pities you, and consequently you are saved."

Most men, when they feel compassion for somebody, either weep or at
least pretend to dry their eyes. Fire-Eater, on the contrary, whenever
he was really overcome, had the habit of sneezing.

After he had sneezed, the showman, still acting the ruffian, shouted to
Pinocchio:

"Have done crying! Your lamentations have given me a pain in my stomach.
I feel a spasm that almost--Etchoo! etchoo!" and he sneezed again twice.

"Bless you!" said Pinocchio.

"Thank you! And your papa and your mamma, are they still alive?" asked
Fire-Eater.

"Papa, yes; my mamma I have never known."

"Who can say what a sorrow it would be for your poor old father if I
were to have you thrown amongst those burning coals! Poor old man! I
pity him! Etchoo! etchoo! etchoo!" and he sneezed again three times.

"Bless you" said Pinocchio.

"Thank you! All the same, some compassion is due to me, for as you see I
have no more wood with which to finish roasting my mutton, and, to tell
you the truth, under the circumstances you would have been of great use
to me! However, I have had pity on you, so I must have patience. Instead
of you I will burn under the spit one of the puppets belonging to my