wild rolling
of his eyes. Every means having been tried in vain to tame him, and to
accustom him to the life of domestic quadrupeds, I was often forced to
have recourse to the convincing argument of the whip. But all my
goodness to him, instead of gaining his affections, has, on the
contrary, increased his viciousness. However, following the system of
Gall, I discovered in his cranium a bony cartilage that the Faculty of
Medicine of Paris has itself recognized as the regenerating bulb of the
hair, and of dance. For this reason I have not only taught him to dance,
but also to jump through hoops and through frames covered with paper.
Admire him, and then pass your opinion on him! But before taking my
leave of you, permit me, ladies and gentlemen, to invite you to the
daily performance that will take place tomorrow evening; but in case the
weather should threaten rain, the performance will be postponed till
tomorrow morning at 11 ante-meridian of post-meridian."

Here the director made another profound bow, and, then turning to
Pinocchio, he said:

"Courage, Pinocchio! before you begin your feats make your bow to this
distinguished audience--ladies, gentlemen, and children."

Pinocchio obeyed, and bent both his knees till they touched the ground,
and remained kneeling until the director, cracking his whip, shouted to
him:

"At a foot's pace!"

Then the little donkey raised himself on his four legs and began to walk
round the theater, keeping at a foot's pace.

After a little the director cried:

"Trot!" and Pinocchio, obeying the order, changed to a trot.

"Gallop!" and Pinocchio broke into a gallop.

"Full gallop!" and Pinocchio went full gallop. But whilst he was going
full speed like a race horse the director, raising his arm in the air,
fired off a pistol.

At the shot the little donkey, pretending to be wounded, fell his whole
length in the circus, as if he were really dying.

As he got up from the ground amidst an outburst of applause, shouts and
clapping of hands, he naturally raised his head and looked up, and he
saw in one of the boxes a beautiful lady who wore round her neck a thick
gold chain from which hung a medallion. On the medallion was painted the
portrait of a puppet.

"That is my portrait! That lady is the Fairy!" said Pinocchio to
himself, recognizing her immediately; and, overcome with delight, he
tried to cry:

"Oh, my little Fairy! Oh, my little Fairy!"

But instead of these words