The Process of the Donkeys Shadow
book — Switzerland — 1954

9
I rarely divide my description of a single book in two parts, especially if this book consists of only two plays. But this will be the case, for this is the only way I can praise the Donkey`s Shadow as much as I intend to, and as much as it deserves. The whole situation is, of course, a bit of a paradox - when Struthion, a dentist (of the day of the ancient Greece), needs to go to the neighboring town to pay a visit to his client, he loans a donkey from a donkey-owner named Anthrax(who owns just this one donkey), and the owner joins him on the trip (for he`s got only one donkey and can`t do anything without the donkey). But the dentist is sensitive to the heat and while on the trip he wants to rest in the shade of donkey`s shadow. But the owner says - you only paid for riding the donkey, for using the shade you must pay me extra. So they end up in a court. Lawyers promise both of them impressive amounts of money for the victory but ask for a fair share for themselves as well. To pay the lawyers Struthion loses his praxis, while Anthrax sells his house, wife and daughter. Everyone in the town gets bribed, and radical "pro-donkey" and "contra-donkey" parties arise in the town, ending everything with a fire that burns the city down. And after that everyone wants to kill the donkey, as if the poor creature was responsible for their own stupidity. The ideas, the language, the situations - it`s all just so perfect that I can say nothing more than that it`s marvelous.
2004-12-03
comments powered by Disqus