and as they swung in the wind they went zin, zin, zin, almost as if they
would say: "Let who will, come and take us." But just as Pinocchio was
stretching out his hand to pick handfuls of those beautiful gold pieces
and to put them in his pocket, he was suddenly awakened by three violent
blows on the door of his room.

It was the host who had come to tell him that midnight had struck.

"Are my companions ready?" asked the puppet.

"Ready! Why, they left two hours ago."

"Why were they in such a hurry?"

"Because the Cat had received a message to say that her eldest kitten
was ill with chilblains on his feet and was in danger of death."

"Did they pay for the supper?"

"What are you thinking of? They are too well educated to dream of
offering such an insult to a gentleman like you."

"What a pity! It is an insult that would have given me so much
pleasure!" said Pinocchio, scratching his head. He then asked:

"And where did my good friends say they would wait for me?"

"At the Field of Miracles, tomorrow morning at daybreak."

Pinocchio paid a sovereign for his supper and that of his companions,