Jeff's gaze switched between the new donkeys and Madame Illusia, his mouth wide open.
"Listen, boy, now do you believe in my powers?" she repeated.
Jeff babbled. His mouth struggled to form the words that he knew he wanted to say. Finally, after his breathing slowed down and he had stopped shaking so much, he said in a hoarse whisper...
"Never thought you'd turn them into jackasses. Not fair to them. This close to Christmas an' all. I don't want them to be donkeys."
"What?" cried the Madame, her eyes blazing. "I've used my energies to change these miserable louts into useful draught animals and you, snivelling child, dare to say that you never meant what you said in the first place?"
Jeff started shaking violently again as the Madame continued her tirade.
"So many young girls will be protected from the attentions of these spotty youths now that they can make no noise other than bray. So many more farmers will find them useful now they will actually do a hard day's work for a few pails of scraps. And eventually, so much money and work will be saved for whoever would have had to keep those useless males into old age, now that their carcases can be shipped for glue and dogfood as soon as they start to slow down.
"But in one way, you're right. It is Christmas. Perhaps donkeys were not the best choice."