"Your humble servant, the Manager of this theater, presents himself before you tonight in order to introduce to you the greatest, the most famous Donkey in the world, a Donkey that has had the great honor in his short life of performing before the kings and queens and emperors of all the great courts of Europe.
"We thank you for your attention!"
This speech was greeted by much laughter and applause.And the applause grew to a roar when Pinocchio, the famous Donkey, appeared in the circus ring.He was handsomely arrayed.A new bridle of shining leather with buckles of polished brass was on his back; two white camellias were tied to his ears; ribbons and tassels of red silk adorned his mane, which was divided into many curls.A great sash of gold and silver was fastened around his waist and his tail was decorated with ribbons of many brilliant colors.He was a handsome Donkey indeed!
The Manager, when introducing him to the public, added these words:
"Most honored audience! I shall not take your time tonight to tell you of the great difficulties which I have encountered while trying to tame this animal, since Ifound him in the wilds of Africa.Observe, I beg of you, the savage look of his eye.All the means used by centuries of civilization in subduing wild beasts failed in this case.I had finally to resort to the gentle language of the whip in order to bring him to my will.With all my kindness, however, I never succeeded in gaining my Donkey's love.He is still today as savage as the day I found him.He still fears and hates me.But I have found in him one great redeeming feature.Do you see this little bump on his forehead? It is this bump which gives him his great talent of dancing and using his feet as nimbly as a human being.Admire him, O signori, and enjoy yourselves.I let you, now, be the judges of my success as a teacher of animals.Before I leave you, I wish to state that there will be another performance tomorrow night.
If the weather threatens rain, the great spectacle will take place at eleven o'clock in the morning."The Manager bowed and then turned to Pinocchio and said:
"Ready, Pinocchio! Before starting your performance, salute your audience!"Pinocchio obediently bent his two knees to the ground and remained kneeling until the Manager, with the crack of the whip, cried sharply: "Walk!"The Donkey lifted himself on his four feet and walked around the ring.A few minutes passed and again the voice of the Manager called:
"Quickstep!" and Pinocchio obediently changed his step.
"Gallop!" and Pinocchio galloped.
"Full speed!" and Pinocchio ran as fast as he could.
As he ran the master raised his arm and a pistol shot rang in the air.
At the shot, the little Donkey fell to the ground as if he were really dead.
A shower of applause greeted the Donkey as he arose to his feet.
Cries and shouts and handclappings were heard on all sides.
At all that noise, Pinocchio lifted his head and raised his eyes.There, in front of him, in a box sat a beautiful woman.Around her neck she wore a long gold chain, from which hung a large medallion.On the medallion was painted the picture of a Marionette.
"That picture is of me! That beautiful lady is my Fairy!"said Pinocchio to himself, recognizing her.He felt so happy that he tried his best to cry out:
"Oh, my Fairy! My own Fairy!"
But instead of words, a loud braying was heard in the theater, so loud and so long that all the spectators--men, women, and children, but especially the children--burst out laughing.
Then, in order to teach the Donkey that it was not good manners to bray before the public, the Manager hit him on the nose with the handle of the whip.
The poor little Donkey stuck out a long tongue and licked his nose for a long time in an effort to take away the pain.
And what was his grief when on looking up toward the boxes, he saw that the Fairy had disappeared!
He felt himself fainting, his eyes filled with tears, and he wept bitterly.No one knew it, however, least of all the Manager, who, cracking his whip, cried out:
"Bravo, Pinocchio! Now show us how gracefully you can jump through the rings."Pinocchio tried two or three times, but each time he came near the ring, he found it more to his taste to go under it.The fourth time, at a look from his master he leaped through it, but as he did so his hind legs caught in the ring and he fell to the floor in a heap.
When he got up, he was lame and could hardly limp as far as the stable.
"Pinocchio! We want Pinocchio! We want the little Donkey!"cried the boys from the orchestra, saddened by the accident.
No one saw Pinocchio again that evening.
The next morning the veterinary--that is, the animal doctor--declared that he would be lame for the rest of his life.
"What do I want with a lame donkey?" said the Manager to the stableboy."Take him to the market and sell him."When they reached the square, a buyer was soon found.
"How much do you ask for that little lame Donkey?" he asked.
"Four dollars."
"I'll give you four cents.Don't think I'm buying him for work.I want only his skin.It looks very tough and I can use it to make myself a drumhead.I belong to a musical band in my village and I need a drum."I leave it to you, my dear children, to picture to yourself the great pleasure with which Pinocchio heard that he was to become a drumhead!
As soon as the buyer had paid the four cents, the Donkey changed hands.His new owner took him to a high cliff overlooking the sea, put a stone around his neck, tied a rope to one of his hind feet, gave him a push, and threw him into the water.
Pinocchio sank immediately.And his new master sat on the cliff waiting for him to drown, so as to skin him and make himself a drumhead.
