3.

A Thousand Donkies Down

ow, in that first day out in the wilderness fell all the asses down into an hole that leadeth to the universe, and they were lost, save those upon which rode the brothers

            Damns, saith Oochie; They did all seem blind.  Who hath feeded them mushorooms, and make-ed them mad blind?  This hath costed all the money in the world.  And he heeld about to face each fellow, to face each fellow heeld he about, feinting as if to pull sword upon them.

            But they said unto him, Oochie of Thaiphus Antiquad, hold;  I have not feeded unto them no mushorumes; nor I; nor I.  And he straightway resign-ed his choler, and sadness claimd his eyes.  And he said, Then ’twas that grain which stank, which I my self feeded them, that drave them blind.

            And Borhotchus flasht upon him, saying, Wud that thou hadst eaten it, steadsof them.  And there were murmurings of accord upon this mark; yea, e’en Oochie, witherd back by the saying, thoght well of it in a sense.

            And after a dozen days remaind there but a final dripf of water among them.  And it was cutted fourwise, and it and their prayer of graditude vanisht into the air.  And also gone was food, & also musicol instrumentasien, for unmoist’d tonegrass goeth to shards neath frenzied plucking.  And vultures rode upon their shoulders, and skirmisht for purchase thereon, stacking severals high.

            And in the fourteenth day said Borhotchus unto his brethren, Stand here, for I have grewn a thoght to sponsor upon you, whilst yet we existe.

            And they stoppt and alit offen their beasts, and shay away the buzzerds outen their reach.  And they cast among them selfs, saying, Knowest one of you any of buzzards cursings, that we might curse them gone?  But neither knew any any.

            And the others stood before Borhotchus and said, What thoght hast thou grewn, that thou wudst arrest us here and sponsor it, in this fourteenth day of our undoing?

6

            And he drew them about and peerd into their eyen, and answerd them and said, Tested ones:  Fellow Brothers & cohorted capturee:  Merchanteers & lostland meanderers who here in the lost land do meander:  I wud that we had spike’t our feet upon the home porch, coming neither forth unto calammidy.  This is my thoght. 

            And they lay their faces in the sand, and sought to fetch out prayers; but such prayers proved unfindabol, and the seekers came up saying, All out, all out.

            And it came to pass that when they were resumed upon their way, Leprus cried out with a loud voice, saying, I die, I die.  And lo, down offen his vehicol he droppt down dead upon the floor of the wilderness.  And the brothers gave eulogie, saying, He was vulnerbol.