ly thoughts. Consider only that
we are going to a country where we shall be at liberty to run riot from
morning till night."

Pinocchio did not answer, but he sighed; he sighed again; he sighed for
the third time, and he said finally:

"Make a little room for me, for I am coming, too."

"The places are all full," replied the little man; "but, to show you how
welcome you are, you shall have my seat on the box."

"And you?"

"Oh, I will go on foot."

"No, indeed, I could not allow that. I would rather mount one of these
donkeys," cried Pinocchio.

Approaching the right-hand donkey of the first pair, he attempted to
mount him, but the animal turned on him and, giving him a great blow in
the stomach, rolled him over with his legs in the air.

You can imagine the impertinent and immoderate laughter of all the boys
who witnessed this scene.

But the little man did not laugh. He approached the rebellious donkey
and, pretending to give him a kiss, bit off half of his ear.

Pinocchio in the meantime had gotten up from the ground in a fury and,
with a spring, he seated himself on the poor animal's back. And he
sprang so well that the boys stopped laughing and began to shout:
"Hurrah, Pinocchio!" and they clapped their hands and applauded him as
if they would never finish.

Now that Pinocchio was mounted, the coach started. Whilst the donkeys
were galloping and the coach was rattling over the stones of the high
road, the puppet thought that he heard a low voice that was scarcely
audible saying to him:

"Poor fool! you would follow your own way, but you will repent it!"

Pinocchio, feeling almost frightened, looked from side to side to try
and discover where these words could come from, but he saw nobody. The
donkeys galloped, the coach rattled, the boys inside slept, Candlewick
snored like a dormouse, and the little man seated on the box sang
between his teeth:

"During the night all sleep,
But I sleep never."

After they had gone another mile, Pinocchio heard the same little low
voice saying to him:

"Bear it in mind, simpleton! Boys who refuse to study and turn their
backs upon books, schools and masters, to pass their time in play and
amusement, sooner or later come to a bad end. I know it by experience,
and I can tell you. A day will come when you will weep as I am weeping
now, but then it will be too late!"

On hearing these words whispered very softly, the puppet, more
frightened than ever