Page:Collodi - The Story of a Puppet, translation Murray, 1892.djvu/134

 country, made him so melancholy that he was just beginning to cry. But at that moment, at a short distance from the shore, he saw a big fish swimming by; it was going quietly on its own business with its head out of the water.

Not knowing its name the puppet called to it in a loud voice to make himself heard:

'Eh, Sir fish, will you permit me a word with you?'

'Two if you like,' answered the fish, who was a Dolphin, and so polite that few similar are to be found in any sea in the world.

'Will you be kind enough to tell me if there are villages in this island where it would be possible to obtain something to eat, without running the danger of being eaten?'

'Certainly there are,' replied the Dolphin. 'Indeed you will find one at a short distance from here.'

'And what road must I take to go there?'

'You must take that path to your left and follow your nose. You cannot make a mistake.'

'Will you tell me another thing? You who swim about the sea all day and all night, have you by chance met a little boat with my papa in it?'

'And who is your papa?'

'He is the best papa in the world, whilst