om the
fourth story to the house-door. It is evident that her exertions must
have been great.

"What are you doing with your foot stuck in the door?" she asked the
puppet.

"It was an accident. Do try, beautiful little Snail, if you cannot
release me from this torture."

"My boy, that is the work of a carpenter, and I have never been a
carpenter."

"Beg the Fairy from me!"

"The Fairy is asleep and must not be awakened."

"But what do you suppose that I can do all day nailed to this door?"

"Amuse yourself by counting the ants that pass down the street."

"Bring me at least something to eat, for I am quite exhausted."

"At once," said the Snail.

In fact, after three hours and a half she returned to Pinocchio carrying
a silver tray on her head. The tray contained a loaf of bread, a roast
chicken, and four ripe apricots.

"Here is the breakfast that the Fairy has sent you," said the Snail.

The puppet felt very much comforted at the sight of these good things.
But when he began to eat them, what was his disgust at making the
discovery that the bread was plaster, the chicken cardboard, and the
four apricots painted alabaster.

He wanted to cry. In his desperation he tried to throw away the tray and
all that was on it; but instead, either from grief or exhaustion, he
fainted away.

When he came to himself he found that he was lying on a sofa, and the
Fairy was beside him.

"I will pardon you once more," the Fairy said, "but woe to you if you
behave badly a third time!"

Pinocchio promised and swore that he would study, and that for the
future he would always conduct himself well.

And he kept his word for the remainder of the year. Indeed, at the
examinations before the holidays, he had the honor of being the first in
the school, and his behavior in general was so satisfactory and
praiseworthy that the Fairy was very much pleased, and said to him:

"Tomorrow your wish shall be gratified."

"And that is?"

"Tomorrow you shall cease to be a wooden puppet and you shall become a
boy."

No one who had not witnessed it could ever imagine Pinocchio's joy at
this long-sighed-for good fortune. All his school-fellows were to be
invited for the following day to a grand breakfast at the Fairy's house,
that they might celebrate together the great event. The Fairy had
prepared two hundred cups of coffee and milk, and four hundred rolls cut
and buttered on each side. The day promised to be most happy and
del