The next day was set aside for a hunt in honor of the young emperor, Pinocchio the First. He would have been content to stay home, but this would have been taken as a grave insult to the people.

A herd of hippopotamuses had been discovered a few miles from the capital. His ministers agreed that the emperor must go. There was nothing else for him to do.

Besides, the hunt was for scientific purposes. As Pinocchio had made known his views on schools, he could do no less than encourage this expedition, which was the only educational training allowed in the country.

The hunters, in fact, were persons of high rank, who spent their time in searching for traces of wild animals. It seemed strange to Pinocchio that these learned hunters did not study how to protect their animals, instead of trying to kill them.

“I suppose it is the custom of the country,” thought the marionette.

Two hours before sunrise the leaders in the hunt, armed with bows, arrows, and javelins, stood before the royal palace waiting for the emperor. He was to ride on the back of a bull, which the prime minister held by a rope.

They were not kept waiting long. Pinocchio the First came forth with a pleasant smile upon his lips. Inwardly, he was very angry, but little did his faithful subjects suspect how he felt.

“A fine time for a king to rise!” he thought. “Am I or am I not emperor? If I am emperor, I should sleep as long as I wish, eat what I please, and do anything I like. It seems to me that I am the slave of my people rather than their ruler. Wait, my dear subjects; I will soon prove to you what stuff I am made of.”

The people waited. The ministers explained to the emperor that he was to ride on the bull.

“My dear subjects, have you lost your senses?” thought the marionette. “I certainly will not ride on a bull. How long have bulls been used as horses? This beast will hurl me into the first ditch we come to. A fine regard you have for your emperor! I almost begin to believe that you want to get rid of me and have another king.”

However, there was no way of escape, and he decided to do as he was told. He leaped squarely upon the bull, and calmly sat there. The bull, fortunately, did not move.

“Good beast!” said Pinocchio, somewhat encouraged, as he gave the signal to depart.

The sun was already up when they reached the river where the hunt was to take place.

Hippopotamus hunting is a very dangerous sport, but it was one that the people dearly loved.

Scouts were sent on ahead while the hunters crawled like snakes through the high, thick grass. As they neared the river, they became very careful. With their eyes fixed, their ears wide open, their spears firmly grasped, they were ready to attack at any moment.

Pinocchio pretended that he was suffering with a pain in the left foot, and slowly dropped behind the others. He had never had any great liking for the hunt. He felt annoyed that he should always have to do things that he did not enjoy. He would have stayed where he was, but the prime minister came along in search of him.

Tired of the insolence of this man, the marionette thrust back his hat with a bold sweep of his hand, as if to say, “Now I shall show you who I am, and who I was.” Pinocchio then hastened toward the river, reaching the bank at the very moment when the hunters had started a large hippopotamus out of the weeds.

The huge animal tried to get away and made for the river.

“Some one must jump into the water and kill it with the javelin,” said the prime minister. Nobody stirred.

Suddenly a loud voice rang through the stillness:

“I will go.”

And Pinocchio, amid shouts of admiration and terror from his subjects, dived into the river and swam toward the animal.

The hippopotamus scented the enemy and turned upon him, but the nimble marionette, swimming around the great creature, grasped it by its short, thick tail.

When the beast felt itself gently pulled in this manner it began to turn round and round like a dog chasing a troublesome fly.

This performance, which was both funny and terrible, lasted for fully five minutes. During all that time Pinocchio did nothing but laugh. He did not seem to realize what would happen to him if he were clutched by those terrible jaws.

At length the animal, blind with rage, plunged below the surface of the water, leaving the marionette and the others dumbfounded.

This adventure increased tenfold the admiration of the black hunters for their emperor, although it was not wholly satisfactory to the chief cook of the royal household, who had already planned a great dinner. But Pinocchio quickly consoled him, assuring him that when it came to eating the tongue and feet of a hippopotamus, the emperor would cheerfully forego the pleasure.

Pinocchio battles the hippo

Pinocchio visits his subjects