The day began to break and they were still pursuing him. Suddenly
Pinocchio found his way barred by a wide, deep ditch full of dirty
water the color of coffee. What was he to do? "One! two! three!"
cried the puppet, and making a rush he sprang to the other side.
The assassins also jumped, but not having measured the distance
properly--splash, splash!... they fell into the very middle of the
ditch. Pinocchio who heard the plunge and the splashing of water,
shouted out, laughing and without stopping:
"A fine bath to you, gentlemen assassins."
He felt convinced that they were drowned, when, turning to look he
perceived that, on the contrary, they were both running after him,
still enveloped in their sacks with the water dripping from them as if
they had been two hollow baskets....
IX
THE FOX AND THE CAT
Pinocchio set out; and as soon as he was in the wood he began to run
like a kid. But when he had reached a certain spot, almost in front
of the Big Oak, he stopped because he thought that he heard people
amongst the bushes. In fact, two persons came out on the road. Can you
guess who they were?... His two traveling companions, the Fox and the
Cat, with whom he had supped at the Inn of the Red-Crawfish.
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