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 most famous donkey in the world,a donkey that has had the great honor in his short life ofperforming before the kings and queens and emperors ofall the great courts of europe.
"we thank you for your attention!"this speech was greeted by much laughter andapplause. and the applause grew to a roar when pinocchio,the famous donkey, appeared in the circus ring. he washandsomely arrayed. a new bridle of shining leather withbuckles of polished brass was on his back; two whitecamellias were tied to his ears; ribbons and tassels of redsilk adorned his mane, which was divided into manycurls. a great sash of gold and silver was fastened aroundhis waist and his tail was decorated with ribbons of manybrilliant 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 timetonight to tell you of the great difficulties which i haveencountered 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 bycenturies of civilization in subduing wild beasts failed in thiscase. i had finally to resort to the gentle language of thewhip in order to bring him to my will. with all mykindness, however, i never succeeded in gaining my donkey'slove. he is still today as savage as the day i foundhim. he still fears and hates me. but i have found inhim one great redeeming feature. do you see this littlebump on his forehead? it is this bump which gives himhis great talent of dancing and using his feet as nimblyas a human being. admire him, o signori, and enjoyyourselves. i let you, now, be the judges of my success as ateacher of animals. before i leave you, i wish to statethat there will be another performance tomorrow night.
if the weather threatens rain, the great spectacle will takeplace 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 groundand remained kneeling until the manager, with the crackof the whip, cried sharply: "walk!"the donkey lifted himself on his four feet and walkedaround the ring. a few minutes passed and again thevoice 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 rangin the air.
at the shot, the little donkey fell to the ground as ifhe 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 raisedhis eyes. there, in front of him, in a box sat a beautifulwoman. around her neck she wore a long gold chain,from which hung a large medallion. on the medallionwas 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 happythat 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 notgood manners to bray before the public, the managerhit him on the nose with the handle of the whip.
the poor little donkey stuck out a long tongue and lickedhis 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 canjump through the rings."pinocchio tried two or three times, but each time hecame near the ring, he found it more to his taste to gounder it. the fourth time, at a look from his master heleaped through it, but as he did so his hind legs caughtin the ring and he fell to the floor in a heap.
when he got up, he was lame and could hardly limp asfar 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 managerto 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 himfor work. i want only his skin. it looks very tough andi can use it to make myself a drumhead. i belong to amusical band in my village and i need a drum."i leave it to you, my dear children, to picture toyourself the great pleasure with which pinocchio heard thathe was to become a drumhead!
as soon as the buyer had paid the four cents, thedonkey changed hands. his new owner took him to a highcliff overlooking the sea, put a stone around his neck,tied a rope to one of his hind feet, gave him a push, andthrew him into the water.
pinocchio sank immediately. and his new master saton the cliff waiting for him to drown, so as to skin himand make himself a drumhead.
那人看见门不开，就狠狠地一脚把门踢开了，走进屋子，他还是那么笑嘻嘻地对皮诺乔和小灯芯说：
“能干的孩子！你们学驴子叫学得不坏，我马上认出了你们的声音，因此我就上这儿来了。”
听了他的话，两头驴子十分泄气，耷拉着头，垂下耳朵，夹紧尾巴，
那人先是抚摸他们，拍拍他们，捋他们的毛，接着拿出一把刷子，动手把他们的毛刷亮。
他使劲地刷呀刷呀，等到把他们刷得毛光光的象两面镜子，就给他们套上辔头缰绳，牵到市场上去，想卖掉他们捞进一笔大钱。
的确，买主马上就来了。
小灯芯让一个农民给买去，这农民的驴子昨天正好死了。买皮诺乔的是个马戏班班主。他买皮诺乔是为了训练他，让他同马戏班的其他动物一起又跳又舞。
我的小读者们，诸位现在想必知道，用车带他们来的人是干什么的了？这个坏家伙脸上涂牛奶和蜜蜂一样甜，老赶着一辆车到处去转，一路上答应这样答应那样，说尽甜言蜜语，把讨厌书本和学校的懒孩子全都收罗到车上，带到这个“玩儿国”来，让他们快快活活地玩上一段日子。等到这些受骗上当的可怜孩子老这么不读书，一个劲地光是玩，最后变成驴子以后，他就又高兴又满意地成了他们的主人，把他们牵到集市和市场上去卖。这样不到几年，他捞到了许多钱，成了一个百万富翁。
小灯芯的遭遇我不知道。我只知道皮诺乔一开头就过的是受尽虐待、苦不堪言的日子。
他一给牵进畜栏，新主人就在槽里撒上麦秸。可皮诺乔咬了一口尝了尝，把它吐出来了。
主人嘟哝两声，又在槽里撒上干草。可干草皮诺乔也不爱吃。
“啊，干草你也不爱吃？”主人生气地叫起来，“好吧，我的宝贝驴子，就算你还有点耍脾气，瞧我来制服你！……”
他为了教训教训皮诺乔，马上在他腿上抽了一鞭。
皮诺乔痛得大哭大叫，嚷嚷着说：
“伊—呀，伊一呀，麦秸我消化不了！……”
“那你吃干草！”主人很懂很驴子话，回答说。
“伊—呀，伊—呀，干草会叫我肚子痛！……”
“依你说，像你这样一头驴子，我该孝敬你鸡胗肝和去骨冻鸡了？”主人说着，更加生气，又给了他一鞭。
皮诺乔挨了这第二鞭，学乖了，马上住口，一句话也不再说了。
栏门于是关上，皮诺乔独自呆在里面。因为好多个钟头没吃东西了，他想吃得要命，就打起哈欠来。他一打哈欠，就张大他像炉口似的嘴巴。
他在槽里什么别的东西也找不到，最后只好看点干草，把干草嚼烂以后，闭上眼睛硬给咽了下去。
“这干草还不坏。”他心里说，“可我要是继续读书，我就好得多了！……这时候我就不是吃干草，可以吃新鲜的面包头，吃一大片香肠了！……没法子，只好忍耐着！……”
第二天早晨他醒来，马上在槽里找干草，可是找不到，因为昨天夜里都吃光了。
于是他吃一小口切碎的麦秸。他嚼着嚼着，觉得切碎麦秸的味道既完全不像米兰式炒饭，又根本不像那不勒斯式通心粉。
“没法子，只好忍耐着！”他又说了一遍，继续嚼，“我的不幸要是能给所有不听话和不想读书的孩子作为教训，那就好了。没法子，只好忍耐着！……真没法子，只好忍耐着！……”
“忍耐一点吧！”主人这时候正好进畜栏，叫着说，“我的宝贝小驴子，你以为我把你买来，只是为了给你吃给你喝吗？我把你买来是为了让你干活，是为了让你给我挣一大笔钱。好好干吧！你跟我到马戏场去，我来教你跳圈，用头撞破纸桶，跳圆舞和波尔卡舞，用后腿直立起来，”
可怜的皮诺乔不管高兴还是被迫，只好学各种了不起的玩意儿，可为了学会这种玩意儿，他得学上三个月，身上挨了无数下皮鞭。
终于到了这一天，他的主人可以宣布演出—场真正惊人的节目了，五颜六色的海报贴满大街小巷各个角落，海报上写着：
盛大演出
今夜
本团全体演员
还有双双的骏马
演出素负有盛誉的跳跃等等
各种精彩节目
著名演员
舞蹈明星
驴子皮诺乔
首次登台
演出
戏院通亮如同白昼
诸位可以想象到，这天晚上开场前一小时，戏院就满座了。
就算你出一个金币，前座也好，后座也好，包厢也好，都别想找到一个位子。
马戏场的台磴上，像蚂蚁似地挤满了小娃娃，小姐儿，以及各种不同年龄的孩子。他渴望着要看大名鼎鼎的驴子演员皮诺乔跳舞。
第一部分节目结束后，马戏班班主穿着黑上衣，白马裤，高到膝盖的皮靴，出场向挤满一戏院的观众作介绍。他深深一鞠躬，然后用极其庄严的声音说出下面一大堆胡话：
“尊敬的观众，骑士们和女士们！”
“在下路过贵市，能向聪明尊贵的诸位观众介绍一位鼎鼎大名的驴子，感到万分荣幸。他曾有幸向欧州各主要宫廷的皇帝陛下表演过舞蹈。”
“衷心感谢诸位光临赏脸，并请包涵。”
这番话引起许多笑声和鼓掌声。这鼓掌声越来越厉害，等驴子皮诺乔来到场子中央，就变成了雷鸣。驴子打扮得似过节那样。他套着闪闪发亮的新的皮缰绳，皮缰绳上镶着铜扣；两只耳朵上各插一朵白茶花；鬃毛编成许多辫子，用红绸带扎着；很大一束金丝银丝缠着他的身子；整条尾巴编了起来，装饰着紫红色和天蓝色的天鹅绒带子。—句话，这头驴子真叫人喜欢！
班主向观众介绍他时又说了这么一番话：
“我尊敬的观众们！我在这里将不对诸位吹嘘，这头哺乳动物当初在热带原野的山间曾多么自由自在地奔驰，我曾经克服了多大困难才了解他的脾气和驯服了他。我只请求诸位注意他两眼发射出来的野性之光。为了驯服他，使他成为—只文明的四脚动物，一切手段均告无效以后，我只好一再借助于鞭子、用鞭子的温柔语言来同他说话，可是我的种种仁慈并未能使他爱我，相反，他对我越来越坏了。但是我根据威尔士学理，发现他的脑袋上有个小块，连巴黎医学校也认为，它是头发和战舞之球，因为这个缘故，我就训练它跳舞，并且连带跳圈和钻纸桶。请诸位先欣赏，然后再评论吧！不过在孝敬各位之前，噢，先生们，请允许我邀请诸位来看明晚的演出，可万一有下雨的危险，那就不是明晚，而是改为明天上午，午前十一点。”
班主说到这里，再一次深深鞠躬，然后转身对皮诺乔说：
“卖点劲！皮诺乔！在表演以前，先对在座诸位尊贵的观众，骑士们，女士们，小朋友们行个礼吧！”
皮诺乔听话地马上把两个前膝跪在地上，一直跪到班主把鞭子一抽，对他叫道：
“开步走！”
于是驴子站起来，开始绕马戏场走。
走了一会儿，班主又叫：
“小步跑！”
皮诺乔听从命令，从走改为小步跑。
“大步跑！”
皮诺乔改为大步跑。
“飞跑！”
皮诺乔于是飞也似地跑。他正像快马一样跑的时候，班主举起一只胳膊，朝天开了一枪。
驴子一听枪响，马上装作受伤，直挺挺倒在地上，好像真的死了。
他在越来越响的掌声和叫好声中站起来，很自然就抬起头向上望望……他一望就看见一个包厢里有一位美丽的太太，脖子上挂着一串很大的金项链，项链上吊着一个画像。这是一个木偶的像。
“这是我的像啊！……这位太太是仙女！”皮诺乔心里说，马上认出她来了，他感到万分高兴，就想大叫：
“噢，我的好仙女！噢，我的好仙女！”
可是发出来的不是人话的而是驴叫声，叫得又响又长，戏院里所的观众，特别是小孩子，都哈哈大笑起来。
班主为了教训他，为了让他懂得，当着观众的面这样伊—呀，伊一呀大叫是没有规矩的，就用鞭子柄在他鼻子上狠狠打了一下。
可怜的驴子伸出一巴掌长的舌头，把鼻子舔了起码五分钟，以为这样可以减轻一点他感到的痛楚。
他再转过脸去一看，可是包厢空了，仙女已经不见了，他是多么的伤心和失望啊！……
他觉得好像要死了，热泪盈眶，开始痛哭，可是没有人明白他的意思，班主可不明白，反而抽着鞭子叫道：
“勇敢点，皮诺乔，现在让这些先生们看看，你能够多么优美地跳圈。”
皮诺乔试了两三次，可是每次到了圈圈前面，他不是跳过去，而是想从圈圈下面溜过去。最后他一跳是跳过去了，可是真倒霉，后腿勾住了圈圈，于是他在圈圈那一边扑通跌倒在地，缩成一团。
等到他站起来，脚已经瘸了，好容易才回到他的栏里，
“皮诺乔出来！我们要看驴子！驴子出来！”池座里的小朋友们大叫，对这件不幸事，隐感到怜悯和同情。
可是驴子这一夜再也没露脸。
第二天早晨，外科大夫，就是一位兽医，来看过他以后说，他要一辈子瘸腿了。
班主于是对管畜栏的小厮说：
“一头瘸腿驴子，叫我要它干什么呢？他只会白吃。带他到市场上去卖了吧。”
到了市场上，马上找到了买主。他问管畜栏的小厮说：
“这头瘸腿驴子，你要多少钱？”
“二十块钱。”
“我给你二十个子儿。你可别以为我买它来干什么活。我买它只不过要他的皮。我看它的皮挺厚，想拿这张皮给我家乡的乐队蒙个大鼓。”
小朋友们，当可怜的皮诺乔听说他注定要变一个大鼓时，他那份高兴劲儿就请诸位去想象了！
总之，这买主付了二十个子儿，把驴子带到海边一个悬崖上。他在驴子脖子上吊一块大石头，用一根绳子绑住他一条腿，绳子另一头抓在手里，猛地一推，把他推到水里去了。
由于脖子上吊着那么块大石头，皮诺乔马上就沉到海底，买主一直抓紧绳子，坐在悬崖上，只等驴子到时候淹死，好剥他的皮。