Page:Collodi - The Story of a Puppet, translation Murray, 1892.djvu/51

 'Will you buy my shoes?'

'They would only be of use to light the fire.'

'How much will you give me for my cap?'

'That would be a wonderful acquisition indeed! A cap of bread crumb! There would be a risk of the mice coming to eat it whilst it was on my head.'

Pinocchio was on thorns. He was on the point of making another offer, but he had not the courage. He hesitated, felt irresolute and remorseful. At last he said:

'Will you give me twopence for this new Spelling-book?'

'I am a boy and I don't buy from boys, replied his little interlocutor, who had much more sense than he had.

'I will buy the Spelling-book for twopence,' called out a hawker of old clothes, who had been listening to the conversation.

And the book was sold there and then. And to think that poor Geppetto had remained at home trembling with cold in his shirt sleeves, that he might buy his son a Spelling-book!