Read Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley for Free Online Page B

see how the Queen of the Parade takes on her role of crowning so young a king.”
    â€œProbably,” Drew explained to Molly, “if you had been a few years older, we would have nominated you as Mule Queen! But since you’re only thirteen, we want you to be a member of the Court, and ride on the float with Brown Sunshine. Joe Henry Covington will be Grand Marshal.”
    Molly clapped her hands and Joe Henry laughed. How could they have questioned this great honor for Brown Sunshine? It might never be offered again!
    Brown Sunshine snorted a kind of relief when the visitors’ car turned out onto the highway. Joe Henry let out a wah-hoo strong enough to beheard by the members of the committee, and to draw a wild honking and hand-waving from their car. Brown Sunshine answered with a half bray, half whinny.
    â€œMolly,” Joe Henry said, “it’s good we have a month of hard work ahead so we won’t go mooning about the glory of the crowning and the people shouting, ‘Brown Sunshine! Brown Sunshine!’”

CHAPTER 17
PREPARATIONS
    Dear Diary,
    Mom and I are in orbit! We’ve been shopping for a long queenly gown for me to wear to the crowning of Brown Sunshine. The one we finally decided on looks almost like a wedding dress. It’s white and floor-length with puffy bell-shaped sleeves. When I tried it on and looked in the mirror, I didn’t even look like me!
    As Mom was paying for my new formal, the clerk pointed out a hidden feature. “Look here,” she said, “this gown has a lined pocket to hold the necessities—a compact, aspirin, a handkerchief, even one of those tiny lipsticks.”
    Mom and I both laughed at the idea of all that extra baggage. I told her that I’d rather carry sliced carrots or sugar cubes in the secret pocket than all that other stuff! Then on the long drive home, she tried to impress on me the importance of being a “lady.” I’m not sure this is going to be fun.

    But I faced a much bigger worry. What can we do about Brown Sunshine’s sad tail? It looks horrible, almost ratty! Especially when the rest of him is so handsome.
    I out and out asked Freddy Westover. For once he didn’t even snicker.
    â€œNo problem,” he said. “Howd’ya like to borrow a false tail?”
    â€œFrom where?”

    â€œFrom my equipment for my show horses.”
    I couldn’t believe it could be that simple. But it was! When we put on his false tail, it perfectly matched Brown Sunshine’s coat. He swished his new tail with abandon, as if it felt good and belonged to him.

CHAPTER 18
SPRING SHOW MULE CLIP
    M olly felt sorry for anyone who wasn’t “behind the scenes” with Brown Sunshine on the day before his crowning. After she gave the mule a bath, her father was ready to give him a clean shave called a Spring Show Mule Clip. Mr. Moore was Sunshine’s barber, with the advice of Joe Henry Covington. With his thumb, Mr. Moore tested the sharpness of the buzzing clipper he was ready to use.

    Brown Sunshine quivered in fear at the prospect. But he didn’t pull away. His trust overcame his fear.
    The talk was in monosyllables.
    â€œWhere should I begin, J.H.?” Mr. Moore asked.
    â€œStart down his cheeks and down on his nose.”
    â€œWhere then?”
    â€œShave twelve inches up from his chin, up to his neck.”
    Brown Sunshine was not happy with the talk nor with the noise of the clipper blade. For comfort, he licked a bit of salt from Mr. Moore’s palm before he felt the tickle and heard the buzzing of the razor traveling down his ears, leaving two tufts of hair on the very tips.

    At last, it was over. Brown Sunshine was relieved, and pleased by the cool morning wind applauding the results. Mr. Moore rewarded his victim with a whole sugar cube, trying to make peace again between man and mule.
    The next day, after Molly finished dressing in her long, white gown, Pops