CHAPTER 11

[Fire Eater sneezes and forgives Pinocchio, who saves his friend, Harlequin, from death] [Comensal de Fogo espirra e perdoa Pinóquio, que salva seu amigo Arlequim da morte]

In the theater, great excitement reigned. No teatro reinava grande emoção.

Fire Eater (this was really his name) was very ugly, but he was far from being as bad as he looked. Proof of this is that, when he saw the poor Marionette being brought in to him, struggling with fear and crying, "I don't want to die! Prova disso é que, ao ver a pobre marionete sendo trazida até ele, lutando de medo e gritando: "Eu não quero morrer! I don't want to die!" he felt sorry for him and began first to waver and then to weaken. sentiu pena dele e começou primeiro a vacilar e depois a enfraquecer. Finally, he could control himself no longer and gave a loud sneeze. Finalmente, ele não conseguiu mais se controlar e deu um espirro alto.

At that sneeze, Harlequin, who until then had been as sad as a weeping willow, smiled happily and leaning toward the Marionette, whispered to him: A esse espirro, Arlequim, que até então estava triste como um salgueiro-chorão, sorriu feliz e, inclinando-se para a marionete, sussurrou-lhe:

"Good news, brother mine! "Boas notícias, meu irmão! Fire Eater has sneezed and this is a sign that he feels sorry for you. Fire Eater espirrou e isso é um sinal de que ele sente pena de você. You are saved!" For be it known, that, while other people, when sad and sorrowful, weep and wipe their eyes, Fire Eater, on the other hand, had the strange habit of sneezing each time he felt unhappy. Pois saiba-se que, enquanto outras pessoas, quando tristes e tristes, choram e enxugam os olhos, Comedor de Fogo, por outro lado, tinha o estranho hábito de espirrar cada vez que se sentia infeliz. The way was just as good as any other to show the kindness of his heart. O caminho era tão bom quanto qualquer outro para mostrar a bondade de seu coração.

After sneezing, Fire Eater, ugly as ever, cried to Pinocchio:

"Stop crying! Your wails give me a funny feeling down here in my stomach and--E--tchee!--E--tchee!" Seus lamentos me dão uma sensação esquisita aqui no estômago e... E... tchee!... E... tchee! Two loud sneezes finished his speech. Dois espirros altos terminaram seu discurso.

"God bless you!" "Deus o abençoe!" said Pinocchio.

"Thanks! Are your father and mother still living?" demanded Fire Eater. Exigiu Devorador de Fogo.

"My father, yes. My mother I have never known." "Your poor father would suffer terribly if I were to use you as firewood. Poor old man! I feel sorry for him! E--tchee! E--tchee! E--tchee!" Three more sneezes sounded, louder than ever.

"God bless you!" said Pinocchio.

"Thanks! However, I ought to be sorry for myself, too, just now. My good dinner is spoiled. Meu bom jantar está estragado. I have no more wood for the fire, and the lamb is only half cooked. Não tenho mais lenha para o fogo e o cordeiro está meio cozido. Never mind! In your place I'll burn some other Marionette. Hey there! Ei! Officers!" Oficiais!" At the call, two wooden officers appeared, long and thin as a yard of rope, with queer hats on their heads and swords in their hands. Ao chamado, dois oficiais de madeira apareceram, longos e magros como um metro de corda, com chapéus esquisitos na cabeça e espadas nas mãos.

Fire Eater yelled at them in a hoarse voice: Comensal de Fogo gritou para eles com voz rouca:

"Take Harlequin, tie him, and throw him on the fire. I want my lamb well done!" Think how poor Harlequin felt! He was so scared that his legs doubled up under him and he fell to the floor. Ele estava com tanto medo que suas pernas dobraram sob ele e ele caiu no chão.

Pinocchio, at that heartbreaking sight, threw himself at the feet of Fire Eater and, weeping bitterly, asked in a pitiful voice which could scarcely be heard: Pinóquio, diante daquela visão comovente, atirou-se aos pés do Comensal de Fogo e, chorando amargamente, perguntou com uma voz lamentável que mal se ouvia:

"Have pity, I beg of you, signore!" — Tenha piedade, eu imploro, signore! "There are no signori here!" "Não há signori aqui!" "Have pity, kind sir!" "There are no sirs here!" "Have pity, your Excellency!" "Tenha piedade, Excelência!" On hearing himself addressed as your Excellency, the Director of the Marionette Theater sat up very straight in his chair, stroked his long beard, and becoming suddenly kind and compassionate, smiled proudly as he said to Pinocchio: Ao ouvir-se tratar de Vossa Excelência, o Diretor do Teatro de Marionetes endireitou-se muito em sua cadeira, acariciou sua longa barba e, tornando-se subitamente bondoso e compassivo, sorriu com orgulho ao dizer a Pinóquio:

"Well, what do you want from me now, Marionette?" "I beg for mercy for my poor friend, Harlequin, who has never done the least harm in his life." "Eu imploro por misericórdia pelo meu pobre amigo, Arlequim, que nunca fez o menor mal em sua vida." "There is no mercy here, Pinocchio. I have spared you. Eu poupei você. Harlequin must burn in your place. I am hungry and my dinner must be cooked." "In that case," said Pinocchio proudly, as he stood up and flung away his cap of dough, "in that case, my duty is clear. "Nesse caso", disse Pinóquio com orgulho, enquanto se levantava e jogava fora seu boné de massa, "nesse caso, meu dever é claro. Come, officers! Tie me up and throw me on those flames. Amarre-me e jogue-me nessas chamas. No, it is not fair for poor Harlequin, the best friend that I have in the world, to die in my place!" Não, não é justo que o pobre Arlequim, o melhor amigo que tenho no mundo, morra em meu lugar!" These brave words, said in a piercing voice, made all the other Marionettes cry. Essas palavras corajosas, ditas com uma voz penetrante, fizeram chorar todas as outras marionetes. Even the officers, who were made of wood also, cried like two babies. Até os oficiais, que também eram de madeira, choraram como dois bebês.

Fire Eater at first remained hard and cold as a piece of ice; but then, little by little, he softened and began to sneeze. Fire Eater a princípio permaneceu duro e frio como um pedaço de gelo; mas então, pouco a pouco, ele suavizou e começou a espirrar. And after four or five sneezes, he opened wide his arms and said to Pinocchio:

"You are a brave boy! Come to my arms and kiss me!" Pinocchio ran to him and scurrying like a squirrel up the long black beard, he gave Fire Eater a loving kiss on the tip of his nose. Pinóquio correu até ele e correndo como um esquilo pela longa barba negra, deu um beijo carinhoso em Comensal de Fogo na ponta do nariz.

"Has pardon been granted to me?" "O perdão foi concedido a mim?" asked poor Harlequin with a voice that was hardly a breath. perguntou o pobre Arlequim com uma voz que mal era um suspiro.

"Pardon is yours!" answered Fire Eater; and sighing and wagging his head, he added: "Well, tonight I shall have to eat my lamb only half cooked, but beware the next time, Marionettes." respondeu Devorador de Fogo; e suspirando e balançando a cabeça, acrescentou: "Bem, esta noite terei que comer meu cordeiro apenas meio cozido, mas cuidado da próxima vez, marionetes." At the news that pardon had been given, the Marionettes ran to the stage and, turning on all the lights, they danced and sang till dawn. Com a notícia do perdão, as marionetes correram para o palco e, acendendo todas as luzes, dançaram e cantaram até o amanhecer.