CHAPTER 21

[Pinocchio is caught by a Farmer, who uses him as a watchdog for his chicken coop] [Pinóquio é pego por um fazendeiro, que o usa como cão de guarda de seu galinheiro]

Pinocchio, as you may well imagine, began to scream and weep and beg; but all was of no use, for no houses were to be seen and not a soul passed by on the road.

Night came on.

A little because of the sharp pain in his legs, a little because of fright at finding himself alone in the darkness of the field, the Marionette was about to faint, when he saw a tiny Glowworm flickering by. Um pouco pela dor aguda nas pernas, um pouco pelo susto de se ver sozinho na escuridão do campo, o Marionete estava prestes a desmaiar, quando viu passar um pequeno Glowworm. He called to her and said:

"Dear little Glowworm, will you set me free?" "Poor little fellow!" replied the Glowworm, stopping to look at him with pity. "How came you to be caught in this trap?" "I stepped into this lonely field to take a few grapes and--" "Are the grapes yours?" "No." "Who has taught you to take things that do not belong to you?" "Quem te ensinou a pegar coisas que não te pertencem?" "I was hungry." "Hunger, my boy, is no reason for taking something which belongs to another." "It's true, it's true!" cried Pinocchio in tears. "I won't do it again." Just then, the conversation was interrupted by approaching footsteps. Nesse momento, a conversa foi interrompida por passos que se aproximavam. It was the owner of the field, who was coming on tiptoes to see if, by chance, he had caught the Weasels which had been eating his chickens. Era o dono da roça, que vinha na ponta dos pés para ver se, por acaso, tinha apanhado as Doninhas que andavam a comer as suas galinhas.

Great was his surprise when, on holding up his lantern, he saw that, instead of a Weasel, he had caught a boy! Grande foi sua surpresa quando, ao erguer sua lanterna, viu que, em vez de uma doninha, havia apanhado um menino!

"Ah, you little thief!" said the Farmer in an angry voice. "So you are the one who steals my chickens!" "Então é você quem rouba minhas galinhas!" "Not I! No, no!" cried Pinocchio, sobbing bitterly. "I came here only to take a very few grapes." "He who steals grapes may very easily steal chickens also. Take my word for it, I'll give you a lesson that you'll remember for a long while." He opened the trap, grabbed the Marionette by the collar, and carried him to the house as if he were a puppy. Abriu a armadilha, agarrou o Marionete pela coleira e carregou-o para casa como se fosse um cachorrinho. When he reached the yard in front of the house, he flung him to the ground, put a foot on his neck, and said to him roughly: "It is late now and it's time for bed. Quando chegou ao quintal em frente à casa, jogou-o no chão, colocou um pé em seu pescoço e disse-lhe asperamente: "Já é tarde e é hora de dormir. Tomorrow we'll settle matters. In the meantime, since my watchdog died today, you may take his place and guard my henhouse." Enquanto isso, já que meu cão de guarda morreu hoje, você pode tomar o lugar dele e cuidar do meu galinheiro." No sooner said than done. He slipped a dog collar around Pinocchio's neck and tightened it so that it would not come off. Ele colocou uma coleira em volta do pescoço de Pinóquio e apertou para que não saísse. A long iron chain was tied to the collar. Uma longa corrente de ferro estava amarrada ao colarinho. The other end of the chain was nailed to the wall.

"If tonight it should happen to rain," said the Farmer, "you can sleep in that little doghouse near-by, where you will find plenty of straw for a soft bed. "Se esta noite chover", disse o Fazendeiro, "você pode dormir naquela casinha de cachorro aqui perto, onde encontrará bastante palha para uma cama macia. It has been Melampo's bed for three years, and it will be good enough for you. Tem sido a cama de Melampo por três anos, e será bom o suficiente para você. And if, by any chance, any thieves should come, be sure to bark!" After this last warning, the Farmer went into the house and closed the door and barred it.

Poor Pinocchio huddled close to the doghouse more dead than alive from cold, hunger, and fright. O pobre Pinóquio se encolheu perto da casa do cachorro mais morto do que vivo de frio, fome e medo. Now and again he pulled and tugged at the collar which nearly choked him and cried out in a weak voice: De vez em quando ele puxava e puxava a gola que quase o sufocava e gritava com voz fraca:

"I deserve it! Yes, I deserve it! I have been nothing but a truant and a vagabond. Tenho sido nada além de um vadio e um vagabundo. I have never obeyed anyone and I have always done as I pleased. Nunca obedeci a ninguém e sempre fiz o que me agradou. If I were only like so many others and had studied and worked and stayed with my poor old father, I should not find myself here now, in this field and in the darkness, taking the place of a farmer's watchdog. Se eu fosse como tantos outros e tivesse estudado, trabalhado e ficado com meu pobre pai, não me encontraria aqui agora, neste campo e na escuridão, tomando o lugar do cão de guarda de um fazendeiro. Oh, if I could start all over again! But what is done can't be undone, and I must be patient!" Mas o que está feito não pode ser desfeito, e devo ser paciente!" After this little sermon to himself, which came from the very depths of his heart, Pinocchio went into the doghouse and fell asleep. Depois desse pequeno sermão para si mesmo, que veio do fundo do seu coração, Pinóquio entrou na casinha do cachorro e adormeceu.