The Diner
The baby's body was warm and heavy in his arms. She squirmed restlessly in the knitted blanket but he just pulled it tighter around her. Maybe it didn't have any magic in this place but he still felt it could protect her if it was kept close.
His muscles started to ache so he stopped by a tree to take a break. Little Emma fit perfectly on his lap, her eyes staring up at him. He smiled at her; he got a soft coo back. It was the only comforting sound he heard so far. The metal bird hadn't come back but he remembered its terrible roar.
But that was something foreign. What bothered Pinocchio was how even the creaking of the trees and the rustle of the wind felt unfamiliar. Back home he still felt a faint kinship with the forest, but here he was a stranger.
He started walking again, thinking only of getting Emma away from these woods. His arms ached from holding Emma so long but he needed to keep walking. He was brave, honest and unselfish.
After walking for a long time Pinocchio stumbled upon a large black river. He stood on the edge wondering what to do now. A metal beast rolled by, surprising him out of his wariness. He lifted a trembling foot and touched the black river. It was solid as stone. But just to be safe he ran as quickly as he could to the other side. Once he got there he couldn't stop trembling for two minutes.
Being brave was so much harder than he expected. Pinocchio took a deep breath and steadied himself. He made it to a building with delicious smells emanating from the windows. He and Emma remembered food at the same time, she reacting with wails and he with a growling stomach. Thinking of Hansel and Gretel made him hesitate but then he saw adults walking into the building. He gathered his bravery again and stepped inside.
The people inside were all wearing strange clothes and at first didn't notice the boy. Emma's hungry cries instantly got their attention.
"Hello there, little boy. You're pretty responsible for taking care of your little sister like this." Pinocchio stared blankly at the man. "Where are your parents?" Panic rose up in him. He couldn't tell these people about the Enchanted Forest or their escape to this land without magic. The queen might hear of it and then Emma would be in danger.
What do I do? Papa, please…
"I'm not her brother. I just found her. I was walking by the…" He gestured vaguely and the man was kind enough to fill in the blank.
"The road?"
"The road," Pinocchio repeated. The lies came so easily once he started. "I could hear this noise and at first I thought it was an animal, but when I got closer I saw the blanket. It was this little baby. She sounded so scared; I couldn't just leave her there. I picked her up and carried her here."
"That is the most amazing story I've ever heard," the man said with a smile. "Here, I want to buy you something to eat." He gently steered the boy and his precious bundle to a chair. Pinocchio held Emma protectively close to him and kept his eyes on the door.
He started to relax when he saw the food. They tried to take Emma away but he refused, and in the end he was shown how to feed her. Everyone was amazed by how responsible he was and how much he clearly cared for this baby. They gathered around and praised him for being brave, honest and unselfish.
It wasn't wrong to lie for a good reason, was it? Pinocchio wished that Jiminy Cricket was there to tell him for sure, but the only still small voice left was his own.