Chapter 3 Robber's Box - 2

Martha was confused. She shook her head, lost in thought.Then she thought of a way. She said to them, "You can't be robbers anymore because you're in America now." "America!" the three shouted in unison. "Of course, you are now on Prairie Street in Chicago, USA. Uncle Walter packed you in boxes and shipped them here from Italy." The robbers were a little dazed when they heard this.Luigi sat in an old rocking chair and wiped his forehead with a yellow silk handkerchief.Penny and Victor sat back on the box, looking pale and staring at her dully. When Victor regained his composure, he said, "Your Uncle Walter insulted us greatly."

He said dissatisfiedly: "He let us leave lovely Italy. There, robbers are very respected. He brought us to such a strange country. We don't know who to rob, and we don't know how much ransom we should ask for." "That's right." Fatty patted his thigh vigorously and agreed. "What a prestige we have in Italy!" Penny said nostalgicly. "Maybe, Uncle Walter wants to reform you." Martha reminded. "Are there no robbers in Chicago?" Victor asked. "Yes," answered the little girl, flushing with shame, "we don't care to call them robbers."

"So, how can we maintain our lives?" Penny asked desperately. "In a large American city, a man can do many things," replied the boy. "My father was a lawyer, (the robbers fought coldly), and I had a cousin who was a police inspector." "Oh," said Victor, "that's a good profession, and the police are scrutinized, especially in Italy." "It's the same everywhere," Penny added. "But there are other things you can do," Martha encouraged them. "You can be a trolley driver, or you can be a salesperson in a department store. Some even go to the city senators for a living."

The robbers shook their heads mournfully. "We're not suited for this kind of work," Victor said. "We'd just rob." Martha was thinking of another way. "It's pretty hard to get a seat in the House of Commons, but you can be politicians," she said. "No!" cried Penny, suddenly ferocious. "We don't want to give up our noble calling. We've been robbers, and we must be." "That's right." Fatty agreed. "Even in Chicago, people get robbed." Victor said happily. Martha was troubled. "I think they've all been robbed," she demurred.

"Then we can rob the robbers, because we have superhuman experience and talent." Benny said. "Oh, dear, oh, dear!" wailed the little girl, "why did Uncle Walter bring you here in a box?" The robbers were also quite interested in this question. "We also want to know why." Victor said eagerly. "No one will know because Uncle Walter disappeared while hunting elephants in Africa." She said confidently. "Therefore, we must resign ourselves to our fate and do our best to rob." Victor said, "As long as we are loyal to the profession we love, we don't have to be ashamed."

"That's right," cried the fat man. "Guys, let's start now, just loot the stuff in this house." "Wow!" The other two cheered and jumped up. Penny's face was grim, and his eyes were fixed on the child. "Stay here," he ordered, "if you move a step, your head will bloom and bleed." Then he added, in a milder tone, "Don't be afraid, all robbers say so about their captives. Of course we would not hurt a girl under any circumstances." "Of course not," Victor said.