As soon as it stopped snowing Pinocchio set out for school with his fine
spelling-book under his arm. As he went along he began to imagine a
thousand things in his little brain and to build a thousand castles in
the air, one more beautiful than the other.

And, talking to himself, he said:

"Today at school I will learn to read at once; then tomorrow I will
begin to write, and the day after tomorrow to figure. Then, with my
acquirements, I will earn a great deal of money, and with the first
money I have in my pocket I will immediately buy for my papa a beautiful
new cloth coat. But what am I saying? Cloth, indeed! It shall be all
made of gold and silver, and it shall have diamond buttons. That poor
man really deserves it, for to buy me books and have me taught he has
remained in his shirt-sleeves. And in this cold! It is only fathers who
are capable of such sacrifices!"

Whilst he was saying this with great emotion, he thought that he heard
music in the distance that sounded like fifes and the beating of a big
drum: Fi-fie-fi, fi-fi-fi; zum, zum, zum.

He stopped and listened. The sounds came from the end of a cross street
that led to a little village on the seashore.

"What can that music be? What a pity that I have to go to school, or
else--"

And he remained irresolute. It was, however, necessary to come to a
decision. Should he go to school? or should he go after the fifes?