h, why did you let yourself be swallowed by
the monster?"

"I didn't let myself be swallowed; it was the monster swallowed me! And
now, what are we to do here in the dark?"

"Resign ourselves and wait until the Dog-Fish has digested us both."

"But I do not want to be digested!" howled Pinocchio, beginning to cry
again.

"Neither do I want to be digested," added the Tunny; "but I am enough of
a philosopher to console myself by thinking that when one is born a
Tunny it is more dignified to die in the water than in oil."

"That is all nonsense!" cried Pinocchio.

"It is my opinion," replied the Tunny, "and opinions, so say the
political Tunnies, ought to be respected."

"To sum it all up, I want to get away from here. I want to escape."

"Escape, if you are able!"

"Is this Dog-Fish who has swallowed us very big?" asked the puppet.

"Big! Why, only imagine, his body is two miles long without counting his
tail."

Whilst they were holding this conversation in the dark, Pinocchio
thought that he saw a light a long way off.

"What is that little light I see in the distance?" he asked.

"It is most likely some companion in misfortune who is waiting, like us,
to be digested."

"I will go and find him. Do you not think that it may by chance be some
old fish who perhaps could show us how to escape?"

"I hope it may be so, with all my heart, dear puppet."

"Good-bye, Tunny."

"Good-bye, puppet, and good fortune attend you."

"Where shall we meet again?"

"Who can say? It is better not even to think of it!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXXV

A HAPPY SURPRISE FOR PINOCCHIO

Pinocchio, having taken leave of his friend the Tunny, began to grope
his way in the dark through the body of the Dog-Fish, taking a step at a
time in the direction of the light that he saw shining dimly at a great
distance.

The farther he advanced the brighter became the light; and he walked and
walked until at last he reached it; and when he reached it--what did he
find? I will give you a thousand guesses. He found a little table spread
out and on it a lighted candle stuck into a green glass bottle, and,
seated at the table, was a little old man. He was eating some live fish,
and they were so very much alive that whilst he was eating them they
sometimes even jumped out of his mouth.

At this sight Pinocchio was filled with such great and unexpected joy
that he became almost delirious. He wanted to laugh, he wanted to cry,