“Throw the rope down again, Marsovino!”
“What for? Are there three treasure boxes?”
“You will see.”
As soon as the end of the rope touched the floor of the room, Pinocchio tied it around his waist.
“Now pull!” he called.
Marsovino pulled, and in a second Pinocchio stood on the bridge.
“I really had no wish to return by those dark dusty stairs,” he laughed, seeing Marsovino’s look of wonder.
CHAPTER XV
At last the two had done their duty. The treasure was theirs. All that remained now was to go back to Tursio with it.
“Let us start this minute,” said Marsovino, who was anxious to see his father again.
“Yes, but first please give me something to eat.”
“Should you like to have some grapes?” said Marsovino, kindly.
“I don’t see the use of making my mouth water needlessly,” answered Pinocchio.
“But I mean what Fm saying. Should you like some grapes?”
“Show them to me first. Then I’ll answer you.”
“Come here then, unbeliever.” As he spoke, Marsovino led Pinocchio to a mast, which, strange to say, had not been touched by the polyps. Hanging from a slender thread was a bunch of what looked like red grapes.
“What are they?” Pinocchio could only ask.
“Don’t you see? They are sea grapes. Eat them.”
“But first I want you to tell me what they are.”
“They are the eggs of the calamary, a near relation of the octopus you had to deal with to-day.”
“Very well, then. Pm willing to destroy all sign of those horrible beings.” In a short time Pinocchio had made a good luncheon out of them.
Luncheon finished, Marsovino gave Pinocchio the box of pearls which he was holding for the marionette. Then the dolphin tied the treasure boxes on his back, and the two friends were ready to start.
They again passed the beach where the seals had had their battle. Now it was full of men. Some were skinning the poor animals. Others were pressing out the oil from their bodies. Still others were spreading the skins out on the sand to dry.
Again the two travelers came into the polar seas. Here they found a great change. Icebergs had melted, and the sea was full of floating ice.
At last, without meeting any mishaps, the two again entered the warmer ocean. They had gone only a few miles when Pinocchio heard a great noise behind him. Both friends turned. On the calm surface of the sea rose two high columns of water.
“The whale!” exclaimed Marsovino.
“Nonsense, whale!” answered Pinocchio, who now and then still forgot how little he knew. “Don’t you see it’s a fountain? How could an animal send the water so high?”
“Still it is the whale. You are just seeing a cetacean breathe.”
“You are a cetacean, too. But I see only one hole in your head, and the jet of water you throw is very low.”
“Yes, we are cetaceans, but we are not whales. The whale proper has two breathing holes.”
“Mercy! what a noise that monster does make!” breathed Pinocchio. “Now, if she comes near us, we’ll disappear.”
“Have no fear, Pinocchio. The whale, although such a large animal, is quiet and harmless if you let her alone. She is even timid. And don’t think that because her mouth is large she can eat large animals.
“Her mouth may be large, but her throat is so small that she can swallow only very small fishes. If we had met the cachalot, or sperm whale, we should have reason to be frightened.”
“And what is that?”
“It’s an immense cetacean. You can tell it from the common whale, not only by its one breathing hole, but also by its size. The head alone is enormous, and its mouth is frightful with its many large sharp teeth.”
“Hasn’t this whale teeth?”
“No. But instead of teeth, its upper jaw is lined with at least seven hundred plates of a thick horny substance. These plates are often twelve and fifteen feet long.
“When the whale wants to eat it opens its huge mouth, and then closes it full of water. This water is then strained through the plates, and hundreds of small fishes are caught in them. The whale can then swallow her dinner at her leisure.”
“What a dinner!” exclaimed Pinocchio. “Now tell me this. Why is it that so many whales are captured by whalers? You say that they are harmless. Why, then, should they be killed?”
“They are caught because of their value. Those horny plates I spoke of are what is called whalebone. The large tongue of the whale contains many barrels of oil. From the body of the whale great quantities of fat may be had. All these things are of great use in the world.”
“What about that other whale you spoke of? The one with the terrible teeth.”
“The sperm whale? Oh! that one is a dreadful being. With its great mouth and sharp teeth it can eat anything. Seals, dolphins, and even the terrible squaloids. They are lost, if they come near him. He is very ferocious.”
While Marsovino and Pinocchio were talking, the whale had come nearer. The marionette saw a small dark object climb on her back.
“What is that?” he asked.
“That’s a baby whale. Whales are very affectionate mothers. The baby whale is tired, so the mother is going to carry it.”
Suddenly a dark head and body rose out of the water. Like an arrow it threw itself on the poor whale. With its large mouth it tore a great piece of flesh from the cetacean’s side and then disappeared into the waves.
“Mercy! The sea wolf!” cried Marsovino, looking around for some place to hide.
“What is the sea wolf? The name does not sound terrible.”
“It is the most dangerous and fierce squaloid. It is even worse than the hammer! Let us run!” said Marsovino, breathlessly.
“But if we run the wolf will run after us.”
“You are right. Where shall we hide? Oh, here! Let us try to get among these weeds.”
Near them was a large plant. Its leaves would make a very safe hiding place. Pinocchio stood on Marsovino’s back and pushed the leaves aside.
In a short time the two were so well hidden that no eyes could see them.
“Here we are safe,” and the dolphin gave a sigh of relief. “And how well we can see.”
Pinocchio, like the boy he was, wanted to see the fight.
In fact, a short distance away, a terrific fight was in progress. The wolf had now attacked the baby whale. This made the mother furious. She tried to hit the shark with her tail, but he was too quick for her. The poor cetacean was getting the worst of it. The wolfs mouth, provided with four hundred sharp teeth, was tearing the whale’s side to pieces. Blood was pouring from them both, and it seemed as if the whale could not hold out much longer.
A second dark body now made its appearance. It was as long as the whale, but much larger. Its head was enormous, and from the top of it rose a single high column of water.
“The sperm whale! The cachalot!” breathed Marsovino, and it seemed to Pinocchio that the dolphin turned pale.
It was not to be mistaken! It was the terrible whale! And he seemed not at all frightened by the sight of the fighters. Instead, opening wide his mouth—and such a mouth—he threw himself on them. With a snap of the great jaws the sea wolfs tail disappeared.
And then, as if the battle were not fierce enough, a long bladelike object appeared on the scene. The sides of the blade were provided with sharp teeth. Behind the blade was a dark head. The new arrival was the sawfish, coming to see what the matter was. Without much ado it started to deal blows, first on this side, then on that.
Not even the sperm whale escaped the terrible saw. Long ragged tears were soon seen on its body. Cries of pain were he
ard on all sides. The sea was a sea of blood.
Finally the whale, seeing that she was lost if she stayed there long, tried to escape. As swiftly as she could, she swam away with her baby.
Though the whale was gone, the fight still raged. The wolf and the saw, although both of the same family, are sworn enemies. Not paying much attention to the sperm whale, they started to battle with each other. But the wolf was so exhausted by the loss of blood that it could not do much. The cachalot, seeing himself overlooked, threw himself on the sawfish. But as quick as a flash the sawfish dived and came up on the other side of the giant. Angrier than ever, the whale now turned to the wolf and in an instant snapped his head off.
The whale was satisfied. Pouring blood from twenty wounds, he left the field of battle. The sawfish was left alone in all his glory. He was hurt but little. Very calmly he started to make a dinner of the sea wolf, or at least of what was left of him.
The dolphin now thought it safe to try to escape. Once out of the weeds, he fled as fast as he could.
Poor Pinocchio could only sit still and look around. He feared any minute to see a hammerhead or a wolf or a whale appear before him.
“Oh! how horrible, how awful is the sea!” he thought.
CHAPTER XVI
After racing along madly for a while, Marsovino became so tired that he had to stop.
“I must rest,” he said to Pinocchio.
“Very well, I’m willing,” answered the marionette.
In front of them the two friends could see a dark mass. Seen from the sea, it looked like a strip of land. But on approaching, one could see that it was nothing but a high rock.
This strip was separated from the shore of a small island by a long narrow channel of water. Marsovino swam a few yards up the channel, and then stopped to let Pinocchio jump on land.
“That battle in the sea has upset me greatly,” said Pinocchio to his friend. “I must strengthen myself with some food. But I don’t see anything around. What shall I eat?”
The last words were interrupted by a soft whistle from the channel. A second whistle was heard, then a third, then a fourth. Our two friends turned. Large, clumsy, black bodies were coming out of the water. They were trying very hard to get to shore.
Pinocchio knew them at once. They were sea tortoises, and it was they who had made those strange sounds. After dragging themselves to the shore, they stood on the sand, moving their heads and blinking up at the sun.
“You said you wanted something to eat, Pinocchio. Well, do you see those large holes on the sand there? Look in them. You will surely find some tortoise eggs in them. They will make a delicious dinner for you.”
Pinocchio did not have to be told twice. In a moment he was gone. In a short time he returned with two large eggs in his hands.
“Make haste, now, eat them. We must continue our journey, and we have no time to lose.”
“You are going to wait, my dear Marsovino. I really do not see why you should be in such a hurry!”
“Because father told me never to stop needlessly. That’s why.”
“Yes, I know; but you shall wait now. Since I have been with you I have eaten nothing but raw fish. Fish and mollusks, mollusks and fish, and I’m getting tired of it. Today I am going to eat boiled eggs.”
“Boiled eggs! How, pray, and in what are you going to boil them?”
“Ha, ha! That’s my secret. That day in the ship I found an iron box with the word matches written on it. I kept it, but I never opened it. Here it is.” And Pinocchio showed the dolphin a small black box firmly closed.
“Now I’m going to use the matches. Do you want to see me build a fire and cook my eggs?”
“Very well, have your own way. But make haste, you disobedient boy.”
In no time Pinocchio had a good fire started.
“Now in what shall I put the water to boil?” he thought.
He looked around, and not very far away he saw a huge empty tortoise shell.
“Marsovino!” he called. “Come here! Will you please blow on this fire for me? I don’t want it to go out, and I want to get that tortoise shell and some water.”
“But I can’t move out of the water,” answered Marsovino.
“Oh, yes, you can. Come! Drag yourself as near as possible to the water. You amphibians can live out of the water for a while. So make haste!”
“But Mr. Tursio told me never to leave the water.”
“Well, just for once.”
Marsovino finally gave in. There was no great harm in just one little disobedience, he thought.
Pinocchio hastened away, and soon he was back with the shell full of fresh water.
“Oh, how good that spring water was,” he said to his friend, who was busily blowing the fire. “Now for a good dinner!”
The eggs were soon cooked, and Pinocchio certainly enjoyed them.
“I feel so well after that dinner I could travel to the end of the world,” he said when he had finished.
The two travelers then turned toward the sea. But Marsovino gave a cry of horror. In the channel hardly any water was left. The pebbly bottom could be seen, and beyond that the steep rock.
“The tide!” cried Marsovino. “I forgot the tide! Poor me! I am lost!”
“What is the matter?”
“Don’t you see the water is gone? The tide has gone out, and now how am I to get back to the sea? Before the tide comes in again I shall be dead. Oh, oh, I shall never see dear father again.” And as he talked poor Marsovino was beginning to breathe with difficulty, and to suffer greatly.
Pinocchio understood little about tides, but he knew what Marsovino meant by dying.
“And it is all my fault,” he cried, pulling at his hair. “If he dies, poor me, what shall happen to me? I must find some way of saving him.”
Marsovino was now giving little sign of life. He lay on the sand, with eyes closed, and breathing heavily.
With two bounds, Pinocchio was on top of the rocky ledge. Before him was the sea.
“If only it were possible to break a hole in this rock,” he thought.
As if in answer, a strange object made its appearance in front of him. It was a white spiral pole about two yards long. Behind the pole Pinocchio saw a round gray head spotted with black. Against the rocks the animal came with such force that they trembled. Suddenly an idea struck our hero.
“Pardon me,” he called, “but will you allow me to speak with you a moment?”
The immense animal, about six yards long, looked the boy over.
“What do you want, you small piece of humanity?” he asked proudly.
Pinocchio very humbly and very quickly told him the story of the poor dolphin.
“And as it is my fault that he is in this condition, I want to try to save him!” he exclaimed. “You seem so strong, will you please give this rock a few knocks with that tooth of yours? I know you’ll be able to break it.”
At this earnest supplication the narwhal, for that is what the animal was, was highly pleased. He looked at Pinocchio in a tolerant way.
“First of all,” he answered, “before I do anything for you, let me ask you a question.”
“Yes, sir, but please make haste, or Marsovino will die.”
“Do not interrupt me again, boy. First of all, what are you willing to give me in return for this favor?”
“I have nothing, sir. I would give you anything I have—I wish I had something—but I have nothing.”
“I do nothing for nothing. Good-by, then,” the narwhal replied. “But answer me this. What have you in that box in your hands? That box you are trying to hide.”
“This box—Oh, do not ask me for this. This will make my father rich and happy. Oh, no, not this! It is full of beautiful pearls.”
/> “Pearls! Well, then, give them to me. For them, and for them only, shall I grant your request. No?” he asked, as Pinocchio shook his head. “Very well, then. Good-by.”
“Come back! Come back!” cried Pinocchio. “Only hasten to save Marsovino!”
Without a word more he handed his precious pearls to the narwhal, and then quick as a flash was back at Marsovino’s side.
“Marsovino! Marsovino! Open your eyes, dear friend! You are saved!”
He had not finshed speaking when with a crash a great piece of rock fell. Another crash, and the hole widened; another, and the hole was wide enough for Marsovino to pass through. The water from the sea flowed in. Marsovino opened his eyes at the great noise. He was so surprised that he felt almost entirely well.
“What is it?” he asked feebly.
“Come, Marsovino, come! Try to drag yourself this short space, and you’ll be in the water again. Come!”
Pinocchio helped him all he could. He lifted the heavy treasure boxes off the poor dolphin’s back. He smoothed the sand. He cleared away the stones. Still poor Marsovino’s body was all torn and bleeding before the short trip was finished.
Finally, with a great sigh of relief, Marsovino was again in the cool water. Pinocchio was as happy as a boy can be. When he saw Marsovino safely in the water again he ran back to get the boxes. He dragged and dragged and pulled, and at last he had them both on Marsovino’s back again.
“It was lucky he didn’t know anything about these, otherwise—” said Pinocchio to himself.
“He? Whom are you talking about?” asked Marsovino, who was now well again.
“Yes, he, the one who helped me save you. He had a long white tooth, and he made a hole in the rock with it.”
“A narwhal! You must be talking about a narwhal! Do you mean to tell me that you asked a narwhal to help you and that he did?”
“I suppose so.”
“But how did you ever get him to do it?”
The Pinocchio Megapack: 4 Classic Puppet Tales Page 20
