Приключения Пиноккио / The adventures of Pinocchio. Уровень 1

”

“I want to go on. The same nonsense. Good-bye, Cricket.”

“Good night, Pinocchio.”

There was silence for a minute and the ghost of the Cricket disappeared. Once again the road was dark.

Chapter 14

Pinocchio and the Robbers

“We boys are really very unlucky,” said the Marionette to himself, “Everybody scolds us, everybody gives us advice, everybody warns us. Everyone tries to be father and mother to us; everyone, even the Cricket. Robbers indeed! I think that fathers and mothers invented robbers to frighten children.

Even if I meet them on the road, I’ll say, �Well, signori, what do you want? Run along and mind your business[17 - mind your business – занимайтесь своим делом].’ If they don’t run away, I can always run myself.”

Suddenly Pinocchio heard a slight rustle among the leaves behind him. He turned to look and saw two big black shadows. The two figures in black coal sacks leaped toward him softly.

“Here they come!” Pinocchio said to himself, and hid the gold pieces under his tongue.

He tried to run away, but deep voices said to him:

“Your money or your life!”

Pinocchio could not say a word, because the gold pieces were in his mouth. Pinocchio’s head and hands said,

“I haven’t a coin.”

“Give us your money or you’re a dead man,” said the taller of the two Robbers.

“Dead man,” repeated the other.

“And we will kill your father also.”

“Your father also!”

“No, no, no, not my Father!” cried Pinocchio.

And the gold pieces tinkled together in his mouth.

“Ah, you rascal! You have the money under your tongue!”

But Pinocchio was silent again.

“Are you deaf? Wait, young man, we’ll get it from you!”

One of them grabbed the Marionette by the nose and the other by the chin, and they pulled him unmercifully from side to side in order to open his mouth.

But they couldn’t do it. In desperation the smaller of the two Robbers pulled out a long knife from his pocket, and tried to open Pinocchio’s mouth with it.

The Marionette sank his teeth deep into the Robber’s hand, and bit it off. Suddenly he saw that it was not a hand, but a cat’s paw!

Pinocchio freed himself from the claws of his assailers and ran swiftly across the fields. He climbed up a giant pine tree and sat there. The Robbers tried to climb also, but they slipped and fell.