It was quite a sight. A sight that is not a regular one at that. You can see a parade of cars. A convoy of jeeps. A bevvy of bikes. But then, what do you do when you are walking down a road and you see a set of donkeys walking by. In big city Mumbai!
First the eyebrows arch. Then seeing the number, the mouth goes open. But the sight of them all being deployed to carry construction material gets the mouth to stay open.
As an city dweller who has been part of the technology revolution, the mobile phone is phished out from the pocket and a couple of snaps result. The sight of construction workmen with harnesses, helmets walking in near formation with a set of donkeys was something that the camera could barely manage to capture.
Growing up in a smaller city, the sight of donkeys carrying sack loads of clothes to the laundry was common. These days the donkeys with four legs are a rarity.
As the donkeys walk by, there are a set of people having the tea break from work. Fashionable. Young. Creative folks, perhaps. At the local tea stall. They sit and watch the donkeys pass. They watch the donkeys unmindful of the pair of eyes that are watching them watch the donkeys. Erudite people. One of them asks, with a pronounced drag of a half done cigarette. “What is the collective noun for donkeys”?
A discussion ensues. Pride. Convocation. Army. It continues. They laugh. Giggle. One of them offers to look up Google. But then, the cigarette is done. Last droplets of tea to wash down the conversation flows down their alimentary canals. Dusting their behinds they walk off towards their work places. ‘Forget the donkeys. We have to face the asses now’. They say. Grim faced, they walk away. The world is ruled by sign off lines.
If any of them is reading this post, well, the collective noun for donkeys is : ‘drove’. Or ‘herd’. Or ‘pace’.
Of course, this piece of information on collective nouns, is useful to all of us in the country at this point in time. There are so many donkeys all braying out aloud, that reminding ourselves of a collective noun will well help us bunch them together, complete sentences properly and get on with life.
No, there isnt anyone particular in the mind. There are hordes. Oh no. There are droves of them.
last two paras! So very well said!! 🙂
As you say “These days the donkeys with four legs are a rarity. “
While they continue to do their karma , heads down, lugging loads, they must be embarassed no end by this devolution of some humans into biped asses..
Droves. herds. Politicians. All one and the same .
Once which crowded the streets are a rare sight these days. Has become a zoo animal I can say.
Four-legged donkeys.
🙂
I once saw, in Minneapolis, mid-January, an elephant! In the snow!!
It’s true. 6:30 in the morning, an elephant in the snow…
Pearl
great post kavi..well said…
I think if they haven’t a job, we would add them to endanger species.
Hahahaha Loved the post and the satire in the end. “Like” to Ugich’s comments too.
Good correlation of the collective nown in the last few paragraph.
But still i would say donkeys are better behaved.
a resplendent post!