Taupe is a browny-grey, though I see it as having a tinge of mauve, like the fur of the mole. This is the muzzle of the gentle donkey who is Pepino’s only solace and support until she falls ill. The story turns on his efforts to have her cured by entering the church, which takes him to Rome to meet the Pope.
‘She was a good, useful and docile donkey, alike as any other with friendly, gentle eyes, soft taupe-coloured muzzle, and long, pointed brown ears, with one exception that distinguished her. Violetta had a curious expression about the corners of her mouth, as though she were smiling gently over something that pleased or amused her.’
Source: Paul Gallico, The Small Miracle, illus. Edgar Norfield (London: Michael Joseph, 1958), p. 10
