Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi Page A

laughed at them heartily. The wretch, in that moment, had no idea what frights and what terrible troubles lay in store for him!

27
    W HEN HE reached the shore, Pinocchio began scanning the sea. But he didn’t see any Shark. The sea was perfectly smooth, like a giant mirror.
    â€œThe Shark—where is it?” he asked, turning to his companions.
    â€œMaybe he went to breakfast,” replied one of his companions, laughing.
    â€œOr maybe he went back to bed for a little nap,” added another, laughing even harder.
    From these absurd answers and their silly cackling, Pinocchio gathered that his schoolmates had played a cruel trick on him. His feelings hurt, Pinocchio said to them in a furious voice, “Now what? What have you gained by making me believe that fib about the Shark?”
    â€œWe’ve gained plenty!” those rogues replied in chorus.
    â€œSuch as?”
    â€œWe’ve made you skip school and come with us. Aren’t you ashamed of being so punctual and hardworking every day at school? Aren’t you ashamed of studying as much as you do?”
    â€œWhat difference does it make to you if I study?”
    â€œIt makes a big difference, because you make us look bad to the teacher.”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œBecause the kids who study always make the kids who don’t want to study, like us, look bad by comparison. And we don’t want to look bad! We have some self-respect, too!”
    â€œSo what do I have to do to make you happy?”
    â€œYou have to be fed up, like us, with the school and the lessons and the teacher—our three great enemies.”
    â€œAnd what if I want to keep studying?”
    â€œWe’ll never look you in the face again, and we’ll make you pay the first chance we get!”
    â€œTo tell the truth, you almost make me laugh,” said the puppet, shaking his head.
    â€œHey, Pinocchio!” shouted the biggest of the boys, walking right up to him. “You better not act like a tough guy here! You better not act so cocky! Because you might not be afraid of us, but we’re not afraid of you, either! And don’t forget there’s one of you and seven of us.”
    â€œSeven—like the seven deadly sins,” said Pinocchio, laughing.
    â€œDid you hear that? He insulted all of us! He called us deadly sins!”
    â€œPinocchio, you better apologize—or else!”
    â€œNanny-nanny-boo-boo!” said the puppet, thumbing his nose to mock them.
    â€œPinocchio! You’ll be sorry!”
    â€œNanny-nanny-boo-boo!”
    â€œWe’ll beat you like a donkey!”
    â€œNanny-nanny-boo-boo!”
    â€œWe’ll send you home with a broken nose!”
    â€œNanny-nanny-boo-boo!”
    â€œYou’ll get the boo-boo now!” shouted the boldest of those rogues. “Here’s a taste to start with, and you can save the rest for supper!”
    And as he said that, he punched Pinocchio in the head.
    But it was tit for tat, as the saying goes, because the puppet, as might be expected, answered at once with a counterpunch. And from then on, the battle became general and fierce.
    Though Pinocchio was alone, he defended himself like a hero. He used those rock-hard wooden feet of his so well that his enemies were forced to keep a respectful distance. Wherever his feet could reach and strike, they left souvenir bruises.
    At this point, the boys, vexed at being unable to match the puppet in hand-to-hand combat, thought it wise to resort to projectiles. They untied their bundles of schoolbooks and began flinging them at Pinocchio: their spelling books, their grammar books, Thouar’s Popular Tales , Baccini’s Memoirs of a Chick , a couple of books by a fellow named Collodi, and still others. But the puppet, who was sharp-eyed and quick-witted, always managed to duck in time, so that all the books sailed over his head and dropped into the sea.
    Think of the fish! Believing that those books