"There, I think you will do now," said Mr. Mugg, as he tightly bound
some bandages on the Donkey's leg. "When it gets dry I will paint it
over and it will look as good as new."
The mended Donkey was set aside on a shelf by himself, and not among the
toys that were for sale. All day and all night long he remained there.
He was feeling too upset and in too much pain to be lonesome. All he
wished for was to be better.
In the morning he was almost himself again. Mr. Mugg came, and, finding
the glue hard and dry, took off the bandages. Then with his knife he
scraped away little hard pieces of glue that had dried on the outside,
and the toy man also cut away some splinters of new wood that stuck
out.
"Now to paint your leg, and you will be finished," said Mr. Mugg.
The smell of the paint and varnish, as it was put on him, made the
Nodding Donkey think of when he had first come to life in the workshop
of Santa Claus. He was feeling quite young and happy again.
"There you are!" cried Mr. Mugg, as he once more set the Donkey on the
shelf for the paint and varnish to dry. And this time the Donkey was
allowed to be among the other toys, though he was not for sale.
That night in the store, when all was quiet and still, the Nodding
Donkey shook his head and spoke to the China Cat, who was not far away.
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