Bennie came into the stall and walked around Carl. "Oh, man! You are a real freak!"
"You don't even look like yourself at all!" Carl complained. "How do I know you're even Bennie?"
The kid looked into a water bucket and grinned at the goofy features. "I don't think I am anymore." Then he came back over to Carl, who was having to lean on the stall wall to keep upright. "That's no good. You can't walk or even stand like that. And we sure can't get any work out of you."
"Work?" Carl shouted. "Are you crazy? We got to get out of here! I'm turning into some sort of donkey, and you're probably a stableboy!"
"Not probably." Bennie grinned and reached up to rub one of Carl's elongating ears. Carl blinked - that felt so good! "I think I know exactly what to do here." He dropped his hands to cup Carl's face in his palms and rubbed, sliding fingers up the sides of his face and over his mouth, then explored Carl's nostrils. Everywhere the homely boy touched felt warm and good, and contentment started to build. But the caress of Bennie's hands was lasting longer with each stroke, and Carl realized that a mass was starting to form between his eyes. A muzzle! He yanked back suddenly, eyes wide, but the warmth lasted even after Bennie stepped back with a grin.
He made his way to the bucket, but had to turn his head sideways to see what was happening. As the warmth faded, Carl's head completed the change to that of a donkey! The last to change were his eyes, which enlarged and became liquid brown with rectangular irises. His vision blurred and distorted, probably normal for a jackass.
Bennie chuckled. "Not much left to go. Come on, buddy. Let me finish you up and I can give you a nice carrot."