"I know your father well."
"Where did you see him?"
"I saw him yesterday at the door of his house."
"And what was he doing?"
"He was in his shirt sleeves and shivering with cold."
"Poor papa! But that is over; for the future he shall shiver no more."
"Why?"
"Because I am become a gentleman."
"A gentleman--you!" said the Fox, and he began to laugh rudely and
scornfully. The Cat also began to laugh, but to conceal it she combed
her whiskers with her forepaws.
"There is little to laugh at," cried Pinocchio angrily. "I am really
sorry to make your mouths water, but if you know anything about it,
you can see that here are five gold pieces."
And he pulled out the money that Fire-eater had made him a present of.
At the sympathetic ring of the money the Fox with an involuntary
movement stretched out the paw that had seemed crippled, and the cat
opened wide two eyes that looked like two green lanterns. It is true
that she shut them again, and so quickly that Pinocchio observed
nothing.
"And now," asked the Fox, "what are you going to do with all that
money?"
"First of all," answered the Puppet, "I intend to buy a new coat for
my papa, made of gold and silver, and with diamond buttons, and then I
will buy a spelling-book for myself.
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