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21 - The Adventures of Pinocchio - Carlo Collodi · Adventure Books Library

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  Chapter twenty one, Pinocchio is caught by a farmer who uses him as a
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  watch dog for his chicken coop. Pinocchio, as you may well imagine,
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  began to scream and weep and beg, but all was of no use,
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  for no houses were to be seen, and not a soul passed by on
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  the road. Night came on A little because of the sharp pain in his
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  legs, a little because of fright at finding himself alone in the darkness of
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  the field. The marionette was about to faint when he saw a tiny glow
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  worm flickering by. He called to her and said, dear little glowworm,
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  will you set me free? Poor little fellow, replied the glow worm,
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  stopping to look at him with pity. How came you to be caught in
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  this trap? I stepped into this lonely field to take a few grapes,
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  And are the grapes yours? No? Who has taught you to take things
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  that do not belong to you? I was hungry. Hunger, my boy,
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  is no reason for taking something which belongs to another. It's true,
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  it's true, cried Pinocchio in tears. I won't do it again. Just
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  then the conversation was interrupted by approaching footsteps. It was the owner of the
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  field who was coming on tiptoes to see if, by chance he had caught
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  the weasels which had been eating his chickens. Great was his surprise when holding
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  up his lantern he saw that instead of a weasel, he had caught a
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  boy. Ah, you little thief, said the farmer in an angry voice.
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  So you are the one who steals my chickens. Not I, no,
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  no, cried Pinocchio, sobbing bitterly. I came here only to take
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  a very few grapes. He who steals grapes may very easily steal chickens.
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  Also, take my word for it. I'll give you a lesson that you'll
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  remember for a long while. He opened the trap, grabbed the marionette by
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  the collar, and carried him to the house as if he were a puppy.
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  When he reached the yard in front of the house, he flung him
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  to the ground, put a foot on his neck, and said to him
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  roughly, it is late now, and it's time for bed tomorrow. Will
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  settle matters in the meantime. Since my watch dog died to day, you
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  may take his place. And guard my hen house. No sooner said than
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  done. He slipped the dog collar around Pinocchio's neck and tightened it so that
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  it would not come off. A long iron chain was tied to the collar.
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  The other end of the chain was nailed to the wall. If to
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  night it should happen to rain, said the farmer, you can sleep in
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  that little dog house near by, where you will find plenty of straw for
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  a soft It has been Malampo's bed for three years, and it will be
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  good enough for you. And if by any chance any thieves should come,
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  be sure to bark. After this last morning, the farmer went into the
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  house and closed the door and barred it. Poor Pinocchio huddled close to the
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  dog house, more dead than alive from cold, hunger, and fright now
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  and again he pulled and tugged at the collar, which nearly choked him,
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  and cried out in a weak voice. I deserve it, Yes, I
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  deserve it. I have been nothing but a truant and a vagabond. I
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  have never obeyed anyone, and I have always done as I pleased. If
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  I were only like so many others, and had studied and worked and stayed
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  with my poor old father. I should not find myself here now, in
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  this field and in the darkness, taking the place of a farmer's watchdog.
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  Oh if I could start all over again. But what is done can't be
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  undone, and I must be patient. After this little sermon to himself,
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  which came from the very depths of his heart, Pinocchio went into the dog
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  house and fell asleep. End of chapter twenty one.