Page:Collodi - The Story of a Puppet, translation Murray, 1892.djvu/222

 Pinocchio at first tried to keep up his courage; but when he had one proof after another that he was really shut up in the body of this sea-monster he began to cry and scream and to sob out:

'Help! help! Oh, how unfortunate I am! Will nobody come to save me?'

'Who do you think could save you, unhappy wretch? . . .' said a voice in the dark that sounded like a guitar out of tune.

'Who is speaking?' asked Pinocchio, frozen with terror.

'It is I! I am a poor Tunny who was swallowed by the Dog-fish at the same time that you were. And what fish are you?'

'I have nothing in common with fish. I am a puppet.'

'Then if you are not a fish, why did you let yourself be swallowed by the monster?'

'I didn't let myself be swallowed: it was the monster swallowed me! And now what are we to do here in the dark?'

'Resign ourselves and wait until the Dog-fish has digested us both.'

'But I do not want to be digested!' howled Pinocchio, beginning to cry again.

'Neither do I want to be digested,' added the Tunny; 'but I am enough of a philosopher to console myself by thinking that when one is born a Tunny it is more dignified to die in the water than in oil.'