Filled with these hopes and forgetting his fright, Pinocchio set boldly forth without the least alarm at the difficulties of the journey. He was going merrily along, dreaming of all the great things he would do as emperor of Africa, when at a turn in the road there came flying after him a volley of stones. Had any struck him he would have been killed. Astonished and frightened at this strange turn of affairs, he glanced around, but saw no one. He looked up at the trees, and then from right to left, but nobody was in sight.
“This is pleasant!” exclaimed the marionette. “Have those pebbles fallen from the sky?” And he started to go on his way.
He had taken only a few steps, when a second discharge drove him to the shelter of a large tree. Thence he looked carefully in the direction from which the stones continued to come. To his surprise he discovered among the bushes and twigs a large number of monkeys.
“Well! What is this?” cried the marionette. “Those rogues must not be allowed to play such mean tricks. I had better be on my guard.”
He picked up a stout stick lying on the ground near by. To his amazement, the monkeys threw away the stones and began to pick up sticks likewise.
“I hope I shall get through this safely!” thought Pinocchio. He raised his stick and threatened the whole army of monkeys.
The monkeys, as if obeying his command, raised their sticks and held them erect, imitating exactly the action of the marionette. Then Pinocchio lowered his stick, and the monkeys lowered theirs. Again Pinocchio lifted his stick as high as he could, and the monkeys raised theirs, holding them stiffly like soldiers on drill.
“Arms rest!” cried Pinocchio.
All the monkeys, imitating the marionette, lowered their sticks in perfect order, just as soldiers do at the officer’s command.
“That’s a good idea,” thought Pinocchio, “I might become the leader of the monkeys, and within a month conquer all Africa.” And he laughed at the joke.
The monkeys looked straight at him, standing erect and in line waiting for further orders.
“Ah! you wish to follow me!” said the marionette. “This might suit your taste, but not mine, thank you! I will give you marching orders. Then I shall be left in peace.”
Accordingly Pinocchio, who was determined to get away from these annoying beasts, moved two steps forward. The monkeys advanced two steps also. Then he took three steps to the rear, and the monkeys went back three steps.
“At—tention!” and facing about quickly, he started to run. All the monkeys also turned, and began to run in the direction opposite to that taken by the marionette. Pinocchio, laughing at his own cunning, went his way, only now and then turning to watch the dark forms as they disappeared in the distance.
“They all run away in this country,” he said to himself, and he too ran on, fearing that the worthy beasts would return for further orders.
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