Annetta woke up early the next morning. her head aching, body weak with fatigue from transformation and throat begging for water. Even though she had a full night`s sleep she was exhausted. She had never been in so much pain in her entire life. The sun was just lighting the crate and Annetta could see the other donkeys
The discomfort by being stuffed in a crate was not matched to the discomfort of not wearing any clothes. She felt a breeze where she really shouldn`t feel a breeze.
Annetta heard the loud noise of a horn. She and the other donkeys were on a boat. What if they were on a boat to America? Annetta had heard of many people wishing to go to "The New World "for a better life or riches. There was no way she would leave Italy, the only home she ever knew .Although, she considered going to America, just once, to see the shops and grand cities the people who wrote letters back to Italy bragged about. After all, Annetta had her whole life ahead of her and she was only 13 years old. But all of that was taken away last night when she lost her humanity, possible forever.
The rest of the ride to the main land was cold, silent and boring. The jennets finally lifted the crates off the boat as twilight came. The ogres led Annetta and the other donkeys to a pen. Annetta was glad that she had some space to run around. She walked out of the pen in curiosity.
The pen was surprisingly clean and spacious. In fact it could have held another fair 75 jennies with plenty of walking space.
Then Annetta could see people coming. "People are coming to buy us." She sighed
People began to mob the donkeys, the Coachwoman standing at it all, naming prices to for the donkeys."20 liras each, signora. … Well what do you expect? These are purebred donkeys!"
Annetta snorted at that. In no way was she or the other girls a "purebred "donkey. They were girls, humans, a completely different species. Though, their outwards appearance many give off to many people that they are donkeys, Annetta vowed she would stay a human in mind. She would stay like that so she when she found her way out of this mess, she`d wouldn`t wish to be donkey. Although she doubted she would ever want to stay a donkey forever.
As they were being sold, the former girls begged for mercy. But all of their pleas were censored by that hated donkey bray. Their new owners were blissfully unaware of what the vile Coachwoman was selling them. Annetta wished they knew, because maybe, just maybe, this all could have been prevented.
At last people began to clear out of the pen. The jennies were sold like ricotta hotcakes. The Coachwoman greedily counted her money, the profit she made over a cruel trick.
Annetta and few others were all that remained of the once human group from Pleasure Island. Then a woman, clad in a fancy red velvet coat and a top hat, appeared. "I`m looking to buy a fine donkey for my circus”.
“You came to the right place” the Coachwoman said slipping her newly earned money inside her coat "I gotta a nice jennet right here" the Coachwoman pointed to Annetta. “I have brought this beautiful specimen from Constantinople”, the Coachwoman lied.
"How much should I be paying you? "The circus owner said taking out her check book.
"No checks, please. That will be 80 liras . "
The woman pulled out enough coins , and handed Annette to the glove-cover palm of the evil Coachwoman . And the deal was sealed.
Annette was once again put into a crate and loaded onto a wagon .
Annetta anxiously looked outside of the wooden crate . Italian vineyards past her and she sighed a sigh of relief . She was still home though she looked different . It felt nice to come back to a world she left behind , the world she was born into .
Annetta had finally made it to the red –striped, savory aroma, and somewhat pleasant Circus. It may have seemed pleasant, but Annetta was bothered by this. She looked around from the walls of the crate, her prison.
Fire eaters, jugglers, clowns, and even the puppeteers lined the dirt roads of the circus. The owner was also the ringleader of the circus. The wagon stopped at the barn, a rutty old building with a corral. Grabbing the crate, the circus owner kicked the gate of the pen with her fine leather boot. She walked into the barn with pride of her purchases. “This fine little jennet would bring crowds to gaze at her tricks. But first the new performer needed to be properly trained.” She thought.
"Here you go … "the owner said opening the door of the crate. She was the owner and ringleader of the circus, grabbed some carrots for her satchel. "Come and get `em!"
Annette didn’t budge. She was all scared stiff of this strange new "home".
After ten minutes of waiting the ringleader in anger and frustration dumped the crate completely upside down. The donkey came tumbling out, shivering in fear.
"Pathetic ass …" The ringleader said under her breath. "Training should do her some good, she`ll learn who`s the better." And with that, the ringleader left, leaving her new performer with the other animals of the circus.
Annetta gazed around. She noticed for once the animals. There were other donkeys, horses, pigs, goats, sheep, and even a duck. Each one of the animal eyes starred at her.
After a while of awkward silence, Annetta began to speak. "Ciao!'
An older donkey, grey and muscular stated back. "Hello yourself. Welcome to Circo deli Fratelli Lorenzo. What ‘s your name?"
"I`m Annetta, "Annetta brayed.
"Annetta?" One of the horses said. "I heard that you came from Turkey, the horses from there are fed with delicious crocus and caraway. Did your previous owner give that? "
Annetta shook her head. "No, I’m from here, from Tuscany. And I didn`t have a previous owner, I`m a girl. Or, at least I was. "
The whole barn shook in laughter and Annetta felt blood rush to her face. She knew she shouldn`t of said that, no one would of believed her."I really am," she brayed quietly.
"Ha ha! You're as much as a human as I`m a man. "One horse said.
Annetta noticed that there was only one animal who wasn`t laughing. "I believe her " she brayed.
"You do? " Gabriella brayed.
"Yes", she said. " It`s possibly that she could be a human girl. "
A horse approached the brave donkey. "Stella, we all knew you were crazy when you got here, but this is unbelievable."
She turned her head as the horse got up close. "Anything is possible. Why don`t you believe me Marco? "
"Your insane, that`s why."
Stella gave Marco an evil glare. "Come on, I`ll show you around. " Stella brayed leading Annette out the door of the barn.
"We`ll this is our little patch of Italy, "She sighed. " This is also the area for the petting zoo. La Signorina Lorenzo feeds us at 6 o`clock every night , and depending on how much you proved yourself is how much she actually gives you."
Annetta looked at the dirt ground and looked for the tiniest bit of hay or grass, anything that she could eat. She found none.
"What are your name? " Stella brayed. "
Stella paused and met eye to eye with the largest female donkey of the circus. "Gabriella", she replied almost instantly.
Annetta walked over to Stella. "Why did you believe me that I use to be a human? "
“Because I was a human girl as you. I went to Pleasure Island many years ago and I was turned into a donkey. I presume that`s everything I suffered happened to you. "
Annetta nodded.
"It`s sad that we gave up our chances to be girls by acting like asses. We were selfish and hard-headed and that`s the trigger to the transformation. I think that one day we`ll learn our lesson. But be a donkey is not too bad. In the first 3 months you get used to it, except for the tick bites and the flies flying close to your butt, you should learn how to use your tail to swat them. "
Annetta didn`t like to be corrected by a girl, but Stella was right.
Stella smiled. ". It`ll be a miracle when you learn your lesson. It`s always a miracle when a bad girl turns good. Unfortunately, I have worked as a donkey in this circus so many years that I don’t remember how to be a human. Every day I get up, I feel more donkey than before. I didn`t get the chance to regain my humanity"
"Being a circus donkey is something I fear, Stella. I`m scared of what`s gonna happen to me during training. "Annetta brayed.
"It isn`t all bad Annetta ..." Stella tried to say.
Glancing up Annetta saw that the clouds were about to burst with rain. Looking a Stella she ran back into the barn as the rain began to pelt.
Annetta`s eyes light up. "Stella, do you know where the bathroom is? "
"Sure, you even got a choice. The hay in the barn or the dirt outside. "
Annetta didn`t find that funny. "No seriously. Where is the bathroom? "
Stella looked down at Annetta. "You’re standing on it, girl. "
Annetta looked around. "You mean that the ground is the only bathroom?"
Gabriella nodded." You are a donkey, and donkeys don`t use chamber pots. "
"But … but ... "Annetta stuttered. " I don`t want to go in plain sight! That`s creepy!"
"Lass, were animals. Animals don`t wear clothes so it`s fine. "Gabriella reassured.
Annetta still wasn`t okay with going in plain sight, so she hid behind barrel.
Gabriella was also a human girl transformed into a donkey many years before Stella. Stella was still a young jenny, but Gabriella was now an old donkey. But she seemed to take her donkey life better than any of the others. She was fine with any of the things that a donkey did, like second nature.
Annetta was a bit more tense with everything and was humiliated by the thought that she wasn`t wear any clothes and had to go to the bathroom in plain sight.
At the next day, the ringleader came in and approached Annette. She smiled wickedly "You will make lots of money for me!"
Annette was frightened and started to walk away slowly. "Come here , pathetic ass !" The ringleader said pulling Annette’s ears to bring the poor jenny closer. The owner then slipped a harness on the donkey and tied the rope that was attached to it to on her wrist.
The ringleader had tied Annette to ropes and harness she was in her grasp. In her hand she led Annetta, Stella and Gabriella. She brought her prized pets to the big top , where they were to begin their training . This would take 3 months to do, but today was a start.
Annetta, Gabriella and Stella reached the big top. It was training day one of a long process for Annette. Gabriella and Stella had been trained for years, so they already knew some tricks. But it could take months for Annetta to learn her tricks and perfect them. It was exhausting and painful, her body was weak with whippings and performing again and again stupid tricks. They expected her to waltz and jump through hoops like she was human. And whenever Annetta did something wrong she was whipped with a long lasso. The places where she was whipped still pained as she walked , and she felt like she was going to collapse with fatigue .
The days seemed to flash by like lighting . Days and days of training , whipping , eating hay , and yearning to be home . Annette was becoming quite the performer. She could stand on her two hind legs and walk around , waltz a bit , and she was perfecting some of the many other tricks . She enjoyed when her master rewarded her for doing good at a practice , so she tried her hardest at all the tricks.
Annetta liked her surroundings , there was always a surprise at every corner . Funny clowns , sword jugglers , acrobats that could turn themselves into contortions were just a few of the people who Annetta saw on a day-to -day basis . Happy children who Annetta knew played hooky from school. They feasted on popcorn , fairy floss , peanuts and ice cream.
Annetta missed the taste of human food and she longed for it . Hay was okay , but nothing compared to the taste of popcorn , pasta , and pizza .
It was early October when Annetta found the opportunity to have some human food . She was in her yard , which was a petting zoo . Little kids swarmed the pen , hugging animals and chasing them around . Annetta didn`t like being patted , not one bit . She felt nothing more than an animal , a mere animal . It reminded her of what she lost .
Annetta was near the fence where a little girl was eating her ice cream . Strawberry gloop smudged her face and dress . She sat on the fence, looking for the best way to attack the melting ice cream.
Annetta got an idea . She was usually the kind of girl who lived by the moment and her plans never really where that big . Ideas simply came and she followed them . This was the most genius idea she ever had!
She started her action by walking up to the little girl . She squealed with delight that a donkey was close to her . Annetta launched the plan and started to nuzzle the little girl . Strawberry flavor was just seconds away from being her ! "Daddy !" She called hugging Annetta`s muzzle . "The donkey likes me!" She giggled one more time as Annetta stretched out her head to grab the cone . She was alarmed by this and shrieked , but the donkey was too quick . She had stolen her ice cream !