Читать книгу Приключения Пиноккио / The adventures of Pinocchio. Уровень 1 - Карло Коллоди - Страница 5

So poor old Geppetto was in prison. In the meantime that rascal, Pinocchio, ran wildly across fields and meadows, and reached home. The house door was half open. He slipped into the room, locked the door, and threw himself on the floor.

Then he heard:

“Cri-cri-cri!”

“Who is this?” asked Pinocchio, greatly frightened.

“I am!”

Pinocchio turned and saw a large cricket on the wall.

“Tell me, Cricket, who are you?”

“I am the Cricket. I live in this room. One hundred years.”

“Today, however, this room is mine,” said the Marionette, “so get out[8] now.”

“I refuse to leave this spot,” answered the Cricket, “I want to tell you a great truth.”

“Tell it, then, and hurry.”

“Woe to boys who refuse to obey their parents and run away from home! They will never be happy in this world. When they are older they will be very sorry for it.”

“Nonsense. What I know is, that tomorrow, at dawn, I leave this place forever. If I stay here they will send me to school, like other boys and girls. As for me, let me tell you, I hate to study! I think, it’s more interesting to chase after butterflies, climb trees, and steal birds’ nests.”

“Poor little silly! Don’t you know that if you do all that, you will grow into a perfect donkey?”

“Keep still[9], you ugly Cricket!” cried Pinocchio.

But the Cricket, who was a wise old philosopher, continued:

“If you do not like to go to school, why don’t you learn a trade?”

“Shall I tell you something?” asked Pinocchio. “Of all the trades in the world, there is only one that I really like.”

“And what is that?”

“To eat, to drink, to sleep, to play and to wander around from morning till night.”

“Let me tell you, Pinocchio,” said the Cricket in his calm voice, “that you can end up in the hospital or in prison.”

“Careful, ugly Cricket! If you make me angry, you’ll be sorry!”

“Poor Pinocchio, I am sorry for you.”

“Why?”

“Because you are a Marionette and you have a wooden head.”

At these last words, Pinocchio jumped up, took a hammer from the bench, and threw it with all his strength at the Cricket.

Oh, my dear children, he hit the Cricket, straight on its head. With a last weak “cri-cri-cri” the poor Cricket fell from the wall, dead!