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 he found that it was chalk, that the chicken was made of cardboard, and that the four apricots were of glass.

He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, he wanted to throw the silver vase into the house; but he was so weak that he fell down and fainted. When he came to he found himself on a sofa and the Fairy was near him.

“I will pardon you this time; but woe to you if you ever do it again!” said the Fairy.

Pinocchio promised and swore that he would be good. He kept his promise the rest of the year. In fact, at the examinations he took the first honors, and the Fairy was so happy that she said to him, “To-morrow you shall have your wish.”

“And that is?”

“To-morrow you shall stop being a marionette and become a real boy.”

One who never saw Pinocchio cannot imagine how happy he was at this announcement. All his friends and schoolmates were invited to a great collation. The Fairy had prepared two hundred cups and saucers and four hundred little sandwiches buttered inside and out. That day promised to be a great event but—

Unfortunately in the life of a marionette there is always a but that spoils everything.