Oldal 22 [22]
12 PINOCCHIO
" This wood has come at the right moment;
it will just do to make the leg of a little table.”
Having said this he immediately took a
sharp axe with which to remove the bark and
the rough surface. Just, however, as he was
going to give the first stroke he remained with
his arm suspended in the air, for he heard a
very small voice saying imploringly, “ Do not
strike me so hard!”
Picture to yourselves the astonishment of
good old Master Cherry!
He turned his terrified eyes all round the
room to try and discover where the little voice
could possibly have come from, but he saw no¬
body! He looked under the bench—nobody;
he looked into a cupboard that was always shut
—nobody; he looked into a basket of shavings
and sawdust—nobody; he even opened the door :
of the shop and gave a glance into the street—
and still nobody. Who, then, could it be?
“I see how it is,” he said, laughing and
scratching his wig; “ evidently that little voice
was all my imagination. Let us set to work
again.”
And taking up the axe he struck a tre¬
mendous blow on the piece of wood.
“Oh! oh! you have hurt me!” cried the
same little voice dolefully.