"My father, yes. My mother I have never known.""Your poor father would suffer terribly if I were touse you as firewood. Poor old man! I feel sorry forhim! E--tchee! E--tchee! E--tchee!" Three more sneezessounded, louder than ever.

　　"God bless you!" said Pinocchio.

　　"Thanks! However, I ought to be sorry for myself,too, just now. My good dinner is spoiled. I have nomore wood for the fire, and the lamb is only half cooked.

　　Never mind! In your place I'll burn some other Marionette.

　　Hey there! Officers!"At the call, two wooden officers appeared, long andthin as a yard of rope, with queer hats on their headsand swords in their hands.

　　Fire Eater yelled at them in a hoarse voice:

　　"Take Harlequin, tie him, and throw him on the fire.

　　I want my lamb well done!"Think how poor Harlequin felt! He was so scaredthat his legs doubled up under him and he fell to the floor.

　　Pinocchio, at that heartbreaking sight, threw himself at the feet of Fire Eater and, weeping bitterly, askedin a pitiful voice which could scarcely be heard:

　　"Have pity, I beg of you, signore!""There are no signori here!""Have pity, kind sir!""There are no sirs here!""Have pity, your Excellency!"On hearing himself addressed as your Excellency, theDirector of the Marionette Theater sat up very straightin his chair, stroked his long beard, and becoming suddenlykind and compassionate, smiled proudly as he said to Pinocchio:

　　“爸爸活着，可我从来不知道妈妈，”
　　“我这会儿要是把你扔到炭火里，谁知道你的老父亲要多么伤心啊！可怜的老头！我很同情他！……啊嚏，啊嚏，啊嚏！”他又打了三个喷嚏，
　　“长命千岁！”皮诺乔说，
　　“谢谢！不过也得同情同请我，因为你看，我要把这头羊烤熟，木柴没有了，说老实话，你在这种情况下对我非常有用！可如今我很感动，我想忍耐看不烧你，既然不烧你，我就得在我的戏班里另找一个木偶来代替你，把他扔到叉子底下去烧……喂，守卫的！”
　　一声命今，马上来了两个木头守卫，他们挺高挺高，挺瘦挺瘦，头戴两角帽，手握出鞘的剑，
　　木偶戏班班主气咻咻地对他们说：
　　“给我把这个花衣小丑抓住，捆得牢牢的，扔到火里去，我要让我这只羊烤得香香的！”
　　诸位想象一下这个可怜的花衣小丑吧！他吓得两条腿一弯，跪在地上了，
　　皮诺乔看见这种凄惨场面，就扑倒在班主脚下，嚎啕大哭，泪水把他那把大胡子也给弄湿了，开始哀求他说：
　　“可怜可怜吧，吃火人先生！……”
　　“这里没有先生！……”木偶戏班班主冷冰冰地回答说。
　　“可怜可怜吧，骑士先生！……”
　　“这里没有骑士！……”
　　“可怜可怜吧，爵士先生！……”
　　“这里没有爵士！”
　　“可怜可怜吧，大老爷！……”
　　木偶戏班班主—听见叫他大老爷，马上噘起了嘴，变得慈祥多了，温和多了，问皮诺乔说：