The sun was setting. Penny knew her fate was sealed. And although she had already recovered and stood up, Mr. Nielsen had made a decision and had tied a rope on Penny's neck.
With a feeling of dread, Penny would go back to Pleasure Island that night. The Coachwoman would be furious when the Nielsens returned her and demanded their money back. That woman would take her anger out on Penny. What would the Coachwoman do to her now?
"I'm going to miss you. Penny." Molly said. The daughter of Mr. Nielsen had put Molly in front of little Penny to bid her goodbye.
"I hope at least one of us finds a way to be human again," Penny said.
"Well... I must tell you that actually I liked what I did today on this farm." Molly said somewhat embarrassed.
"What?"
"What I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't mind so much staying here... on this body."
"Molly!"
"Don't get me wrong. Of course I want to be human again. But it's not so bad being an ass. It seems I can get used to this."
Molly's words surprised Penny.
"Today I've enjoyed many things," continued Molly. "Being outside wearing nothing but reins, eating grass and hay, having owners, ... working felt good." Surely hearing that ode to donkeys, the Coachwoman would be proud of what she did to Molly. The things that made a donkey happy now made Molly happy. Penny wanted to cry in frustration.
"For now I belong to Mr. Nielsen, and I'm a donkey. Is there something wrong with accepting reality?," Molly continued.
"Maybe Molly borned to be a dumb ass," Penny thought.
"Come here, donkey". Mr. Nielsen took Penny's rope and led her out of the farm and toward the town.
They walked for hours. It was already night when they began to have difficulty seeing the road despite the fact that Mr. Nielsen lit his oil lamp. Everything was silent except for the sound of Penny's hooves and that bothered her. Each clomp of her hooves from her was an unwelcome reminder of their lost humanity from her, and every speck of dust and dirt that touched her belly from her was a reminder of her lack of clothing from her.
They arrived at the town and then at the pier where the Coachwoman was selling her young donkeys. Mr. Nielsen saw the woman from afar, he had arrived on time as the Coachwoman was about to leave. Her workers were collecting the empty wooden crates from the dock and loading them onto the ship.
Penny's heart was pounding in terror. She was trembling as they approached the Coachwoman.
"Mr. Nielsen!" The Coachwoman shouted in surprise. Her lips set in a hard line as she recognized them. Her eyes bulged wider as she glared first at Penny and then at the farmer Nielsen. "Something wrong with your donkey?"
"She's a lazy worthless ass, that's what's wrong!" snapped Mr. Nielsen. Penny's insides were churning as the Coachwoman grabbed the rope from the farmer's hand. Jerking Penny hard, the woman hauled Penny to a crate and forced her inside. Then she slammed the door and locked it.
"Now tell me what the problem is," the Coachwoman said.
Penny paced back and forth in the crate as Mr. Nielsen explained Penny's behavour to the woman. "Brays like an idiot" or "anarquist mule" were some of the occasional burst from the farmer.
Her only hope was that the Coachwoman would refuse to take her back and she could return to the farm. If that happens, I'll never ever bray again, she promised herself. I'll be the best donkey in the world. I'll work all day, and load all the sacks of flour they want, and be mounted if it's necessary, and --the sudden sound of lots of coins falling into Mr. Nielsen's hand shut broke into her thoughts.
"Sorry you got a lazy donkey, Mr. Nielsen. That happens sometimes. I would give you another jenny but today they ran out." The Coachwoman called out with a hearty laugh. "I know you're a long-time customer and I'd be sorry to lose you. So come back next week and I'll sell you a donkey for 50% off. How about that?"
"Well... I'll think about it. I still need another donkey. Good night."
Penny saw in terror how Mr. Nielsen walked away. "HEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAW!" She let out a sad and sharp bray.
The Coachwoman headed toward her. An evil grin spread across her face. "So . . . you couldn't handle it, huh?" the Coachwoman asked. "Well, well just have to do something about that, now, won't we, Penny?"
"Let me out of here!" Penny cried. "You can't keep me here! I'm a girl, not a donkey! And my parents are looking for me. And the police. And if you don't let me out of here, they're going to catch you. And put you in jail"
"You can bray your head off, as far as I'm concerned," the Coachwoman said. "It won't do you any good. No one can understand a word you're trying to say. But you already know that, don't you?"
The woman laughed. It sent chills down Penny's spine. It made the fur rise on her back. Penny backed as far as she could into the corner of her crate. She wished she could disappear.
The crate moved, a worker had risen Penny's crate to load it on the ship. "I think I have to talk seriously to you," the Coachwoman said with a sinister laugh. Penny's heart stopped.
On the ship, the Coachwoman ordered to put the crate on the deck and opened it. Penny barely poked her head out of the crate and glanced fearfully into the deck, it was full of empty wooden crates and sacks of hay.
"I'll bet you'd like for me to turn you back into a girl, wouldn't you, Penny?" the Coachwoman asked in a sweet voice.
Penny jumped raising her front legs, swaying her tail furiously and cried. "Oh, yes! Yes, please! Oh, please let me be a girl again! I'll never tell anyone what happened. I promise. Just let me be a girl again!" But the woman only heard "Hee-haw! Hee-haw!" coming out of her mouth.
The Coachwoman closed one eye. She had an amused look on her face. "Of course, we both know I couldn't do that, don't we?" she said.
"Yes, you could! You could!" Penny whined and gave her a pleading look.
"You made an ass out of yourself and you turned into one, missy. It's not my fault. You were a naughty little girl." The Coachwoman chuckled softly.
"No! No! I'm not naughty! I fell in with a group of friends who were a bad influence on me. They tricked me to go to Pleasure Island. I'm not an ass like them!" Penny raced around her crate in circles crying.
"It doesn't do you any good to bray at me that way. Even I can't understand a word you're saying."
"Let me out of here! I want to go home! I want to see my mommy!"
"I suppose there's just one thing to do. Since nobody wants you... I'm going to have to tear off your soft hide and sell it."
Penny watched in horror as the Coachwoman pulled out a dagger. Penny couldn't believe what was happening. She really was going to be slaughtered for her hide.
"Well, Penny jenny, just relax and be a good jenny. There's nothing you can do," the woman said smiling.
Fear clogged her throat choking off her breath. Penny shrank as far back as she could in the crate, but the woman's hand shot inside and grabbed her rope.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW, HAWWWWW!" A deep braying rose in Penny's throat. She planted herself firmly, bracing herself against the pull. The Coachwoman jerked hard on the rope but couldn't budge Penny.
"Stupid ass!" the woman snarled angrily. "I'm trying to make this as easy on you as I can." Penny brayed louder curling up her upper lip and showing her big front teeth. Her mind was spinning as the Coachwoman's hand pulled at her.
"Come out of there!" the Coachwoman commanded. Penny sank her teeth into the woman's arm as hard as she could.
"Arghhhh!" the Coachwoman screamed. She held on, dangling from her arm as she yanked it out of the crate.
Then, Penny came out of the crate and ran across the deck to jump into the sea. Penny could hear the Coachwoman's cursing behind her.
"Stop that bloody jackass!, the Coachwoman ordered to her workers. "I'll teach her to bite me!"
Penny made a sprint toward the ocean. Suddenly a big man shot out above her and she went crashing into his legs. "Don't think you can escape, you stupid beast of burden," the man said standing over her.
"You can't get away from me, donkey," the Coachwoman said approaching Penny. She held the dagger in one hand. Blood ran down the other and dripped from her fingertips onto the floor.
But before that man could grab her, Penny quickly slipped away from him startling the man. The wheat flour that was still on her fur after falling on the floor of the mill made her more slippery and difficult to grab. Not to mention that her small size helped her.
"What the... ?" The Coachwoman said surprised. "Stupid! Grab her by the rope!"
The chase began. The big man and another two tried to lung at Penny, but failed. Gathering her strength and scampering across the deck, Penny managed not to get caught. The Coachwoman let out a cry of anger.
"You idiots!" The Coachwoman shouted hysterically. "She's going to escape!"
"Hurry! Hurry!" Penny screamed inside her head. Then she managed to climb over the rail of the ship placing her front legs on it.
"Don't think you can outsmart me, dumb ass!," the Coachwoman screamed. "I'll catch you!"
Penny gulped and looked down into the water below. She jumped off the ship and dived in the water.