Lampwick surveyed the beach for even the slightest bit of fabric to tie around himself. A breeze rustled the trees that stood tall on the hill by the beach , making Lampwick feel even more uncomfortable standing naked. He always felt embarrassed when he was a donkey , but he told himself donkeys don`t wear clothes and that always seemed to help a little. He walked around on the beach looking around the driftwood and rocks and through the swaying long grass close to the banks.
Ahah! He thought. There was a ripped and tattered old sail, sitting upon a broken old dory behind the grass. Along with the sail , Lampwick found some spare rope in which he used to make some sort of toga, draping it over his shoulder and tying it around it waist and chest .It wasn`t very sufficient at curing his uncomfortable feeling about being naked, but it was all he had until someone came along and gave him a pair of clothes.
Lampwick noticed whipping marks all over his back side. He knew they would be on his back for the rest his life, the haunting memory of the time he spent as a slave in the salt mines.
I wonder where I am He asked himself , grabbing seat on a rock by the shore line. Lampwick legs felt weak and tired , so he planned to rest a little . I did pass a village by the sea, but I don`t know which. He sighed heavily. What if this was just a stranded old beach in the middle of no-where? If it truly was, Lampwick didn`t know where to go.
Lampwick had a lot of time to think when he was a donkey . He thought mostly on his sudden transformation and where his life went wrong. How could of been such a idiot ? He asked himself over and over again as they miner whipped and abused him.. I should of just listened to Mama and stayed in school , was the most occurring thought.
But... There was that word again, always interfering with his thoughts.
She loved him . She betrayed our family by having that affair with Marko.
Anger steamed over him at the sheer thought of that. But hot tears followed .Hurt stung Lampwick`s heart like a dagger .
When Lampwick saw his mother making out with Marko it just made his heart rip right down the middle . All hope for a together family lost with that one kiss in the living room .
Romeo was born one mid-summer night in his family`s home. He knew that before he was born his father didn`t want children. But his momma tried and tried to convinced her husband to just have one , just one little child. Lampwick`s father said no ,every time she asked, ever since the day they got married. But finally he agreed for one. "Just one". He added.
Romeo`s childhood , most unfortunately, was not a very happy one. He was made fun of and ridiculed by other older boys because of his father, who seemed to be drunk all the time. Romeo hated going to school because of this. But he tried to impress the other boys by doing things that they said were "cool". He got into smoking and drinking habits because " everyone else was doing it!" When his mother saw that her ten-year old son was smoking cigars and drinking down booze, she scolded him and said " Those nasty friends of yours will get you into trouble!"
When Lampwick ( the kids in school nicknamed him that because he was tall and thin like a new candle ) was eleven he saw his mother making out with that man. The man who always visited her when Lampwick `s father went out for a drink at the tavern . (Lampwick`s father always went out for a drink , no matter what day it was.) When Lampwick walked in on his mother making out with Marko , he was going to ask her when his father was coming home . It broke Lampwick`s heart knowing his mother didn`t even love her husband , Lampwick`s own father .
Later that week Lampwick`s father was arrested as he ran with valuable jewelry out of a shop .He so drunk that he decided to go and steal some jewelry in broad daylight. Even worse , it felt like the entire town was watching. Lampwick never felt more ashamed of his family.
Lampwick`s family lost everything after his father was taken to jail for life . Marko invited Lampwick and his mother to stay at his house after the trial . Lampwick couldn`t bear it any longer, so he ran away to the beach and sat down at the dock. How could his life be so screwed up?
He wished for a place to visit that could take away his problems. He wished there was a place that had no school , no rules, no cops , and certainly no parents. " Hey , Lampwick!" a voice cried.
When Lampwick turned he saw that it was one of his friends. " Guess what?"The kid said , but of course, he did not allow time for Lampwick to guess. " I found out there`s this place called Pleasure Island and there`s no school and no rules! You can do whatever you want!"
Lampwick`s eyes widened. Had his wish already been granted ? "Where do I sign up?" he asked impatiently.
So later that night , at precisely midnight, Lampwick was in a crowded stage coach , pulled by two pairs of donkeys, with all his friends . Half way through the journey, they stopped the coach at the crossroads of Collodi to pick up one more kid. The boy wasn`t very tall, and he had a head full of ebony hair and two bright sapphire blue eyes. They strangest thing about this boy was he was completely made of wood, a live puppet without strings!
There was no more room in the stage coach , so the boy sat alongside Lampwick in the driver's seat. Lampwick flung his sling shoot as the coach started up again to make the journey to the seaport. Lampwick reckoned that he should introduce himself to the kid next to him.
"Me name`s Lampwick." Lampwick said. He turn and spat off to the side of the stage coach ( a habit he picked up a long while ago ) "What`s yours ?"
"Pinocchio." The kid promptly answered as he raised his hat politely.
What kind of name was Pinocchio? Lampwick snickered in his mind. Still, Lampwick tried not to laugh out loud , but he noticed that the kid had a playing card in his hand. What a strange object to carry, Lampwick thought before asking, "You ever been to Pleasure Island ?"
"No but Honest John gave me..."Pinocchio tried to get a word in , but Lampwick cut in ,"Me neither. But they say it`s a swell joint. No school no cop . You can tear the joint apart , and nobody says a word."
"Honest John gave me ..."Pinocchio tried to say again , but yet again he was pushed back by Lampwick`s own talking.
"Loaf around. Plenty to eat. Plenty to drink," Lampwick continued , "And it`s all free!"
"Honest John," Pinocchio tried to explain his playing card one last time before Lampwick said " Boy that`s the place." Lampwick then jumped up and resumed practing him aim with his sling shoot. "I can hardly wait !"
Soon the coach reached the beach and rounded the corner to a ominous and darkened dock with a boat . The boat was light up with fantastic lights and banner that waved in the cool September breeze. All of the impatient kids ran to the ship , awaiting to reach the promise land of fun.
A half an hour out to sea they saw fireworks that light up the night sky . A black blob that was Pleasure Island stood in the distance . Lampwick felt the rush of adrenalin shoot up his spine . As soon as the boat docked Pinocchio and Lampwick joined the others , by jumping of the boat and running down the plank to this swell joint.
Sure enough, it was swell , there was an explosion of fireworks and fun . Wow... Lampwick breathed getting a glimpse at his paradise . It was everything he heard from his friend and more ! Smell of popcorn and echoing of loud , joyful cries stayed in the air . It was if the island itself had tugged Lampwick into it . He stood in awe , for a moment or two . "It`s just like they said , "Pinocchio sighed , smiling at every which way. "Ain't it swell ? " Lampwick asked Pinocchio who nodded."The Cirrus , firework , one big party !"
Boys ran around the place screaming and destroying . The Ferris wheel turned around and round as kid shoot down the coaster . "Get your cake ,pie ,dill pickles ,and ice cream ! Eat all you can ! Be a Gluten! Stuff yourselves! It`s all free boys! Hurry , hurry!" Shouted a man from a sound system . The only rule was "Have fun !".It was Lampwick`s kind of rule .
Lampwick and Pinocchio ran through the crowd to get food . Lampwick helped himself to a rather large turkey and Pinocchio grabbed a ice cream cone and strawberry pie . As Lampwick and Pinocchio wondered through the park, chewing and nibbling on their food, Lampwick saw a tent with a gigantic wooden gangster telling boys to have a fight. Shadows of boys pulling each other`s hair and knocking each other down where against the yellow striped tent and Lampwick saw loads of other boys grabbing clubs and running inside to join the fight."Oh boy a scrap! " He threw back his turkey and said to the strange boy Pinocchio "C`mon , let`s go in and poke somebody in the nose". Pinocchio questioned, "Why?" but Lampwick promptly said `"Aw... just for the fun of it!"
There was lemonade river and ice cream mountains , a model home that was open for destruction ,and other bad boy opportunities and pastimes . This was fun and his new home .
While the boys played and destroyed the coachman only said "Enjoy!... While you can ."
Until the wee hours of day ,Lampwick and Pinocchio ate junk food , canoed down the Lemonade river , destroyed the model home , and picked fights over at the rough house . They were having a grand time doing whatever they wanted .
But the pleasure turned into horror.
It all started as Lampwick and Pinocchio were smoking and playing pool . Pinocchio wasn`t the greatest at billiards and was no match for Lampwick , but it was Pinoke's first time playing pool and Lampwick had to give his best friend some credit . Pinocchio also looked like he never had a smoke before , puffing timidly on the cigar . It reminded Lampwick of his elderly grandma who sat all day long on her rock chair and smoked her pipe . Lampwick had been smoking for -well he didn`t really know how long ago it was but the leader of the group introduced him into cigars . His momma frowned upon that and said that no son of her was going to smoke at such a young age . But momma ain`t here he told himself .
"Where do you think all the kid went to Lampwick ?" Pinocchio asked , taking short tiny puff of his cigar as he leaned back on chair with his feet on the table .
Lampwick rolled his eyes and said "Oh they`re around here somewheres . What do you care? "Lampwick lowered to check out the situation of the pool ball and figure out the best shot . "You`re having` a good time , ain't` ya ?"
"Uh-huh," Pinocchio said and took three short puffs . "I sure am!"
Lampwick noticed how his friend was smoking and decided to help his friend have more swell time .
"Ah , you smoke like me grandmother . " Lampwick retorted . "Take a big drag like dis !" And with that Lampwick inhaled his cigar , tasting the tobacco . Her though of his mother and her fobbing smoking made the cigar more pleasurable .
"Okay Lampy!" Pinocchio said cheerfully . He copied Lampwick`s drag , but the dummy didn`t know you're not suppose to swallow the smoke and ended up gagging ."Some fun , huh kid ?" Lampwick said but then he notice how green Pinocchio was in the face. Lampwick finished his shot . "Okay slats ," he took another prod puff of his cigar "Your shot ."
Pinocchio dizzily got on the table with his que stick" I...I don`t feel so good," he chocked through gags ." But here goes nothing`... ."
"What`s the matter Slats?" Lampwick joked as Pinocchio eyes boggled from sickness, as though he was going to vomit. " Losin` your grip?"
"PINOCCHIO!" A voice screeched out of the blue. Pinocchio fell flat onto his face and made a gigantic rip in the felt of the pool table with his pool que. The voice that addressed Pinocchio turned out to be a small green bug with a blue top hat and umbrella . A wooden boy and a green ,talking beetle , what an odd night Lampwick thought to himself. The insect hopped on the table just as Pinocchio was going to hit the eight ball .
" So THIS is where I find you!" It said as it hopped onto the pool table. " How do you ever expect to be a real boy? Look at yourself ! Smokin` !" The bug ripped away Pinocchio`s cigar from the boy`s mouth." Playin` Pool!" He kicked the eight ball violently . "Oww!"
Recovering from the kick the bug continued " You are comin ` right home with me this very minute..." Lampwick was curious and decided to get a closer look at this bug who was telling Pinocchio off."Hey !" Lampwick marveled as he plucked poor little Jiminy Cricket up from the pool table "Who`s the beetle ?" The beetle mumbled and cursed as he twisted around his coat , trying hard to escape Lampwick`s manhandling . "Let me go! Put me down!" He said , but it became muffled .
Pinocchio was still sitting on the pool table , who miraculously recovered from his cigar, cheerfully said." He's my conscience! He tells me what`s right and wrong ."
Lampwick was outraged by this. Why would any person need a conscience , someone who just ruins all the fun in life! "What? " Lampwick immediately dropped the bug."You mean to tell me that you take orders from a grasshopper ?"
The bug got angry from that remark . "Grass hopper ?" He said as he popped up from the felt of the pool table. He turned to Lampwick and yelled," Look here you impendent young pup !"The grasshopper hopped on the 8 ball . "It wouldn`t hurt you to listen to your grass hopper ... I mean your conscience ! If you have one ! "
Lampwick wasn`t going to hear it . Besides ,this was Pleasure Island , he could do what he wanted, when he wanted . "Yeah yeah sure " Lampwick sneered ,rolling his eyes " Screwball in the corner pocket." He hit the 9 ball and the beetle was thrown into the corner pocket . Lampwick laughed while pointing the cigar at poor little Jiminy.
The grass hopper got back onto the pool table and took of his coat and hat ." Why ... why you young hoodlum !" Jiminy seethed." I...I`ll... I`ll knock your block off !" The bug gave a few fake punches into the air as if he really could bet up a much larger 12 year old boy .
Lampwick laughed until his sides ached at the bug`s attempt to give him a knuckle sandwich, . This was the best comedy all week !
" I`ll take you apart and put you back together ..." The bug warned as he ran closer to Lampwick.
"Oh! Don`t hurt him Jiminy ! He`s my best friend ."Pinocchio said as he tugged at the bug by his shirt , trying to reframe him from actually throwing a few punches at Lampwick. Upon hearing this , Jiminy Cricket got free and was clearly angered and upset."Your best friend ?" He yelled." And what am I? Just your conscience ! " He picked up his coat and placed it on backwards." Okay... that settles it!"
"But Jiminy!" Pinocchio desperately pleaded , tying hard to be the peace maker. The bug was storming off to the end of the pool table while saying, "You've buttered your bread ! Now sleep in it!"To Lampwick that remark made no sense . What does bread have to do with this ? He joked. The bug accidently walked into the corner pocket and fell down the hole once again. Lampwick could not help but laugh at the poor little bug`s suffering. It was just too funny!
Jiminy got back up on his legs after he tumbled onto the floor ." Ha-ha-ha .Go on laugh . Make a jackass out of yourself ." He waved a dismissive hand. " I am through! This is the end!"
Pinocchio pleaded more as Jiminy Cricket stormed off in anger and frustration."But Jiminy !" Pinocchio said sincerely." Lampwick says a guy only lives once ."
The bug was heading outwards the rest of Pleasure Island. "Lampwick! Humph!" He grunted low in his throat , with a tone of hatred. Lampwick then walked over to the barrel of beer and pulled out two mugs that where hanging near it. "C`mon, c`mon . Let him go." He snorted as he poured ice cold beer into the mugs.
"Humph," Lampwick snorted disdainfully. "Hear that beetle talk ," He paused and took a long sip of his beer, chugging it all down his throat, feeling the forbidden pleasure that he mother never allowed him to have." You`d think somtin` was gonna happen to us ." As Lampwick pulled away from his beer to spit , he noticed that Pinocchio had a look of akin or shock about his face and the little woodenhead was pushing away the mug of beer placed beside him. Guess he`s following` the grasshopper's sermon after all ,Lampwick thought.
"Conscience " Lampwick muttered as he pouted a ball " Aw phooey!" He then heard the ripping of fabric and he knew that he had tore a spot in his pants. But he didn`t care , the pair that he was wearing already had to be patched up before." Where does he get that stuff?" Lampwick said as he walked over to hit another ball. And then in a mocking tone of Jiminy Cricket he added, " 'How do you expect to be a real boy ?'"He sunk another ball in the exact hole he was aiming for."What does he think I look like ?"He finished his shoot and picked up his cigar."A jackass ?" He took one long drag , soaking in its pleasure and tasting the tobacco.
But to his surprise , Pinocchio answered back "You sure do!" Pinocchio then laughed hard , pointing at Lampwick." Ha-ha ha- hee-haw!" The wooden boy gasped in horror and quickly covered his mouth before anymore accidental brays came from his mouth. Lampwick ran over to Pinocchio and pointed at the horrified little boy."Hey!" Lampwick tried to say through his laughs" You laugh like a donkey! Ha-ha-ha heeeee- haw!"
Lampwick did the same action as Pinocchio and covered his mouth quickly. This was getting kind of freaky. He didn`t know how he could bray like a donkey like that. It just slipped out of him! In a shaky insecure voice he asked" Did that come out of me ?" But Pinocchio gave the answer he feared : a nod of the head. Lampwick with a shaky hand felt around his face where his nose should of been. But it wasn`t. It was just two slits ... like a donkey! "Oh!"
Lampwick reached up as he felt his entire face , now completely covered in fur ... like a donkey! "Huh," he said. At where two fleshy human ears should of been, he felt incredibly long ears that were fury ... like a donkey! . " What the -? What's goin` on?" He had to be imaging this .It just couldn`t possibly be real! Your just drunk and you have a hangover ,he told himself. Yeah that`s it . This ain`t real .
But he could not lie to himself when he pulled his ears down. There they where exactly like any farm-yard donkey`s! " What`s going on?" He ran quickly to the mirror and saw , much to his dismay, that he was no longer a human. He now had a donkey's head plastered onto the body of a human that wore green pants , a white shirt under a yellow vest and brown jacket. Lampwick couldn`t help but scream and shout" I`ve been double crossed !"
He ran throughout the pool hall yelling " Help! Help! Somebody help! I`ve been framed!"
Pinoke! His buddy, his pal! Maybe he knew the answered to all of this! Maybe he could help Lampwick! Lampwick crouched down on his knees and walked that way , pushing poor ,helpless Pinocchio against the back wall." Please ! You gotta help me! Call that beetle !" He grabbed Pinocchio`s suspenders and shook them." CALL ANYBODY!"
But it was too late ...
He felt his hands scrunch into fist as fur spread like a wildfire down his arms. His finger nail took over his entire hands and grew into ... hooves!
He wished his mother was there . He wished he never left her and gone to this stupid isle in the first place ! But he could do nothing now.
When Lampwick got to his feet , he felt a painful force push him onto the ground , to make him stand like a donkey on all fours!
"MAMA?" He cried." MOMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
He lost his voice completely and brayed for help . Kicking the chairs and table all over the place he noticed that Pinocchio ran out of the pool hall as he grew ears and a tail .
Lampwick was then on his own again . Ceasing kicking and braying he realized the scam . That coachman was cheating them ... He said "Have all the fun you want !" but then he turned them into pathetic barnyard creatures . Lampwick was going to get his hands ... er , hooves on him .
But the Coachman`s helper caught Lampwick before he prevailed from doing so and he was packed up in crate , like every other donkey who where once humans , and the shipped off to the salt mines.
The treated the animals that worked in the salt mine like nothing . The hours he spent in the salt mines were long and tiring. Lampwick never saw the sun rise or fall because they were always underground.
They did feed the donkeys , but not very well. Lampwick grew sick and weak from malnutrition. The owner and miners whip all of the donkeys till they bleed and brayed for mercy . So many of the boy donkeys from the Island passed away that first year. Lampwick had to watch some of his best friends die right before his very eyes. He thought back at the others parents wondering where they were and what happened to them . Lampwick's heart was weigh down by the thought of them and how those parents would never know of the brutal pain that their children had suffered.
And now , Lampwick was human again. It was beyond his wildest dreams. But he lacked one thing that he had when he was human. Every time he tried to speak, a dry raspy noise was all that slipped out of his mouth.
Lampwick sighed heavily as he placed a foot into the chilly water and circled his ankle around. He was achy and starving with nowhere to go. If there was a town here he wouldn`t look normal. Lampwick smiled a tad bit at the thought of him strolling along down the street , sea weed still entwined into his hair , a beaten up old sail as his only clothing , and whipping scars along his back. When people would ask him about why he was in such state, he could not respond. It would look rather pathetic.
Suddenly Lampwick heard a voice. In surprise, Lampwick fell off the rock. Another voice could be heard too , a more innocent , childlike voice. Lampwick ran towards the voices in order to get their attention , but his clumsy feet failed him and he tripped to the ground, getting a mouthful of white sand.
"Goodness! " The younger , childlike voice cried as he saw Lampwick. Lampwick`s wet bangs covered his eyes, making sight impossible. He tried to look through strands of wet hair."Are you alright, sir?" the voice asked Lampwick.
The boy helped Lampwick get to his feet. Lampwick saw a glance of the boy. The boy had a head of ebony hair and deep sapphire blue eyes. Lampwick knew instantly that it was Pinocchio. Lampwick gasped and backed up in shock. Pinocchio gasped to and moved and said in a whispering tone "Lampwick?"
Lampwick moved back to get a better look at his best friend. It definitely was Pinocchio , for the boy was dressed in the same Tuscan Tyrolean outfit that he wore the night upon Pleasure Island. But something was different about Pinocchio. Pinocchio wasn`t a puppet any more . He was one hundred percent flesh and blood .
" Who is it Pinoke ?"The beetle that Lampwick had shoot down the pool table years before was standing right before Lampwick. In a somewhat horrified , shocked , angered look about him he pointed with his umbrella as though a sword and shouted" You !" The bug hopped up on the rock. " I thought I saw that last of you three years ago!"
Lampwick felt a moment of guilt having being brought up that way. He truly did feel sorry about shooting Jiminy down the pool table like that. If Lampwick could speak , he would of apologized instantly.
"Jiminy," Pinocchio said , but he did not get to finish before an old man came running down the hill. . He had bright blue eyes, just like Pinocchio , hidden behind a pair of glasses, a grey beard and mustache that still had fringes of a yellow blonde color, and a friendly look about him. In his hand he carried a rather large picnic basket.
" Pinocchio, could you have at least waited for me?" The old man wheezed ." I would... Oh!" He gasped at the sight of Lampwick. " Are you alright?" He asked , setting the basket down by the rocks.
" Father , " Pinocchio said, still in equal surprise. " This was my old friend Lampwick. " Lampwick simply nodded a bit.
Pinocchio gave a look a surprise. " Well , what`s the matter?" Pinocchio said sounding curious and intrigued. " You haven't said a word ! As I remember from Pleasure Isle , you always cut into what I was saying!" Jokingly , he added " Cat got your tongue?"
When Lampwick heard this , he gave a sad look with his deep brown eyes filled with sorrow and grasped his throat while looked down at his bare feet. All at once , Geppetto , Pinocchio and Jiminy understood. " You can`t speak?" Pinocchio asked, with both a sound of concern and disappointment in his voice .Lampwick nodded sadly as a reply..
"Oh well ... " Pinocchio said . Then he became more concern with what Lampwick was clothed in." Are you wearing a sail ?"
Lampwick looked down at the sail in disgust. At least he had some form of clothes. Geppetto implied ," You could come to our home and we`ll get you some clothing and something nice to eat. How does that sound to you?"
Lampwick nodded. It would defiantly be interesting to see Pinocchio`s house. " Well then, " Geppetto briskly said as he picked up the picnic basket. " I guess this picnic will have to wait." And with that , he began to walk up towards the forest , leading Lampwick and Pinocchio to the village of Collodi.