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The Road to Oz | L. Frank Baum | |
The Shaggy Man's Transformation |
Page 1 of 5 |
They found the houses of the town all low and square and built of bricks, neatly whitewashed inside and out. The houses were not set in rows, forming regular streets, but placed here and there in a haphazard manner 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 walked before 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's highest civilization." They came to a house where two youthful donkeys were whitewashing the wall, and Dorothy stopped a moment to watch them. They dipped the ends of their tails, which were much like paint-brushes, into a pail of whitewash, backed up against the house, and wagged their tails right and left until the whitewash was rubbed on the wall, after which they dipped these funny brushes in the pail again and repeated the performance. "That must be fun," said Button-Bright. |
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The Road to Oz L. Frank Baum |
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