Page:The adventures of Pinocchio (Cramp 1904).djvu/206



As soon as Pinocchio had said good-by to his friend the Tunny, he moved around, groping in the darkness. Walking inside the Dogfish, he advanced toward the little light that shone so far away.

As he groped along he felt his feet wading in a puddle of greasy, slippery water. The water had such a pungent odor of fried fish that he thought it must be Lent.

The more he walked, the clearer and more distinct became the light, until finally he arrived at the end of the passage. What did he find? I will let you guess a thousand times. He found a little table all nicely set, and lighted by a candle stuck into a green bottle. Seated behind the table he saw an old man with snow-white beard and hair, who was slowly eating some little live fish.

At the sight of the poor old man Pinocchio became so overjoyed that he nearly lost his senses. He wished to laugh; he wished to cry. He did not