Chapter 43
"It is too bitter, much too bitter! I can't drinkit.""How do you know, when you haven't even tasted it?""Ican imagine it. I smell it. I want another lump ofsugar, then I'll drinkit."The Fairy, with all the patience of a good mother, gavehim more sugarand again handed him the glass.
"I can't drink it like that," the Marionette said,makingmore wry faces.
"Why?""Because that feather pillow on my feet bothersme."The Fairy took away the pillow.
"It's no use. I can't drink it even now.""What's thematter now?""I don't like the way that door looks. It's halfopen."The Fairy closed the door.
"I won't drink it," cried Pinocchio, bursting out crying.
"I won't drink this awful water. I won't. I won't!
No, no, no, no!""My boy, you'll be sorry.""Idon't care.""You are very sick.""I don'tcare.""In a few hours the fever will take you far away to anotherworld.""I don't care.""Aren't you afraid ofdeath?""Not a bit. I'd rather die than drink that awfulmedicine."At that moment, the door of the room flew open and incame fourRabbits as black as ink, carrying a small blackcoffin on their shoulders.
"What do you want from me?" asked Pinocchio.
"We have come for you," said the largest Rabbit.
"For me? But I'm not dead yet!""No, not dead yet; butyou will be in a few momentssince you have refused to take the medicine whichwouldhave made you well.""Oh, Fairy, my Fairy," the Marionettecried out, "give methat glass! Quick, please! I don't want to die!
No, no, not yet--not yet!"And holding the glass with his twohands, he swallowedthe medicine at one gulp.
"Well," said the four Rabbits, "this time we havemadethe trip for nothing."And turning on their heels, they marchedsolemnly outof the room, carrying their little black coffin and mutteringandgrumbling between their teeth.
In a twinkling, Pinocchio felt fine. With one leap he was out of bedand into his clothes.
皮诺乔不情愿地拿过杯子，把鼻子插进去，然后凑到嘴边，然后又把鼻子插进去，最后说：
“太苦了！太苦了！我不能喝。”
“你尝都没尝，怎么说太苦呢？”
“我想得出来！我闻到了气味。我要先再吃一颗弹子糖……然后喝药水！……”
仙女像一个好妈妈那样耐心，又给他放了一题糖在嘴里，然后重新给他杯子。
“这样我不能喝药水！”木偶说着，做了成千个鬼脸，
“为什么？”
“因为脚上的枕头碍着我。”
仙女给他把枕头拿开了。
“不行！这样我还是不能喝……”
“又是什么东西碍着你啦？”
“房门半开着，把我碍着了。”
仙女去把房门关上。
“不管怎么说，”皮诺乔大哭大叫，“这该死的药水是苦的，我不要喝，不喝，不喝，不喝……”
“我的孩子，你要后悔的……”
“我才不在乎呐……”
“你的病很重……”
“我才不地乎呐……”
“你发高烧，几个钟头就会死的……”
“我才不在乎呐……”
“你不怕死？”
“怕死？……我宁愿死也不喝这种倒霉药水。”
正在这时候，房门开了，进来了四只兔子，黑得像墨汁，肩膀上抬着一个小棺材。
“你们到我这儿来干吗？”皮诺乔叫道，害怕得在床上坐了起来。
“我们来抬你，”最大的一只兔子说。
“抬我？……可我还没死！……”
“现在还没死，可你不肯喝退烧药水，就只有几分钟好活了！……”
“噢，我的仙女！噢，噢，我的仙女！”木偶于是大声叫起来“快把杯子给我……做做好事，快点快点，因为我不想死，不不不……不想死……”
他两只手捧着杯子，一口就把药水喝了。
“没法子！”兔子们说，“我们这回白跑一趟。”
它们重新抬起小棺材，打牙缝里叽哗咕噜地说着走出了屋子。
真的，过了几分钟，皮诺乔已经跳下床，好了。因为要知道，木偶福气好，难得生病，好起来也特别快。
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