Pinocchio was still half asleep. He did not know that his feet were gone. He heard Geppetto’s voice. He jumped up to open the door. But he fell down on the floor.
He made a very loud noise when he fell.
“Open the door for me!” Geppetto shouted from the street.
“Father, dear Geppetto, I cannot,” Pinocchio said. He was crying on the floor.
“Why can you not open the door?” Geppetto asked.
“Because someone has eaten my feet,” Pinocchio said.
“Who has eaten them?” Geppetto asked.
“The cat,” Pinocchio said. He saw a cat playing with some wood in the corner.
“Open the door!” Geppetto said again. “If you do not, I will punish you.”
“Father, believe me. I cannot stand up. I must walk on my knees for my whole life,” Pinocchio said.
Geppetto thought Pinocchio was playing a trick. Geppetto climbed the wall of the house. He went inside through the window.
At first, Geppetto was very angry. But then he saw Pinocchio on the floor. Pinocchio really had no feet. Geppetto felt very sad. He picked Pinocchio up. He was very kind to the doll. Tears ran down Geppetto's face.
“My little Pinocchio! How did you burn your feet?” Geppetto asked.
“I do not know, Father,” Pinocchio said. “The night was terrible. There was thunder and lightning. I was hungry. The Talking Cricket said I was bad. I threw a hammer at him and he died. I tried to cook an egg, but a bird flew away. I went to the village. An old man threw water on me. I came home and put my feet on the stove. I fell asleep and now my feet are gone! But I am still hungry!”
Pinocchio began to shout and cry very loudly.
Geppetto did not understand the whole story. But he knew Pinocchio was hungry. Geppetto took three pears out of his pocket.
“I had these three pears for my breakfast,” Geppetto said. “But I will give them to you. Eat them and stop crying.”
“If you want me to eat them, please peel them for me,” Pinocchio said.
“Peel them?” Geppetto asked. He was surprised. “You are very dainty (very careful and picky about food). That is bad. You must learn to eat everything. Life can be difficult.”
“You are right,” Pinocchio said. “But I will not eat the pears if they have skins. I do not like them.”
Geppetto took a knife. He peeled the three pears. He put the skins on the table.
Pinocchio ate the first pear very fast. He wanted to throw away the core (the hard middle part of the fruit). But Geppetto stopped him.
“Do not throw it away!” Geppetto said. “Everything is useful.”
“I will not eat the middle part!” Pinocchio shouted.
“We will see,” Geppetto said calmly. He put the three cores on the table.
Pinocchio ate the three pears quickly. Then he said, “I am still hungry.”
“I have no more food,” Geppetto said.
“Nothing?” Pinocchio asked.
“I only have these skins and these cores,” Geppetto said.
“Fine,” Pinocchio said. “I will eat them.”
At first, Pinocchio did not like the taste. But soon, he ate all the skins and the cores.
“Now I feel good!” Pinocchio said.
“You see,” Geppetto said. “I was right. You must not be too dainty (very careful and picky about food). We never know what will happen in life!”