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XII THE SHOWMAN, FIRE-EATER, MAKES PINOCCHIO A PRESENT OF FIVE GOLD PIECES TO TAKE HOME TO HIS FATHER, GEPPETTO; BUT PINOCCHIO INSTEAD ALLOWS HIMSELF TO BE TAKEN IN BY THE FOX AND THE CAT, AND GOES WITH THEM HE following day Fire-eater called : Pinocchio on one side and asked him: ‘What is your father’s name? ” " Geppetto.” " And what trade does he follow? ” “ He is a beggar.” " Does he gain much? " “Gain much? Why, he has never a penny in his pocket. Only think, to buy a Spellingbook for me to go to school he was obliged to sell the only coat he had to wear—a coat that, between patches and darns, was not fit to be seen." ‘Poor devil! I feel almost sorry for him! Here are five gold pieces. Go at once and take them to him with my compliments.” You can easily understand that Pinocchio thanked the showman a thousand times. He embraced all the puppets of the company one by one, even to the gendarmes, and beside himself with delight set out to return home. 57
