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6. The City of Beasts
Thegentlemen-donkeysworehighpointedcapssetbetweentheirgreatears,andthelady-donkeysworesunbonnetswithholescutinthetopfortheearstostickthrough.Buttheyhadnootherclothingexcepttheirhairyskins,althoughmanyworegoldandsilverbanglesontheirfrontwristsandbandsofdifferentmetalsontheirrearankles.Whentheywerekickingtheyhadbracedthemselveswiththeirfrontlegs,butnowtheyallstoodorsatuprightontheirhindlegsandusedthefrontonesasarms.Havingnofingersorhandsthebeastswereratherclumsy,asyoumayguess;butDorothywassurprisedtoobservehowmanythingstheycoulddowiththeirstiff,heavyhoofs.
Someofthedonkeyswerewhite,somewerebrown,orgray,orblack,orspotted;buttheirhairwassleekandsmoothandtheirbroadcollarsandcapsgavethemaneat,ifwhimsical,appearance.
"Thisisanicewaytowelcomevisitors,Imustsay!"remarkedtheshaggyman,inareproachfultone.
"Oh,wedidnotmeantobeimpolite,"repliedagreydonkeywhichhadnotspokenbefore."Butyouwerenotexpected,nordidyousendinyourvisitingcards,asitispropertodo."
"Thereissometruthinthat,"admittedtheshaggyman;"but,nowyouareinformedthatweareimportantanddistinguishedtravelers,Itrustyouwillaccordusproperconsideration."
Thesebigwordsdelightedthedonkeys,andmadethembowtotheshaggymanwithgreatrespect.Saidthegreyone:
"YoushallbetakenbeforehisgreatandgloriousMajestyKingKik-a-bray,whowillgreetyouasbecomesyourexaltedstations."
"That’sright,"answeredDorothy
