But it's a few minutes after four--how many ?' The pony scratched again five times.
The Italian showed his watch to the audience, and said that it was just five minutes past four.

Then he asked the pony how old he was.

He scratched four times.

That meant four years.

He asked him how many days in a week there were; how many months in a year; and he gave him some questions in addition and subtraction, and the pony answered them all correctly.