Their trunks, a continuation of their
nostrils, serve both for breathing and holding. It is, as it were,
an extremely sensitive and powerful hand."
"Great goodness me," cried Mother Etienne; "imagine having a hand
at the end of your nose! Would it have a glove on it and rings on
its fingers?"
All sorts of ridiculous ideas like that came into her head. The
little beaver, who builds his houses all along the Canadian
streams, appeared trowel in hand, mortar-board on his head, and
Mother Etienne felt most anxious to have his valuable assistance
in repairing her barns and mills. Dear little marabout, how useful
you would be in the village, sweeping the streets, cleaning up the
refuse, advance-guard of the street-cleaner with his, "Now then,
everything into the gutter."
"The antelopes are very silly, coquettish creatures to wear such
long boas round their necks in this warm country. But, after all,
perhaps they are wise enough, for they have chosen a kind which,
unlike our make of furs, is cold to the touch."
Yollande, in her role of trainer, went on and on like a brook.
"Here, now, is a dromedary. He has a hump on his back, a fatty
exerescence which enables him to bear much fatigue, without eating
or drinking for several days. It is owing to this fat, rather like
a box of provisions on his back, that he can traverse hot and
sandy deserts where it would be difficult to find a single blade
of grass to eat."
Then through the farm bedroom passed long caravans of camels, led
by carnival Arabs, their humps changed into gigantic larders in
which rattled all sorts of canned things.
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