"Truly," said the marionette to himself, starting again on his way, "how unfortunate we poor boys are! Everybody scolds us, everybody warns us, and everybody gives us advice. Why, everybody takes it upon himself to be our papa and master, — even the Talking Cricket. Here am I; and because I would not pay attention to that tiresome Talking Cricket, he said that many things would happen to me! I should also meet assassins! I have never believed in assassins. I think that assassins have been invented by papas on purpose to make their boys afraid to go out at night. And then, if I should meet them on the road, they would probably tell me my way. Why, I am not afraid. I would go to them and say, right to their faces, 'Mr. Assassins, what do you want of me? Do not think that you can fool with me. Go away then about your own business, quick!' At such talk the poor assassins — I can see them now — would run away like the wind. In case they might be clever enough not to run away, why then I would — and thus the thing would end — "

But Pinocchio was not able to finish his reasoning, because at that moment he thought he heard a rustling in the leaves behind him. He turned to look and saw in the dark two coal sacks covering two figures which ran toward him on the tips of their toes like ghosts.

"Here they are, truly!" said Pinocchio to himself. Not knowing what to do with the four gold pieces, he put them into his mouth and under his tongue. Then he tried to run away. But he had hardly started when his arms were seized and he heard two hollow voices say to him, "Your money or your life!"

Not being able to reply on account of the money in his mouth, Pinocchio made many bows and gestures in order to make his captors understand he was a poor marionette and that he did not have a cent in his pockets. "Come on and stop fooling! Out with it!" the brigands cried. And the marionette made signs with his hands and head, which meant, "I have none!"

"Bring out the money or you will die!" said the taller assassin.

"You will die," repeated the smaller one.

"And after you are dead we will kill your papa."

"We will kill your papa," repeated the other.

"No, no, no! Not my poor papa!" cried Pinocchio, despairingly; but in saying this the gold pieces made a noise in his mouth.

"Oh, you story-teller! you have hidden the money in your mouth! Out with it!"

Poor Pinocchio remained quiet.

"Ah! do you make believe you are deaf? Wait a little and we will show you how we shall make you give up the gold."

Then they began to handle the marionette very roughly, but Pinocchio managed to liberate himself from their hands. Jumping a hedge that bordered the road, he began to run across the fields with the assassins after him, like two dogs after a rabbit.

After a run of fifteen miles Pinocchio could go no farther. Fearing that he was lost, he climbed to the top of a large pine tree and sat on one of the branches. The assassins also tried to climb; but when they got halfway up they slipped and fell to the ground, rubbing the skin off their legs and hands as they dropped.

However, they did not consider themselves conquered. On the contrary, they collected a bundle of sticks, and placing them around the tree, set fire to them. In less time than it takes to tell it, the pine tree took fire and blazed like a candle blown by the wind. Pinocchio, seeing that the flames mounted higher and higher, and not wishing to be roasted, jumped down from the top of the tree. Away he ran, just as before, with the assassins always behind and never getting tired.

Meanwhile the day dawned and they found themselves on the edge of a large trench filled with dirty water, just the color of coffee and cream. What could they do? "One, two, three," said Pinocchio; and bending down and making a great spring, he landed safely on the other side. The assassins jumped also, but they did not take the right measure; and splash! they both fell into the trench. Pinocchio, who heard the plunge and the splash, cried out, "I hope you had a nice bath, Mr. Assassins!" and then began to run again. He thought that they were drowned; but looking back, he saw them running as before, the water dripping from their wet clothes as they followed him.