CHAPTER XI
“Pinocchio, Pinocchio, make haste! make haste!” called Marsovino the next morning.
“Very well,” sleepily came the answer. “But why must I get up so early?”
“Do you call ten o’clock early, you lazy boy?”
“Ten o’clock!” Pinocchio could hardly believe his ears.
“Yes, and in one hour we must be with the white whale. He is expecting us for dinner. So make haste, as we have no time to lose.”
Pinocchio, hearing about dinner, was ready in no time. He was soon on Tursio’s back,waiting for the dolphin to start. Before long they were on their way.
After a short trip around the island they came to a beautiful little nook in the rocks. Here lived Beluga, the white whale.
Dinner was ready, and all sat down around the table. And what do you think the table was? An immense flounder! Yes, don’t laugh; it is true.
The flounder is of the same family as the sole. All these fish have a thin flat body.
As they have to lie on the mud most of the time, they can only look upwards. So they have both eyes on the upper side of the head.
On Beluga’s table were all kinds of fish:large ones, small ones, flat ones, and round ones.
Pinocchio ate of everything. When he had finished, nothing was left on his plate but a couple of eyes and a few tails. Afterward, noticing that his plate was also a fish, he thought it would be a good idea to eat that too. He had eaten so much, though, that he couldn’t; so he put it into his pocket. “It will do for my breakfast,” he thought.
Poor Tursio was much ashamed of the marionette, and Marsovino was not less so. If they had only known that Pinocchio was so rude as to take things from the table and put them into his pocket, they would never have invited him to dinner. Still they did not say a word.
“Run along, now, children. Mr. Beluga and I must talk about business, and we cannot have you around.”
“‘It will do for my Breakfast,’ he thought.”
The two boys left the dolphins together and went off. While enjoying themselves looking around, Marsovino picked up something which looked like a chain. It was made of small round balls all alike, and transparent. He handed it to Pinocchio.
“Tell me,” he said, “do you know what this is?”
“Why, yes, it is a bead chain. It is easy enough to know that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, of course. I have seen them many times around little girls’ necks.”
“And if I told you that they are eggs—”
“Eggs?” murmured Pinocchio. “Eggs? This thing?”
“Yes, sir, that is what they really are; the eggs of a halibut. It is a bad habit, Pinocchio, to make believe you know a thing when you do not. I am afraid I am not going to be your friend.”
“Not my friend?” came from the poor shamefaced marionette.
“No. Mr. Tursio has always told me to keep away from boys who—”
“Tell lies, I suppose you want to say,” finished Pinocchio.
“I was told to go with boys who are polite,” continued Marsovino.
“And instead I even take the plates away with me when I am invited to dinner,” said Pinocchio.
“I was told to make friends with educated children.”
“And I—yes, I might as well confess it—I have hardly ever seen the inside of a classroom in my life. Well, Marsovino, I will try to make myself your friend. Will you try me again?”
“Very well, I will. Now let us return.”
The dolphins were still talking busily when the boys came up to them. They seemed very much in earnest.
“Here we are, father,” called Marsovino.
“At last! Where have you been? We have important things to say to you. Come here, both of you!”
“What is it? We are all ears.”
“My friend Beluga has been telling me that while I have been away from home I have lost much money. He has told me of a great treasure that is to be found in an old ship far away from here. As I need itvery much just now, I do wish I could get hold of it.”
“Well,” answered Marsovino, “why can’t we go for it?”
“Because it is miles and miles away. Not only that, but we should have to travel as far up as the polar seas, and into the great oceans. We could never do it. You see, I am getting old. I could hardly attempt to cross those icy waters. Still, I need the money so much that I am afraid I shall have to try the journey.”
“Why couldn’t Globicephalous and I go instead of you, father?” asked Marsovino.
“And I also,” timidly added Pinocchio.
“Globicephalous is too old. And as for you two, my dear boys, you do not know what you are saying. Do you know that for months and months the polar seas are indarkness? That the sun is seen only in the spring and summer?”
“I know, but it is now winter, and we should reach those seas just at the right time. We should be back before the fall.”
“And are you not afraid of the cold?”
“It will not be cold. I will swim deep in the water, and there the water will be warm. I will come to the surface only long enough to breathe.”
“What about the ice? What about those monsters of the seas, the whales, the sharks, the narwhals?”
“You need the treasure. I have made up my mind to go,” answered Marsovino, firmly.
“You might escape all the dangers I mention, my boy, and reach the ship. But how could you ever get hold of the gold inside?”
“I might tear a hole in the ship with my strong tail,” began Marsovino.
“A ship a block long, and all made of iron? It is of no use, my boy.”
The young dolphin was silent. How could he get into the ship? He thought and thought, but he could find no answer.
“May I go, too?” here began Pinocchio.
“You?” asked Tursio and Marsovino, at the same time.
“Yes, I. Why not? If Marsovino cannot get into the ship because he is too big, I am so small I can get into any hole,” continued the marionette.
“That isn’t a bad idea, is it, father?”
“No, but do you really feel courageous enough, you two, to undertake such a journey?”
“We’ll do our best,” answered Marsovino.
“Well, then, all right. Let us return to Globicephalous, and then you will get ready to start. Beluga, I will be with you again soon. I might as well wait here with you for Marsovino and Pinocchio to return.”
After saying good-by to Beluga the young dolphin followed Tursio, who seemed in haste to get to Globicephalous.
Sitting on the dolphin’s back, Pinocchio was thinking how good he had been in offering to go with Marsovino. But he soon forgot this in another surprise. In front of him, not far away, he saw a number of animals rise out of the sea.
They rose, shook their colored wings gaily, and then fell back again into the water. No sooner had they disappeared than others came, and then again others. How beautiful they were! Red, blue, and green, and shining brightly in the sun.
“Birds in the sea! Oh, they will drown!” screamed Pinocchio.
“Oh, no, these birds will not drown. They live in the sea, my boy. They are called flying fish,” explained Tursio.
“When shall I stop hearing news?” wondered Pinocchio. “So there are also birds in the sea!”
“Almost birds, but not quite. These fish have very strong fins and with them they can leap very high. As you see, they even leap out of the water. Why do they do this, do you think? Because they wantto escape from the large fish, which follow them to eat them.”
Pinocchio had nothing to say. Meanwhile, the three friends had reached the place where Globicephalous was waiting. Tursio told him in a few words what Marsovino and Pinocchio had planned to do to help him.
Very soon the two boys were ready to start.
“Well, good-by, boys,” said Tursio, after telling them how to reach the ship. “I will no longer try to stop you from going. Only be careful. Keep to yourselves, and you will meet with little trouble. Do not stop on your way. Hasten back, or I shall be worried. Above all, never get out of the water. The tide might go out, and you, Marsovino, would be in great danger.”
Marsovino and Pinocchio listened carefully;and then, with a cheerful good-by, they were off.
A few hours later Tursio and Globicephalous were with Beluga, and Marsovino and Pinocchio were speeding away towards the great oceans, treasure hunting.