Читать книгу Pinocchio - Carlo Collodi - Страница 7

Mr Cherry gives the piece of wood to his friend, Geppetto, who plans a marvellous puppet that can dance, and fence, and turn somersaults in the air

At that moment somebody knocked on the door. ‘Come in!’ said the carpenter; but he was too weak to stand up.

A little, jolly old man came into the shop. His name was Geppetto, but when the boys in the neighbourhood wanted to tease him they called him by his nickname of Polendina, because of his yellow wig which looked very like a dish of polenta.

Geppetto was very short-tempered. Woe betide anybody who called him Polendina! He simply went wild, and no one could do anything with him.

‘Good morning, Mr Antonio,’ said Geppetto. ‘What are you doing down there?’

‘I am teaching the ants how to read.’

‘Much good may it do you!’

‘What brought you here, Mr Geppetto?’

‘My legs. Mr Antonio, I have come to ask you a favour.’

‘Here I am, ready to serve you,’ answered the carpenter, getting to his knees.

‘I had an idea this morning.’

‘Let us hear it.’

‘I thought I would make a fine wooden puppet – a really fine one, that can dance, fence, and turn somersaults in the air. Then, with this puppet, I could travel round the world, and earn my bit of bread and my glass of wine. What do you think about it?’

‘Bravo, Polendina!’ cried that same tiny, mysterious voice.

When he heard the name Polendina, Mr Geppetto became so angry that he turned as red as a ripe pepper. He turned to the carpenter, and said in a fury, ‘Why do you annoy me?’

‘Who is annoying you?’

‘You called me Polendina!’

‘No, I didn’t!’

‘Oh! Perhaps I did it! But I say that it was you.’

‘No!’

‘Yes!’

‘No!’

‘Yes!’

And, as they grew more and more excited, from words they came to blows. They seized one another’s wigs, and even hit and bit and scratched each other.

At the end of the fight Geppetto’s yellow wig was in Mr Antonio’s hands, and the carpenter’s grey wig between Geppetto’s teeth.

‘Give me my wig!’ said Mr Antonio.

‘You give me mine, and let us make a peace treaty!’

So the two little old men, each taking his own wig, shook hands, and promised to be good friends for ever.

‘Now, neighbour Geppetto,’ said the carpenter, to prove that they were friends again, ‘what can I do for you?’

‘I would like to have a little piece of wood to make my marionette. Will you give it to me?’

Mr Antonio, pleased as Punch, hurried to his bench, and took the piece of wood which had frightened him so much. But, just as he was giving it to his friend, it shook so hard that it slipped out of his hands, and struck poor Geppetto’s shin.

‘Ah! This is a fine way to make me a present, Mr Antonio! You have almost lamed me.’

‘Upon my honour, I didn’t do it!’

‘Oh! So I did it then!’

‘It’s all the fault of this piece of wood –’

‘Yes, I know the wood hit me, but you threw it at my legs!’

‘I did not throw it at you!’

‘That’s a lie!’

‘Geppetto, don’t insult me! If you do, I shall call you Polendina.’

‘Blockhead!’

‘Polendina!’

‘Donkey!’

‘Polendina!’

‘Ugly monkey!’

‘Polendina!’

When he heard himself called Polendina for the third time Geppetto, blind with rage, rushed at the carpenter, and the second fight was worse than the first.

When it was over, Mr Antonio had two more scratches on his nose, and Geppetto two buttons less on his jacket. Honours thus being even, they shook hands again, and vowed to be good friends for ever. Then Geppetto took the piece of wood and, thanking Mr Antonio, went limping home.