The original take to the Land of Toys mixes the aspects of a morality tale with those of social critique. Children (depending upon the translation of the original Italian, the novel has included both boys and girls or only boys) are lured there by the promise of never having to go to school again and being able to spend their whole time having fun. In the novel, the ages of the children that are there are defined clearly as between the years eight to fourteen. Children there play hide-and-seek, whistle, watch puppet shows, play shuttlecock, bounce on balls, trundle hoops and ride wooden horses, dress as characters, eat candy all day, and put on plays. They never have to do any work or learn anything, and the graffiti on all the walls is proof of that. Finally, after months of reckless abandonment, the true purpose of the land is revealed. As a result of their immodest behavior and ignorance, and what is treated almost as a natural consequence, they become donkeys (in Italian culture, the donkey is symbolic of ignorance, stupidity, goofiness and labor).
The transformation is not instantaneous, but usually happens in the span of a single day. First the children's ears sprout out into those of a donkey. This first change seems to be an early symptom, for it is always several hours before the complete asinine change begins. Then, in a process which the book seems to describe as painful, the children are forced to the ground in a bipedal stance, unable to stand upright any longer. It is at this point of animalistic behavior that the children's minds seem to transform into that of unthinking beasts; they begin to lose speech and run around chaotically, braying, kicking and violently ripping off their human clothes until naked and fully transformed, usually in such a violent manner as to seem crazed. However, a piece of their human minds seems to remain in the fact that they are aware that they are being humiliated. Then, as they lash out in asinine instincts, children's hands and feet become hooves, their faces transform into equine muzzles, and they grow hair all over their bodies. The last thing that happens to them is the growth of donkey tails; this is considered the most humiliating segment of the transformation in the fact that it signals their absolute and irreversible transformation into donkeys.
Love the edits! The donkey ears and the change on pinocchio's face is superb! Well done! I'm loving how this week is turning out.