“If I do not hurry and find Globicephalous, this house of safety may become a house of death,” Pinocchio began to think after lying still a long time. “Perhaps if I try I may be able to walk around like a hermit crab. Let me see.”
Slowly the marionette stuck out first one leg, then another; then his arms came out, and lastly his head appeared. Holding the shell with both hands he tried to walk around.... Impossible. After a few steps he was exhausted.
“Too bad! It is so comfortable here! If only I had a horse! ’Twould be like riding in a carriage!”
While he was thinking thus, he saw not far away four fish like the ones he had seen under the hammerhead. An idea flashed through his head.
“Oh, if I only could!... The horses!...” he whispered.
Trying very hard, he succeeded in dragging himself near them. The fish were very busy. They were looking for small crabs to eat, and paid no attention to him. Trembling in every limb, Pinocchio went on.
As soon as he was near them, he bent over slowly. How kind the little fish were! As soon as they felt the shell on their heads they stuck to it. Just what Pinocchio wanted! In a moment he felt himself rising in the air, or rather in the water. The remoras were strong and pulled him along swiftly.
“Hurrah! Here I am in a flying machine!” screamed Pinocchio, clapping his hands. “I feel like a prince, and not even a king has a carriage like mine! Hurrah!”
