e, or rather the wood,
for, as you see, I am made of the hardest wood. But after giving a few
bites they soon discovered that I was not a morsel for their teeth, and,
disgusted with such indigestible food, they went off, some in one
direction and some in another, without so much as saying 'Thank you' to
me. And now, at last, I have told you how it was that when you pulled up
the rope you found a live puppet instead of a dead donkey."

"I laugh at your story," cried the man in a rage. "I know only that I
spent two dollars to buy you, and I will have my money back. Shall I
tell you what I will do? I will take you back to the market and I will
sell you by weight as seasoned wood for lighting fires."

"Sell me if you like; I am content," said Pinocchio.

But as he said it he made a spring and plunged into the water. Swimming
gaily away from the shore, he called to his poor owner:

"Good-bye, master; if you should be in want of a skin to make a drum,
remember me."

And he laughed and went on swimming, and after a while he turned again
and shouted louder:

"Good-bye, master; if you should be in want of a little well seasoned
wood for lighting the fire, remember me."

In the twinkling of an eye he had swum so far off that he was scarcely
visible. All that could be seen of him was a little black speck on the
surface of the sea that from time to time lifted its legs out of the
water and leaped and capered like a dolphin enjoying himself.

Whilst Pinocchio was swimming, he knew not whither, he saw in the midst
of the sea a rock that seemed to be made of white marble, and on the
summit there stood a beautiful little goat who bleated lovingly and made
signs to him to approach.

But the most singular thing was this. The little goat's hair, instead of
being white or black, or a mixture of two colors as is usual with other
goats, was blue, and a very vivid blue, greatly resembling the hair of
the beautiful Child.

I leave you to imagine how rapidly poor Pinocchio's heart began to beat.
He swam with redoubled strength and energy towards the white rock; and
he was already half-way there when he saw, rising up out of the water
and coming to meet him, the horrible head of a sea-monster. His
wide-open, cavernous mouth and his three rows of enormous teeth would
have been terrifying to look at even in a picture.

And do you know what this sea-monster was?

This sea-monster was neither more nor less than that gigantic Dog-Fish,