Latest / Classic Adventure Books - Daily / 16 - The Adventures of Pinocchio - Carlo Collodi

Transcript

16 - The Adventures of Pinocchio - Carlo Collodi · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter sixteen, the lovely Maiden with azure hair sends for
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: the poor Marionette, puts him to bed, and calls three
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: doctors to tell her if Pinocchio is dead or alive.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: If the poor Marionette had dangled there much longer, all
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: hope would have been lost. Luckily for him. The lovely
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Maiden with azure hair once again looked out of her window,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: filled with pity at the sight of the poor little
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: fellow being knocked helplessly about by the wind. She clapped
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: her hands sharply together three times. At the signal. A
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: loud whirr of wings in quick flight was heard, and
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: a large falcon came and settled itself on the window ledge.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: What do you command, my charming fairy, asked the falcon,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: bending his beak in deep reverence. For it must be
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: known that, after all, the lovely Maiden with azure hair
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: was none of than a very kind fairy who had
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: lived for more than a thousand years in the vicinity
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: of the forest. Do you see that marionette hanging from
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: the limb of that giant oak tree, I see him
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: very well. Fly immediately to him with your strong beak,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: break the knot which holds him tied, take him down
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: and lay him softly on the grass at the foot
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: of the oak. The falcon flew away, and after two
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: minutes returned, saying, I have done what you commanded. How
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: did you find him alive or dead? At first glance,
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: I thought he was dead, but I found I was wrong,
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: for as soon as I loosened the knot around his neck,
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: he gave a long sigh and mumbled with a faint voice,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: Now I feel better. The fairy clapped her hands twice.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: A magnificent poodle appeared, walking on his hind legs just
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: like a man. He was dressed in court livery. A
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: tricorn trimmed with gold lace, was set at a rakish
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: angle over a wig of white curls that dropped down
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: to his waist. He wore a jaunty coat of chocolate
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: colored velvet with diamond buttons and with two huge pockets
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: which were always filled with bones dropped there at dinner
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: by his loving mistress. Breeches of crimson velvet, silk stockings
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: and low silver buckled slippers completed his costume. His tail
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: was encased in a blue silk covering, which was to
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: protect it from the rain, come Maduro, said the fairy
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: to him, Get my best coach ready, and set out
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: toward the forest. On reaching the oak tree, you will
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: find a poor half dead marionette stretched out on the grass.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: Lift him up, tenderly, place him on the silken cushions
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: of the coach, and bring him here to me. The poodle,
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: to show that he understood, wagged his silk covered tail
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: two or three times, and set off at a quick pace.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: In a few minutes, a lovely little coach, made of glass,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: with lining as soft as whipped cream and chocolate pudding,
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: and stuffed with canary feathers, pulled out of the stable.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: It was drawn by one hundred pairs of white mice,
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: and the poodle sat on the coachman's seat and snapped
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: his whip gaily in the air, as if he were
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: a real coachman, in a hurry to get to his destination.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: In a quarter of an hour, the coach was back.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: The fairy, who was waiting at the door of the house,
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: lifted the poor little marionette in her arms, took him
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: to a dainty room with mother of pearl walls, put
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: him to bed, and sent immediately for the most famous
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: doctors of the neighborhood to come to her. One after another.
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: The doctors came a crow, an owl, and a talking cricket.
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: I should like to know, signori, said the fairy, turning
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: to the three doctors gathered about Pinocchio's bed, I should
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: like to know if this poor marionette is dead or alive.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: At this invitation, the crow stepped out and felt Pinocchio's pulse,
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: his nose, his little toe. Then he solemnly pronounced the
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: following words. To my mind, this marionette is dead and gone,
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: but if by any evil chance he were not, then
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: that would be a sure sign that he is still alive.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: I am sorry, said the owl, to have to contradict
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: the crow, famous friend and colleague. To my mind, this
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: marionette is alive, but if by any evil chance he
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: were not, then that would be a sure sign that
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: he is wholly dead. And do you hold any opinion,
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: the fairy asked the talking cricket. I say that a
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: wise doctor, when he does not know what he is
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: talking about, should know enough to keep his mouth shut. However,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: that Marionette is not a stranger to me. I have
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: known him a long time. Pinocchio, who until then had
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: been very quiet, shuddered so hard that the bed shook.
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: That Marionette continued, The talking cricket is a rascal of
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: the worst kind. Pinocchio opened his eyes and closed them again.
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: He is rude, lazy, a runaway. Pinocchio hid his face
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: under the sheets. That Marionette is a disobedient son who
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: is breaking his father's heart. Long shuddering sobs were heard,
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: cries and deep sighs. Think how surprised every one was when,
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: on raising the sheets, they discovered Pinocchio half melted in tears.
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: When the dead weep, they are beginning to recover, said
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: the crow solemnly. I am sorry to contradict my famous
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: friend and colleague, said the owl, But as far as
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: I am concerned, I think that when the dead weep,
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: it means they do not want to die. So ends
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: Chapter sixteen of Pinocchio.