my faithful Melampo, never saw them in all these years!"

The Marionette could have told, then and there, all he knew about the
shameful contract between the dog and the Weasels, but thinking of
the dead dog, he said to himself: "Melampo is dead. What is the use of
accusing him? The dead are gone and they cannot defend themselves. The
best thing to do is to leave them in peace!"

"Were you awake or asleep when they came?" continued the Farmer.

"I was asleep," answered Pinocchio, "but they awakened me with their
whisperings. One of them even came to the door of the doghouse and said
to me, 'If you promise not to bark, we will make you a present of one
of the chickens for your breakfast.' Did you hear that? They had the
audacity to make such a proposition as that to me! For you must know
that, though I am a very wicked Marionette full of faults, still I never
have been, nor ever shall be, bribed."

"Fine boy!" cried the Farmer, slapping him on the shoulder in a friendly
way. "You ought to be proud of yourself. And to show you what I think of
you, you are free from this instant!"

And he slipped the dog collar from his neck.



CHAPTER 23

Pinocchio weeps upon learning that the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair
is dead. He meets a Pigeon, who carries him to the seashore. He throws