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178 PINOCCHIO 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...” 7 MG VOUS gia “ 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 got 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!”
