Now, I must tell you that the Dog-Fish, being very old, and suffering from asthma and palpitation of the heart, was obliged to sleep with his mouth open. Pinocchio, therefore, having approached the entrance to his throat, and, looking up, could see beyond the enormous gaping mouth a large piece of starry sky and beautiful moonlight. "This is the moment to escape," he whispered, turning to his father; "the Dog-Fish is sleeping like a dormouse, the sea is calm, and it is as light as day. Follow me, dear papa, and in a short time we shall be in safety." They immediately climbed up the throat of the sea-monster, and, having reached his immense mouth, they began to walk on tiptoe down his tongue. Before taking the final leap the puppet said to his father: "Get on my shoulders and put your arms tightly around my neck. I will take care of the rest." As soon as Geppetto was firmly settled on his son's shoulders, Pinocchio, feeling sure of himself, threw himself into the water and began to swim. The sea was as smooth as oil, the moon shone brilliantly, and the Dog-Fish was sleeping so profoundly that even a cannonade would have failed to wake him. [Illustration] CHAPTER XXXVI PINOCCHIO AT LAST CEASES TO BE A PUPPET AND BECOMES A BOY Whilst Pinocchio was swimming quickly towards the shore he discovered that his father, who was on his shoulders with his legs in the water, was trembling as violently as if the poor man had an attack of ague fever. Was he trembling from cold or from fear. Perhaps a little from both the one and the other. But Pinocchio, thinking it was from fear, said, to comfort him: "Courage, papa! In a few minutes we shall be safely on shore." "But where is this blessed shore?" asked the little old man, becoming still more frightened, and screwing up his eyes as tailors do when they wish to thread a needle. "I have been looking in every direction and I see nothing but the sky and the sea." "But I see the shore as well," said the puppet. "You must know that I am like a cat: I see better by night than by day." Poor Pinocchio was making a pretense of being in good spirits, but in reality he was beginning to feel discouraged; his strength was failing, he was gasping and panting for breath. He could do no more, and the shore was still far off. He swam until he had no breath left; then he turned his head to Geppetto and said in broken words? "Papa, help me, I am dying!" The father and son were on the point of drowning when they heard a voice like a guitar out of tune saying: "Who is it that is dying?" "It is I, and my poor father!" "I know that voice! You are Pinocchio!" "Precisely; and you?" "I am the Tunny, your prison companion in the body of the Dog-Fish." "And how did you manage to escape?" "I followed your example. You showed me the road, and I escaped after you." "Tunny, you have arrived at the right moment! I implore you to help us or we are lost."