4

2.

The Asses of Fortune

hus temperd in the forge of experiences both sweet and sour, the three goodie brethren did make on in commerse, and grew their statures among the merchanteers.

Yea, by word of humen tongue their stores were knewn, and in legends sung by bards whom they commisiend.  More like than no, travelers of the far theatres went they fixt with some or other of 3B outfittance, for that it were easy to get and good as any.  And requisitiens for their stuffs came in from afield and from the vast deepf of space.  And the eyes of the mudstraw brickyard bosses were immense in amazoment at the expanse of the mansien that the three brothers did conspire to bring into the world, with chambers for mastodons, and corridors for bats, and other such facilities as clever moguls do conceive.

            And it came to pass in due course of bizniss that a requizitien for asses came by pigeon outen the city of intensity, callt Sodom by those with the steel of tongue to capture it in a word.  And  the brothers said, Let us procure from among the tribes an thousands assdonkies and drive them forth unto Sodom.  And they ran a raft of gloss baubles out amongst the asstrading tribes and hoodoo-ed them outen their droves, receiving beasts for mere baubles; yet, they mutterd & complain-ed at the cost, saying, These tribesmen in their greed will make paupers again of us.  And miserably regarded they the chiefs & assers who deliverd unto them those beasts; and grudgenly handed they over the baubles.

            And they gatherd forth an thousands asses ashimmer with flys and setted out for Sodom in a bedlam of braying, retaining in their serviss Leprus the Guide.  For they knew not that Leprus were but a simpol son of city Gui, neither such guide as leadeth on & pointeth out ways.  Of course, Leprus made to explane him self unto the Brothers when first they, upon some humoryst’s quirk referrol, approacht unto him in their brashest mercantyle manner.  But they, hearkening not unto the incredulis protestatien that Leprus purveyd, said unto him, Thou art coming with us, Master Guide.  And Borhotchus taken & deliverd him unconchis with his hellhammer, saying, This guide but hedgeth with us for accessiens in silver, and hath in stead reap-ed the harder metol of an hammer.  When that he doth awake in a cage out there in the wilderness, and embarketh upon a course of right reflecsien, then will he praise Fortune for being spare’d atall. 

            For we are—The Brothers.

            Moreover, unto an little missus girlchild which was there agape as witness of the hellhammering visited down upon Lepris, Borhotchus did turn and threat, saying, Gae on home, ere next thou be!  And he swang he up his hammer to strike alarm, but striken in stead his very own brow, upon that prominence o’erhanging his eye, which strike hurten him keen deepf.  And the chyld smote his other eye with an wolfpacksplitter missile from her wolfing arsenol, and fled.  And this likewise hurten the brother keen deepf, tho which hurteth the keener he cud not say.  For he was A Brother, neither given to lamentasiens of his ailings, nor to respecting of them by degree.