Chapter 53

Freedfrom prison, Pinocchio sets out to return to the Fairy;but on the way he meetsa Serpent and later is caught in a trapFancy the happiness of Pinocchio onfinding himself free!

　　Without saying yes or no, he fled from the city and setout on theroad that was to take him back to the house ofthe lovely Fairy.

　　It had rained for many days, and the road was so muddythat, attimes, Pinocchio sank down almost to his knees.

　　But he kept on bravely.

　　Tormented by the wish to see his father and his fairy sister withazure hair, he raced like a greyhound. As heran, he was splashed with mud evenup to his cap.

　　"How unhappy I have been," he said to himself."Andyet I deserve everything, for I am certainly very stubbornand stupid!I will always have my own way. I won'tlisten to those who love me and who havemore brainsthan I. But from now on, I'll be different and I'll try tobecome amost obedient boy. I have found out, beyondany doubt whatever, that disobedientboys are certainlyfar from happy, and that, in the long run, they alwaysloseout. I wonder if Father is waiting for me. Will Ifind him at the Fairy's house?It is so long, poor man,since I have seen him, and I do so want his love andhiskisses. And will the Fairy ever forgive me for all I havedone? She who hasbeen so good to me and to whom Iowe my life! Can there be a worse or moreheartlessboy than I am anywhere?"As he spoke, he stopped suddenly, frozenwith terror.

　　皮诺乔听说释放，他那份高兴劲儿就可想而知了。他二话没说，马上出城，取道上仙女那座小房子去。
　　这是下雨天，整条路像个泥潭，走起来半条腿都没到烂泥里。可木偶一点不在乎。他急着要重新看到他的爸爸，看到他天蓝色头发的姐姐。他蹦啊跳地跑得像条猎犬，泥浆溅到帽子上，他一面跑一面自言自语说：
　　“我遭多少殃啊……这是活该，因为我是个犟头倔脑的木头人……我任意妄为，对于爱我和比我聪明千倍的人说的话，我一点都不听！……可从今往后，我决心改邪归正，做一个老实听话的孩子……如今我看清楚了，不听话的孩子要倒大霉，一事无成。我的爸爸在等我吗？……我在仙女家会看到他吗，可怜的爸爸，我多久没见到他了，我现在只想没完没了地抚摸他，拼命地亲吻他！仙女会原谅我的不好行为吗？……只要想一想，我得到她的百般关心和亲切治疗……只要想一想，我今天还能活着，全亏的是她！……还有孩子比我更忘恩负义，更没心肝的吗？……”
　　他正这么自言自语，一下子大吃一惊，停了下来，还倒退了四步。
　　他看见什么啦？……