Pinocchio, having become a Donkey,is bought by the owner of a Circus,who wants to teach him to do tricks.

　　The Donkey becomes lame and is soldto a man who wants to use his skinfor a drumheadVery sad and downcast were the two poor little fellowsas they stood and looked at each other. Outside the room,the Little Man grew more and more impatient, and finallygave the door such a violent kick that it flew open. Withhis usual sweet smile on his lips, he looked at Pinocchioand Lamp-Wick and said to them:

　　"Fine work, boys! You have brayed well, so well thatI recognized your voices immediately, and here I am."On hearing this, the two Donkeys bowed their heads in shame,dropped their ears, and put their tails between their legs.

　　At first, the Little Man petted and caressed them andsmoothed down their hairy coats. Then he took out acurrycomb and worked over them till they shone like glass.

　　Satisfied with the looks of the two little animals,he bridled them and took them to a market place far awayfrom the Land of Toys, in the hope of selling them at agood price.

　　In fact, he did not have to wait very long for an offer.

　　Lamp-Wick was bought by a farmer whose donkey had diedthe day before. Pinocchio went to the owner of a circus,who wanted to teach him to do tricks for his audiences.

　　And now do you understand what the Little Man'sprofession was? This horrid little being, whose face shonewith kindness, went about the world looking for boys.

　　Lazy boys, boys who hated books, boys who wanted torun away from home, boys who were tired of school--allthese were his joy and his fortune. He took them withhim to the Land of Toys and let them enjoy themselvesto their heart's content. When, after months of all playand no work, they became little donkeys, he sold them onthe market place. In a few years, he had become a millionaire.

　　What happened to Lamp-Wick? My dear children, I do not know.

　　Pinocchio, I can tell you, met with great hardshipseven from the first day.

　　After putting him in a stable, his new master filled hismanger with straw, but Pinocchio, after tasting a mouthful,spat it out.

　　Then the man filled the manger with hay.

　　But Pinocchio did not like that any better.

　　"Ah, you don't like hay either?" he cried angrily.

　　"Wait, my pretty Donkey, I'll teach you not to be so particular."Without more ado, he took a whip and gave the Donkeya hearty blow across the legs.

　　Pinocchio screamed with pain and as he screamed he brayed:

　　"Haw! Haw! Haw! I can't digest straw!""Then eat the hay!" answered his master, who understoodthe Donkey perfectly.

　　"Haw! Haw! Haw! Hay gives me a headache!""Do you pretend, by any chance, that I should feed you duckor chicken?" asked the man again, and, angrier than ever,he gave poor Pinocchio another lashing.

　　At that second beating, Pinocchio became very quiet and said no more.

　　After that, the door of the stable was closed and hewas left alone. It was many hours since he had eatenanything and he started to yawn from hunger. As heyawned, he opened a mouth as big as an oven.

　　Finally, not finding anything else in the manger,he tasted the hay. After tasting it, he chewed it well,closed his eyes, and swallowed it.

　　"This hay is not bad," he said to himself. "But howmuch happier I should be if I had studied! Just now,instead of hay, I should be eating some good breadand butter. Patience!"Next morning, when he awoke, Pinocchio looked inthe manger for more hay, but it was all gone. He hadeaten it all during the night.

　　He tried the straw, but, as he chewed away at it, henoticed to his great disappointment that it tasted neitherlike rice nor like macaroni.

　　"Patience!" he repeated as he chewed. "If only mymisfortune might serve as a lesson to disobedient boyswho refuse to study! Patience! Have patience!""Patience indeed!" shouted his master just then, as hecame into the stable. "Do you think, perhaps, my littleDonkey, that I have brought you here only to give youfood and drink? Oh, no! You are to help me earn somefine gold pieces, do you hear? Come along, now. I amgoing to teach you to jump and bow, to dance a waltz anda polka, and even to stand on your head."Poor Pinocchio, whether he liked it or not, had to learnall these wonderful things; but it took him three longmonths and cost him many, many lashings before he waspronounced perfect.

　　The day came at last when Pinocchio's master wasable to announce an extraordinary performance. Theannouncements, posted all around the town, and writtenin large letters, read thus:

　　GREAT SPECTACLE TONIGHTLEAPS AND EXERCISES BY THE GREAT ARTISTSAND THE FAMOUS HORSESof theCOMPANYFirst Public Appearanceof theFAMOUS DONKEYcalledPINOCCHIOTHE STAR OF THE DANCEThe Theater will be as Light as DayThat night, as you can well imagine, the theater was filledto overflowing one hour before the show was scheduled to start.

　　Not an orchestra chair could be had, not a balcony seat,nor a gallery seat; not even for their weight in gold.

　　The place swarmed with boys and girls of all ages andsizes, wriggling and dancing about in a fever of impatienceto see the famous Donkey dance.

　　When the first part of the performance was over, theOwner and Manager of the circus, in a black coat, whiteknee breeches, and patent leather boots, presented himselfto the public and in a loud, pompous voice made thefollowing announcement:

　　"Most honored friends, Gentlemen and Ladies!

　　"Your humble servant, the Manager of this theater,presents himself before you tonight in order to introduceto you the greatest, the mo............