After Pinocchio and Lampwick went to that so-called Happy Kingdom, they both turned into donkeys. Then the man who had tricked them brought them to the market. This was not the first time he had done such a thing. In less than a few years, he had made a fortune this way and become a millionaire.
Lampwick was sold to a farmer, while Pinocchio was bought by a circus ringmaster. He intended to train the donkey to jump and dance like the other animals in the circus, but Pinocchio had no heart for it at all. The animal trainer did not care. Whenever he disobeyed, he whipped him. He trained him like that for three months, until he believed Pinocchio was ready to perform. By then, Pinocchio had suffered countless lashes.
At last, the day of the performance arrived. Colorful posters covered every street and alley, and the donkey Pinocchio had become a dancing star. An hour before the show began, the circus tent was already packed.
Pinocchio was dressed as though for a festival, fitted with gleaming new leather harnesses and white camellias tucked behind each ear. Yet during his very first performance, he fell and broke his leg. The veterinarian decided that he could no longer perform.
To recoup his losses, the ringmaster decided to take Pinocchio to the market and sell him. The new buyer thought a lame donkey was useless for work. He bought him only for his hide, intending to make it into a large drum. In short, the buyer paid twenty pennies, took the donkey to a cliff by the sea, hung a large stone around his neck, tied one of his legs with a rope, and then gave him a fierce shove into the ocean.
The fish nearby thought he was a dead