Wow, thought Blurtso, that was quite a night last night. It was really crowded at the club. I probably shouldn’t have danced on the table, or swung from the chandelier. But I was so happy when the Nachos arrived.

              Ay qué lío, m'he perdido pues,

              ay qué lío, lío lío, m'he perdido pues,

              m'he perdido, ay qué lío pues,

              ay qué lío, lío lío lío, lío lío lío pues.

 

              Muy buenas burro burrito,

              ay qué lío, lío lío lío, lío lío lío pues.

              

               Ay burro burrito, ven conmigo,

               ven conmigo pues,

               vamos a fomentar un momento,

               momento de movimiento, 

               movimiento de momento pues.

               Ay qué lío, m'he perdido pues,

               ay qué lío, lío lío, m'he perdido pues,

               m'he perdido ay qué lío pues,

               ay qué lío, lío lío lío, lío lío lío pues.

                Amigo Ernesto lo siento sí, lo siento sí sincero,

                pero ya me voy ya, ya me voy ya mero mero,

                en cuanto encuentre el sendero,

                ya me voy, ya mismito ya mero mero.

                Adiós burro burrito, vete a encontrar

                a tu amigo que es tu amigo,

                vete a encontrar a tu amigo pues,

                pero vuelve cuando listo estés

                a fomentar un momento,

                momento de movimiento,

                movimiento de momento pues.

                Ay qué lío, m'he perdido pues,

                ay qué lío, lío lío, m'he perdido pues,

                m'he perdido ay qué lío pues,

                ay qué lío, lío lío lío, lío lío lío pues.

Wow, thought Blurtso, that was quite a night last night. I haven’t danced that much since I wrote my rap song. I love Latin dances, especially the ones named after food. I wonder where Pablo wandered off to?

      Hmmm, thought Blurtso, would you look at that.

 


I wonder if the sand is hot? It sure looks hot. I wonder if Pablo is finished shopping? I’ll bet he’s shopping for Bonny Bray. I like Bonny. She has a nice voice, and she’s very fond of Pablo. I’m glad he found her. That sand looks hot. I’ll bet it’s hotter than yesterday.

       Hmmm, thought Blurtso, would you look at that.

I wonder if the sand is hot? It was warm three hours ago. The breeze is nice. It feels good on my ears. It’s hard to hear over the waves. I can see Pablo talking with the parasailing people, but I can’t hear a word he’s saying. I wonder if he’s going for a ride? I wonder if I should have another pumpkin-colada? The first one was excellent. And the second and third ones were even better. I wonder if I should call for the waiter? Wow! There goes Pablo! He’s really soaring! I hope he’s strapped in. I wonder what it’s like up there? I wonder if he can see me? I wonder if he can see the waiter? Maybe he can get the waiter’s attention. He seems to be waving his hoofs quite wildly. He must be signaling the waiter. What a good friend. My pumpkin-colada will be here soon.

Clippety clop, clippety clop, clippety clop went Blurtso on his happy little hoofs as he started up the hill. The stones in the road were rough and uneven, but Blurtso hardly noticed as he skipped along his way. Clippety clop, clippety clop, clippety... clop... clippety... clop... clippety... clippety... clop... clop... clop... clop... clop... as the hill grew steeper Blurtso could feel the pull in his haunches and the pull in his shoulders and the setting sun made an orange glow on the inside of his ears. Clop clop clop clop clop... whew! thought Blurtso as he looked at the darkening road in front of him. The uneven stones cast small shadows, and Blurtso cast a big shadow that made his legs look long and slender. When the sun was gone he saw a light ahead.

As he continued up the hill the pounding in his temples and chest became louder and louder, and a deep puffing came from his lungs. When he reached the light he found it was the light from a store. He paused to catch his breath and let the breeze cool the sweat on his back and sides, then he peeked in. He saw a man drinking a drink, and another man sitting on a stool. Just then a mule clippety clopped to where Blurtso was standing and stopped to let its riders dismount. Burtso was astonished that the animal was not panting and gave off no scent of sweat. The man and woman who were riding the mule entered the shop, and for a moment they could not be seen. Then Blurtso saw them at the counter with a bag of potatoes, and the man on the stool rose to attend them. Blurtso heard the voices, and there appeared to be a problem. The coins the couple had placed on the counter were not sufficient to pay for the potatoes. There was a pause as the man and the woman and the shopkeeper stared at the coins, then stared at the potatoes, then stared at the coins. They stood a long time in silence, until the man who had been drinking reached out and placed additional coins on the table. The figures who had been frozen broke into life and began to chatter and nod to the stranger. The man and the woman took their potatoes and said good night to the shopkeeper and stranger. Blurtso felt the excitement of the couple as they stood next to him, tying their potatoes to the back of their mule, but instead of mounting the animal as Blurtso expected, the couple stood and waited. When the man who had supplied the coins emerged from the shop, the man and the woman who were waiting nodded and said, "Gracias." The man smiled and nodded back, then stepped into the road and started up the hill. The couple watched him for a moment, then mounted their mule and started down the hill.

Blurtso waited until he could no longer see the people or the mule. And while he waited, he looked at the lights in the valley below.

The breeze rising off the bay is quite pleasant in the evening.

Hmm, thought Blurtso, I guess they ran out of seats in 1st Class.

Following the lead of Millet, said the professor, Van Gogh painted the struggles of the peasant class…

           “BlurtZo de la brava espada” (III) 

 
  

            Sleeping by day and traveling by night,
 BlurtZo made his way north through Castilla La Mancha.

        Wow! thought Blurtso. That first lap is a doozy!

You can identify an Impressionist painting, said the professor, by visible brush strokes, emphasis on light, and attention to movement as a critical element of human experience…

                    “BlurtZo disappears in the crowd”

Blurtseau L’un’d’if, Renaissance donkey and corsaire extraordinaire, unable to bear his separation from the lovely Blurtsoiselle, has decided to leave his ship to the trustworthy hoofs of his faithful first mate, Pableau le Jardinier, and attempt to enter France through Spain. To confound the spies sent in search of him, Blurtseau, disembarking at the harbor of Seville, has changed his appellation and apparel, and donned the disguise of:

               “BlurtZo de la brava espada”

“The first time…” sang Bonny, “ever I saw your nose… I thought the sun... rose on your ears… and the moon and the stars… were the crown you placed… on the green… and the tasty fields… my love… on the green… and the tasty fields…”

“The first time… ever I grazed with you… I felt the earth… move beneath my hoofs… like the trembling heart… deep inside of me… and I knew… you could understand… my love… I knew… you could understand…”

“The first time… ever I napped with you… and heard your snore… harmonize with mine… I felt our song… would fill the farms… and bray... ‘til the end of time… my love… and bray… ‘til the end of time… The first time… ever I saw… your nose… your nose… your nose… your nose…”

            Hmmm, thought Blurtso, would you look at that.

 

I wonder how long it will snow? Donkeys are desert animals. We shouldn’t like the snow. But the houses and streets and yards look like dunes in the waning light. And the snow-covered cars look like donkeys, quickening their pace, at the end of a journey home.