Lord Bugolin accordingly pulled the donkey to the foot of the ladder, and tried to get him to mount it, but the donkey wouldn't hear of such a thing.
"Come along! Get up, you obstinate animal!" cried my lord.
"Hi-haw! hi-haw! hi-haw!" answered the donkey, beginning to bray with all his might and main.
"You wretched beast," cried the major-domo, "will you go up or not?"
"Hi-haw! hi-haw! hi-haw!" answered the donkey, who stood firm as a rock.
"Get along, will you?" cried Lord Bugolin, showering blows on the donkey's back. But the donkey, out of patience, escaped all further indignity by kicking the grand major-domo so that he lay sprawling on the ground.
"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the people, and the courtiers could not contain their delight.
However, Punchinello came down the ladder, and went to assist Lord Bugolin, who had not been seriously hurt. He then ran at once to the royal pavilion, and throwing himself on his knees, asked the King's pardon with such a droll air of penitence that his Majesty said to him:
"Well, my little fellow, I grant it, but only on condition that you help me out of the difficulty I am in about my daughter's marriage."
The difficulty of which the King spoke was this: Some years before, the King being threatened in his capital with an invasion of the Turks, had begged the King of the Negroes for assistance. The latter had complied, on condition that he should be given the hand of the Princess of Naples. The bargain was made, and the Turks had been driven out by the troops of the two sovereigns. But now there was great lamentation, for the Princess was beautiful and amiable, and the Negro King was known to be ugly, ill-shapen, and of a nature to correspond. But what was to be done, as the King had given his word and pledged his honor?