Chapter 10 The Island of the Busy Bees The crowd needn't have worried.
Made of wood as he was, Pinocchio floated along quite nicely.
He could not, however, find his quite unwooden father.
Pinocchio searched the waves all night long, and what a horrible night it was.
It was raining so hard he could barely see, and thunder and lightning filled the frightening sky.
Finally, at dawn, Pinocchio spotted something on the horizon a long stretch of sand in the middle of the sea.
It was an island.
He was saved.
He was getting too tired to swim or even float much farther, but thankfully a big wave picked him up and dumped him roughly onto the shore.
For a while the stunned puppet sat on the sand and looked over the waters to see if he could catch sight of Geppetto or any other boat.
But there was nothing around.
Looking around, Pinocchio was brimming with questions.
What was the name of this island?
What kind of people lived here?
Were they friendly? but there was no one to ask.
Just then a big fish swam by.
Hey there, Mr. Fish, Pinocchio cried.
May I ask you something?
Even two things, if you like, answered the fish, who was actually a dolphin.
In your travels around the sea, did you by any chance happen to meet a little boat with the best father in the world in it?
The dolphin told Pinocchio that any little boat surely would have been swamped during last night's storm.
What's more, any fantastic father within such a boat surely would have been swallowed up by the terrible shark that was known to swim that sea.
The terrible shark, Pinocchio gasped.
The dolphin nodded.
The shark, the dolphin explained was bigger than a five-story building and had a mouth and stomach so big that he could swallow an entire train.
Then, wishing Pinocchio luck, the dolphin turned and swam away.
Before Pinocchio could do anything else, he had to find some food.
He walked inland and finally arrived at a small town called the Land of the Busy Bees.
Unlike the city of Simpletons, the streets of this town were positively filled with people working.
Pinocchio could not see one lazy bum among them.
He felt a little out of place.
But he also felt incredibly hungry.
The way he saw it, he could either work or beg for some food.
He was ashamed to beg because Geppetto had told him that only the sick or old should beg.
Geppetto said that all others should earn their keep.
When an old man passed by however, pushing two heavy carts with obvious difficulty, Pinocchio asked the man if he could have a penny for some food.
"'I will give you two pennies,' the man replied, "'if you help me pull these heavy carts.'"
Pinocchio was deeply offended.
Do you think me a donkey? he asked.
I think you are a proud, silly boy, the old man replied.
Perhaps you can eat two slices of that pride for breakfast.
And with that, he was gone.
A few minutes later, a bricklayer passed by, carrying a heavy pail of plaster on his shoulder.
Again, Pinocchio begged for a penny.
Gladly.
The man replied just help me to carry this heavy plaster, and instead of one penny I'll give you five.
I don't think so, Pinocchio answered.
That plaster seems kind of heavy.
This happened at least twenty more times, with at least twenty more Busy Bees.
Every person offered Pinocchio a job for some pay, and every time, he refused.
Finally, a little woman walked by carrying two water jugs.
Pinocchio begged her for a drink.
Surprisingly, this time he was not refused.
The woman set her jugs on the ground and offered one to him.
Pinocchio drank and drank until his thirst was completely gone.
Now, if only I could get rid of my hunger, he said.
If you help me carry these jugs home.
The woman replied I will give you a delicious hot meal and some nice cake and jam for dessert.
Not this work stuff again, Pinocchio thought.
But by now he was so hungry that he could no longer resist.
He agreed to take the job and help the woman carry her water jugs home.
Before he knew it, he had a full and happy stomach.
As he sat in the woman's house digesting, Pinocchio looked up to thank her and gave a sudden cry of surprise.
It was as if, with his stomach finally full, his eyes were finally working properly.
Although she looked much older, she had the same voice, the same eyes, and the same blue hair.
Could it be?
Fairy, he asked uncertainly.
As Pinocchio started to cry with joy and relief, the woman, who was indeed the fairy, started to laugh gently.
It certainly took you long enough to recognize me, she said.
