In the evening the Marionette studied by lamplight. With some of the
money he had earned, he bought himself a secondhand volume that had
a few pages missing, and with that he learned to read in a very short
time. As far as writing was concerned, he used a long stick at one end
of which he had whittled a long, fine point. Ink he had none, so he used
the juice of blackberries or cherries. Little by little his diligence
was rewarded. He succeeded, not only in his studies, but also in his
work, and a day came when he put enough money together to keep his old
father comfortable and happy. Besides this, he was able to save the
great amount of fifty pennies. With it he wanted to buy himself a new
suit.
One day he said to his father:
"I am going to the market place to buy myself a coat, a cap, and a pair
of shoes. When I come back I'll be so dressed up, you will think I am a
rich man."
He ran out of the house and up the road to the village, laughing and
singing. Suddenly he heard his name called, and looking around to see
whence the voice came, he noticed a large snail crawling out of some
bushes.
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