NA 
Henry the donkey has a very long piece of pasta. He takes a number of bites of pasta, each time eating $3$ inches of pasta from the middle of one piece. In the end, he has $10$ pieces of pasta whose total length is $17$ inches. How long, in inches, was the piece of pasta he started with? 
Options:
1. $$34$$ 
2. $$38$$ 
3. $$41$$ 
4. $$44$$ 
5. $$47$$ 