Micro Cricket

Pinocchio turned and saw a large cricket crawling slowly up the wall. – Tell me, Cricket, who are you? – I am the Talking Cricket and I have been living in this room for more than a hundred years. – Today, however, this room is mine – said the Marionette – and if you wish to do me a favour, get out now, and don’t turn even once – I refuse to leave this spot – answered the Cricket – until I have told you a great truth. – Tell it, then, and hurry. – Woe to boys who refuse to obey their parents and run away from home! They will never be happy in this world; and sooner or later they will be very sorry for it. – Sing on, Cricket mine, as you please: what I know is that tomorrow, at dawn, I want to leave forever, because I don’t want to go on studying. For me, it’s much more fun to chase after butterflies, climb trees and steal birds’ nests. – Poor little silly! Don’t you know that if you go on like that you will grow into a perfect donkey and that you’ll be the laughingstock of everyone? – Keep still, you ugly Cricket – cried Pinocchio. But the Cricket, who was a wise old philosopher instead of being offended at Pinocchio’s impudence continued in the same tone: – If you do not like going to school, why don’t you at least learn a trade, so that you can earn an honest living? – Shall I tell you why? – asked Pinocchio, who was beginning to lose patience. – Of all the trades in the world, there is only one that really suits me. – And what can that be? – That of eating, drinking, sleeping, playing, and wandering around from morning till night. – Let me tell you for you own good – said the Talking Cricket in his calm voice – that those who follow that trade always end up in the hospital or in prison. – Careful, ugly Cricket! … if you make me angry, you’ll be sorry! – Poor Pinocchio! I am sorry for you! – Why? – Because you are a Marionette and, what is much worse, you have a wooden head. – At these last words, Pinocchio jumped up in a fury, took a hammer from the bench and threw it with all his strength at the Talking Cricket