Page:Collodi - The Story of a Puppet, translation Murray, 1892.djvu/148

 even the good Fairy never failed to tell him, and to repeat constantly:

'Take care, Pinocchio! Those bad schoolfellows of yours will end sooner or later by making you lose all love of study, and perhaps even they may bring upon you some great misfortune.'

'There is no fear of that!' answered the puppet, shrugging his shoulders and touching his forehead as much as to say: 'There is so much sense here!'

Now it happened that one fine day, as he was on his way to school, he met several of his usual companions who, coming up to him, asked:

'Have you heard the great news?'

'No.'

'In the sea near here a Dog-fish has appeared as big as a mountain.'

'Not really? Can it be the same Dog-fish that was there when my poor papa was drowned?'

'We are going to the shore to see him. Will you come with us?'

'No; I am going to school.'

'What matters school? We can go to school to-morrow. Whether we have a lesson more or a lesson less, we shall always remain the same donkeys.'

'But what will the master say?'

'The master may say what he likes. He is paid on purpose to grumble all day.'