Page:Collodi - The Story of a Puppet, translation Murray, 1892.djvu/167

 hungry, would not stand trifling, turned upon him, growling and showing his terrible tusks.

At that moment a little feeble voice was heard in the cave saying entreatingly:

'Save me, Alidoro! If you do not save me I shall be fried! . . .'

The dog recognised Pinocchio's voice, and to his extreme surprise perceived that it proceeded from the floured bundle that the fisherman held in his hand.

So what do you think he did? He made a spring, seized the bundle in his mouth, and holding it gently between his teeth he rushed out of the cave and was gone like a flash of lightning.

The fisherman, furious at seeing a fish he was so anxious to eat snatched from him, ran after the dog; but he had not gone many steps when he was taken with a fit of coughing and had to give it up.

Alidoro, when he had reached the path that led to the village, stopped, and put his friend Pinocchio gently on the ground.

'How much I have to thank you for!' said the puppet.

'There is no necessity,' replied the dog. 'You saved me and; I have now returned it. You know that we must all help each other in this world.'

'But how came you to come to the cave?'

'I was lying on the shore more dead than