sexygril posted an update: The shaggy man ran up to the nearest donkey and gave the beast a sharpblow with his switch. Stop that noise! he shouted; and the donkey stopped kicking themetal sheet and turned its head to look with surprise at the shaggyman.He switched the next donkey, and made him stop, and then thenext, so that gradually the rattling of heels ceased and the awfulnoise subsided.The donkeys stood in a group and eyed the strangerswith fear and trembling. What do you mean by making such a racket? asked the shaggy man, sternly. We were scaring away the foxes, said one of the donkeys, meekly.Usually they run fast enough when they hear the noise, which makesthem afraid. There are no foxes here, said the shaggy man. I beg to differ with you.There's one, anyhow, replied the donkey,sitting upright on its haunches and waving a hoof towardButton-Bright.We saw him coming and thought the whole army of foxeswas marching to attack us. Button-Bright isn't a fox, explained the shaggy man.He's onlywearing a fox head for a time, until he can get his own head back. Oh, I see, remarked the donkey, waving its left ear reflectively.I'm sorry we made such a mistake, and had all Canada Goose Parka our work and worryfor nothing. The other donkeys by this time were sitting up and examining thestrangers with big, glassy eyes.They made a queer picture, indeed;for they wore wide, white collars around their necks and the collarshad many scallops and points.The gentlemen-donkeys wore highpointed caps set between their great ears, and the lady-donkeys woresunbonnets with holes cut in the top for the ears to stick through.But they had no other clothing except their hairy skins, although manywore gold and silver bangles on their front wrists and bands ofdifferent metals on their rear ankles.When they were kicking theyhad braced themselves with their front legs, but now they all stood orsat upright on their hind legs and used the front ones as arms.Having no fingers or hands the beasts were rather clumsy, as you mayguess; but Dorothy was surprised to observe how many things they coulddo with their stiff, heavy hoofs. Some of the donkeys were white, some were brown, or gray, or black,or spotted; but their hair was sleek and smooth and their broad collarsand caps gave them a neat, if whimsical, appearance. This is a nice way to welcome visitors, I must say! remarked theshaggy man, in a reproachful tone. canada goose parka Oh, we did not mean to be impolite, replied a grey donkey which hadnot spoken before.But you were not expected, nor did you send inyour visiting cards, as it is proper to do. There is some truth in that, admitted the shaggy man; but, nowyou are informed that we are important and distinguished travelers,I trust you will accord us proper consideration. These big words delighted the donkeys, and made them bow to the shaggyman with great respect.Said the grey one: You shall be taken before his great and glorious Majesty KingKik-a-bray, who will greet you as becomes your exalted stations. That's right, answered Dorothy.Take us to some one whoknows something. Oh, we all know something, my child, or we shouldn't be donkeys,asserted the grey one, with dignity.The word 'donkey' means'clever,' you know. I didn't know it, she replied.I thought it meant 'stupid'. Not at all, my child.If you will look in the EncyclopediaDonkaniara you will find I'm correct.But come; I will myself leadyou before our splendid, exalted, and most intellectual ruler. All donkeys love big words, so it is no wonder the grey one used somany of them. They found the houses of the town all low and square and CANADA GOOSE JACKETS built ofbricks, neatly whitewashed inside and out.The houses were not set inrows, forming regular streets, but placed here and there in a haphazardmanner which made it puzzling for a stranger to find his way. Stupid people must have streets and numbered houses in their cities,to guide them where to go, observed the grey donkey, as he walkedbefore the visitors on his hind legs, in an awkward but comical manner;but clever donkeys know their way about without such absurd marks.Moreover, a mixed city is much prettier than one with straight streets. Dorothy did not agree with this, but she said nothing to contradict it.Presently she saw a sign on a house that read: Madam de Fayke, Hoofist,and she asked their conductor: What's a 'hoofist,' please? One who reads your fortune in your hoofs, replied the grey donkey. Oh, I see, said the little girl.You are quite civilized here. Dunkiton, he replied, is the center of the world'shighest civilization. They came to a house where two youthful donkeys were whitewashing thewall, and Dorothy stopped a moment to watch them.They dipped theends of their tails, which were much like paint-brushes, into a pail ofwhitewash, backed up against the house, and wagged their tails Canada Goose Coats rightand left until the whitewash was rubbed on the wall, after which theydipped these funny brushes in the pail again and repeated the performance. That must be fun, said Button-Bright. No, it's work, replied the old donkey; but we make our youngstersdo all the whitewashing, to keep them out of mischief. Don't they go to school? asked Dorothy. All donkeys are born wise, was the reply, so the only school weneed is the school of experience.Books are only for those who knownothing, and so are obliged to learn things from other people. In other words, the more stupid one is, the more he thinks he knows,observed the shaggy man.The grey donkey paid no attention to thisspeech because he had just stopped before a house which had paintedover the doorway a pair of hoofs, with a donkey tail between them anda rude crown and sceptre above. I'll see if his magnificent Majesty King Kik-a-bray is at home, saidhe.He lifted his head and called Whee-haw! whee-haw! whee-haw!three times, in a shocking voice, turning about and kicking with hisheels against the panel of the door.For a time there was no reply;then the door opened far enough to permit a donkey's head to stick discount canada goose outand look at them. It was a white head, with big, awful ears and round, solemn eyes. Have the foxes gone? it asked, in a trembling voice. They haven't been here, most stupendous Majesty, replied the greyone.The new arrivals prove to be travelers of distinction. Oh, said the King, in a relieved tone of voice.Let them come in. He opened the door wide, and the party marched into a big room, which,Dorothy thought, looked quite unlike a king's palace.There were matsof woven grasses on the floor and the place was clean and neat; buthis Majesty had no other furniture at all--perhaps because he didn'tneed it.He squatted down in the center of the room and a littlebrown donkey ran and brought a big gold crown which it placed on themonarch's head, and a golden staff with a jeweled ball at the end ofit, which the King held between his front hoofs as he sat upright. Now then, said his Majesty, waving his long ears gently to and fro,tell me why you are here, and what you expect me to do for you.Heeyed Button-Bright rather sharply, as if afraid of the little boy'squeer head, though it was the shaggy man who undertook Goose Victoria to reply. Most noble and supreme ruler of Dunkiton, he said, trying not tolaugh in the solemn King's face, we are strangers traveling throughyour dominions and have entered your magnificent city because the roadled through it, and there was no way to go around.All we desire isto pay our respects to your Majesty--the cleverest king in all theworld, I'm sure--and then to continue on our way. This polite speech pleased the King very much; indeed, it pleased himso much that it proved an unlucky speech for the shaggy man.Perhapsthe Love Magnet helped to win his Majesty's affections as well as theflattery, but however this may be, the white donkey looked kindly uponthe speaker and said: Only a donkey should be able to use such fine, big words, and you aretoo wise and admirable in all ways to be a mere man.Also, I feelthat I love you as well as I do my own favored people, so I willbestow upon you the greatest gift within my power--a donkey's head.
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