Pinocchio wanted to save Geppetto, so he swam all night. The night was terrible. It rained very hard, and there was thunder and lightning in the sky.
In the morning, Pinocchio saw an island. He tried to swim to it, but the big waves pushed him back. Finally, a huge wave threw him onto the sand. He hit the ground hard, but he was happy. He said, "I am alive!"
The sky became blue and the sun came out. The sea was calm now. Pinocchio took off his clothes and put them on the sand to dry. He looked out at the water for a boat with a little man in it, but he saw only the sea and the sky.
He said, "What is the name of this island? Are the people here good? There is no one here to ask."
Pinocchio felt very sad and wanted to cry. Then he saw a big fish in the water and called out, "Mr. Fish, may I talk to you?"
The fish was a dolphin. The Dolphin said, "Yes, you can."
Pinocchio asked, "Is there a place to eat on this island?"
The Dolphin said, "Yes. Follow that path on the left. You will find a village."
Pinocchio asked, "Did you see a small boat with my father in it?"
The Dolphin said, "Who is your father?"
Pinocchio said, "Geppetto is the best father in the world. I am the worst son."
The Dolphin said, "The storm was very bad. The boat went under the water."
Pinocchio asked, "And my father?"
The Dolphin said, "The Terrible Shark probably swallowed Geppetto. The Shark is in these waters now."
Pinocchio started to shake. He asked, "Is the Shark very big?"
The Dolphin said, "The Shark is bigger than a house with five floors. His mouth is so big that a train can go inside it."
Pinocchio was very scared. He put on his clothes quickly and said, "Goodbye, Mr. Fish. Thank you for your help."
He ran very fast because he was afraid the Shark was behind him. After thirty minutes, he reached a village. It was called the Village of the Busy Bees. All the people were working. Everyone was busy, and there were no lazy people there.
Pinocchio said, "I do not like this place. I do not like to work."
But he was very hungry. He had not eaten for a day. He had two choices: he could work or he could beg for money.
Pinocchio was ashamed to beg. Geppetto always said that only old or sick people should beg, and that healthy people must work for their bread.
A man walked past Pinocchio. He was hot and tired, and he was pulling two heavy carts of coal. Pinocchio asked, "Can you give me a penny? I am very hungry."
The man said, "I will give you four pennies if you help me pull these carts."
Pinocchio was angry. He said, "I am not a donkey! I do not pull carts."
The man said, "Then stay hungry, my boy."
Later, a bricklayer passed. He was carrying a heavy pail of plaster. Pinocchio asked him for a penny.
The man said, "I will give you five pennies if you carry this plaster for me."
Pinocchio said, "The plaster is too heavy. The work is too hard."
The man said, "Then enjoy your hunger!"
Many people passed Pinocchio, and he asked them for money. They all said, "Go to work! Earn your own bread!"
Finally, a little woman passed. She was carrying two jugs of water. Pinocchio was very thirsty, so he asked, "May I have a drink of water?"
The woman said, "Yes, my boy." She put the jugs on the ground.
Pinocchio drank the water and said, "Now I am not thirsty, but I am still very hungry."
The woman said, "Help me carry these jugs home. I will give you bread."
Pinocchio did not say anything.
The woman said, "I will also give you cauliflower and sauce."
Pinocchio did not say anything.
The woman said, "And I will give you cake and jam."
Pinocchio said, "All right! I will carry the jug."
The jug was very heavy. Pinocchio put it on his head, and they walked to the woman's house. There he sat at a table and began to eat the bread, the cauliflower, and the cake. He was very, very hungry.
As he was eating, he looked closely at the woman. Suddenly he stopped in surprise, with his fork in the air and food in his mouth.
The woman laughed and asked, "Why are you surprised?"
Pinocchio said, "You look like... you have the same voice... you have the same eyes... and you have blue hair! Oh, my little Fairy! Is it you?"
Pinocchio fell to his knees on the floor and threw his arms around her legs. He cried, "It is you! I have suffered so much!"