A Tale of Donkeys' Tails

Have you seen a tail of a donkey? Have you ever wondered how the donkeys got their tails? Well, I am here to tell you about it.

A long time ago, people used donkeys to travel and carry their goods. These donkeys didn’t have tails at that time. In the house of Mirana Chila, a witch, donkeys do a lot more things.

In this particular house, these donkeys could do chores and they could even talk!

“Niley and Subhah,” said Mirana, mounting her broom, referring to the two donkeys, who were now trying to eat Mirana’s shoes. “Please wash the dishes for me and scrub the floor. I am going to go to Madame Vishala to give back her book. The sponge is there in that cupboard over there” she pointed to a cupboard “and the dishes are in the basin.”

Niley looked up, puzzled. What did Mirana mean by basin? Basin and Puri? Then, what did she mean by, “The dishes are in the basin?”

“What do you mean, Master Mirana? [The donkeys always called Mirana Master Mirana] The dishes are in the basin?”

“I meant the sink,” said Mirana, now checking her rupees in the wallet. “I need to get Pinula, the powder required for my potion. I guess I after all have to shop at Shaiba’s shop; that’s the only shop which sells it,” She sighed.

Shaiba was a woman she hated who ran the shop “Shaibha’s Potions and supplies”.

Subhah and Niley got up from chewing shoes. They set to work.

After a long time, Mirana came back, exhausted.

“Had to travel all across Sutaba Street to Mayan town because Shaiba didn’t have Pinula as she ran out of them…still I couldn’t find it so I had to do with a substitution of Loarach which took up most of my pennies. But then I found that it was expired but I couldn’t return it as the man who sold it denied returning the rupees. Curse that man. So, then I had to go all around but still, I couldn’t find it, so I had to take a trip to Madame Gayan; she’s the only one who has it, but she also didn’t have it; the rats ate it up by accident. So I got some proper Loarach at Manivav’s, but it’s really expensive, and all of my money was used on it,” Mariana sighed, talking so fast that Subhah and Niley couldn’t understand a word what she said.

“So, Niley and Subhah,” said Mirana, taking notice of the donkeys trying to sniff what was there in the bag Mirana was holding. “Have you finished scrubbing the floors and the dishes?”

“We scrubbed the floors but we couldn’t find the dishes,” said Niley.

“What do you mean, not able to find the dishes?” asked Mirana, puzzled.

“We upturned every ink bottle, but we couldn’t find dishes in them!” said Subhah.

“Oh, you stupid donkeys!” said Mirana laughing “I said the dishes were in the sink, not ink!”

“Oh!” said Niley and Subhah, realizing what they had done.

“Anyway, you wait here, while I’ll get straw for you both,” said Mirana, putting down her bag, and scurrying out of the room.

“Niley,” said Subhah “What should we play? I’m bored.”

“Maybe we could play with the new ball, which Mirana brought?” said Niley “I heard saying she’d buy a new ball for her cousin who lives in Kerela.”

“Perfect! But where is it?”

“Err...I don’t know,” replied Niley.

“Argh!” said Subhah in frustration “Mirana would surely not allow us to play with the ball. I’m sure she remembers the incident when we were playing with her one-of-a-kind, favorite ball. She wouldn’t dare to let us play again with a ball.”

“Yeah, I’m sure I remember the incident as well as she does. It made a loud sound, right? Whoosh! Pataack!” said Niley, imitating the noises of the exploded ball.

“I...” began Subhah, interrupted by Mirana.

“Okay, guys. I brought barley straw, just like you wanted. But I don’t have grass nor hay, I guess I’ll buy that too. Anyway, I’m going to “Vishaya’s all around the clock supplies” to buy Shatal, the second ingredient I need for my potion. I can’t believe I forgot to get it on my trip previously. So, I’ll buy grass, hay, and Shatal on my trip now.”

“Okay,” replied Niley

“Err…Master Mirana?” began Subhah hesitating “Can you also buy a ball?”

“Why certainly not!” said Mirana, outraged “I am definitely not allowing another ball explosion. As soon as I get it, you’ll play with it and burst it. It’s a waste of money, and it makes such a mess. I still don’t have a potion or spell to clear messes. So, I have to do it all man-made, which takes so much time and effort. Nope, you can’t have the ball.”

“Okay,” said Niley and Subhah drooping, disappointed.

“Now I’m going. I also must pick up a very important guest. So, scrub the floors, wash the dishes in the sink, make some treats, and set the table up. Now I’m going.”

“Wait!” cried Niley but Mirana had already gone.

“What happened, Niley?” asked Subhah

“How on Earth are we supposed to clean?”

“Oh, yeah! There’s no broom or mop in here!”

“Also, this important guest.” said Subhah “We have to clean.”

“How?”

“I got an idea!”

Niley scurried to the shelf filled with spellbooks.

“Err… do you require a ladder?” asked Subhah, watching as Niley tried to jump, in order to reach a book that was out of his reach.

“Yes, please!” said Niley, and Subhah went out of his view for some moments, before reappearing with a ladder in his mouth.

“Here!” he said, propping it against the shelf.

“Thanks!” Niley started to climb upon it. He climbed down the ladder, after a moment or two, having a fat book in his mouth.

“Whew!” exclaimed Subhah “That’s one fat book!”

“What do you mean “Whew”?” said Niley “You ought to say “Phew”! It nearly took me forever to get it down!”

“What’s the difference between “Whew”, and “Phew”?” asked Subhah, but Niley didn’t reply.

He placed the book on the table with a thud. The pages rustled as Subhah and Niley flipped through the vast number of pages.

“There,” said Niley, halting at a page, placing his hoof on it.

Subhah started reading:

 

912. Karinta Incantation – A simple incantation to make brooms.

Process – Repeat ‘Intaril Pexcum’ ten times to activate this spell.

Forgetful as they were, instead of taking the spell “Karinta incantation”, they took the other spell which was-

1003. Weltin’s spell – Weltin’s spell is a little spell used to make the strands of a broom [normal broom] stick to the person performing this spell. 

Process-Mix soil, water, ice cream, and leaves of Mintan’s plant together in a large bowl. Crush the mixture and turn it into fine juice, and shape it into a ball. Immediately, shall a flower bloom. Smelling its fragrance shall activate the spell.

[P.S. The spell will result in strands of broom sticking to the person performing the spell, and every other species of the person] 

 

So, they started performing Weltin’s spell, instead of Karinta incantation. And what a shock they got!

Every single donkey on the planet exclaimed in shock and surprise, as they saw a thing dangling from their butt. The thing dangling was actually strands of Mirana’s broom, which was their tail now!

“Oh, god!” exclaimed Niley, looking at his tail “Hee-hee-hee!” he laughed sheepishly “We chanted another spell instead of the spell we were supposed to do.”

“Oh, no!” exclaimed Subhah “The important guest is coming, and we still don’t have the brooms!”

“I have an idea!” said Niley “This thing dangling from our butts resembles a mop. We can dip it in water and start scrubbing the floor. Subhah, you make the treats and sweets, and I’ll scrub the floor!”

They set in action. The floor was sparkling clean and the treats were nicely arranged on the table.

The doorbell rang, and Niley scurried to open the door.

It was Madame Louisa, the one who ran the “ball shop” in town.

“Madame Louisa!” exclaimed Niley “What’re you doin’ here? I thought you were running your ball shop!”

“This is the important person!” Mirana laughed “She has a variety of balls! Go on, pick one! My present!”

“Yay!” exclaimed Subhah and Niley in joy, delighted at this unexpected gift.

“What’s that dangling from your butt?!” gaped Mirana

“Oh yeah...heh, heh, heh!” said Subhah. Then rapidly speaking, he told the whole incident, speeding up the part where they made a spell, so fast, that Mirana couldn’t understand a word.

“How on earth are you so foolish, as to look at a spell, and do a completely different spell, without realising?” said Mirana, not knowing whether to laugh or yell.

But what do you expect from foolish donkeys? Foolishness!