ight," interrupted Pinocchio, "but I will never eat
fruit that has not been peeled. I cannot bear rind."

So good Geppetto peeled the three pears and put the rind on a corner of
the table.

Having eaten the first pear in two mouthfuls, Pinocchio was about to
throw away the core, but Geppetto caught hold of his arm and said to
him:

"Do not throw it away; in this world everything may be of use."

"But core I am determined I will not eat," shouted the puppet, turning
upon him like a viper.

"Who knows! there are so many chances!" repeated Geppetto, without
losing his temper.

And so the three cores, instead of being thrown out of the window, were
placed on the corner of the table, together with the three rinds.

Having eaten, or rather having devoured the three pears, Pinocchio
yawned tremendously, and then said in a fretful tone:

"I am as hungry as ever!"

"But, my boy, I have nothing more to give you!"

"Nothing, really nothing?"

"I have only the rind and the cores of the three pears."

"One must have patience!" said Pinocchio; "if there is nothing else I
will eat a rind."

And he began to chew it. At first he made a wry face, but then one after
another he quickly disposed of the rinds: and after the rinds even the
cores, and when he had eaten up everything he clapped his hands on his
sides in his satisfaction and said joyfully:

"Ah! now I feel comfortable."

"You see, now," observed Geppetto, "that I was right when I said to you
that it did not do to accustom ourselves to be too particular or too
dainty in our tastes. We can never know, my dear boy, what may happen to
us. There are so many chances!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VIII

GEPPETTO MAKES PINOCCHIO NEW FEET

No sooner had the puppet satisfied his hunger than he began to cry and
to grumble because he wanted a pair of new feet.

But Geppetto, to punish him for his naughtiness, allowed him to cry and
to despair for half the day. He then said to him:

"Why should I make you new feet? To enable you, perhaps, to escape again
from home?"

"I promise you," said the puppet, sobbing, "that for the future I will
be good."

"All boys," replied Geppetto, "when they are bent upon obtaining
something, say the same thing."

"I promise you that I will go to school and that I will study and bring
home a good report."

"All boys, when they are bent on obtaining something, repeat the same
story."

"But I am not like other boys! I am be