The next day, Fire Eater called Pinocchio. He asked, “What is your father’s name?”
“Geppetto,” Pinocchio answered.
“What is his job?” Fire Eater asked.
“He is a wood carver. But he is very poor. He sold his only coat to buy me a book for school,” Pinocchio said.
“Poor man! I feel sorry for him,” Fire Eater said. “Take these five gold pieces (coins made of gold). Give them to your father.”
Pinocchio thanked the Director many times. He kissed all the dolls and the officers. Then he started his journey home. He was very happy.
He walked half a mile. Then he met a Fox and a Cat. The Fox was lame (unable to walk well because of an injury). The Cat was blind (unable to see). They were walking together like friends.
“Good morning, Pinocchio,” the Fox said.
“How do you know my name?” Pinocchio asked.
“I know your father well,” the Fox said. “I saw him yesterday. He was in his shirt and he was very cold.”
“Poor Father! But now he will be rich,” Pinocchio said.
“You are rich?” the Fox asked. He began to laugh. The Cat laughed too, but he tried to hide it.
“Do not laugh!” Pinocchio said angrily. “I have five new gold pieces (coins made of gold).”
Pinocchio showed them the money. When they heard the gold, the Fox moved his "hurt" leg. The Cat opened his "blind" eyes for a second. But Pinocchio did not notice.
“What will you do with that money?” the Fox asked.
“I will buy a new coat for my father. It will be gold and silver with diamond buttons. Then I will buy a new book for school,” Pinocchio said.
“Do not study,” the Fox said. “I studied, and now I have a bad leg.”
“Do not study,” the Cat said. “I studied, and now I am blind.”
A blackbird (a type of bird with black feathers) was on a fence. It said, “Pinocchio, do not listen to them! They are giving you bad advice.”
Suddenly, the Cat jumped on the bird and ate it. Then the Cat closed his eyes and pretended to be blind again.
“Poor bird!” Pinocchio said. “Why did you kill it?”
“To teach it a lesson,” the Cat said. “It talked too much.”
They walked for a long time. Then the Fox stopped.
“Do you want to have more gold?” the Fox asked. “Do you want two thousand gold pieces?”
“Yes! But how?” Pinocchio asked.
“It is easy. Do not go home. Come with us to the City of Simple Simons,” the Fox said.
Pinocchio thought for a moment. “No,” he said. “I want to go home. My father is waiting. I have been a bad son. The Talking Cricket was right.”
“If you go home, you will be sorry,” the Fox said.
“You will be sorry,” the Cat said.
“Tomorrow your five gold pieces can be two thousand!” the Fox said.
“How?” Pinocchio asked.
“Near the city, there is a place called the Field of Wonders,” the Fox said. “You dig a hole. You put a gold piece in the hole. You put earth and salt on it. You go to sleep. During the night, the gold grows into a tree. The tree is full of gold coins.”
“If I bury five pieces, how many will I find?” Pinocchio asked.
“It is easy math,” the Fox said. “You will find twenty-five hundred gold pieces!”
“Wonderful!” Pinocchio cried. “I will give you five hundred of them!”
“A gift for us?” the Fox asked. He pretended to be insulted. “No! We only want to help you.”
“To help you!” the Cat said.
Pinocchio forgot about Geppetto. He forgot about the new coat and the book.
“Let’s go!” Pinocchio said. “I will go with you.”