“I wonder what this is,” he grumbled. He had stepped on something large and hard.
He pushed the thick seaweeds aside. In their midst he found a large turtle. For a wonder Pinocchio knew what it was.
“How fortunate you are!” sighed the marionette. “At least you have a house. In that armor of yours you are safe from anybody.”
But such did not seem to be the case. The harmless reptile was lying quietly in the weeds trying to sleep. But even though Pinocchio was in such a plight as to be lost in the sea, still the love of mischief had not left him. Taking the poor animal by its hind legs he turned it over on its back.
The poor thing struggled and tried to right itself, but all in vain. When a turtle is on its back, it has to stay there.
This is so well known that when fishermen catch them they turn them over, sure of finding them in the same position even a day later.
Seeing another shell near by, Pinocchio was about to treat it in the same manner. But as it felt very light he examined it closely. It was empty. The animal had probably been dead a long time, and the shell alone was left. It was almost a yard long.
As he was looking at it, he chanced to turn his head upward. Horrors! What did he see? An enormous animal was about to throw itself upon him!
