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So what did I do?

I painted Dailan Kifki a lovely train passenger outfit!

Would you like me to describe it to you in every last detail?

Well, standing on tiptoes, and occasionally lifted up by the Fireman, I managed to paint Dailan Kifki an enormous polka-dot tie.

I took a few steps back to examine the effect, and saw that it needed a couple more strokes.

But don’t for a moment think that I did the painting carelessly and in a slapdash way.

No, sir, I did the painting very carefully and very un-slapdashly indeed.

I painted the lapels of his jacket, first one, then the other.

And then, of course, I drew three very big, very round buttons, just like the Fireman’s.

Then, nearly down to his knees (the elephant’s knees, not the Fireman’s), I painted some jacket pockets.

You’ll be wondering now how I drew the trousers?

Very simple: a single vertical, ever-so-straight line right down his legs. I painted the left first, and it came out very nicely.

I began painting the other side, starting from the top. It was coming out as perfectly straight as a ruler, and I was nearly done when… Ker-BLAM!

Supisichi!

Something hit me on the head, hard.

I couldn’t even cry for help.

I only managed “Hel…”

And I fainted.

The blow to my head was as calamitous as it was unexpected.

All of a sudden I saw seven hundred and eighty-nine little stars and I flopped down onto the platform of Ituzaingó station. I thought I’d died.