Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

As I am typing, Olivia is watching Finding Nemo, and Marlin and Dory are in the belly of the whale. Lovely coincidence. Notice the 50 cent price tag? I love people who throw out wonderful masterpieces and DI takes them and sells them and they are found by me. I was on the brink of buying a cheap paperback version online for $4 when I found this beautifully, illustrated, hardback, unabridged, early translation of Carlo Collodi's fabulous book. While I was trying to find a link for this book I found price tags as much as $50!! Treasure!! This amazon link is not the exact edition I have, my book is blue and the one on amazon looks liek a condensed version, but you can see a couple more of the illustrations if you want.

The father and son were on the point of drowning when they heard a voice like a guitar out of tune saying: "Who is it that is dying?"

"It is I, and my poor father!"

"I know that voice! You are Pinocchio!"

"Precisely. And you?"

"I am the Tunny, you prison companion in the body of the Dogfish."

"And how did you manage to escape?"

"I followed your example. You showed me the road, and I escaped after you."

"Tunny, you have arrived at the right moment! I implore you to help us, or we are lost."

"Willingly and with all my heart. You must, both of you, take hold of my tail and allow me to guide you. I shall take you on shore in four minutes."

Geppetto and Pinocchio, as I need not tell you, accepted the offer at once; but instead of holding on by his tail, they thought it would be more comfortable to get on the Tunny's back.

When they reach the shore, Pinocchio sprang on land first so that he might help his father to do the same. He then turned to the Tunny, and said to him in a voice full of emotion:

"My friend, you have saved my papa's life. I can find no words with which to thank you properly. permit me at least to give you a kiss as a sign of my eternal gratitude!"

The Tunny put his head out of the water, and Pinocchio, kneeling on the ground, kissed him tenderly on the mouth. At this spontaneous proof of warm affection, the poor Tunny, who was not accustomed to it, felt extremely touched, and ashamed to let himself be seen crying like a child, he plunged under the water and disappeared.