pine tree took fire and blazed like a candle blown by the wind. Pinocchio seeing the flames mounting higher and higher, and not wishing to be roasted to a cinder, made one great leap from the tree top, and away he ran, just as before, with the robbers always running close behind him, and never seeming to grow tired. Meanwhile the day dawned and the chase still went on. Pinocchio found himself on the edge of a wide ditch filled with muddy brown water, just the color of coffee with cream. What should he do? “One, two, three," he said, and crouching, he made a great spring and landed safely on the other side. The robbers jumped too, but not having judged the distance properly, splash—both fell into the ditch.
Pinocchio, who heard the plunge and the splash, cried out, "I hope you had a nice bath, Mister Robbers!" and then began to run again. He thought at first that his pursuers were drowned, but looking back he saw them running as before, the water streaming from their wet clothes as they followed him.
