ND MOREOVER
THE FAMOUS
LITTLE DONKEY PINOCCHIO
CALLED
THE STAR OF THE DANCE
WILL MAKE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE

THE THEATER WILL BE BRILLIANTLY ILLUMINATED

[Illustration: In Less Than an Hour All His Friends Were Invited]

On that evening, as you may imagine, an hour before the play was to
begin the theater was crammed.

There was not a place to be had either in the pit or the stalls, or in
the boxes even, by paying its weight in gold.

The benches round the circus were crowded with children and with boys of
all ages, who were in a fever of impatience to see the famous little
donkey Pinocchio dance.

When the first part of the performance was over, the director of the
company, dressed in a black coat, white breeches, and big leather boots
that came above his knees, presented himself to the public, and, after
making a profound bow, he began with much solemnity the following
ridiculous speech:

"Respectable public, ladies and gentlemen! The humble undersigned being
a passer-by in this illustrious city, I have wished to procure for
myself the honor, not to say the pleasure, of presenting to this
intelligent and distinguished audience a celebrated little donkey, who
has already had the honor of dancing in the presence of His Majesty the
Emperor of all the principal courts of Europe.

"And, thanking you, I beg of you to help us with your inspiring presence
and to be indulgent to us."

This speech was received with much laughter and applause, but the
applause redoubled and became tumultuous when the little donkey
Pinocchio made his appearance in the middle of the circus. He was decked
out for the occasion. He had a new bridle of polished leather with brass
buckles and studs, and two white camelias in his ears. His mane was
divided and curled, and each curl was tied with bows of colored ribbon.
He had a girth of gold and silver round his body, and his tail was
plaited with amaranth and blue velvet ribbons. He was, in fact, a little
donkey to fall in love with!

The director, in presenting him to the public, added these few words:

"My respectable auditors! I am not here to tell you falsehoods of the
great difficulties that I have overcome in understanding and subjugating
this mammifer, whilst he was grazing at liberty amongst the mountains in
the plains of the torrid zone. I beg you will observe the