telligent, always the first to enter the school, always the last to leave when it was over. He made only one mistake. He had too many friends, among whom were a few who did not care to study and were well known for their dislikes of school. The schoolmaster warned him daily against them, and the good Fairy too added her words of advice, saying: "Take care, Pinocchio! Those bad companions of yours will sooner or later make you lose your love of study, and perhaps will bring disaster upon you!"
"There is no danger of that," said the marionette, shrugging his shoulders, and touching his forehead with his first finger as if to say, "There is much wisdom here. I know too much for that."
Now it happened that one beautiful day as he was going to school, he met several of these companions, who said as he came up to them:
"Have you heard the news?"
"No, what news?"
"Not far from here a big dogfish as large as a mountain has floated up on the beach."
