PINOCCHIO AT LAST CEASES TO BE A PUPPET AND BECOMES A BOY
Whilst Pinocchio was swimming quickly towards the shore he discovered that his father, who was on his shoulders with his legs in the water, was trembling as violently as if the poor man had an attack of ague fever.
Was he trembling from cold or from fear. Perhaps a little from both the one and the other. But Pinocchio, thinking it was from fear, said, to comfort him:
"Courage, papa! In a few minutes we shall be safely on shore."
"But where is this blessed shore?" asked the little old man, becoming still more frightened, and screwing up his eyes as tailors do when they wish to thread a needle. "I have been looking in every direction and I see nothing but the sky and the sea."
"But I see the shore as well," said the puppet. "You must know that I am like a cat: I see better by night than by day."
Poor Pinocchio was making a pretense of being in good spirits, but in reality he was beginning to feel discouraged; his strength was failing, he was gasping and panting for breath. He could do no more, and the shore was still far off.
He swam until he had no breath left; then he turned his head to Geppetto and said in broken words?
"Papa, help me, I am dying!"
The father and son were on the point of drowning when they heard a voice like a guitar out of tune saying: