In a few moments, the fight raged hot and heavy on both sides.
Pinocchio, although alone, defended himself bravely.

With those two wooden feet of his, he worked so fast that his opponents kept at a respectful distance.

Wherever they landed, they left their painful mark and the boys could only run away and howl.
Enraged at not being able to fight the Marionette at close quarters, they started to throw all kinds of books at him.

Readers, geographies, histories, grammars flew in all directions.

But Pinocchio was keen of eye and swift of movement, and the books only passed over his head, landed in the sea, and disappeared.
The fish, thinking they might be good to eat, came to the top of the water in great numbers.