Cip the chick
Mini-book of 1945 - 8.5 x 13 cm, p. 32
Everyone knows that when Pinocchio, hungry as a wolf, he returned home to Geppetto, found an egg from which sprang out of a chick, who said: - "Many thanks, Mr. Pinocchio, for having saved me the trouble of breaking the shell! Goodbye, is well and greetings to home!
But very few people know the story of this joker chick whose name was Chip. Among these is the pixie Nocciolino, from which, in exchange for a strip of chewing gum, I am made to tell the story word for word of Cip.
she is.
The trap of Baffone
The chick, fluttering and hopping for a long stretch, came in view of a farmhouse, perched on the roof.
While he was there, in between two tiles, thinking about what I should do to find accommodation, he heard behind him, the sound of tiles being moved. He was immediately sure of the danger of shooting fled, taking refuge on the branch of a fig tree in there.
was safe! On the roof at the eaves, lengthens sly and ferocious a terrible monster, the cat's mustache, which he said:
- Ih, how much haste, Mr Chick! You can not chat with her, so, like good friends?
- Of course. But we can do it from here to there.
- What? asked the cat mustache, leaning on the gutter.
But Chip had already shouted at the top of his voice and did not feel like its going to get within reach of those clutches, did not answer and did not move.
After a while, 'mustache, view any unnecessary insistence, he jumped off the roof and went to chase the broom behind the muzzle of a big broom that was leaning against the wall of the farm.
Tweet, who never lost sight of all the moves of mustache, he saw that shortly after the cat receding from that place with the air of someone who has significant things to do. But, from the dark corner that was between the sorghum and the wall, and crept a cricket, which, after looking around suspiciously, took a jump towards the tree.
arrived at the foot of the fig tree, the cricket and then climbed on the trunk, walking on the branch on which he was Cip, soon arrived at the chick.
He stood for a little 'silent, then said
- Beautiful day today .... true?
talked of this and that. Cricket said he was called Cocchetti, who was the son of the famous Talking Cricket, and that certainly did not say to brag!, He was the most educated cricket throughout the region. Then, the conversation ended up on the housing problem.
Cip proved to be very concerned.
- I know a comfortable and quiet cabin available - Cocchetti said. Until recently, there lived a journalist, Cavalier Bold, a blackbird blind in one eye, who lives his life going around collecting all the gossip of the day. Ah, it's really an ideal place: the whole masonry and facing south. We want to see it?
- Wait a minute. Where is this house?
- Ah, my friend. It 's a surprise. I really like to do surprises. Come on!
- Not at all - said Chip firm. I'm not moving. First I want to know where is this wonderful home ...
- Well said Cocchetti, you see that chimney, there on the roof of the farm? At the foot of the chimney that is the house of which I speak ...
Cip Then he turned to Cocchetti, watching the cricket now with one eye, now with the other. Ah! So Cocchetti wanted to convince him to return to the roof ... its roof, where the nails of the mustache would soon be reached! ...
The cricket looked before him with an indifferent air, as if waiting that Cip is decided.
Cip save Cocchetti
But at that time, Chip saw something move behind the back of Cocchetti. It was a scorpion, which, coming to the cricket, poisonous tail arched, ready to strike. It was a moment. On a jump, Chip and the scorpion fell on him, with a sharp beak shot, broke in two.
Cocchetti When he realized what had happened, began to cry, to complain, and ask for forgiveness Cip.
- I am a worthless !.... Forgive me ... If you only knew! Ah, if only you knew! ..
Cip said who knew everything: who had noticed the conversation between Cocchetti and mustache, he understood the purpose of the invitation Cocchetti.
And, in return for all this, Chip ....
As Cocchetti began to cry more strongly, Chip said that he had killed the scorpion simply because he hated all the scorpions of the earth, and said he had done nothing, really nothing special ...
Since that day, Chip Cocchetti became good friends, and proposed to live together forever.
First of all, it was necessary to find accommodation really safe for Cip. - My house is too small for both of them -, said Cocchetti -. Even if you live there alone, you could not turn over.
- Where to go then? asked Chip. I am not practical here.
- An idea! - Cocchetti said suddenly. Could you please introduce weeds to Brother ...
- Who is Gossip weeds? - Chip asked.
- It 's an old-thieving magpie, shrewish and fussy, which, just in these days are looking for a new guardian for his treasure. Just think, has done an inventory in duplicate of all the stuff that belongs to it and pretend that the caretaker addition, from time to time, name and description of the new items that she carries in her nest. But you, went Coccheto, you can read and write? Cip said no. Cocchetti then proposed to go first to find the Wizard Barbetta.
- He will give you to eat a grain: the grain of wisdom, and whether you have eaten, here in a jiffy, Sapa read and write.
He then went to the Magician Barbetta, who heard the purpose of their visit, he first Cocchetti to digest pieces of paper, torn from some libroni he had on his desk. Then, from a little box of gold, took a grain of wheat, and handed it to Chip.
- Please! Here's a grain of wisdom! know in an hour to read and write.
In the house of Brother weeds
Cocchetti When Chip came to the house of gossip weeds, they saw that, with a twig in its beak, was sweeping the floor.
received them rather coldly, but then heard from Cocchetti the purpose of the visit, all came to life, put himself on the beak, a pair of glasses without lenses, took the inventory and keep a copy on the legs, called the other to Cip.
- Read, Mr. Chip!
Cip And he began to read.
LIST OF THINGS
PROPERTY 'OF SE
Carmelinda weeds
SCINTILLINI OF AUDITORS.
First, a 56-karat gold bracelet with charm.
- Here - Brother did weeds, taking out of an old wooden box, a bracelet of brass with a fish of the same metal.
- Second: - continued Cip - an ivory comb, Louis XIV.
- Here, he again Brother weeds. And he pulled out of the box a piece of an old comb made of bone, all dirty, missing many teeth.
Then, before Cip read at number three, it took out the third item.
- Third, a piece of broken mirror - Cip said, without reading inventory.
- What '- asked Brother weeds, dropping to the ground the mirror, which fortunately did not break, and his eyes glaring with the poor Cip.
- Oh, sorry! I had not read that right! said Chip, who hastened to read the inventory: Third, a triangular mirror polished, of Louis XV.
And so on, for a list of sixteen different items, all more or less the same priceless ...
began to Cip a life of work and very little satisfaction. Every morning, swept the house of gossip weeds, then spolverara items of treasure, then preparing lunch, and then he would, armed with a pen equipped with a rusty pen in hand, at the lovely residence. These were the orders of Brother weeds. And when she fell had to say: - Hello, Sir!
Only in the afternoon, when he came to Cocchetti to chat with him, he was happy. But the days spent too monotonous, and when a Cocchetti once proposed to Cip Brother weeds and leave to go to him abitarecon, Chip accepted the invitation with pleasure.
- H idea - he said -. Cocchetti We will enlarge the house by Master Woodpecker and his team to peak-workers ...
Happy Days
Cocchetti The house was well expanded by Master woodpecker and its workers: in all some twenty peaks. The best bird worked with breath and giving pecking wood, made ten times bigger than the house of Cocchetti, who was in the middle of a large oak tree.
passed for two friends many happy days. In the morning they went in search of food, each on its own. When the sun was high in the sky, returning to their house, they told them what had happened in the morning, then take a nap. In the afternoon, when the weather was fine, went out together and had fun chasing each other for the campaign.
Skin-of-network
But a bad day ...
Chip Cocchetti were chatting in their little house, when passed by skin-to-network, a wanderer and guess suonatrice accordion, accompanied by his son, a boy of about twelve years.
Cip The woman saw the tree in a vain and seized it. So did the guy with the cricket. Chip was placed in a cage and was forced to take a ticket with the beak of colored paper each time she pulled him out.
Cocchetti, with a string tied to one leg, the boy was dragged for several kilometers.
Cip saw him no more for several days, during which he worked for very little food.
Finally, one morning, while skin-to-network and his son were eating bread and cheese sitting on a pile of stones along the highway, Tweet, who was in cage placed there on the parapet of a nearby river, he felt himself beside the familiar voice of Cocchetti.
Cocchetti told him that the boy, passing on a bridge, had launched the whole string into a stream, which had been saved by a miracle, barely reaching the shore the next day a white mouse, moved to pity him, had freed him from the string, and those who had wandered the countryside in search of Cip until a few minutes earlier, when he saw the sun glint lists nickel metal accordion.
- Oh, Cocchetti mio1 - Cip said -. How glad I am to see you again! But now ... prudence ... Do not you see from that tyrant ...
Cocchetti remained distant and well she followed celato.Poi Skin-to-network and the son, when they regained the road.
In the reign of Madame
Paciocco
The two came to an inn, where we crossed to enter a courtyard. In the courtyard there was a white hen with a dozen chickens, about the same age of Cip.
Skin-of-network put the cage on the floor near the door of the chicks, just saw Tweet, began to tease.
Cip died from the pain and shame.
But Cocchetti, mounted on a wooden base that was near the cage, the chicks harangued and told them the whole story of Chip and his.
The chicks are moved to pity, and, after telling Cip words of comfort and hope, all came from their mother, Madame Paciocco and so did and said so convinced that the good hen to come to their aid.
She went to the cage and, after looking well where was the hook, by dint of peck dates across, opened the door.
Cip flew off happily, and if one to other chicks, which made him great feast, and brought it in triumph. On the advice of Cocchetti was decided that these Chip and his friend would be hidden until skin-to-network and his son were not far enough.
- Hide yourself here - suggested that the older chick, giving them a big hole in the wall of the courtyard.
This was done and only the next morning, late in the day, Chip Cocchetti out of their hiding place.
Cip became like a brother to the chicks in the courtyard, like another son to Madame Paciocco; Cocchetti, meanwhile, became the friend of twenty-four chicks, including, of course Cip.
For the people of the court was always a mystery to the fact that chicks that night were certainly some twenty-three, the day after they had become the clock.
And he spoke at the inn for a while, like a real witch ...
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