

faraway hills.



As he sobbed he said to himself:



"Oh, my Fairy, my dear, dear Fairy, why did you die?

Why did I not die, who am so bad, instead of you, who

are so good? And my father--where can he be? Please

dear Fairy, tell me where he is and I shall never, never

leave him again! You are not really dead, are you? If you

love me, you will come back, alive as before. Don't you

feel sorry for me? I'm so lonely. If the two Assassins come,

they'll hang me again from the giant oak tree and I will

really die, this time. What shall I do alone in the world?

Now that you are dead and my father is lost, where shall

I eat? Where shall I sleep? Who will make my new

clothes? Oh, I want to die! Yes, I want to die! Oh, oh, oh!"



Poor Pinocchio! He even tried to tear his hair, but as it

was only painted on his wooden head, he could not even pull it.



Just then a large Pigeon flew far above him. Seeing the

Marionette, he cried to him:



"Tell me, little boy, what are you doing there?"



"Can't you see? I'm crying," cried Pinocchio, lifting his

head toward the voice and rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.



"Tell me," asked the Pigeon, "do you by chance know

of a Marionette, Pinocchio by name?"



"Pinocchio! Did you say Pinocchio?" replied the

Marionette, jumping to his feet. "Why, I am Pinocchio!"



At this answer, the Pigeon flew swiftly down to the earth.

He was much larger than a turkey.



"Then you know Geppetto also?"



"Do I know him? He's my father, my poor, dear father!

Has he, perhaps, spoken to you of me? Will you take me to him?

Is he still alive? Answer me, please! Is he still alive?"



"I left him three days ago on the shore of a large sea."



"What was he doing?"



"He was building a little boat with which to cross the ocean.

For the last four months, that poor man has been wandering

around Europe, looking for you. Not having found you yet,

he has made up his mind to look for you in the New World,

far across the ocean."



"How far is it from here to the shore?" asked Pinocchio anxiously.



"More than fifty miles."



"Fifty miles? Oh, dear Pigeon, how I wish I had your wings!"



"If you want to come, I'll take you with me."



"How?"



"Astride my back. Are you very heavy?"



"Heavy? Not at all. I'm only a feather."



"Very well."



Saying nothing more, Pinocchio jumped on the Pigeon's

back and, as he settled himself, he cried out gayly:



"Gallop on, gallop on, my pretty steed! I'm in a great hurry."



The Pigeon flew away, and in a few minutes he had

reached the clouds. The Marionette looked to see what

was below them. His head swam and he was so frightened

that he clutched wildly at the Pigeon's neck to keep

himself from falling.



They flew all day. Toward evening the Pigeon said:



"I'm very thirsty!"



"And I'm very hungry!" said Pinocchio.



"Let us stop a few minutes at that pigeon coop down there.

Then we can go on and be at the seashore in the morning."



They went into the empty coop and there they found nothing but

a bowl of water and a small basket filled with chick-peas.



The Marionette had always hated chick-peas. According

to him, they had always made him sick; but that night

he ate them with a relish. As he finished them, he turned

to the Pigeon and said:



"I never should have thought that chick-peas could be so good!"



"You must remember, my boy," answered the Pigeon,

"that hunger is the best sauce!"



After resting a few minutes longer, they set out again.

The next morning they were at the seashore.



Pinocchio jumped off the Pigeon's back, and the Pigeon,

not wanting any thanks for a kind deed, flew away swiftly

and disappeared.



The shore was full of people, shrieking and tearing their

hair as they looked toward the sea.



"What has happened?" asked Pinocchio of a little old woman.



"A poor old father lost his only son some time ago and

today he built a tiny boat for himself in order to go in

search of him across the ocean. The water is very rough

and we're afraid he will be drowned."



"Where is the little boat?"



"There. Straight down there," answered the little old woman,

pointing to a tiny shadow, no bigger than a nutshell,

floating on the sea.



Pinocchio looked closely for a few minutes and then gave a sharp cry:



"It's my father! It's my father!"



Meanwhile, the little boat, tossed about by the angry

waters, appeared and disappeared in the waves. And Pinocchio,

standing on a high rock, tired out with searching,

waved to him with hand and cap and even with his nose.



It looked as if Geppetto, though far away from the

shore, recognized his son, for he took off his cap and

waved also. He seemed to be trying to make everyone

understand that he would come back if he were able, but

the sea was so heavy that he could do nothing with his oars.

Suddenly a huge wave came and the boat disappeared.



They waited and waited for it, but it was gone.



"Poor man!" said the fisher folk on the shore, whispering

a prayer as they turned to go home.



Just then a desperate cry was heard. Turning around,

the fisher folk saw Pinocchio dive into the sea and heard

him cry out:



"I'll save him! I'll save my father!"



The Marionette, being made of wood, floated easily

along and swam like a fish in the rough water. Now and

again he disappeared only to reappear once more. In a

twinkling, he was far away from land. At last he was

completely lost to view.



"Poor boy!" cried the fisher folk on the shore, and again

they mumbled a few prayers, as they returned home.

****

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